09/29/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/30/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
King Philip, 20 @ Mansfield, 17 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Diogo DeSousa 20 yard field goal; (KP) Brendan Lydon 25 yard pass to Sean Garrity, Matt Franz XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Nick Graham 50 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good; (KP) Alex Olsen 2 yard rush, M. Franz XP good; (M) Anthony DeGirolamo 66 yard pass to Hunter Ferreira, D. DeSousa XP good.
4th Quarter: (KP) B. Lydon 1 yard rush, XP failed.

Football
Taunton, 20 @ Attleboro, 37 – Final
1st Quarter: (A) Cam Furtado 2-yard rush, Paul Deluca XP Good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 17-yard pass to Adam Mclaughlin, John Teixeira XP Good; (A) Marc Dieu 10-yard rush, P. Deluca XP good; (A) C. Furtado 24-yard rush, P. Deluca XP good; (T) N. Leonard 70-yard pass to A. Mclaughlin, J. Teixeira XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) Tyler McGovern 11-yard rush, P. Deluca XP good.
4th Quarter: (A) Taunton fumble, Safety; (T) T.J. Mendes 2-yard rush, 2-point conversion failed; (A) T. McGovern 1-yard pass to Shane Hamerski, P. Deluca XP good.

Canton, 14 @ Foxboro, 21 – Final (OT)
1st Quarter: (C) Dennis Ross 55 yard rush, Thomas Monagle XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) D. Ross 48 yard rush, T. Monagle XP good; (F) Mark Clagg 15 yard pass to Jamaine Few, XP good. (F) Trey Guerrini 60 yard punt return, XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Overtime: (F) M. Clagg pass to T. Guerrini, XP good.

Oliver Ames, 14 @ Franklin, 13 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jake Wolowacki 1 yard rush, Matt Zucco XP good; (OA) Anthony Berksza 27 yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (F) J. Wolowacki 2 yard rush, XP blocked; (OA) Liston Funai 5 yard rush, Kyle Gagliardi 2pt pass to Brandon Timulty.

Milford @ North Attleboro – Postponed to 10/2 at 5:00

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Attleboro freshman Mike Russo opened the scoring early in the first half for the visiting Bombardiers while Nick Lawrence potted a pair of goals in a short span in the second half.

North Attleboro @ Foxboro (@ Booth) – Postponed to 10/3 at 4:00

King Philip, 4 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – King Philip cashed in the first five minutes as junior Tyler Mann put the Warriors up in the fifth minute on an assist from Zac White. Colby Koch doubled KP’s lead in the 20th minute, on an assist from Jack Bush and then tripled the lead, converting a penalty kick that he earned just before halftime. Sophomore Tony Bozza added a fourth goal in the 50th minute off an assist from Koch.

Mansfield, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Mansfield opened the scoring in the fifth minute, using a throw in from Max Gurnon to find Brendan Sullivan, who set up James Chotkowski for the goal. Just three minutes later, Kevin Bouck doubled Mansfield’s lead off a cross from Chotkowski. Oliver Ames pulled a goal back with Matt Alvarado scoring off an assist from Thomas McCormick but Mansfield added two more goals in the second half; one from Sam Hyland off a throw from Gurnon and one from Gurnon on a long-distance free kick. Jed Tolbert totaled eight saves in net. “The whole team played great team defense for the entire game,” Mansfield head coach Steve Sheridan said.

Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to 10/31

Girls Soccer
Taunton, 2 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Olivia Sweeney and Sam Tichelaar had goals for the Tigers, while Sweeney and Izzy DaCosta recorded assists.

Canton, 7 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Freshman Chinazo Odunze scored for Stoughton.

Foxboro @ North Attleboro – Postponed to 10/3 at 3:30

Franklin, 3 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Miranda Smith, Halle Atkinson, and Molly Duncan (from the penalty spot) scored the goals for the Panthers. Lauren DeStefano had an assist in the win.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Sharon, 1 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Alex Rabb scored the goal for the Eagles, while Kristen Franzini scored for Milford, assisted by Juliana France.

Volleyball
Mansfield, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Mansfield picked up the sweep on the road at Sharon on Friday afternoon. Emily Kleber, Chloe Peters and Julia Harrison each had five kills for the Hornets while Peters added 10 service points and Harrison finished with 16 service points. Jacey Anderson added nine service points and Jess Haradon had 12 digs for Mansfield.

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Ursuline, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames didn’t let a third set loss affect them, bouncing back for a big win in the fourth set to ice the match (25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 26-24). Katie Flynn led OA with eight kills and two assisted blocks. Bridget McCarthy added 33 assists and five aces, Alyssa Gavin had 18 digs, three assists and three aces, Emma Petrillo chipped in with 10 kills, four digs and two aces, Maya Fetcho added eight kills and Kayla Raymond finished with four blocks and 10 kills for OA.

Stoughton, 3 vs. Fontbonne, 1 – Final – Senior Riley Bagley and junior Val Whalen combined for over 25 kills to lead the Black Knights offensively. Senior Christina Gelin led Stoughton with over 30 digs. Stoughton head coach Erica Batchelder said junior Haley Stone had strong serving and provided a solid force in the back row.

Field Hockey
Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 3:30

Franklin, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton twice erased a one goal deficit and then took its first lead, Emily Campbell scoring the game-winner on a penalty stroke with six minutes to play. Franklin went up 1-0 on an unassisted goal from Annie Walsh and then 2-1 when Walsh scored again on a pass from Caroline Lounsbury.

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final

Mansfield @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Sydney Hedrick, Sarah Stevens and Kayla Lozzi each scored once for Oliver Ames while Kendall Clifford, Dimitra Efremidis and Cristina Boudreau each recorded an assist. Head coach Abby Tepper lauded the defensive effort of Katie Davenport and goalie Katie Vamosi.

King Philip @ Stoughton – Postponed to TBD

Golf
Mansfield, 172 @ Franklin, 169 – Final – Franklin’s Matt D’Errico shot a team-low round of 41 while Bryan Woelfel added a 42 and both Connor Norton and Matt Dao shot 43 to help the Panthers edge Mansfield. Brendan Loomer was the match medalist, shooting a low round of 38 for the Hornets while Jason Hindman carded a 41.

Milford @ King Philip – Postponed to 10/17

09/17/2016

Hawks Run Past Franklin in Second Half to End Streak

Milford football — Milford senior Blake Hill (42) rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns to help the Hawks end a long losing streak against Franklin. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – The Hawks had the ball in Franklin territory for almost the entire first half but had only a Blake Hill touchdown run to show for their domination. Momentum shifted away from Milford just before the break when the Panthers engineered a 14-play, 86-yard drive that tied the game with eight seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Coming off a difficult opening game loss to Marlboro, in which they only managed five points, the Hawks could have been demoralized by the swing in the game. Instead, Milford regrouped at the break, scored on its opening possession, forced a turnover, and scored again to break the game open.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Behind three touchdowns from Hill, three forced turnovers, and an offensive attack that totaled 270 yards on the ground, Milford rebounded from week one to beat Franklin 35-7. It was the first win for the Hawks against their neighbors in 26 years, according to Milford athletic director Peter Boucher.

“Last week was definitely tough, but we used it as motivation,” said Milford coach Joe Todd, who admitted that last year’s last second loss to Franklin was one of the toughest losses he has dealt with as a coach. “We kind of used it as a wake-up call that on any given week, anyone can beat you. It doesn’t matter how talented you are at the top, you have to play as a team.”

It was a team effort in the first half, as the ball seemed perpetually in the Franklin half of the field. Milford had two drives stall inside the Panthers 40, before Hill (18 carries, 179 yards) got the Hawks on the board with a 13-yard run. The kick-off team followed that with a big play to force Franklin to start from its own 14.

The Panthers put together what turned out to be their only sustained drive of the game. Jake Noviello (14-26, 102 yards) went 6-8 on the drive, including a 10-yard completion to Jake Wolowacki (23 carries, 85 yards) on third and six to get into Milford territory and then a 22-yard strike to Connor Peterson down the seam. Two plays later, Noviello hit Kinley Baird (four receptions, 27 yards) for a nine-yard score that silenced the home crowd.

Milford got a big, 34-yard return of the second half kickoff from Ryan O’Toole out to the 47. It would only take three plays to regain the lead. Asonga Aminmentse broke a 27-yard run to the Franklin 25 and, after a holding call brought a play back, Hill broke free for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 14-7.

“That was huge,” said Todd of the quick bounce back score. “We were really focusing with our guys on finishing – finishing every play, finishing the game, and we pitched a shutout in the second half, our offense came back and ran the ball great, quarterback controlled the ball and we finished the game.”

On just the second play of its next possession, Franklin fumbled and it was recovered by Harrison Bliss at the Panthers 25. Matt Curran (6-8, 45 yards) hit Jack Cappalletti for seven yards on third and six to get the ball into the red zone. Aminmentse capped the short drive with a one-yard dive to extend the lead to two scores.

“We got the ball to [Wolowacki] 21 times in the first half (18 carries and three receptions), we established the run, it wasn’t the best and it wasn’t where we need to be but you can’t come out of half give up a quick score and turn the ball over,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a three and out by Franklin, Milford put the game away. The ground game set up the score, but Curran found Tyler Joyce to finish the drive with an 11-yard touchdown with eight minutes remaining. Joyce added a big third down sack of Noviello to end the ensuing Franklin possession.

Hill would get a hat trick of touchdowns to add gloss to the scoreline. After taking a toss for 14 yards, he was brought down by several Panthers and there was some pushing after the whistle that resulted in a personal foul against Franklin. On the next play, Hill went straight up the gut for another 14 yards and another score.

“Blake Hill is obviously a great running back but he needs blocks; he can’t run over everybody,” Todd explained, praising the play of his offensive line. “It was great to see us run the ball. That’s what we need to do.”

Bain noted, “Where Marlboro was successful is they got to him in the backfield. They were at his feet, he couldn’t get that head of steam, and early in the game we were able to do that but later in the game we started getting washed out of gaps and he started finding creases.”

The Panthers have struggled against the run in the opening two games of Bain’s inaugural season as coach, but he saw some improvements and was staying confident about the team’s development.

“We were better this week,” he said. “We’ve got guys that can do it [but] it’s a learning process for everybody…All hands are on deck, but I told the guys that we can’t lose faith.”

The victory ended a long losing streak for the Hawks against Franklin, one that predated Milford’s entry into the Hockomock League by a couple decades.

“We just knew that if we kept playing tough that we would be able to run the ball,” Todd said. “It was a great win for our program…26 years is a long time to wait for a win.”

Milford (1-1) will look to keep the momentum going next Friday in the opening league game of the season against Canton (1-1). Franklin (0-2) will look for its first win on the road at Taunton (1-1), against former head coach Brad Sidwell, who is now the coach of the Tigers.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

09/09/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/09/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 28 vs. Cumberland, 14 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Leonard 2 yard rush, Albetal XP good; (C) Hayes 5 yard rush, Albetal XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Sam Corrado 18 yard rush, XP no good; (A) Tyler McGovern 8 yard rush, T. McGovern 2pt pass to James Weir; (A) T. McGovern 1 yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (A) T. McGovern 37 yard pass to J. Weir, T. McGovern 2pt pass to J. Weir.

Foxboro, 27 vs. Hingham, 16 – Final
1st Quarter: No Foxboro scoring, two Hingham touchdowns.
2nd Quarter: (F) Mark Clagg 9 yard pass to Paul Darcy, John Whitehouse 2pt conversion; (F) M. Clagg 13 yard pass to J. Whitehouse, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (F) M. Clagg 21 yard pass to J. Whitehouse, XP no good; (F) Anthony Capachietti 61 yard rush, XP good.

Stoughton, 58 @ Franklin, 19 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Ryan Sullivan 2 yard rush, XP no good; (S) Marselis Cox 45 yard fumble return, Dave Cellucci 2pt rush; (S) Izon Swain-Price 8 yard rush, Antonio Amado XP good; (S) Justin Ly 10 yard rush, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (S) R. Sullivan 5 yard rush, A. Amado XP good; (F) Jake Wolowacki 1 yard rush, XP no good; (F) Jake Noviello 40 yard pass to J. Wolowacki, 2pt no good; (S) R. Sullivan 10 yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (S) R. Sullivan 52 yard rush, XP no good; (F) J. Noviello 68 yard pass to Kinley Baird, XP no good.
4th Quarter: (S) I. Swain-Price 40 yard rush, XP blocked; (S) David Bell 34 yard rush, XP no good.

King Philip, 19 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Chad Peterson 15 yard pass to Bobby Mylod, Geoff Wilson XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Sean Garrity 26 yard rush, Matt Franz XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Brendan Lydon 48 yard pass to Mike Mello, XP no good.
4th Quarter: (KP) S. Garrity 12 yard rush, XP no good.

Mansfield, 3 @ Calvert Hall (MD), 44 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Diogo DeSousa 38 yard field goal good.
2nd Quarter: No Mansfield scoring.
3rd Quarter: No Mansfield scoring.
4th Quarter: No Mansfield scoring.

Milford, 5 vs. Marlborough, 13 – Final
1st Quarter: No Milford scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Sean Lehane 36 yard field goal good.
3rd Quarter: No Milford scoring.
4th Quarter: Marlboro safety.

Oliver Ames, 35 @ Bedford, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: (OA) Kyle Gagliardi 1 yard rush, 2pt no good; (OA) K. Gagliardi 20 yard pass to Ralph Delorus, Liston Funai 2pt rush; (OA) Jay Fruci 3 yard rush, L. Funai 2pt rush.
2nd Quarter: No Oliver Ames scoring.
3rd Quarter: No Oliver Ames scoring.
4th Quarter: (OA) K. Gagliardi 12 yard run, Anthony Berksza XP good; (OA) Michael Mulrean 50 yard interception return, XP no good.

Sharon, 22 @ Randolph, 12 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Xavier Hackett 75 yard kick return, 2pt no good.
2nd Quarter: (S) X. Hackett 65 yard interception return, 2pt no good.
3rd Quarter: No Sharon scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) Drew Naisuler 2 yard rush, Aaron Strong 2pt rush good.

Taunton, 28 @ New Bedford, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 11 yard pass to Max Moitoso, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (T) TJ Mendes 4 yard rush, N. Leonard 2pt pass to Adam McLaughlin; (T) N. Leonard 20 yard pass to A. McLaughlin, John Teixeira XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (NB) Nigel Palmer 68 yard rush, 2pt not good; (T) T. Mendes 4 yard rush, J. Teixeira XP good.

Boys Soccer
North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Sophomore Nitin Chaudhury played the role of playmaker on Friday afternoon, assisting both of Franklin’s goals. Farley Asmath put the Panthers ahead and Kevin Hall doubled the lead for Franklin, both off of assists from Chaudhury.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Click here for a full recap of the game.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Hannah Link and Sarah Collins each scored goals for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 1 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Nadia Havens opened the scoring for Franklin with a header off a pass by Ellie Teixeira. Haley Guertin scored an unassisted goal to tie it for North eight minutes later. With eight minutes remaining, Kayla Pasquel won the game for the Rocketeers with an unassisted goal.

King Philip, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Milford coach Jay Mastaj credited Rachel LeBlanc with a solid game on defense for the Hawks.

Volleyball
Mansfield, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – In a battle between defending division champions, the match went the full distance. Canton emerged with a 25-23, 20-25, 12-25, 25-22, 15-9 win over the Hornets. Hannah Jerrier led the Bulldogs’ attack with 12 kills while Erika Lum and Cassie Loftus combined for 13 kills from the weak side. Nicole Poole put Canton’s offense in motion with 32 assists while Emma Murphy had an outstanding night defensively at the net with nine blocks. Head coach Pat Cawley also noted the strong defensive games from Maria Mackie and Emily Lynch. For Mansfield, Emily Kleber had seven kills, Julia Harrison has 11 kills and 12 digs and Meg Hill had 14 kills and six blocks.

Golf
Foxboro, 178 @ King Philip, 168 – Final – Sebastian Ladoulis of KP was the low round of the match shooting a 41. Foxboro’s Logan Sloan was a co-medalist, also shooting a 41 on the day.

North Attleboro, 156 @ Sharon, 160 – Final – Sharon’s Max Avratin had the low round of the match with an even par 36. David Colasanti led North with a 37.

09/07/2016

Hockomock Football: Players to Watch on Offense

By HockomockSports.com Staff

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Hockomock Football Players to Watch on Offense

Mark Clagg, Senior – Foxboro

Foxboro went with a two quarterback system in 2015 with Clagg splitting snaps with senior Darren Kelly. This season, Clagg, who led the team with nine touchdown passes last year, has the starting position to himself. He is a mobile quarterback who can make throws on the run and has the arm strength to stretch the field with the deep ball. Clagg can also take off and get yards with his feet, so defenses have to keep an eye on the backfield to ensure he does not have a running lane. While the top three receivers from 2015 have graduated, but Clagg will still have plenty of targets to look for including Jamaine Few and he is experienced after helping Foxboro claim a share of the Davenport title last season.

Juvan Elisma, Senior – Sharon

Sharon utilized several running backs last season, but few were as effective as Elisma. He could be dropped for a loss on one play but then break the next one for a long touchdown. On his day, Elisma was able to dominate a game with his speed to the edge and his strength to break tackles and extend runs in the secondary. Even though teams would regularly load up on the line of scrimmage daring the Eagles to throw, Elisma was able to find holes and turn small openings into big plays. This year, Elisma will be the primary back for Sharon and should get the bulk of the carries. If he can handle the workload, this could mean big numbers for the senior and, the Eagles hope, more success for the Sharon offense.

Hunter Ferreira, Junior – Mansfield

Although he was limited to just one touchdown reception as a sophomore, Ferreira is one of the first players that opposing coaches mention when talking about the Hornets potential this season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound receiver showcased his athleticism last year with catches in traffic or leaping above defenders. His size makes him a tough matchup on the outside and his speed makes it difficult for linebackers to stay with him, which caused teams to have multiple players assigned to keep an eye on him and opened up lanes for his teammates. Ferreira made 32 catches for 631 yards last season and those numbers should go up this year as his relationship with senior quarterback Anthony DiGirolamo develops.

Cam Furtado, Junior – Attleboro

As a sophomore, Furtado stepped in as quarterback midway through the season and provided a spark for the Attleboro offense, leading the Bombardiers to a win over King Philip in his debut and a Thanksgiving Day win over North Attleboro. His athleticism changed the way that defenses lined up against Attleboro and this year he could be used in a variety of ways to help the Attleboro offense. Furtado could be a change of pace quarterback alongside senior Tyler McGovern, a running back in a wildcat set, or even split out as a receiver when needed. His versatility (and the mystery about how he will be used) will be a major weapon for the Bombardiers and he was voted a team captain as a junior, which shows that he earned the respect of his teammates by his performance last season.

Sean Garrity, Senior – King Philip

Last season, Garrity rushed for five touchdowns, emerging as the go-to tailback for the Warriors. Heading into this season, Garrity has solidified his starting position in combination with classmate Giovanni Fernandez and there are high expectations that he can take his game to the next level. Garrity has the ability to get to the edge, changing the point of attack for the run-first KP offense, and can break big plays, such as his 75-yard TD last season. The Warriors will be hoping that his development can help shorten a few drives for the offense and help put more points on the board.

Adam McLaughlin, Senior – Taunton

Taunton has a new coaching staff that likes the spread formation and to throw the ball and McLaughlin has the potential to make head coach Brad Sidwell’s offense click this season as a big target for whoever gets the starting nod for the Tigers. At 6’3, McLaughlin is a big target and is difficult for defenders to deal with in one on one situations. He has the ability to take off on a fly route, use his speed and then size to beat defenders or can go over the middle or on a slant. He showed his ability to haul in tough passes last season as a junior. As Taunton’s offense develops more weapons, McLaughlin will become that much more difficult to handle.

Chad Peterson, Junior – North Attleboro

In 2015, Peterson beat out two teammates to earn the starting spot for the Rocketeers and it turned out to be a good decision by the North coaches. Peterson set a program record for completions in a season and led the Kelley-Rex division with 13 touchdown passes, as North won its first league title since 2011 and advanced to the Div. 3 Southwest final. While he has a big arm and can throw an accurate deep ball, Peterson also has the touch to make the throw over the middle. Despite his youth, he grasped the North offense right away and showed an ability to read defenses and make adjustments that was unusual for an underclassman. Thanks to Peterson’s performance last year, there is no quarterback battle in camp this fall and the junior is poised to take his game to the next level in North’s first year in the Davenport.

Nick Rajotte, Senior – North Attleboro

North Attleboro’s offense possesses a lot of weapons and can hurt defenses in many different ways. Nick Rajotte is one of those weapons. In a crowded backfield last season, one that included the Kelley-Rex MVP Nick Morrison, Rajotte was second on the team with three rushing touchdowns. While also a talented defensive back, Rajotte’s speed is something that helps him on both sides of the ball. Rajotte and Bobby Mylod form a balanced 1-2 punch of speed and power. When Rajotte is able to get a little bit of space and get into the open field, not too many people in the area are going to be able to catch him. In North Attleboro’s offense with the Jet Sweep, Rajotte is able to use his speed to get around the edge and get up field.

Ryan Sullivan, Senior – Stoughton

The Stoughton offense has always been predicated on a strong ground game and Sullivan will be a key to its success this season. As a junior he led the team with eight touchdowns and his quickness and breakaway speed make him a constant threat. Sullivan can make defenders miss with quick feet but he is also a downhill runner who is not afraid of contact. He will find the hole and turn up field right away to drive into the secondary. He has also been a constant threat as a receiver out of the backfield, outrunning linebackers and safeties on wheel routes. With a new quarterback this year, expect Sullivan’s role in the offense to expand.

Jake Wolowacki, Senior – Franklin

Franklin’s offense struggled to score points a season ago but Jake Wolowacki made the most of his opportunities when he was out there. The shifty back is hard to tackle on the first attempt and has shown the ability to break through contact. He can get around the edge on the outside and use his speed to get up field. He has a good first step that freezes defenders and allows him to find space and use his speed to get through the gaps up the middle. Last season, Wolowacki showed up his versatility by throwing for a pair of touchdowns as well so defenses will have to respect that. He can also catch passes out in the flats and get up field in a hurry.

10/03/2015

Rajotte, Defense Boost Rocketeers Over Franklin

North Attleboro's Thomas Reynolds (#54) tackles a Franklin running back in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) — North Attleboro’s Thomas Reynolds (#54) tackles a Franklin running back in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Through the first 12 minutes, North Attleboro’s offense had ran just four plays compared to Franklin’s 20.
But that was fine, considering the Rocketeers were able to grab a pair of touchdowns from the defensive unit.
Nick Rajotte had a 35 yard pick six in the first quarter to put North Attleboro up 7-0 and on Franklin’s next possession, Rajotte had a 50 yard fumble return to give the hosts a 14-0 lead.
North Attleboro improved to 4-0 on the season with a 28-6 decision over Franklin.
“I like that, especially since I coach the defense,” North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson said after how nice it was to have a cushion despite only running four plays. “They came out in their little scrum offense that threw us a little curveball but we stepped up and made big plays on defense when we needed it.”

Franklin moved the ball 34 yards on its first drive but were finally forced into a punt. North Attleboro’s offense went right to work with sophomore quarterback Chad Peterson, hitting junior Bobby Mylod for 12 yards followed by a 24 yard connection with Kyle Gaumond. A pair of runs from Nick Morrison moved the chains but the ball came free on the second carry and Franklin’s Tyler Gomes pounced to get the ball back for the Panthers at their own 27.
On the fifth play, the Panthers tried to run a screen pass but Rajotte stepped in and intercepted the pass and raced untouched to the end zone for a touchdown. An extra point from Connor Flynn made it 7-0 with 2:46 left in the first quarter.
“Last week, I bit on the counter fake and coach was putting it in my head not to get faked,” Rajotte said. “I saw him coming and I just stepped up and tried to pick it off.”
The Panthers again got some movement on offense, keyed by a 19 yard run from Jake Wolowacki (20 carries, 53 yards). Wolowacki was nearly off to the end zone but a shoe string tackle from Flynn brought him down at midfield. The tacked proved to be key as three plays later, Rajotte came on a blitz and had a clean shot at Franklin quarterback Brad Jarosz. Instead of a take down, Rajotte swatted the ball clean and took possession all in one motion and brought all the way for a touchdown.
“Coach just sent me on a lightning blitz so I was like I’m going to take my chance and do the most with it,” Rajotte said. “So when I saw both running backs just leave I knew it was my shot. I tried to swat the ball, caught it in my hands and I just took off with it, it was awesome. I tried to swat it and I just found it in my hands so I was just going with the flow at that point.”
Johnson added, “I haven’t seen that before. That’s not something we anticipate. We do practice knocking the ball out of the quarterback’s hands when he goes back but you usually don’t get there in time to take it and run with it. He’s a good athlete and he’s a heady kid too, a smart kid.”
Both teams traded punts before the Rocketeers defense came up with another key stop, this time forcing a turnover on downs. Franklin was able to get it to 2nd and less than a yard on their own 41 yard line but the Rocketeers stuffed two rushes for no gain and then a QB sneak on fourth down to get the ball back with just 50 seconds left in the half.
North didn’t take too long to cash in as two plays later, Peterson linked up with Mylod right down the middle and Mylod broke through a pair of tackles to find the end zone for a 37 yard touchdown with 31 seconds left in the half.
Neither team was able to find the end zone in the third quarter. The two sides traded punts and then a fumble from North inside the Franklin red zone gave the Panthers possession back. A penalty put a wrench into Franklin’s plans on the next series and North took back over. However, Franklin’s defense came up big as Khyler Colella knocked a pass down on fourth down to get the ball back.
On North Attleboro’s next series, Kyle McCarthy took over at quarterback and gained 24 yards on the first two plays on the ground. An 11 yard gain from Morrison set North up for 1st down at the Franklin 27. McCarthy then fired a pass right down the middle that Flynn was able to dive out and haul in with just one hand in the end zone for a touchdown. Connor MacIver’s extra point made it 28-0 with six minutes to go.
North Attleboro finished with 230 yards on the ground, led by Mylod’s 63 yards on six carries. Eight others got carries for the Rocketeers including Rajotte (six carries, 51 yards), Morrison (four carries, 34 yards), McCarthy (four carries, 30 yards) and Nolan Buckley (three carries, 26 yards).
“We didn’t really get a chance to get going on offense in the first half,” Johnson said. “It seemed like we were on defense all the time which I guess was a good problem to have. That was kind of our goal in the second half, we wanted to be able to run the ball better and I think we got some good work out of it.”
Franklin was able to strike on its next series on the third play. Jarosz floated a perfect pass down the right sideline to hit Sam Harrell in stride for a 47 yard score. The two point attempt failed to bring the score to 28-6 with 4:39 left.
“We knew we’d have to try and run the ball on them to try and negate their speed but of course the two defensive touchdowns are killers,” Franklin head coach Brad Sidwell said. “We did some good things. They’re stout on defense like we thought they’d be.
“We’re getting better. We’re fighting harder. We just have to fine a way on offense to sustain our drives a bit more. We had too many penalties too. We’ll just keep going and keep fighting.”
North Attleboro (4-0, 2-0) will look to keep its perfect start going when it travels to Attleboro (2-2, 1-1) this coming Friday. Franklin will look to bounce back when they host King Philip (1-3, 1-1) on the same night.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

09/18/2015

Yelle's Late Field Goal Elevates Franklin Over Milford

Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Facing a 4th and 6 at the Milford 24 yard line in the final minute, Franklin head coach Brad Sidwell had no doubt on what he was going to do.
He sent his offense back out — but there was no play. They attempted to get Milford to jump offside, but the end game was always a field goal.
The snap from senior Will O’Reilly was on the money, junior Alex Cregg got the ball set up perfectly and senior Nick Yelle split the uprights for a career-long 41-yard field goal to give Franklin a 24-21 win over Milford in the HockomockSports.com Game of the Week.
Yelle had missed a field goal near the end of the first half but showed no signs of nerves as he drilled the kick right down the middle with just 24 seconds left.
“Honestly I was so nervous,” Yelle said. “I can’t even explain it. I missed the first one and this one I killed it, I was so surprised.”
Yelle rightfully credited the Panthers defense for the opportunity to kick his first game-winning field goal. Milford went three and out twice inside the final eight minutes.
Franklin trailed 21-7 in the third quarter but were able to rally back. Down just one score in the final quarter, junior quarterback Brad Jarosz kept the ball on a designed keeper and scampered 16 yards to tie the game at 21 with 8:04 left.
On Milford’s ensuing drive, the Scarlet Hawks picked up six yards on the first two downs but an incompletion on third forced a punt. It looked like Milford was going to get the momentum back as Leo Moronta had a big pass breakup and Ryan Nesta and Ryan Gray combined for a sack on third down to get the ball back, but Milford once again went three and out. A holding call put Milford into a 2nd and long situation and after a four yard rush and an incompletion, Milford punted again.
Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
Starting at their own 50 with under three minutes to play, a penalty negated a positive play and pushed Franklin back a yard. On first down, junior Jake Wolowacki rushed for 11 yards and then a rush from Wolowacki and Khyler Colella got Franklin a first down at the Milford 28. After an incompletion, a Jarosz keeper and a run from Wolowacki, the Panthers were faced with 4th and 6.
That’s when Yelle split the uprights.
“That’s a long one and he’s pretty accurate,” Franklin head coach Brad Sidwell said. “I asked him Thursday where his range was and he said from the 20. We haven’t really tested his range but he’s a gamer so it was good to give him a shot.”
Milford took leads at 7-0, 14-7 and 21-7 but were unable to hold on.
The Scarlet Hawks opened the scoring on their first drive of the game. After the defense forced Franklin into a punt, senior quarterback Zach Lanzetta drove Milford 74 yards on 10 plays into the end zone. Highlighted by an 18 yard run from Jack DeSantis and a 21 yard toss and catch from Lanzetta to Moronta, the Scarlet Hawks made their way into the red zone.
Two straight negative plays forced Milford into 3rd and goal from the seven yard line but Lanzetta floated one into the corner of the end zone that junior Blake Hill reeled in with one hand for a touchdown.
Franklin tied the game up on their ensuing drive. It took just three plays to travel 74 yards for the Panthers. On first down, Jarosz hit Luke Gordon for a 38 yard gain and then two plays later, Wolowacki bounced off a couple of tackles to break a 32 yard touchdown run.
Milford punted on its next to drives while Franklin turned the ball over after a missed field goal and then on downs. It wasn’t until the final seconds of the first half that Milford found the end zone again. Lanzetta drove the Scarlet Hawks 79 yards on 10 plays to score just before halftime.
Lanzetta connected with Hill three times on the drive for 48 yards before DeSantis took a sweep to the right and punched it in from six yards out with just 19 seconds left.
Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
Milford doubled its lead right out of the gates in the second half. This time it took 13 plays for the Scarlet Hawks to cover 82 yards of ground. Lanzetta hit Moronta for 13 yards and then a trio of runs from Hill went for 26 yards. Facing 4th and 1 from the Franklin 24 yard line, Lanzetta’s QB sneak went for 10 yards and a first down. Three plays later, Lanzetta kept it himself and rushed to the right for a four yard touchdown to make it 21-7.
Franklin’s ensuing drive nearly ended just as quickly as it started but on 3rd and 9, a pass interference call gave Franklin some life. Three plays later, Jarosz floated one out that O’Reilly went up to grab with a defender all over him to gain 42 yards. Two plays later, Jarosz went back to O’Reilly and found him along the right sideline for an 18 yard touchdown to bring the Panthers back within one. Sidwell said after that O’Reilly’s first catch “absolutely” gave him confidence to go back to him, noting how good the plays were that he made.
“Our guys are inexperienced — not that they aren’t good players, they just haven’t played a ton [at this level],” Sidwell said. “This was huge for us. You always try to just plug away in a game. That pass interference call got us going a bit but we made a couple of big plays after that. And then our defense just held up enough. Even when they scored, our defense was in some right spots we just didn’t finish some plays We’ll keep working and trying to get better.”
Milford couldn’t get the offense in gear on the ensuing drive, handicapped by the fact they started at their own three yard line. A rush for no gain followed by a throw that was broken up by Gordon and then another incompletion forced Milford into another punt.
Starting at Milford’s 37, the Panthers used just five plays to tie the game. Four straight rushes from Wolowacki went for 26 yards. On the fifth play, Jarosza took the designed keeper up the left side and into the end zone to tie the game.
“It was an exciting win for our kids,” Sidwell said. “These kids can gain some experience from this.”
Wolowacki led all players with 129 yards on 21 carries, averaging over six yards a carry, and a touchdown.
“He’s done a great job,” Sidwell said. “He wasn’t on our radar and one of our guys got nicked up and we put him in a scrimmage and he did some good things. He did some good things tonight too, he’s pretty much a slasher and he finished some runs well.”
Jarosz finished 9/14 for 140 yards and a touchdown and had 28 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Wokolacki had a team-high four receptions for 23 yards while O’Reilly hauled in three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
For Milford, Lanzetta went 11/23 for 128 yards and a score and had four carries for 19 yards and a touchdown. Jack DeSantis had 15 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown and Blake Hill had six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown and six rushes for 26 yards.
Franklin (1-1) will look to win back-to-back games when they open their Kelley-Rex Division schedule at home against Taunton (0-2). Milford will look to get back into the win column with a trip to Canton to open their Davenport Division schedule.
Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

09/18/2015

Friday's Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/18/15

Today’s games are listed below.
Game of the Week – Football
Milford, 21 @ Franklin, 24 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Zach Lanzetta 7 yard pass to Blake Hill, Sean Lehane XP good; (F) Jake Wolowacki 32 yard rush, Nick Yelle XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Jack DeSantis 6 yard rush, S. Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Z. Lanzetta 4 yard rush, S. Lehane XP good; (F) Brad Jarosz 18 yard pass to Will O’Reilly, N. Yelle XP good;
4th Quarter: (F) B. Jarosz 16 yard rush, N. Yelle XP good; (F) N. Yelle 41-yard field goal good.
Football
Attleboro, 0 vs. Dartmouth, 10 – Final

Canton, 14 vs. Bedford, 13 – Final (OT)
1st Quarter: Bedford 66 yard pass, XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (C) Dennis Ross 2 yard rush, Thomas Monagle XP good.
Overtime: (C) Joe Bires 5 yard rush, T. Monagle XP good; Bedford 10 yard pass, 2pt failed
Mansfield, 27 vs. Haverhill, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: Connor Finerty 42 yard rush, Diogo DeSousa XP good; Nick Graham 9 yard rush, XP fail.
2nd Quarter: N. Graham 9 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good.
3rd Quarter: C. Finerty 30 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

North Attleboro, 21 vs. Bishop Feehan, 10 – Final
Oliver Ames, 15 @ Plymouth North, 42 – Final
Stoughton, 6 @ Marshfield, 31 – Final
Taunton, 8 @ Durfee, 22 – Final
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Brendan Sullivan put Mansfield in the lead in the 27th minute off an assist from Chris Elsner. In the second half, James Chotkowski doubled the Hornets’ lead off an assist from Jake Staples. Head coach Steve Sheridan had high praise for goalie Michael Kirejcyzk, saying he played “phenomenal” in goal after nine saves to earn his third shutout. Sheridan also said defenders Max Gurnon, Nick Hyland, Harry Braidt, Ethan Brill-Cass and Elsner played phenomenal.
Milford, 0 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – The Eagles struck twice inside a 10 minute span in the first half to pick up their second win of the season. Senior Dan Bender set up both chances for the Eagles. First, Bender found Oliver Huat just over seven minutes in to make it 1-0. Just under 16 minutes in, Bender found Ian Camilli to double the lead.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro’s Matt Coscarella put the Rocketeers in front in the first half but Taunton scored the tying goal via Daeshawn Duffie less than a minute into the second half.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Keegan Nutt scored twice inside the first 10 minutes of the second half to lift the Tigers. Sophomore Mason Galbato scored his first career goal shortly before midway through the second half to give OA their 3-1 lead. Stoughton’s Josh Mitchell tied the game 1-1 less than minutes into the second half on a free kick.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Megan Georges netted a hat trick for the Panthers and Bailey Knouse added two goals.

Canton, 2 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Riley Duserick and Tessa Cudmore scored unassisted goals for the Bulldogs to give Canton a “solid win,” according to head coach Kate Howarth.

Mansfield, 3 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – Emma Goulet opened the scoring for Mansfield 12 minutes into the game on an assist by Jackie Carchedi. Seven minutes into the second half, Jen Kemp scored her fourth of the season, assisted by Katie Bongarzone. With 12 minutes remaining, Trish Murphy scored from 45 yards out for the Hornets.

Sharon, 0 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Gabbie Riley scored the lone goal of the game on an assist by Kristen Franzini. Emily Duquette made six saves to record her second straight clean sheet.

Taunton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Haley Guertin had a first half hat trick and added an assist in the second half for the Rocketeers. Felicity Monfils opened the scoring for North and also had an assist on one of Geurtin’s goals. North jumped out to a 3-0 lead but goals from Mariah O’Gara and Sam Tichelaar cut the lead to 3-2. Guertin and Hana Caster scored either side of halftime to build the lead to 5-2 before O’Gara scored a second midway through the second half.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Francesca Calabraro scored a first half hat trick for the Tigers. Emily Freeman, Jackie Mills, Annabella Walsh, Dana Lowney, and Lauren Wright also scored for OA.
Volleyball
Canton, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip handed Canton its first league loss since October of 2013 with a 28-26, 25-10, 25-22 sweep. Josie Rowean led KP with 19 kills and Gwen Uyrus chipped in with 12 kills to pace the Warriors offense. Micaela Murray had 11 digs and Molly Citarell had five digs while Carly Adams led the team in assists. For Canton, Elizabeth Hamilton and Rye Verille combined for 16 kills and Casey Shea had four blocks.

Franklin, 3 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final – Franklin took care of the Boxers 25-21, 25-20, 25-17 in a non-league contest. Aubrie Kutil had 10 kills, Caroline Maguire added six kills and a pair of blocks and Beth Neal had six kills and four aces. Neal also added 16 assists while Dayna McCue had 23 serve receivers, 18 digs and four aces. Head coach Catherine Horsmann said Sam Campbell set the tone in the third set with a run of 16 service points to give the Panthers a big lead. Campbell also had a pair of digs and serve receives.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Attleboro took a 1-0 lead into halftime but Franklin rallied in the second half. Dana Lewandowski scored both of the Panthers’ goals. Lewandowski tied it on assists from juniors Caroline Lounsbury and Kayla Marshall and then took the lead on an assist from freshman Annie Walsh just eight minutes into the second half. Samantha Jones made four saves to earn the win for Franklin.

Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 3 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Brenna Puccia, Mary Kate Kelly and Julia Todesco scored in a short time span to lift Mansfield. King Philip’s Alli Meehan scored the Warriors lone goal off an assist from Liz Furfari.

Milford, 8 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – After scoring just three goals in their first three games, the Scarlet Hawks came to life offensively. Nicole Fokas and Elena DelloRusso each scored a pair of goals while Jessica Palmer, Christina Capone, Ali Atherton and Danielle Fokas each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Nicole Walker opened the scoring for the Tigers off an assist from Hannah Friend. Junior Dimitra Efremidis doubled the lead and then senior Missy Krim added a third off an assist from Nadia Eldemery.
North Attlerboro, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final
Cross Country
Canton @ Sharon, 3:45
Golf
Foxboro, 165 @ Oliver Ames, 154 – Final – A trio of Tigers – Steven Tasho, Brian Lambert and Matt Kelley -each shot 38 for the day. Foxboro’s Tim Luciano shot a team-low 38 for the Warriors while Matt Tierney carded a 41.

Sharon, 156 @ North Attleboro, 148 – Final

Canton, 163 @ King Philip, 166 – Final – Junior Pat Duggan shot a match-best 38 to lead the Bulldogs to a narrow win over KP. Canton senior Joe Peccia shot a 42 while sophomores Jack Goyetch (one under on the last five holes) and Danny Powers, along with senior Griffin Jerrier, all shot 42. King Philip’s Todd Bushway and Dan McLaughlin each shot a 41 while Sebastian Ladoulis and Mickey Riley each shot 42.