Tag: Jake Struminski

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/21/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 67 vs. Durfee, 42 – Final – After falling behind in the first quarter, Attleboro dominated the final three quarters to earn a season sweep of Durfee. Playing shorthanded without leading scorer Evan Houle, the Bombardiers got a huge boost from junior Jaiden Outland, who hit four three pointers and finished with career-high 18 points to pace the Attleboro offense. Durfee held a 18-14 lead after eight minutes but Attleboro came storming back in a 22-point second quarter with Outland netting eight point, Jake Struminski adding six of his eight points, and Colin Morais chipping in with five of his 15 points. The Bombardiers won the second quarter 22-5, taking a 36-23 lead into the locker room.

Canton, 66 vs. Fenway, 49 – Final – Holding a six point lead at the break, Canton used a 19-point third quarter to stretch the lead and eventually finish off Fenway for the second time in as many days. The Bulldogs got scoring contributions from six players in the big third quarter with senior Lanse Dorcelus scoring six of his team-high 16 points, senior Nate Mei adding five of his 13 points, and Matt Chafin (11 points), Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Bahsor Mahn (eight points) all scored in the quarter as Canton turned its halftime lead (32-26) in a 51-36 advantage going into the fourth. Jacob Solomon added a trio of threes and finished with nine points.

Foxboro, 58 vs. Medfield, 54 – Final – Tied at halftime, Foxboro pulled ahead for good with a big third quarter to land a key win over Division 2 foe Medfield. Foxboro had a 20-15 lead after a quarter but the teams went into the locker room at halftime deadlocked, 30-30. Five different Foxboro players scored in the third and the Warriors had their best defensive frame of the game, winning the third 17-9. Alex Penders had five of his 14 points, Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira each sank a three, Sam Golub (nine points) added a basket, and Dylan Gordon had four of his team-high 22 points to help Foxboro pull away.

Franklin, 43 vs. Leominster, 30 – Final – Anchored by one of its best defensive efforts of the season, Franklin landed an impressive win over one of the two ranked teams in Division 2. Junior Ben Harvey had a fantastic showing on the defensive end, holding one of Central Mass’ best players Justin Dadah Jr. to just one three-pointer in the fourth quarter. The Panthers used a 16-0 run across the first and second quarters to create separation. Sophomore Sean O’Leary scored eight of his 11 points in the opening half while Harvey got it going on the offensive end with six points in the second. Geino Scaringello gave the Franklin offense a big boost in the second half with all of his nine points coming over the final two frames.

King Philip, 68 vs. Falmouth, 36 – Final – King Philip poured in 26 points in the third quarter to run away with a big win over Falmouth in the first round of the Somerset-Berkley tournament. The Warriors built a 27-16 lead at halftime, getting a trio of three-pointers from Grant Kinney in the first half and one apiece from Braeden Sottile (10 points) and freshman Tommy Kilroy. Junior Will Laplante took over in the third, hitting three more threes and went on to finish with 16 of his team-high 24 points after the halftime break. Charlie Grant and Sottile also hit threes in the third quarter for KP, who had 12 makes from three-point range.

Mansfield, 56 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Mansfield struggled in the opening quarter against Westford’s zone, but the Hornets turned things around in the second quarter to send the teams into the locker room tied. In the second half, Mansfield locked down defensively, allowing only one point in the third and 12 points in the half, to pull out a win against a team ranked in the top 10 in Div. 1 and advance to the final of the Roundball Classic. Matt Hyland led all scorers with 16, 10 in the second half, and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Chris Hill added 13, including seven in the second to help the Hornets even up the game and 4-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter. Andrew Slaney nailed four threes, including two in the first to keep Mansfield close, and finished with 12 points. Mansfield hit eight from beyond the arc as a team and will face the winner of Whitman-Hanson and Brockton in Wednesday’s final.

Milford, 46 vs. Shrewsbury, 57 – Final

Sharon, 59 vs. Walpole, 71 – Final – Sharon trailed by just three at halftime but Walpole exploded for 27 points in the third quarter to run away with the win in the championship game of the Davenport Classic. Sophomore Nate Katznelson dropped a career-high 27 points for the Eagles, but Walpole’s balanced attack — five players scored in the third — and successful three-point shooting in the third (five makes) ended up the difference.

Stoughton, 59 vs. Milton, 38 – Final – After a back-and-forth first quarter, Stoughton dominated the middle quarters to build a double digit lead that never relinquished the rest of the way. Junior Rayan Sablon hit four three-pointers in the first half and finished with 22 of his career-high 31 points to help the Black Knights get the win. Connor Andrews added nine of his 17 points in the opening half as Stoughton built a 34-19 lead at halftime and had a 46-25 lead going into the fourth.

Taunton, 77 @ New Bedford, 42 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos scored his 1,000th career point as the Tigers rolled to a big win to finish the regular season. Santos finished with 29 points in the win and hit the milestone with — fittingly — a pull up three in transition in the fourth quarter. Santos had five threes in the game and 10 total makes. Chris Volcy came off the bench and scored half of his 12 points in Taunton’s 25-point second quarter, turning a close game into a blowout by halftime (43-21). Faisal Mass added eight points for Taunton, which had nine players get in the scoring column.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 61 @ Durfee, 30 – Final – The Bombardiers held Durfee to 12 points in the first half, building a 32-12 lead through two quarters and never looking back to record a fifth straight win. Meghan Gordon scored 12 of her 16 points and Lindsey Perry scored all seven of her points in the first half to get Attleboro off to a great start. Vanessa Ellis scored 13 points (eight in the second half) and Rylie Camacho buried four three-pointers and finished with 12. Avery Vieira scored six of her eight points in the fourth.

Foxboro, 61 vs. Cambridge, 30 – Final – Kailey Sullivan scored 23 points, knocking down five three-pointers, as the Warriors rolled to a big win in the opening round of the Warrior Classic. Nine players scored for Foxboro, which will face Walpole on Tuesday night in the final.

Mansfield, 54 vs. Westford Academy, 55 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Abigail Chambers hit a three from six feet behind the arc with only 4.5 on the clock and Westford pulled out a come from behind win in the first round of the Roundball Classic. The Hornets had led 54-48 in the closing minutes, but Westford closed the game on a 7-0 run. Abby Wager scored a team-high 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to pace the Hornets. She added six rebounds and four steals. Kara Santos chipped in with nine points (five in the fourth) and Bridget Hanley added nine points, five assist, and two blocks. Natlya Gill came off the bench and scored seven points. Mansfield will face Natick on Wednesday afternoon in the consolation round of the tournament.

Taunton, 52 vs. New Bedford, 59 – Final – Taunton and New Bedford had a shootout in the second half, as the teams combined for 68 points, but the Tigers weren’t able to pull off a comeback in the season finale and the Whalers earned a split of the season series. Kameron St. Pierre had a team-high 17 points for the Tigers, all of them in the second half, and knocked down three from beyond the arc. Liv Gannon scored nine, all in the first half, and Cali Melo and Abby Souza each scored eight points for the Tigers.

Canton, 46 @ Westwood, 40 – Final – The Bulldogs closed out the regular season by winning the title at the Riley Classic and beating one of the teams ahead of them in the Div. 2 power rankings. Fay Gallery scored 17 points, dished our four assists, and had three steals to lead the way for Canton. Kiara Cerruti added 16 points and three steals and Sydney Gallery had seven points, five boards, and three assists. Canton also got a lot of help on the glass, with Han Hong and Erin Beatty each pulling down six rebounds and Samya DaSilva grabbing five boards. Marissa Staffiere made a pair of clutch free throws at the end to help seal the win. Fay Gallery was named tournament MVP and Cerruti was named to the all-tournament team.

King Philip, 49 vs. Archbishop Williams, 28 – Final – KP jumped out to a 16-2 lead after one quarter and extended that lead to 34-6 at halftime, running away with a big win in the consolation round of the end-of-season tournament. The Warriors had 48 points through three quarters. All 14 players saw time on the court and 11 ended up on the score sheet. Liv Lafond led the Warriors with 10 points, while Emily Sawyer had eight and Kylie Watson and Julia Marsden each scored seven points in the win. Olivia Ali knocked down a three-pointer for her first career varsity points.

Boys Hockey
North Attleboro, 1 vs. Walpole, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 3 vs. King Philip, 6 – Final

Stoughton, 1 @ Rockland, 2 – Final (OT) – After being shutout by Rockland in the first time around, Stoughton pushed the Bulldogs to the limit this time around before falling in overtime. Joe McNulty had the goal for the Black Knights, Steven Westerlund had a strong game defensively, and Chris Andrade played well in net with 29 saves.

Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Dedham, 0 – Final – MOA freshman Emma Rabinovich sparked the offense with her first career goal less than a minute into the game and the Warriors never looked back, skating to a shutout win over Dedham. Rabinovich lit the lamp 30 seconds into the game and then Kylie O’Keefe doubled the lead with a minute left in the period to make it 2-0. Cammy Shanteler (from O’Keefe) and Cataline Kipp each added a goal for the Warriors. Jess Widdop made 35 saves in net to earn the shutout for MOA.

King Philip, 5 vs. Milton, 0 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Mansfield, 64 – Final – Propelled by a strong first quarter (21 points) and a pivotal third quarter (18-4), Mansfield held off a strong fourth quarter from Attleboro to finish league play with a win. Matt Hyland got the Hornets off to a strong start with half of his team-high 16 points in the opening eight minutes and five other Mansfield players got into the scoring column, including threes from Andrew Slaney (12 points) and Chris Hill (12 points) for an early 21-13 lead. Colin Morais (17 points), Jaiden Outland, Neo Franco, and Jake Struminski each hit a three in the second but Dante James had one for Mansfield and Anthony Sacchetti had six points to help the Hornets ahead at the break (39-30). Hyland had another eight points in the third and Slaney added a pair of triples while the Hornets held the Bombardiers to just four points to break the game wide open, taking a 57-34 lead into the fourth. Attleboro made a late push with Morais, Outland, and Franco hitting fourth quarter threes to get the deficit down to single digits.

Foxboro, 51 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton continually cut into Foxboro’s lead throughout the game, eventually pulling even with the Warriors but it was senior Dylan Gordon who converted the go-ahead layup and then sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the win. Junior Alex Penders (12 points), Ryan LeClair (seven points), and Sam Golub (six points) helped Foxboro build leads after the first (12-5) and second quarters (22-18). Lanse Dorcelus hit on three of his four threes in the second and both Matt Chafin and Nate Mei added one each to close the gap by halftime. Chafin and Ashton Cetoute hit from downtown in the third as the Bulldogs made it 36-36 going into the fourth. Gordon finished with 15 of his 17 points in the second half, his lone field goal of the fourth being the go-ahead bucket followed by two free throws. Cam Barreira, fresh off his best shooting performance of the season in a win at Stoughton, came through with a pair of clutch threes in the fourth.

Franklin, 75 @ King Philip, 50 – Final – Franklin’s offense roared to life in the opening half, putting up 21 points in the opening quarter and then 25 more in the second on its way to a big win over King Philip. Sophomore Andrew O’Neil hit five three-pointers, three in the first half, to spark the Panthers’ offense. O’Neill finished with a team-high 21 points while senior Sean Vinson scored all 19 of his points in the first half. King Philip cut into the deficit by winning the third quarter (16-9) with senior Braeden Sottile dropping half of his team-high 20 points in the quarter. But Franklin’s offense got back on track with 22 points in the fourth, with O’Neill adding two more threes and both Evan DaSilva and Caden Sullivan connecting from downtown.

Milford, 48 @ Taunton, 68 – Final – Taunton only led by two possessions going into the fourth quarter (49-43) but the Tigers took care of business in the final eight minutes, running away with a win to clinch the Kelley-Rex division title outright for the first team in program history. Senior Trent Santos hit four of his six three-pointers after halftime and finished with a game-high 26 points to lead the charge. Faisal Mass added 15 points in the win. Milford freshman Andrew Rivera hit a trio of threes and finished with a team-best 23 points.

North Attleboro, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 63 – Final – North Attleboro came out of the gates with 16 points in the first quarter and only trailed by two possessions at halftime but a switch to zone defense from Oliver Ames stalled the Rocketeers’ offense and the Tigers pulled away to finish their regular season with a win. OA held a 30-24 lead at halftime and then got a balanced scoring attack in the third to double its lead from six to 12, carrying a 44-32 lead into the fourth. Drew Baxter had four of his 10 points in the third, MJ Jean Baptiste and Zach Tagliamonte (10 points) each had three, and Dan Reily and Jake Grimaldi each chipped in with a bucket. CJ Williams finished with a team-high 11 points for OA, who had 10 players factor into the scoring. Brody Rosenberg hit a trio of threes to lead North with 13 points, Gavin Wells also had a three trifectas for 11 points and Casey Poirier scored 10 first half points for the Big Red.

Sharon, 65 @ Stoughton, 61 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.










Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 52 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Lindsey Perry scored a game-high 16 points, including 12 in the second half, to help the Bombardiers pull out a win and sweep the season series against the Hornets. Mansfield scored 18 in the first, including eight from Anna Darlington, to take a five-point lead after one, but Attleboro stormed back with a 15-8 second to take a two-point lead into the locker room. Vanessa Ellis, Rylie Camacho, and Meghan Gordon combined for 13 in the quarter. Perry and Gordon combined for 13 points in the third, as the Bombardiers extended the lead to six after three, which they were able to hold onto over the final eight minutes. Perry scored six points in the fourth, including 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Gordon finished with 11 points and Ellis and Camacho each scored 10. Abby Wager led the Hornets with 15, including nine points in the third quarter alone, while Darlington finished with 10. Olivia Salisbury chipped in with eight points for the Hornets.

Canton, 44 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final – Seven Warriors were on the score sheet as they held off Canton to sweep the season series with the bulldogs. Kailey Sullivan was the top scorer for the home team with 14 point and Erin Foley added 11. Ava Hill went 6-for-6 from the line to help Foxboro seal the win.

King Philip, 24 @ Franklin, 49 – Final – KP led 10-8 after the first quarter but Franklin held the Warriors to only 14 points over the final 24 minutes to finish the league campaign unbeaten for the third straight season. The Panthers took the second quarter 11-2 and outscored KP 30-12 in the second half for their 42nd straight league win. Olivia Quinn led the way for the Panthers with 13 points, including nine in the second quarter, and went 6-for-6 from the line. Stefany Padula hit a pair of threes and scored eight points, Brigid Earley had seven, and Katie Peterson added six points for Franklin. Liv Lafond was KP’s leading scorer with eight points, Leah Santoro had six, and Emily Sawyer and Jordan Bennett each scored four points in the loss.

Taunton, 37 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Without the league’s leading scorer, Kameron St. Pierre, Taunton struggled offensively early and the Hawks took advantage to pull out a win in their final league game of the season, splitting the seasons series. Milford jumped ahead 14-3 after the first and extended the lead to 14 by halftime. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored eight of her game-high 15 points in the first half for Milford. Taunton took the third quarter to slice into the Milford lead, but then the Hawks exploded for 24 points in the fourth, led by Brooke Ferreira’s nine, to seal the win. Ferreira finished with 12 and Jill Araujo added a dozen as well. Cali Melo led Taunton with 10 points and Jillian Doherty added nine, all 19 of their combined points coming in the second half. Lex Haywood chipped in with five.

Oliver Ames, 78 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – OA closed out the league campaign with a big road win. The Tigers jumped out to a big lead early in the game and seemed to have an answer for every defensive switch that North threw at them. Senior Caroline Peper exploded for a game-high 24 points and the Tigers got a big boost on the offense end with 12 points apiece from a trio of sophomores: Jasmyn Cooper, Sarah Hilliard, and Kaydance Derba. Summer Doherty scored 11 of her team-high 12 points for North and Maryellen Charette added nine.

Stoughton, 44 @ Sharon, 53 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/15/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ King Philip, 44 – Final – A fire alarm midway through the third quarter at King Philip was a sign of things for come, but for the visiting Bombardiers. After a tight, back-and-forth first half, Attleboro’s offense caught fire in the second, opening with a 14-2 run and never looking back. The Bombardiers led by just two (17-15) after a quarter, and just three (31-28) going into halftime. Six players contributed to Attleboro’s 21-point third quarter with Evan Houle (nine points) and Jake Struminski (14 points) each chipping in with five, four from Colin Morais (eight points), and three from Alvin Harrison (five points). In his first game back, sophomore Neo Franco added 11 points while senior Joe Francois-Annevil spread out his career-high 17 points for the Bombardiers, who stretched the lead to 52-35 going into the fourth. Braeden Sottile led KP with 15 points while Will Laplante added 14 points.

Canton, 67 @ Sharon, 68 – Final (OT) – Sharon senior John Baez turned a steal into two points, junior Matt Baur hit a key three, and sophomore Jacob McLoughlin added two free throws down the stretch as the Eagles held off Canton to clinch at least a share of the Davenport division title. After neither team scored for the first two minutes of overtime, Baez (13 points) helped off his man and poked the ball free, going uncontested for a layup with 1:51 to play. Nate Mei (15 points) answered with a baseline jumper to tie the game again but the Eagles came back down and Baur (18 points) splashed in a corner three with the shot clock winding down. Sharon got a stop but Canton forced a turnover and Lanse Dorcelus (26 points) sank a free throw to cut the deficit to two with 29 seconds left. McLoughlin (10 points) tacked on two free throws to push it back to four. Matt Chafin (15 points) hit a three as time expired to cut it back to one. Canton sent the game into overtime with a 9-0 run in the final minutes, capped by a three from Conor Hunter with nine seconds to go to tie it 61-61. Sophomore Nate Katznelson added 10 points for the Eagles, who led 11-5 after the first quarter, 27-25 at halftime, and 48-41 going into the fourth.

Oliver Ames, 53 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Foxboro junior Alex Penders scored a career-high 30 points, including some key free throws in the final two minutes, to help the Warriors knock off Oliver Ames and keep their division title hopes alive. OA raced out to an 18-7 lead after a quarter of play and carried a 28-23 advantage into halftime. Senior Dylan Gordon exploded for 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter and Penders added eight as the Warriors put up 20 points to jump ahead 43-42 going into the fourth. Penders extended Foxboro’s lead with free throws to 54-51 with under a minute to go. OA’s Zach Tagliamonte (11-for-13 free throws, 25 points) battled through contact to finish down low to make it a one-point game before Foxboro added a free throw from Sam Golub. Off a miss on the second free throw with 6.5 seconds, the Warriors were able to prevent the Tigers from getting a shot off before the buzzer.

Franklin, 73 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin connected on seven three pointers in the second quarter alone, blowing the game wide open in a win on the road at Milford, which was the 200th career win for FHS head coach CJ Neely. The Panthers jumped out to a 17-10 lead after eight minutes but junior Geino Scaringello and freshman Caden Sullivan each hit a pair of second quarter threes while Evan DaSilva, Will Tracey, and Sean O’Leary each had one as Franklin’s lead ballooned to 43-22 by halftime. Franklin finished with 13 three-pointers in the win and had 10 players find the score sheet, let by O’Leary’s 19 points and Sean Vinson’s 10 points.

Mansfield, 46 @ Taunton, 56 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Stoughton, 50 @ North Attleboro, 61 – Final – North Attleboro saw its first half lead vanish in the third quarter but the Rocketeers bounced back with its best quarter of the game in the fourth, pouring in 24 points to run away with the win and a season sweep of the Black Knights. North jumped out to a 16-9 lead after a quarter as senior Casey Poirier scored nine of his team-high 25 points in the opening frame. A three from Brody Rosenberg (20 points) and a pair of buckets from Givany Carney (eight points) helped the Rocketeers take a 29-23 lead into halftime. Connor Andrews (16 points) hit a pair of threes in the third for Stoughton while Rayan Sablon (11 points) and Matt Greenspoon each hit one as Stoughton surged ahead, 38-37, going into the fourth. Poirier and Rosenberg came to life in the fourth, each attributing nine points as North pulled away with the win.










Girls Basketball
King Philip, 34 @ Attleboro, 46 – Final – Attleboro outscored the Warriors by 10 in the second half to win its third straight game and sweep the season series. The score was 19-17 heading into the locker room, but the Bombardiers had a strong 14-7 third quarter to create a cushion heading to the fourth. Behind six points from Kayla Goldrick and four from Meghan Gordon, Attleboro won the final quarter 13-10 to seal the final win. Goldrick led the Bombardiers with 14 points, including a pair of threes, and Lindsey Perry added nine. Gordon, the team’s leading scorer, was held to eight points in the win. Emily Sawyer and Maddie Paschke both finished with eight points for KP, which also got six points from Liv Lafond.

Sharon, 50 @ Canton, 70 – Final – Canton coach Jim Choquette earned his 100th career win, as the Bulldogs picked up a third straight win. Jasmine Davis had a big game in the loss, scoring 25 points and pulling down 30 rebounds. Eva Poulton added 10 points for the Eagles.

Foxboro, 41 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 19 @ Franklin, 80 – Final – All 14 players scored for the Panthers, as they continued their unbeaten run. Milford stayed within seven after the first, but Franklin scored 24 points in each of the second and third quarters to take complete control. The Panthers held Milford to six points in the second half. Olivia Quinn was Franklin’s top scorer with 13 points (11 in the first half). Stefany Padula added 11, knocking down three from beyond the arc, and Katie Peterson and Sasha Tracey each finished with 10 points. Brooke Ferreira scored all of her team-high eight points in the first half and the Hawks also got three points from Erin Michelson.

Taunton, 46 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – The Hornets came out firing, jumping out to a 25-6 lead that they never looked back from, despite Taunton rallying in the third (winning the quarter 16-5). After Taunton cut the lead to seven going into the fourth, Mansfield scored 19 points over the final eight minutes, including six each from Abby Wager and Olivia Salisbury, to seal the victory. Wager finished with a dozen points. Kara Santos led the Hornets with 14 points, including eight in the first, and Bridget Hanley and Salisbury each scored nine. Kameron St. Pierre scored a game-high 27 points, including all 13 of Taunton’s points in the second quarter. Cali Melo added 13 for the Tigers, all in the second half.

North Attleboro, 48 @ Stoughton, 28 – Final – Summer Doherty scored a season-high 21 points and North Attleboro held the Black Knights to just two points in the third quarter to pull out the road win. It was only a three-point game after one quarter and North built the lead to 21-15 at the half, but then took the third 14-2 to break the game open. Ava McKeon added eight points and Sam Faria had six for the Rocketeers.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames got its second win in as many days, skating to a league win over Attleboro at Asiaf. Matt Lawson, Jack Perron, and Shaun Teehan each lit the lamp once for the Tigers, who had five players record an assist. Junior Brandon Burke made 17 saves in net to get the win.

Canton, 6 @ Smithfield (R.I.), 0 – Final

Attleboro Finally Shakes Sharon For Key Road Win

Attleboro boys basketball Trevor White
Attleboro junior Trevor White goes up for a shot over a pair of Sharon players in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 SHARON, Mass. — The Attleboro boys basketball team led from start to finish on the road at Sharon on Tuesday night, but it was far from a comfortable win.

The Bombardiers looked poised to pull away on a number of occasions throughout its 77-68 road win, but just when it appeared Attleboro had a comfortable cushion, the Eagles chipped away to make a game of it.

There was the 13-point lead in the first quarter that shrunk to six in just seconds. And then another double-digit advantage, up 33-22 with less than 90 seconds to go in the half that Sharon quickly cut in half to trail b just five at the halftime break.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The trend continued in the third, with Attleboro’s lead twice ballooning back up to 11, first on a bucket from senior Joe Francois-Annevil (seven points, six rebounds, four assists) on a nice drive to the rim, and then again on a two-handed slam from junior Trevor White to give Attleboro not only a 46-35 but the Bombardiers got the ball back after a block from Alvin Harrison (10 points) on the defensive end.

Instead, it was Sharon who responded with a 12-4 burst. A three-point play from senior Donyae Pierre preceded a triple from sophomore Jacob McLoughlin (10 points). After a couple of stops, Sam Cohen (eight points, five rebounds) sank a triple and a midrange jumper from Matt Baur (22 points, five rebounds, three assists) made it 50-47 with just under two minutes to go in the third.

Jake Struminski had back-to-back finishes in close and White (career-high 31 points, six rebounds) added another one of his two-handed slams to stem the tide with the Bombardiers ahead 56-49 going into the fourth.

Attleboro boys basketball

It was more of a back-and-forth fourth quarter with Harrison, Francois-Annevil, and White finding success attacking the basket for the Bombardiers. Meanwhile, Pierre, Baur, and a three-point play from Will Hippler kept the Eagles close, down 62-56 with five minutes to go.

“We were just inconsistent throughout that game,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We were really good at times and then they were able to turn us over and they looked really good at times. To their credit, they’ve had a good year so far and played with a lot of confidence. Our lack of understanding time and score in certain situations kind of hurt us.

“We were prepared for their zone and I thought we looked good the last time a team threw that at us but we stopped getting paint touches and relied on the three-point shot. It can obviously help if you’re making them but when you’re not, you have to change your course of action.”

Attleboro tied its largest lead of the game after senior Evan Houle (17 points, seven assists) threaded the needle with a pass through Sharon’s zone to White down on the baseline for a dunk that established a 71-58 lead with three minutes to go.

But a steal and layup from McLoughlin was followed by an off-balance three-pointer from senior John Baez, and after another stop on defense, Baur found McLoughlin for a three, and just like that, it was 71-66 with two minutes to play.

Like it had throughout the game, Attleboro kept its lead. The Bombardiers never let it slip away and hit a couple of key free throws down the stretch to keep the Eagles at bay to secure a 77-68 win.

“It was just our effort, the guys were just grinding,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We’ve been in a little bit of a slide but we’re just trying to work through our process. We think if we stick to our core values and we work through our process, the results will come. They dug in and they were grinding the entire second half to keep it close. There’s a tremendous amount of belief in this group and they really worked at it.”

Attleboro boys basketball

White proved to be too hard to stop for the Eagles, who were without sophomore big man Nate Katznelson for the season straight game. After not taking a shot in the first quarter and scoring seven points in the second, White sliced through the Sharon defense time and time again to net 13 points in the third quarter and 11 points in the fourth. He finished 11-for-14 from two-point range.

“He’s working hard in practice and I think we’re starting to get more comfortable playing together as a team,” Houle said. “And obviously he’s a big part of that. He’s very talented and has a lot of skillsets that make him a tough match-up for a lot of teams. When he’s running the court, and we can get our inside-out game going, it helps. He did a nice job running the floor and our guys did a nice job finding him there and finding him in the half court too.”

Evan Houle and sophomore Neo Franco (six points, nine assists, three steals) set the tone early for the visitors. Franco had a pair of three-pointers early and a pair of steals while Houle went 4-for-6 from the floor, also connecting on a pair of trifectas. Attleboro, however, only hit one more three the rest of the game, coming off the fingertips of White with 2:27 to go in the second quarter.

Like White, Baur didn’t score in the first quarter but he was Sharon’s leading scorer by halftime. He erupted for eight points in less than two minutes, converting a traditional three-point play, sinking two more free throws, and then drained a three after an offensive rebound from Pierre cut into Attleboro’s lead, 35-30, at halftime.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sharon continuously cut double-digit deficits down to a two-possession game, getting as close as three near the end of the third and then within five with two minutes to go in the game, but the Eagles were never able to get over the hump and go ahead.

“Trevor White is probably the answer,” Ferguson said of being unable to take the lead. “We just didn’t have an answer for him, he played amazing. Donyae absolutely worked his butt off but when you’re giving up five to six inches to a player like that…Houle hit a couple of threes in the first half to get them going. They’re an unbelievably physical team. I thought our guys battled with them. I thought anytime we needed a stop or a rebound, they were just able to convert and hurt us.”

Attleboro boys basketball (7-2 Hockomock, 9-2 overall) carries a four-game win streak into its home contest with Mansfield on Friday. Sharon (5-4, 7-4) will look to snap its three-game skid when it hosts rival Stoughton on the same night,

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/22/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ Durfee, 58 – Final – Attleboro senior Jake Struminski and sophomore Neo Franco each scored seven points in the fourth quarter, with Struminski hitting a clutch three, as the Bombardiers rallied from an early fourth quarter deficit to knock off the Hilltoppers. Attleboro lead after each the first (17-13), second (35-27), and third (46-44) quarters but a strong start to the fourth put the hosts ahead 54-47. The Bombardiers finished the game with a 22-4 run. Struminski had a career-high 16 points, both Evan Houle and Joe Francois-Annevil chipped in with 15 points, and Frano finished with 10 points.

Canton @ Southeastern – Postponed to TBD.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 73 vs. Durfee, 45 – Final – Lindsey Perry scored 22 points to lead Attleboro to a big non-league win. She was one of four players that scored in double digits for the Bombardiers, who have won two in row to get back to .500 on the season. Lily Routhier, who transferred from Wheeler School this year, added 12 points and Kayla Goldrick scored 11. Meghan Gordon rounded things out with 10 points. Attleboro had eight players get on the score sheet.










Boys Hockey
North Attleboro, 7 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – North Attleboro senior Nik Kojoian recorded six points and Nick Longa added four points as the Rocketeers skated past rival Attleboro. Kojian scored a hat trick and added three assists to pace the offense while Longa found the back of the net twice and assisted on two more goals.

Canton, 4 @ Hanover, 2 – Final

King Philip, 1 @ Natick, 2 – Final (OT) – King Philip tied the game with a goal in the second period and owned a heavy advantage in shots but came away without a point after falling to Natick in overtime. Trailing 1-0 after a period, Kevin Birenbaum knotted the score on a power play goal just under five minutes into the second, scoring off assists from Nolan Feyler and Brad Guden. KP had a 37-18 advantage in shots.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Silver Lake, 5 – Final – Junior goaltender Brandon Burke made 26 saves but Oliver Ames fell on the road to Silver Lake.

Stoughton, 0 @ Dartmouth, 6 – Final – Stoughton goalie Chris Andrade turned aside 35 shots in net but the Black Knights suffered a setback at the hands of Dartmouth.

Taunton, 0 vs. Middleboro, 4 – Final

Franklin, 1 @ Catholic Memorial, 7 – Final

Mansfield, 1 vs. Walpole, 5 – Final

Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 @ Walpole, 4 – Final
Stoughton/Sharon vs. Milton, 5:00

Wrestling
Stoughton, 15 @ Canton, 60 – Final

Oliver Ames, 40 @ Foxboro, 35 – Final

King Philip, 34 @ Franklin, 39 – Final

Taunton, 52 @ Mansfield, 24 – Final – Taunton grabbed its first division win of the season, pinning down a victory on the road at Mansfield. Xavier Sandoval (132), Ben Mandeville (145), and Logan Frank (220) each won by pinfall while Brandon Mendes (120, TF 15-0), Anthony Vieira (126, MD 15-8), Christian Balmain (160, MD 18-4), and Ethan Harris (182, 8-5) also had wins for the Tigers. For Mansfield, Nathan Jackson (113, 1:30), Sam Connelly (152, 2:27), Dashiell Munson (170, 3:04), and Andrew Cameron (285, 4:33) all won by pinfall.

North Attleboro, 29 @ Sharon, 34 – Final

Boys Swimming
Oliver Ames, 57 @ Canton, 73 – Final

Girls Swimming
Oliver Ames, 80 @ Canton, 96 – Final

Gymnastics
Oliver Ames, 138.2 @ Attleboro, 139.2 – Final

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/20/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 52 @ Attleboro, 64 – Final – Attleboro established an early lead and never let it slip away to knock off rival North Attleboro. Sophomore Neo Franco hit a pair of threes in the first and Evan Houle (17 points) added five to give the hosts a 17-12 lead. The lead grew from there with senior Colin Morais adding seven second quarter points to give the Bombardiers a 29-20 halftime edge. Attleboro, who was without junior forward Trevor White, had its best offensive quarter in the third, scoring 23 points with contributions from Joe Francois-Annevil (seven of his 11 points), Jake Struminski (six of his eight points), and Alvin Harrison (half of his eight points). Brody Rosenberg led the Rocketeers with 15 points while Givany Carney chipped in with 12 points.

Canton, 45 @ Milford, 30 – Final – Canton delivered first year coach Eric MacKinnon his first career win, limiting the Hawks to 12 points in the second half for the win. The Bulldogs built a six-point lead after a quarter and kept the Hawks at a distance the rest of the way. Conor Hunter hit a pair of threes in the second quarter as the visitors carried a 23-18 lead into halftime. Canton had its biggest offensive quarter of the game, nearly doubling their lead going into the final quarter (36-27). Hunter finished with 13 points while Matt Chafin added 12 points in the win.

Foxboro, 26 @ Mansfield, 66 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mansfield built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a big win over visiting Foxboro. The Hornets were clicking on all cylinders on the offensive end, getting 11 players into the scoring column. Senior Matt Hyland scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds while junior Chris had a strong showing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Mansfield helped force 18 turnovers from the Warriors, who couldn’t get it going on offensively. Mansfield led 34-11 at halftime.

Stoughton, 72 @ King Philip, 64 – Final (OT) – King Philip battled back throughout the game, forcing overtime but couldn’t keep pace with the visiting Black Knights in the extra period. Stoughton built a double-digit lead (22-12) after a quarter with six players factoring into the scoring. The Knights kept the lead all the way to the fourth, but King Philip cut into it each quarter. Stoughton took a 38-30 lead into halftime but was held to just six points in the third as KP surged back to make it a one-possession game (44-41). The teams battled back-and-forth in the final quarter before Stoughton’s last second shot was off the mark. In overtime, Connor Andrews (game-high 22 points), Jayden Costa Heyward (12 points), Liam Pearl (nine points) and Cashmere Mathurin (six points) all scored to help the Knights outscore the Warriors, 11-3. Freshman Matt Greenspoon added 10 points in the win. Danny Clancy led King Philip with 16 points while Braeden Sottile added 15 points.

Oliver Ames, 48 @ Franklin 64 – Final – Franklin saw its 22-point halftime lead shrink to single digits going into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers bounced back and closed out strong to get a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin built a 37-15 lead by the break behind a balanced scoring attack and strong defense. Franklin hit half of its 12 three-pointers in the second quarter alone, two apiece from Geino Scaringello and Justin Allen (team-high 12 points) and one each from Andrew O’Neil and Hansy Jacques, to take a commanding lead. OA came roaring back in the third as Zach Tagliamonte scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the third and Dan Reilly had nine of his 12 points to make it 46-37 going into the fourth. Ben Harvey had half of his eight points in the fourth, Henry Digiorgio scored five of his seven, and Allen added another three to pull away.

Sharon, 71 @ Taunton, 89 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos caught fire early and never cooled off, dropping a career-high 41 points to lead the Tigers to a win over visiting Sharon. Santos hit four threes on his way to 20 points in the first quarter as Taunton jumped out ahead 28-12 after a quarter. Faisal Mass (14 points) and Matt Small (nine points) scored six points and five points, respectively, in the second for a 46-25 advantage at the break. Santos picked it back up in the second with 14 points, keeping the hosts ahead throughout. Tyson Carter scored all eight of his points in the third and Troy Santos added all seven of his to give Taunton a 68-47 lead going into the fourth. Sharon junior Matt Baur scored a team-high 26 points, hitting on six three-pointers. Sam Cohen added four threes for 12 points as the Eagles finished with 15 three-pointers made.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 41 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Attleboro knocked down its outside shots and played solid defense to pull out a first win for head coach Bri Bracken. The game was tied at 9-9 after one quarter but Attleboro was able to build a six-point lead by halftime and extended it to 11 in the second half. North continues to struggle at times to find consistency on offense, but got eight points from Ava McKeon, who was back after missing a game with injury, and seven points apiece from freshmen Sam Sweeney and Maryellen Charette.

Milford, 17 @ Canton, 71 – Final – Canton got off to a great start and broke the game away in the second quarter to earn its first win of the season. Kiara Cerruti scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the opening half, including 10 in the second quarter. Fay Gallery scored 17 points and added nine before halftime, as the Bulldogs ran out to a 36-9 lead. Sydney Gallery chipped in with 13 points and Han Hong added nine. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored four points for Milford, which also got three points apiece from Jess Douglas, Jill Araujo, and Khatrina Leger.

Mansfield, 43 @ Foxboro, 56 – Final – Foxboro got big nights from a pair of freshmen to earn its second straight win and hand Mansfield its first loss of the season. Kailey Sullivan set a new career-high with 16 points, 11 in the second half, and Ava Hill set a career mark with 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. The Warriors broke the game open in the second, extending a one-point lead out to a dozen by halftime. After Foxboro won the third quarter 14-11, Mansfield battled to win a fourth quarter shootout 19-17. Kara Santos was the top scorer for the Hornets with 13 and Abby Wager added 11 points, all in the second half and eight in the fourth quarter alone. Olivia Salisbury had five points, all in the final eight minutes. Foxboro was able to get clutch rebounding from Andrea Slattery and Lauren Miley down the stretch to keep a big lead. Camryn Collins scored nine points and Erin Foley scored eight points to go along with her aggressive defending.

Franklin, 51 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final (OT) – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

King Philip, 65 @ Stoughton, 41 – Final – Stoughton kept it close in the first half behind a strong defensive effort but the visiting Warriors put together a big run in the third to turn a 6-point lead at half (30-24) into a double-digit advantage (47-30) going into the fourth. Seniors Makaiyah Singleton Rivera and Jess Maddalena combined for 16 points for the Black Knights.

Taunton @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 6 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 3 – Final – Franklin saw its three-goal lead evaporate in a three-minute span in the second period but the Panthers bounced back with a big third period, scoring three more times to get the win over St. John’s Shrewsbury. Adam Quinn (from Ben Jarosz and Ben Paterson) and Ryan Sicchio (from Logan Marchand) scored for a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first, and Paterson (from Dylan Marchand and Quinn) scored just over two minutes into the second to make it 3-0. SJS scored three times within the next four minutes to tie the contest 3-3 through two periods. In the third, Quinn got his second of the day (from Paterson and Sicchio) at the midway point of the third and Dom Lampasona (from Anthony Lampasona) added a key insurance goal less than a minute later. Anthony Lampasona tacked on a key empty net goal (margin of victory) in the final seconds on an assist from Christian Shabbick. Cole Porter made 31 saves in net for the Panthers.

King Philip, 1 vs. Medway, 4 – Final

Stoughton, 7 vs. Bellingham, 2 – Final – Stoughton broke into the win column in a big way, knocking off visiting Bellingham, 7-2. Charlie Caputo led the offense with three goals while Colin Alessi added a pair of goals. Brendan Twohig and Aidan Obrock scored a goal each while Anthony Hern recorded the win in net.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 2 @ Wayland/Weston, 1 – Final (OT)

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 10-6
Coach: Mark Houle

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

After trotting out an entirely new lineup during the shortened COVID season a year ago, Attleboro is looking to build upon the foundation it built and contend for a Kelley-Rex title in a very deep division.

Senior Evan Houle and junior Trevor White are the two returning starters from a year ago but the Bombardiers have a lot of players back that saw valuable minutes off the bench as well. Houle and White both averaged 10 points per game a year ago and will be two of the main options on the offensive end of the court. Alvin Harrison and Joe Francois both played solid minutes last year and give the Bombardiers some size in the paint. Jake Struminski, Christian Dame, and Michael Beverly all played throughout last season and should be in the mix again this year.

The Bombardiers are getting a big boost in the backcourt with the addition of senior Colin Morais, who transferred in after playing in Rhode Island last year. Morais can score in a variety of ways and can really catch fire from three-point range so he will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Sophomore Neo Franco could see an expanded role right away and help provide additional defensive intensity and some scoring punch. Seniors Hayden Hagerty, senior Nathan Hunter-Evans, and junior Jaiden Outland give the Bombardiers some quality depth on the roster.

“I have been very impressed with our work ethic and how our players have set high standards in practice every day,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I credit our recent graduates for the past several years who set the high expectations for our teams to work hard, be good teammates, and earn our success in practice. We’re looking forward to the always challenging Hockomock League schedule. We must be prepared and be ready to compete at a high level every game.”

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Eric MacKinnon

A new chapter begins for the Bulldogs with Eric MacKinnon taking over as head coach after Ryan Gordy stepped down to take an athletics administrative position with Canton. MacKinnon, a former Hockomock League All-Star for Oliver Ames, has experience coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels and will try to guide a relatively inexperienced group through a tough league schedule.

Canton graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that accounted for nearly 90% of the team’s points scored last year. But with that loss comes a lot of new opportunities for new players to fit into the lineup and rotation. Senior Lanse Dorcelus possesses the most experience of anyone on the roster after getting pulled up to varsity his freshmen year and seeing an expanded role in each of the past two seasons. He could be primed for a breakout year with his ability to attack the rim, and he can score in bunches when he gets going.

Dorcelus is joined by Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Nate Mei as returners from last year. All three of those players know what it’s like to play at the varsity level in the Hockomock League so MacKinnon will be leaning on their experience as the Bulldogs try to navigate through a very challenging schedule. MacKinnon is hoping to have the Dogs playing with pace in the halfcourt and will be looking to have a balanced attack on offense with a presence in the post but also a roster that can hit from outside.

“We have a mix of guys who have had varsity experience along with some juniors who weren’t able to swing last year because of covid protocols,” MacKinnon said. “We know we’ll need to be efficient offensively and be sound on the other end to compete every night in this league. We’ve made progress in our early practices and I’ve been impressed by our senior leadership.”

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 2-9
Coach: Jon Gibbs

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

There were a lot of growing pains for the Warriors last season, resulting in a 2-9 record during the shortened COVID season. But with its entire starting lineup back plus some added depth, Foxboro could be looking at a worst-to-first type turnaround in 2022.

Senior Dylan Gordon, fresh off an incredible football season for the Warriors, had a breakout season a year ago and was one of the leading scorers in the Hock at 16 points per game. He’s joined by junior Alex Penders, who had some dominant moments at times last year in the paint and averaged 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and juniors Ryan LeClair, Sam Golub (6.4 PPG), and Sean O’Leary. Juniors Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira both played solid minutes at points last year so the Warriors boast eight veteran players now, which is a vast difference from last year when everyone on the roster was making their varsity debut.

The Warriors will look to boast a balanced offensive attack and have the weapons to do so. Whether it’s Penders down low in the post, Gordon slashing to the basket, or Golub lighting it up from deep, Foxboro has options all over the court. Head coach Jon Gibbs is hoping the experience and chemistry the group gained last year will provide a strong foundation for this season. Defensively, the Warriors have some size and length that will allow them to protect the paint, contest shots, and rebound at a high level.

“We have a deep team this year,” Gibbs said. “Guys are pushing each other hard in practice every day as they work to carve out roles for themselves. If we can defend and rebound at a championship level, we have the potential for a very successful season.”







2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 6-5
Coach: CJ Neely

Last season marked the second straight year that the Panthers graduated a large senior class and that means there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to step into the starting lineup and expanded roles this year around.

While the Panthers will have an entirely new starting lineup, Franklin will most certainly be right in the mix in a Kelley-Rex division that is jammed-pack with talent. Gone are leading scorer Declan Walmsley (17.5 points per game) along with the next two leading scorers on last year’s roster in Andrew Byfield (10.2) and Jake O’Brien (9.9). Key depth pieces like Zach Harvey (4.5) and Alex Newman (3.6) also graduated so head coach CJ Neely will be working with some new options this year.

Sophomore Henry Digiorgio burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago and he’s the top returning scorer at 5.4 points per game, although he did reach double figures in the scoring column three times. Sean Vinson and Ben Harvey are the other two players back in the fold that saw some minutes a season ago. But something we’ve seen Franklin do year-in and year-out is reload so there will certainly be some new names to emerge over the next couple of weeks.

While the players change, the style of Franklin basketball has been consistent for years and defense remains to be the calling card under Neely. The Panthers are always a team that puts a lot of pressure, moves the ball around on the offensive end, and incorporates a lot of motion off the ball to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

“Guys have really showed up ready to compete for jobs,” Neely said. “Obviously with five graduating starters from last year’s team there are a lot of roles up for grabs and practices have been great. We have had a very competitive preseason and it has shown that we have a lot of depth and it will be an ongoing battle all year to earn your spot and maintain your spot throughout the year.”

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 0-10
Head Coach: Dave DeStefano

With a strong mix of experienced players and new faces, King Philip is looking to make some noise in a very talented and deep Kelley-Rex division, one of the best divisions in the state.

Head coach Dave DeStefano is back after missing the COVID season due to the birth of his son and has seven seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen on the roster to work with this year. KP has a solid foundation with two returning starters back and both averaged double figures in the scoring column. Junior Will Laplante had a breakout year and will be someone every opposing defense will have to keep an eye on after averaging 16.4 points per game last year. And senior Danny Clancy is one of the hardest-working players and fights for a lot of rebounds on the offensive glass; he averaged 12.2 points per game last year.

Senior Charlie Grant, fresh off leading the King Philip football team to the state final at quarterback, is confident with the ball in his hands and will be like a quarterback for the offense by setting the tempo. Seniors Sean Sullivan and Braeden Sottile will be looking to build on their minutes from a season ago and could see expanded roles this go around. Seniors Will Martorano (6’5) and Drew Danson (6’3) should give the Warriors a big, physical presence in the paint. DeStefano is also expecting juniors Tommy Martorano, Grant Kinney, and Collin Peck to be in the mix after improving a lot over the offseason.

“The boys have really committed this offseason,” said DeStefano, who is hoping a combination of athleticism and physicality lead to success this year. “The practices so far have been really competitive and physical. We know that everyone in this league can score the ball and if we want to be successful we are going to have to commit on the defensive end of the floor. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 15-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Mike Vaughan

Mansfield won another division title last season and expectations are sky high yet again this year, as the Hornets look to win their 10th straight Kelley-Rex division title and go on a deep tournament run.

While the Hornets reload every year, they have a pretty good head start this season already with senior Matt Hyland and junior Chris Hill back in the lineup. Both boast a lot of experience at the varsity level and are capable of being the best player on the court. Mansfield lost 1,000-point score Matt Boen (just the second player to reach that milestone under head coach Mike Vaughan despite all of the program’s success) to graduation so both Hyland and Hill will take on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor.

Seniors Jack Lasbury-Casey, Andrew Slaney, and Anthony Sacchetti, along with sophomore Trevor Foley, all saw minutes during last year’s shortened COVID season and could be in line for expanded roles this year. Sacchetti has impressed in the preseason so far and the Hornets have played well with him on the floor, Foley (6’5) creates a lot of matchup problems with his size and athleticism, and both Lasbury-Casey and Slaney can give the offense a boost with their outside shooting.

Caden Colby, Dante James, and JT Veiking all are coming off very successful seasons of JV and the same goes for sophomore Eddie McCoy, who had a strong year on the freshmen squad. All four players are all in the mix for minutes and give the Hornets a very deep roster. The Hornets are looking to use their size and length to their advantage, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“Overall the expectations are the same, we want to qualify for the tournament as quickly as possible by playing one game at a time, win the league title, and win multiple tournament games,” Vaughan said. “With the quality of the league and our tough non-league schedule, we have a challenge ahead of us but I think we have the pieces to be a very talented and quality basketball team on both ends of the floor.”




Milford

2020-2021 Record: 3-9
Coach: Paul Seaver

It’s not uncommon for a program to graduate its entire starting lineup, and it’s not even uncommon to see the majority of a roster turnover because of graduation. But Milford is in a unique situation in which it graduated its entire team. That’s right, Milford will boast a roster full of players without a minute of varsity experience.

Head coach Paul Seaver has four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen as the Hawks write a new chapter book in program history. Coaches in the Hockomock League will be checking in with their subvarsity coaches, and maybe even their metro coaches, to try and get an idea of what to expect from the Hawks this year.

While we’ll learn more about the Hawks as the season goes on, we do know one thing. Seaver will be leaning on the leadership of senior captains Nick Schuler and Paul Roberts. Both Schuler and Roberts have varsity experience in other sports so their leadership will be key for a program that will be experiencing this level for the first time.

“With a brand new crop of guys this season, we look to compete on both sides of the floor this year while working towards reestablishing the culture and environment of Milford basketball,” Seaver said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-3
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins

The Rocketeers have a roster mixed with new faces and a handful of experienced players and are hoping that combination can lead to some success in a loaded Hockomock League.

After graduating just two seniors two years ago, North lost half of its roster from last year and all five were players that saw valuable minutes for head coach Sean Mukerrins. But on the plus side, the four players back all played a lot of minutes including starters and potential league all-stars Brody Rosenberg and Casey Poirier. Rosenberg was second on the team last year in scoring with 10.4 points per game last year and will need to take on more responsibility on the offensive end this year. Poirier is a capable guard that is confident with the ball in his hands and likes to spread the rock around.

Seniors Gavin Wells (6’3) and Nate Bennett (6’3) are the other two returners for the Big Red and both improved as the season went on last year. Wells emerged as a threat from the perimeter, dropping a season-high 13 points in a road win over Foxboro last season. Bennett can play in a variety of roles and he gives North some good size on the defensive end.

North has developed a reputation for being disciplined and well-prepared on the defensive end of the court, and that will likely be the strength for the squad again this year. On the offensive end, the Rocketeers will follow the lead of Rosenberg and Poirier as an unselfish group that is always looking for the best shot.

“We are excited to get the season started and see where we stack up against the rest of the Hockomock League,” Mulkerrins said. “After graduating a tremendous 2021 class, this group is excited to step in and carve our roles that will help our team succeed.”

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 9-1 (Davenport division champions)
Coach: Oliver Vil

Oliver Ames had a terrific showing during the shortened COVID season, winning the Davenport division in its first season back after four years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Oliver Vil takes over as head coach of the program after the untimely passing of legendary and Hall of Fame coach Don Byron in June. Byron coached through his battle with cancer for the past couple of seasons, leading the Tigers to the Davenport crown with a 9-1 record last winter.

Vil and the Tigers will honor Byron this season when they play Abington; Byron coached the Green Wave to a sectional title in his final season there before coming to Oliver Ames. The Tigers will be raising funds for Coaches vs. Cancer when they host Abington on December 23rd.

Vil, who was an assistant under Byron before taking the head coaching job at Walpole, has two key pieces back from last year’s squad. Senior Drew Baxter is a crafty guard that can really get going on the offensive side of the ball and score in a variety of ways; he will spearhead the offense while Jake Grimaldi, a senior co-captain, gives the Tigers some size down low. After graduating nine seniors from last year’s roster, there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to take advantage of.

“I look forward to continuing the great tradition at OA,” Vil said. “There are big shoes to fill, but my mentor Don Byron has prepared me for this position. I’m excited for this opportunity and challenge.”




2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Andrew Ferguson

Sharon built a solid foundation during last year’s COVID-shortened season and now expectations are high as the Eagles look to build on it and compete for the Davenport division title.

The Eagles have a good chunk of the roster back from last year, all with an important year of experience now under the belt, and an impressive group of young players that are ready to make an immediate impact at the varsity level. Senior John Baez is in his fourth year with the varsity team and will be joined by senior Ryan Zunenshine in the backcourt to give the Eagles an experienced duo spearheading the offense.

The strong senior class also features Sam Cohen, Will Hippler, Donyae Pierre, Nate Yaffe, Ryan Baker, and Brent Cham. Cohen burst onto the scene at the end of his sophomore year and can light it up from three-point range while Hippler is a versatile player that gives the Eagles defensively flexibility. Junior Matt Baur is poised for a breakout season and might be the best player on the court on both sides of the court for the Eagles.

Sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLoughlin impressed in their first year playing high school ball last year and now will make the jump to the varsity level and could make an immediate impact. Juniors Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman give Sharon quality depth at the guard position. Sharon is hoping to get all five guys on the court involved on the offensive end of the court while a revamped defense could be the spark the Eagles need.

“We are thankful to be playing another season and thank the work of the athletic directors of the league to ensure a full season,” said head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We have been working extremely hard throughout the offseason and the early season to hit the ground running. We have a tight-knit team who have been growing together over the past few years and we can’t wait to get the season started.”

Stoughton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Evan Taylor

With just one starter back from last year, second-year head coach Evan Taylor is relying on a mix of new faces and some returners to make up the nucleus of this year’s squad.

Connor Andrews is the lone starter back for the Black Knights after averaging 8.5 points a year ago. But Stoughton also has a pair of juniors in Josh Rivera and Cashmere Mathurin, along with junior Rayan Sablon, that played meaningful minutes and are in line for expanded roles for the 2021-2022 season. Andrews can do it all on the offensive end and does a lot of the little things right. Not only can he light up the scoreboard with his outside shooting, but he also sets the tone with his hustle and rebounding.

Rivera is a capable ball-handler and likes to get his teammates involved; his energy will set the tone of the defensive end. Matherin’s size and athleticism will give a lot of teams trouble this year and Stoughton is looking for him to be one of the best rim protectors in the league. Sablon will play a variety of roles for the Knights, capable of playing as both the one and the two depending on the scenario. Freshman Matt Greenspoon is a player to watch as the season goes on.

Taylor is putting a big focus on the defensive end of the floor during the preseason. The Black Knights allowed the second-most points against in the Davenport division this year so a renewed focus on defense — with an emphasis on using their speed and athleticism to cause havoc — will be something to keep an eye on.

“We are very pleased with the energy and competition level at practice and we are expecting to be very competitive in the Davenport division this season,” Taylor said.

taunton

2020-2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Charlie Dacey

Last season will always be “what if” for the Tigers, who won their first Hock title by sharing the Kelley-Rex division title with Mansfield. But the past is the past and Taunton is focused on the future, which could be another league title.

There will certainly be a bit of a new look for Taunton with the centerpiece of the offense from the past two seasons Tyler Stewart now causing problems for opponents in the Commonwealth Coast Conference as a member of the Wentworth men’s basketball team, and three-year starter Josh Lopes now suiting up for American International College.

But not all is lost as the Tigers have its three other starters from last year’s squad back in the mix and ready to challenge for another Kelley-Rex crown. Trent Santos is now a three-year starter and led the Tigers in scoring last year with 15.2 points per game and he will be one of the top players in the league again this year. Tristan Herry made a huge jump between his sophomore and junior year and is looking to continue that trend this year, the heart and soul of the defense. And Faisal Mass made a big splash last year and can hurt teams in a variety of ways.

The Tigers are getting a boost with the addition of Jordan Costa, who provides a big boost in the rebounding category and can cause some damage around the rim. He’ll be joined by junior Matt Small (6’4) to give the Tigers another option down low. Sophomores Troy Santos and Morrisette could be contributors to the lineup right away for Taunton.

“We’re looking to be aggressive defensively and dynamic offensively with varied skills being able to finish from different spots and different personnel,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro Holds On For Close Win Over Franklin

Attleboro boys basketball Evan Houle
Attleboro junior Evan Houle (1) looks to dribble past Franklin senior Zach Harvey. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
 ATTLEBORO, Mass. – In most games, it was a run that normally wouldn’t make headlines.

But in Tuesday night’s contest between Attleboro and Franklin, with points more valuable than GameStop’s stock, an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter from the hosts made all the difference.

Attleboro boys basketball

Attleboro senior Alec Eaton hit back-to-back three-pointers and junior Evan Houle added a jumper as the Bombardiers turned a four-point deficit into a four-point lead in the fourth quarter, an advantage they never relinquished — though it was close — in a 42-40 win over Franklin.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin made it a one-point game, 39-38, with just under a minute to go before Attleboro senior Justin Daniels (10 points, four rebounds) hit a pair of free throws. The Bombardiers’ edge grew by one, 42-38, after Daniels sank another from the line following a Franklin turnover.

Franklin got a second chance after a miss when Zach Harvey grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it to Andrew Byfield (12 points) for a long two (his foot was on the line) to make it 42-40 but there was just 3.4 seconds left.

The Bombardiers tried to kill the clock with a long pass down court but the ball slipped and went out of bounds, giving the Panthers one final chance. Without a timeout, Franklin ran a play for a contested three that was just off the mark and the off-balance putback attempt also missed as Attleboro held on.

“I think the message is that every possession matters in a game like that,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We had a couple of executions of plays and some good finishes we had in the second half and I think that was the difference.

Attleboro boys basketball

“[The 8-0 run] was the turning point when Alec his those two threes. That gave us the lead that we able to hold onto for the rest of the game.”










A back-and-forth first quarter saw the Bombardiers and Panthers combine for 30 points, the latter holding a slim 16-14 lead through eight minutes. With a total of seven three-pointers, it looked like the table was set for a barn-burner type game.

But instead, it was the total opposite. From the start of the second quarter, it turned into a game of stops instead of runs.

Defense shined in the middle quarters for both teams. A clean look at the basket became harder to come by than predicting the snow total from a New England winter storm. The teams combined for a total of just six points in the second quarter, going a combined 3-for-24 from the floor.

“Extremely frustrating,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “I thought we had a lot of really good looks. To score 40 points and feel like you got a lot of good looks is a weird thing to say but it felt like we had our opportunities to extend our lead or make some shots that could have put us in a good position to win the game but unfortunately, we just didn’t finish. I know our shooting percentage wasn’t pretty. [Attleboro] played hard, they did a good job, they are a physical team that plays really hard. Hopefully we can make more looks on Thursday.”

While each offense found a little bit more rhythm in the third, both sides were limited to single-digit scoring once again. Byfield had half of the Panthers’ eight points, including a breakaway left-handed slam after a steal near midcourt. Attleboro’s Evan Houle (10 points) hit a three with less than a minute to bring his team within one, 26-25, going into the fourth. It was the first made three from either team since the first quarter.

Attleboro boys basketball

“We know [Franklin] is going to come in here and defend,” Houle said. “That’s a well-coached team and they are going to be tough on defense from start to finish. I thought we matched them on defense for a little while too. I give my guys credits for defending tonight, there were some times we had some lapses on some slips where they got some good looks that we have to work on. But I thought we battled hard on the inside. I thought both Jake Struminski and Chris Holcomb came in and played well for us. Those two guys played hard and made an impact in the game.”




Franklin seemed to grab the momentum to start the fourth, scoring on back-to-back possessions as Jake O’Brien (13 points, 10 rebounds) converted a pass from Ben Harvey, and senior Declan Walmsley (15 points, nine rebounds) knocked down a three. Two plays later, Harvey came up with a steal and O’Brien converted a putback, and the Panthers, who didn’t attempt a free throw in the game, had the momentum and a 33-29 lead.

After a timeout, the Bombardiers came out and hit the most important shot of the game. A skip pass from Houle found Eaton alone in the corner and he buried a three to make it a one-point game. Struminski gobbled up a rebound after a Franklin miss and this time Eaton took a nice pass from Alvin Harrison and drained another three, this from the opposite corner.

The Bombardiers got a stop after the Panthers used up nearly the entire shot clock. On the other end, Houle drove to his left and pulled up for a 10-footer with four seconds on the shot clock to make it 37-33 with three minutes to play.

“It doesn’t seem like much at first but that’s a lot in a game like this,” Neely said of the 8-0 run. “We helped off of a shooter when I didn’t think we needed to and credit to them, they did a good job skipping it over the top finding him and he made them.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I think the frustration built a little bit inside the guys. Instead of moving on to the next play, it seemed like they were worried about the last miss they had instead of making the next shot. We have to be tougher than that mentally and be better than that.”

Walmsley made his second three of the quarter to make it a one-point game with just under two minutes to go. Daniels hit two from the line but O’Brien drove to the rim to make it 39-38, setting up the frantic finish.

Franklin (4-5 Kelley-Rex, 4-5 overall) will try to snap its current skid when it hosts the Bombardiers (5-2, 7-2) in a rematch on Thursday.

Attleboro boys basketball