Tag: Jalen Samuels

Teams of the Decade: Top Playoff Runs

Teams of the Decade

Over the past couple of months, our staff has reviewed hundreds of championship-caliber Hockomock League teams from the past decade (Fall 2010 through Winter 2020) and selected its Top 20 “Teams of the Decade.” During that process, we came across so many talented teams that accomplished so much. Below is a list of teams that just missed out on the final list but stood out for their postseason performances.

2019 Taunton Baseball

Record: 21-7
Division 1 State Champions
The stars aligned perfectly for the Tigers when the postseason rolled around. Although Taunton finished in third in the Kelley-Rex division in the regular season (behind Super 8 selections Franklin and Mansfield), the Tigers took full advantage of their opportunity in Div. 1 South. At 11-7 midway through May, Taunton won four straight to finish the regular season at 15-7 for the fourth seed in the D1 South bracket. After dispatching Marshfield, the Tigers rallied to stun Catholic Memorial with a seventh inning rally, scoring the game-winning run off a bunt from Lucas Martins. Taunton followed with a shutout of Catholic Conference power Xaverian before taking down Hockomock rival Attleboro, 6-1, to win the South.

The magic continued for Taunton, head coach Blair Bourque, and its playoff hero Nic Notarangelo in the D1 State Semifinals. Against a powerful Lincoln-Sudbury side (21-2 entering the game), the Tigers fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Logan Lawrence had a huge game, hitting a two-run home run in the first and pitching four scoreless innings in relief. Notarangelo smacked a hard hit to right to score sophomore Ty Cali in the bottom of the ninth inning for the game-winning run. Taunton capped its magical run with a 5-3 win over Shrewsbury and 6’8 Boston College-commit John West. Josh Lajoie made his first start of the playoffs, senior Evan Melo put a cherry on top of a special individual postseason by driving in the game-winning run, and both Notarangelo and Lawrence – as they had done all tournament – made key plays in the final innings to help Taunton secure its first-ever Div. 1 State Championship.

2016 Franklin Boys Hockey

Record: 18-4-5
Division 1 State Champions
Just one year removed from a historic trip to the Super 8, and after graduating 21 seniors, Franklin showed off the depth in its program and erased its demons at the TD Garden, ending a three-decade wait for a second state title. A team without a true star, Franklin’s depth and its work rate were its greatest strengths. The Panthers were 12-3-5 and the fourth seed in Div. 1 when the playoffs began, but it felt like a wide open bracket. The tournament run began with a 2-1 win against Wellesley, followed by a 1-0 win against Walpole in a jam-packed Pirelli Rink.

After dispatching a third straight Bay State Conference team, Newton North, in the semifinal, Franklin avenged a late-season loss against highly-regarded Marshfield. In the state title game at the TD Garden, a place where Franklin and head coach Chris Spillane had come up empty three seasons in a row earlier in the decade, the Panthers led 3-1 heading into the third period against St. Mary’s (Lynn), a team that just missed out on a Super 8 berth. The game went to double overtime before senior Jake Downie assisted on sophomore Luke Downie’s dramatic game- and title-winner and secured a first state title since 1983.

2018 Franklin Baseball

Record: 21-5
Division 1A (Super 8) State Champions
It was a season that started with high expectations and ended in history, but it was hardly a straight and easy path for Franklin. Few will remember because of how the season ended, but the Panthers opened the season by being shutout by Foxboro, were swept by Taunton, and finished a game behind Mansfield in the league. Through it all, Franklin put together a good enough resume that it was selected for the Super 8 for the first time in program history. The Panthers (21-5) entered as the No. 7 seed, but once the playoffs began everything seemed to fall into place.

Thanks to the dynamic duo of Jake Noviello and Bryan Woelfel and a lineup filled with clutch hitters, Franklin beat Wachusett in the opening game and then proceeded to beat St. John’s Prep and Central Catholic (twice). The final three games were all one-run wins. In the Super 8 finale against the Raiders, head coach Zach Brown brought Noviello into the bottom of the eighth in a tie game with runners at second and third. He struck out three of the next four batters (hitting one in between) to somehow keep it tied and in the top of the ninth Evan Wendell’s perfect suicide squeeze plated Steve Luttazi with the title-winning run.

2016 Foxboro Girls Tennis

Record: 19-2
Division 2 State Champions
The third time proved to be the charm for the Foxboro girls’ tennis team. After coming up short in the state final in 2014 and 2015, the Warriors took a 3-2 decision over Wayland to clinch the title. The Warriors dropped two matches all season, both 3-2 to eventual Davenport division champion Sharon, as Foxboro finished second in the division at 14-2. The sister combination of Diana Prinos at first singles and Sophia Prinos at second singles gave Foxboro a huge advantage while junior Lexi Nelson was such a steady presence at third singles.

Behind interim head coaches CJ Neely and Jon Montanaro, the Warriors earned the fourth seed in the Division 2 South bracket and survived an early scare with a 3-2 win over Westwood. The second doubles team of Michaela McCarthy and Morgan Krockta helped the Warriors knock off a strong Hingham team in the quarterfinals and Foxboro swept singles action in both the sectional semifinals and finals to defeat previously unbeaten and top-seeded Apponequet and Hopkinton, respectively. After dropping a singles match in the state final, the Warriors had to show off their depth as a team and the first doubles pairing of sophomore Kayla Prag and freshman Julia Muise pulled out a 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 win to secure the title.

2012 Sharon Football

Record: 10-3
Division 3 Eastern Mass. Champions
It’s hard to think of a more special individual season than the one the Sharon football team had in 2012. To put things in perspective, the Eagles had just won seven games over a seven-year span in the previous decade and its last winning season came in the late 1980s. Head coach Dave Morse led Sharon to four wins in his first year in 2011 but that turned out to be just a preview of what was to come. The Eagles had a special group of players come together and accomplish something a lot of people thought they would never see: bringing a Super Bowl title back to Sharon.

While it wasn’t a perfect season, the Eagles got it done against division foes. Sharon knocked off Canton in overtime, scored with under a minute left to stun previously unbeaten Stoughton, and used a gutsy fourth-quarter fourth-down conversion touchdown to secure a win over Foxboro and clinch its first Davenport division title. In the playoffs, the Eagles held on for a 7-6 win over Pembroke when the Titans’ two-point conversion with a minute to go fell short. In the Super Bowl, senior running back Sean Asnes capped a terrific season with a pair of touchdowns as Sharon notched a 12-3 win over Wayland in a freezing cold game at Bentley University.




2018 Mansfield Boys Basketball

Record: 27-2
Division 1 State Champions
Mansfield’s playoff run during the 2017-2018 season was as close to perfect as you can get in basketball. The Hornets were very good during the regular season, but they were close to unstoppable once the state tournament rolled around. Mansfield suffered two setbacks during the season, one in December to BC High and a 15-point loss on the road to rival Franklin in January. Head coach Mike Vaughan has said that second loss might have been the spark that ignited one of the most impressive playoff campaigns of the decade. With seven seniors (John McCoy, Tyler Boulter, Ryan Otto, Nick Ferraz, Alex Ferraz, Justin Vine, Sam Hyland) and a trio of talented juniors (Damani Scott, Tommy Dooling, Khristian Conner), the Hornets made the most of the playoff opportunity.

The top-seed in Division 1 South, Mansfield rolled through the bracket — and we mean rolled. Mansfield beat all four of its opponents by double figures, dismissing Newton South (76-49) in the first round, avenging its loss to BC High (71-58) in the quarterfinals, eliminating a very good Newton North (70-50) team in the South semis, and beating a talented Brockton (79-65) squad to win the South championship. The momentum continued as the Hornets secured a spot in the state final with an impressive win over Everett (73-65) at the TD Garden. In the D1 State Championship, the Hornets capped a terrific postseason run by taking down rival Franklin (67-54); the matchup marked the first time a pair of teams from the same league met in the D1 final.

2017 Franklin Boys Basketball

Record: 22-5
Division 1 State Finalists
This Franklin boys team might not have won it all, but it packed some of the most memorable games into its great postseason run. The Panthers were good throughout the regular season, and they certainly had their fair share of impressive wins including one over league champ Mansfield, one over a very good Cardinal Spellman team, and concluded the regular season with arguably its best win, a 70-53 decision over a good Tech Boston team. But there were five losses too, including on the road at Canton, and early season tilts against Malden Catholic and Catholic Memorial.

The wins over Spellman and Tech Boston to finish the regular season were a clear sign to head coach CJ Neely that this squad was ready to make some noise in the state tournament. Junior Jalen Samuels helped the hosts knock off upset-minded Acton Boxboro in the opening round and senior Connor Goldstein gave Franklin a needed spark in its semifinal win over St. Peter Marian. In the Central final against perennial power St. John’s Shrewsbury, freshman Chris Edgehill sank a huge three with just over a minute left in overtime and then hit two from the free throw line in the final seconds to help secure Franklin’s first sectional title. In the state semifinal against Springfield Central, the Panthers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with an improbable 8-0 run in the final 20 seconds to force overtime. Four minutes later, Franklin was on its way to its first state championship. Although the Panthers ran into a juggernaut in Cambridge, the run that the Panthers had leading up to that point was a very memorable one.

2018 North Attleboro Baseball

Record: 22-2
Division 2 State Champions
North Attleboro rolled through the regular season, finishing 14-2 in the league and 18-2 overall. Big Red ended a 12-year wait for a league title and took the top seed in Div. 2 South. North’s run to a first-ever state title was hardly a surprise, but the way that the Rocketeers rolled through the South bracket was more than impressive. North scored at will over the first three games of the tournament, out-scoring its opponents 41-4, including a 20-2 win against Dartmouth in the semifinal and a 19-2 win against Oliver Ames in the final.

Behind the pitching of Nick Sinacola and the clutch bat of Zach DeMattio, the Rocketeers were unstoppable heading into the final against Beverly and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the state championship game (all four runs driven in by DeMattio). The Panthers got to Sinacola for three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to just one run, but he settled down, with the help of his defense, to get through a scoreless sixth and seventh inning and becoming the second Hockomock League baseball team in a week to win a state title.

2018 Taunton Softball

Record: 26-2
Division 1 State Champions
Taunton had lost in the first round in each of the past two postseasons, both times on its home field and both times to league opponents (King Philip in 2016 and North Attleboro in 2017), but the Tigers put it all together in 2018 to erase those playoff struggles. Always one of the most feared lineups in the state, the Taunton offense exploded for 44 runs in six playoff games. The Tigers, under the guidance of legendary coach Dave Lewry, scored nine runs against Dartmouth and Bishop Feehan, six against Newton North, and 13 in the state final against previously unbeaten Wachusett.

The toughest, and arguably most memorable, game of the playoff run was the Div. 1 South final against KP. The Warriors won the league title and had also scored 21 runs in three games to get to the final. After rallying to tie the game in the fifth, Taunton scored the game-winning runs on a single down the third base line by surprise starter and No. 9 hitter Rylie Murphy. KP got the tying runs on base in the seventh, but freshman starter Kelsey White escaped the jam and the Tigers went on to win their first state title in 11 years in blowout fashion (13-2 over Wachusett).

2016 King Philip Softball

Record: 24-4
Division 1 State Champions
There is nothing unusual about King Philip softball going on a playoff run, after all this was the program’s third state title in seven seasons, but the Warriors entered the season as the No. 7 seed in Div. 1 South, had lost the Kelley-Rex title to Taunton, ending a run of nine straight league championships, and lost four times during the regular season. Once the playoffs began, the Warriors flipped a switch. Thanks in large part to a dominant run of games from starting pitcher Kali Magane, KP allowed only two runs in six playoff games and outscored opponents 29-2.

The Warriors beat Taunton in the quarterfinal, winning the season series against the Tigers, and avenged an extra-inning loss from 2015 by beating defending South champion Silver Lake in the final. Magane saved the best for last, striking out 13 and tossing a one-hit shutout in the state title game against Doherty. Magane finished the season by striking out the side in the seventh and closing out an unlikely championship campaign.

2019 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars

Below are the official 2019 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Devin Foster, Canton

Hockomock League All Stars

Bryant Ciccio, Attleboro
Qualeem Charles, Attleboro
Mason Houle, Attleboro
Devin Foster, Canton
Kevin Gallagher, Foxboro
Brandon Borde, Foxboro
Chris Edgehill, Franklin
Jalen Samuels, Franklin
Bruce Saintilus, King Philip
Thomas Dooling, Mansfield
Sam Stevens, Mansfield
Matt Boen, Mansfield
Brendan White, Milford
Ethan Eckstrom, Oliver Ames
Obinna Ugwuakazi, Stoughton
Dante Law, Taunton
John Martins, Taunton

Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Velazquez, Attleboro
Ryan Lentol, Canton
Anthony Mollica, Foxboro
Will Harvey, Franklin
Alex Fritz, King Philip
Damani Scott, Mansfield
Danny Corsini, Milford
Josh Montague, North Attleboro
Sean O’Brien, Oliver Ames
Aidan Kane, Sharon
Kevin Dixon, Stoughton
Michael Quinn, Taunton

Struggles at the Line Cost Franklin in Playoff Opener

Franklin boys basketball
Franklin senior Jalen Samuels reacts after throwing down a dunk in the first half of the D1 Central quarterfinal against Algonquin. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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FRANKLIN, Mass. – After the game ended, after the bulk of the crowd had filed out of the gym that only a few minutes before had been packed to capacity, and after speaking with his team in the locker room, Franklin coach C.J. Neely was left to reflect on how different the emotions were for his players this year compared to the last time that the Panthers faced Algonquin.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s total shock,” he explained. “I told the guys that I feel bad because you go into the locker room and try to gather your thoughts somehow and tell them how proud you are of them and how good they played all year and you’re just never really ready for the moment to break that down.”

Last season, Franklin (16-5) beat the Tomahawks to win the Div. 1 Central title on its way to a second straight state championship game appearance. This year, the Panthers hosted Algonquin in the opening round of the tournament and the Tomahawks took advantage of the opportunity to avenge that loss, pulling out a 63-60 thriller.

The visitors made their share of huge shots, whether it was freshman Alex Karaban burying a deep three in the fourth quarter to push the lead to four points or senior Sean Cullen ignoring the Franklin fans behind the basket to drain a pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining.

But, the Panthers were also their own worst enemies, shooting only 13-of-25 from the free throw line. In a game that came down to the final possession, those missed opportunities were the difference.

“It’s a killer,” Neely admitted. “It’s been kind of an Achille’s heel all season in the games that we’ve lost. We joked around a lot that we’d be undefeated if we made free throws and here we are again. I think we can chalk up another one that we lost at the free throw line, unfortunately.”

When the game tipped off, there was still a long line of people waiting to get in the door, as the atmosphere felt more like a final than the opening round. The teams came out firing like it was a final as well, with Algonquin jumping out to an early 6-0 lead before Franklin answered with six straight of its own.

Sean Leonard scored four points in the first and Jalen Samuels (15 points,10 rebounds, and four blocks in his final game) got the Panthers within one when he drove baseline and finished with a one-hand slam. Chris Edgehill (team-high 20 points) gave Franklin its first lead with a deep three in the final seconds of the quarter.

Algonquin used a 4-0 run to grab a 17-16 lead but Samuels scored back-to-back buckets to get the lead back for the hosts. Another three from Edgehill opened up a five-point lead and then Jack Rudolph hit a pull-up jumper in the lane.

After Edgehill knocked down three free throws, Franklin led by seven, but Karaban scored on an offensive rebound and Brian Duffy (game-high 24 points) buried a three to cut the lead to just two. Samuels drove to the basket to finish the half with Franklin up 32-28, but the Panthers went only 5-of-10 at the line in the quarter and 8-for-16 in the half. Those points that were left on the board would prove costly in the end.

In the third quarter, Rudolph got things started by knocking down a three off a set play. It felt like Franklin was on the brink of breaking the game wide open but instead Brian Duffy (game-high 24 points) caught fire. He knocked down three free throws, drilled a three, and then hit a jumper. His personal 8-0 run put the Tomahawks up one.

Edgehill got into the lane to set up Will Harvey for a layup and then Rudolph hit his second three of the quarter before setting Harvey up for another layup. Rudolph and Harvey combined for all 12 of Franklin’s points in the third, keeping the Panthers up by three heading to the fourth.

“Those guys have been good for us,” Neely said about Rudolph and Harvey. “[Will’s] always been that kind of grinder who doesn’t get the notoriety because he does everything but when you’ve got Chris and Jalen scoring the way they do then you don’t get the chance to score the way he can.”

Duffy continued to have the hot hand in the fourth, tying the game with a three, but it was an unlikely source of offense that gave Algonquin the lead. Cullen had only two points through three quarters and was largely a passenger on offense, but he drilled a three to give the visitors a lead and then scored on a three-point play to extend the lead to four. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth.

Franklin kept battling back. Rudolph stole an errant pass, fed Leonard in the paint and he dished it off to Samuels for a layup that made it 52-51. Edgehill hit a pair at the line to make it 58-57 only to have Karaban come down and bury a deep three to make the deficit four.

Neely said, “That was a big three, NBA distance, from Karaban there at the end and we knew that coming in that he does that. It wasn’t a surprise shot or anything like that but it’s just big guts to take it and make it at that time.”

Edgehill answered with a deep three that made it 61-60, but on the other end he committed a foul with just 13 seconds left on the shot clock and 22 ticks left in the game. Cullen stepped to the line and seemed unfazed by the moment, hitting both right in front of the Franklin student section. While Franklin was struggling at the line, Algonquin was 8-of-10 at the stripe in the second half following Cullen’s makes.

Franklin ran the clock down to 11 seconds before Edgehill hit front rim on a very deep three.

“Chris has made some big shots for us and sometimes if you call that timeout the defense really gets the chance to set itself,” Neely said of the decision not to call a timeout on that possession. “I thought he had been able to really create space for his own shot tonight and made some big ones and it’s always that question mark whether you call it or not and let the game play out.”

A foul on the rebound put Algonquin at the line with a chance to seal the win. Ironically, the visitors missed them both and Franklin got one last chance to extend the game.

Samuels snatched the inbounds pass away from a defender at mid-court, but he couldn’t get an off-balance heave to the rim and the Tomahawks bench stormed onto the court to celebrate.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/21/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Canton, 64 @ Pentucket, 77 – Final – Canton trailed by just five at halftime (31-26) but the shorthanded Bulldogs surrendered 24 points in the third quarter and couldn’t keep pace with Pentucket. Seniors Devin Foster and Ryan Lentol each scored 20 points for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 67 @ Walpole, 55 – Final – Foxboro shot 50% from three-point range, sinking nine triples and four Warriors reached double-figures in scoring to finish the season with a win over Walpole. Brandon Borde (eight rebounds) had a team-high 16 points, Anthony Mollica added 13 points, and Kevin Gallagher and Michael Devlin each finished with 10 points.

Franklin, 56 vs. Cambridge, 46 – Final – Franklin scored 20 points in the opening quarter and held Cambridge to just seven points in the third to pick up a win in its regular season finale. Juniors Chris Edgehill (18 points) and Jack Rudolph each scored five points in the first while seniors Jalen Samuels (16 points) added four points apiece as the Panthers led 20-12 after one. Franklin’s five-point advantage at half (31-26) ballooned to double-digits by the end of the third (46-33) and the Panthers never looked back.

Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 59 vs. Weston, 28 – Final – Julia Feid closed out the season by setting a new career-high with 28 points to lead the Rocketeers to a season sweep of Weston.

Oliver Ames, 73 vs. Newton North, 61 – Final – Freshman Caroline Peper set a new career-high with 31 points (including a perfect 10-for-10 at the line), as OA pulled away in the fourth quarter to earn the win in the regular season finale. The game was tied at 51-51 heading to the fourth but OA outscored Newton North 22-10. Meg Holleran and Hailey Bourne each scored 10 points for the Tigers. OA was 27-of-35 from the line as a team.

Boys Hockey
Canton, 6 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 1 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Franklin, 0 vs. Barnstable, 1 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 1 vs. Walpole, 2 – Final – Lauren Fitzpatrick scored for Canton in the third period to cut the Walpole lead in half, but the Bulldogs couldn’t find a second to tie it.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 1 vs. Westwood, 3 – Final – Emma Pereira scored the only goal for MOA, which stayed within one goal until the Wolverines scored an empty netter late in the third.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 66 @ North Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro whittled an 18-point second half deficit down to seven midway through the fourth quarter but Attleboro slammed the door shut to secure the non-league victory. A free throw from Mason Houle (14 points, four rebounds) midway through the third put the Bombardiers up 46-28 midway through the third but the Rocketeers closed the third with an 8-0 run to stay within striking distance. Five points from North Attleboro’s Nate Gonsalves (12 points) and a free throw from Josh Porter made it 53-46 but Attleboro’s Nick McMahon answered with a traditional three-point play, and then Kevin Velazquez (nine points, five rebounds) and Bryant Ciccio (17 points, six assists) each hit a three to help the Bombarders pull away. Junior Tim Callahan added 11 points and classmate Qualeem Charles had 10 points, 16 rebounds. North Attleboro sophomore George Ladd finished with a career-high 13 points.

Foxboro, 70 vs. Randolph, 67 – Final – Foxboro junior Brandon Borde turn a turnaround, fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer to help the Warriors steal a win over the Blue Devils. The two teams traded turnovers in the final 10 seconds, the Warriors getting the last look off the hands of Borde. Borde (11 rebounds) dominated the game for Foxboro, scoring 13 of his career-high 28 points in the third quarter to keep the Warriors in the game. Sophomore Kevin Gallagher added 12 points Foxboro, which trailed after the first (17-12) and second quarters (31-27) but had a strong second half and headed into the fourth tied 51-51.

Franklin, 61 vs. North Andover, 58 – Final – Franklin junior Chris Edgehill scored on a drive to the basket in the second quarter for his 1,000th carer point, becoming the first male Panther player to reach the plateau since Kyle Gibson in 2011. Edgehill finished with 11 points while senior Will Harvey added seven of his career-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. Jalen Samuels, who was named Harvey Nasuti tournament MVP, scored a team-high 15 points while Steve Karayan added five fourth-quarter points to help the Panthers secure the win.

King Philip @ Dartmouth (@ Somerset-Berkley) – Postponed to Tuesday at 5:00.

Mansfield, 57 vs. Lowell, 66 – Final – The Hornets stayed within striking distance throughout the game but couldn’t close the gap against Lowell (18-3). The Hornets trailed by five at half (26-21) but Lowell was able to increase that advantage to 41-32 heading into the final eight minutes. The Red Raiders made eight of their 11 free throws in a 25-point fourth quarter to ice the game. Senior Tommy Dooling, senior Damani Scott, and sophomore Matt Boen each had 12 points for the Hornets while sophomore TJ Guy finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Milford, 63 vs. Malden, 66 – Final (OT)

Oliver Ames, 53 vs. Scituate, 67 – Final – Scituate hit seven of its 15 three pointers in the first quarter, racing out to a 25-6 advantage after eight minutes and never looked back. The Sailors shot 50% from deep (7-for-14) to start the game, and finished 15-for-38 from deep to keep the Tigers at bay. After a slow first quarter, Oliver Ames won the final three quarters (47-42), including a strong second half. OA senior Sean O’Brien had a team-high 18 points with Amari Brown and Michael Greene each adding six points.

Sharon, 76 @ Norwood, 66 – Final – Sharon had one of its best offensive games to finish the season, scoring over 20 points in three of the four quarters. The Eagles jumped out to a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter but saw its lead shrink to just a point, 33-32, by halftime. Norwood kept within striking distance, down 56-52 heading into the fourth but the Eagles put the game to bed with a strong final frame. Senior Sergio Ripley had a carer-high 14 points, senior Greg Persad, junior Aidan Kane, and freshman John Baez each scored 10 points, and junior Andrew Burton finished with nine points.

Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 46 vs. Old Rochester, 36 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Foxboro reaches the final of the Warrior Classic after winning a defensive struggle with the Bulldogs, who came into Monday’s game tied with the Warriors for the top seed in D2 South. Katelyn Mollica scored 14 points to lead the Warriors and Shakirah Ketant added nine points. Foxboro jumped out to a 25-9 lead at halftime, despite struggling from the field, but Old Rochester battled back in the second half and had the lead down to as few as five points in the fourth quarter but the Warriors hit free throws to seal the victory.

King Philip, 50 @ Westwood, 47 – Final – King Philip held off Westwood in the consolation game of the Riley Winter Classic. The Warriors took the lead by outscoring the Wolverines 14-9 in the third quarter and held that lead until the end of a game that went back and forth throughout. Shannon O’Connor scored 11 points to lead the Warriors, while Faye Veilleux and Brainna James each scored 10.

Lowell, 42 @ Mansfield, 51 – Final – Mansfield jumped out to a lead in the first quarter, built it up to 15 by the end of the third quarter, and held on to it in the fourth quarter to earn the non-league win. Sydney Mulkern caught fire from the three-point line, knocking down six from beyond the arc, and finished with 22 points. Maggie Danehy scored 13 points and nine rebounds and Alicia Hottleman added six, all in the first quarter as the Hornets scored 23 as a team.

Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 4 @ Cardinal Spellman, 3 – Final

Franklin, 4 @ LaSalle Academy (R.I.), 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Westwood, 6 – Final – OA senior Colin Bourne scored the lone goal for the Tigers, with Jake Gottwald and Hunter Costello getting assists.

Taunton, 3 @ Middleboro, 2 – Final – Taunton senior Andrew Carter scored on a penalty shot halfway through the third period to lift the Tigers to a win. Taunton scored first but Middleboro seized a 2-1 advantage by the end of the first. Taunton was able to tie the game and then a covered puck in the crease in the third led to Carter’s game-winning goal, his second goal of the game. Ethan Ross also had a goal while Jack Patneaude, Loren Corcoran, and Evan Perreira each finished with an assist. Sean Bunker made 17 saves to get the win.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 5 vs. Barnstable, 4 – Final

King Philip, 0 @ Walpole, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Longmeadow, 4 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Sunday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/17/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Franklin, 60 vs. New Bedford, 49 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter but struggled over the next two periods, trailing 38-37 going into the fourth quarter. Panther senior Jalen Samuels scored 10 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth to help . Franklin pull away. Samuels also had 13 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks while junior Chris Edgehill added 13 points and five rebounds. The Panthers will take on North Andover on Monday at 2:00 in the final of the Harvey Nasuti Classic.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 42 vs. Bishop Feehan, 50 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Attleboro trailed by just three at halftime but Feehan broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Bombardiers by 11. Liv McCall scored 15 to help Attleboro stay close on senior night.

Franklin, 46 vs. Belmont, 41 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored the only five points of the overtime period to pick up a big win against highly-ranked Belmont in the D1 consolation game of the IAABO Board 27 tournament. Ali Brigham scored 15 points to pace the Panthers (and was named to the all-tournament team), while Megan O’Connell scored 10 and Bea Bondhus added nine. As usual, defense was the key for Franklin, with Erin Quaile and Shannon Gray holding Belmont’s star players to just 15 points combined.

King Philip, 50 vs. Wellesley, 60 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The game was tied at 24-24 going into halftime thanks a strong defensive second quarter in which the Warriors held Wellesley to only seven points. Wellesley was able to hold off the Warriors with a strong second half. Brianna James led the Warriors with 14 points, Faith Roy added 11, and Shannon O’Connor scored 10 points.

Milford, 31 @ Hopedale, 50 – Final

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 3 vs. Plymouth North, 5 – Final

Franklin Dominates Attleboro In Hockomock Finale

Franklin boys basketball
Franklin senior Jalen Samuels attacks the basket in the first half against Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
FRANKLIN, Mass. – For the Franklin boys basketball team, terrific defense led to easy offense.

And that combination resulted in a dominant performance and a comfortably 57-36 win over visiting Attleboro.

The Panthers flipped a two-point game upside down with a 20-0 run over the final six minutes of the second quarter to pull away from the Bombardiers, who entered the contest with a chance to win at least a share of its first Kelley-Rex title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Franklin limited the visitors to just 22% shooting from the field in the opening half as the Bombardiers couldn’t find a connection from deep, going just 1-for-17 from three-point range. And with consistent stops, Franklin’s pushed the pace and cashed in with an impressive transition offense, converting some easy looks down low. Franklin shot 65% from the field in the opening half, making 12-of-18 shots from two-point range.

“That was definitely our best game of the season, by far,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “The guys were excited to play tonight, there’s no doubt about it. I think they were a little sore about how last game went and how the season has gone in some respects. They wanted to make a statement tonight and I thought they did, especially in that second quarter. We went in at halftime, and we usually have a list of things we want to change or that we did poorly, and we didn’t have many things on the list. The guys really bought in, that was the best they’ve bought in to a game plan and scouting report all season.”

While Attleboro only had four first half turnovers, it couldn’t solve the Panthers defensively. During Franklin’s game-changing run, Attleboro only had one turnover on a shot clock violation, and 0-for-11 from the field, with eight of those shots coming from three-point range.

“They did everything better than us tonight, offensively and defensively,” said Attleboro coach Mark Houle. “They made us really feel uncomfortable all night, and we didn’t have any answers.

“We didn’t hit [a three] in the first quarter but I have confidence in our guys that can shoot it, we can get hot, but we didn’t get enough paint touches. [Franklin] did a nice job of taking that away early, something that most teams haven’t been able to do. That limited us really. But quite honestly, we weren’t executing on offense. There were still things that we could have done, but we weren’t executing, and that led to a stagnant offense. And we couldn’t attack the rim because their defense was set. That was a very good defensive effort by them.”

Franklin led 15-7 after the first quarter but Attleboro opened the second quarter with a quick 5-0 run to make it a two-point game. Bryant Ciccio (11 points) drained a three and Kevin Velazquez picked off a pace and went the distance for a layup to make it 15-13.

From there, it was all Panthers. Jalen Samuels (15 points, nine rebounds, four assists) converted his own putback and then scored off a feed from Chris Edgehill (seven points, seven rebounds, seven assists). Will Harvey (career-high 19 points, nine rebounds) sank a three-pointer off a feed from Jack Rudolph, then Edgehill came down with a defensive rebound, pushed it up court and found Rudolph for two. Samuels then drove to the basket, drew in the defense and dished it off to Harvey for an easy two and a 26-13 lead with 3:43 left in the second quarter.

The Bombardiers tried to shoot their way out of the funk, taking six triples on their next seven possessions. The lone trip that didn’t result in a three-point attempt was a turnover on a shot clock violation.

Meanwhile, Franklin continued to cash in on the offensive end. Edgehill got some space in the lane for two, Jake Macchi (nine points) sank a three on a pass from Rudolph just moments after Samuels blocked an Attleboro three, and Samuels scored in low on a floater to put Franklin up 35-13 heading into halftime.

“Getting out in transition was key for us, getting up and down,” Neely said. “And when we attacked the paint, I think the biggest thing was getting in there and then making the extra pass for some dunks and some layups.”

The second half was much more even than the first, but the damage was already done by the Panthers. Tim Callahan made Attleboro’s second triple of the game with 2:44 left in the quarter (2-for-21 from deep through three), Ciccio added five points, including Attleboro’s only two free throws in the game, and Qualeem Charles (eight points, 10 rebounds) got an early bucket, but Franklin got points from Macchi (a three), Harvey (five) and two apiece from Edgehill and Rudolph to hold a 47-24 advantage entering the fourth.

“One of the biggest things we worked on was long closeouts,” Neely said. “We practiced having to get there and get there with a hand without flying into the crowd. We’re going to have to live with them making a couple. We knew we’d have to focus on Q, you can’t let one guy try and do it himself. I thought Harvey played one of his best games this season, and he rebounded really well and played great defensively.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Attleboro’s defense limited the Panthers to 10 points in the fourth, but only scored 12 on its own. Mason Houle sank two threes in the fourth, the latter cutting the deficit to 15 points but with only three minutes to go. Harvey added four in the final frame and Matt Lazarek came off the bench to hit a triple for the Panthers, who shot 56% from the floor for the game and dominated the rebounding battle, 33-18.

“We had some good looks, but they were mostly contested shots,” Houle said. “We have to regroup. We have the opportunity to learn from this. We didn’t do many good things tonight on either end tonight. Their transition offense, we didn’t do a good enough job against it. That led to 20 straight points…and just layups. It was them getting the rebound and pushing it for a layup.”

Franklin boys basketball (12-4 Hockomock, 14-5 overall) is back in action on Sunday with a noon tipoff against New Bedford. Attleboro (13-3, 16-4) will try to bounce back when it travels to rival North Attleboro for a non-league clash on Monday.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/13/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Taunton, 54 @ Attleboro, 61 – Final – After a close first half, Attleboro used a 22-point third quarter to create the separation it needed to fend off visiting Taunton. The Bombardiers led 14-13 at one, and 30-26 going into the halftime break. Junior Bryant Ciccio scored eight of his team-high 18 points in the third quarter in his return from injury to help spark the Bombardiers, who connected on 10 three-pointers in the game. Qualeem Charles (10 points, 13 rebounds) and Mason Houle (12 points, six rebounds) each added four points apiece in the third to help Attleboro pull away. Taunton junior Naz Kenion scored a career-high 19 points, with eight coming in the final quarter as the Tigers made a push to get back into the game. Dante Law added 12 points, with 10 coming in the second half.

Canton, 43 @ North Attleboro, 38 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

Foxboro, 78 @ Sharon, 48 – Final – Foxboro sophomore Kevin Gallagher poured in a career-high 28 points as the Warriors ran away with a win on the road. Gallagher dropped 12 points in the opening quarter and junior Brandon Borde scored nine of his 16 points in the first as well as Foxboro built a 21-12 lead to start. Gallagher added five threes between the second and third quarters to help Foxboro take a 60-32 advantage into the final quarter. Sharon senior Keenan Delouis had a team-high 12 points, include three three-pointers in the second quarter.

Oliver Ames, 50 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin scored 20 points in the final quarter to pull away from Oliver Ames to earn the win. The Tigers kept pace with the Panthers through the first three quarters, knotted at 14-14 after eight minutes and trailing by just three at half (25-22) and after three quarters (38-35). Franklin junior Chris Edgehill scored nine of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, Jalen Samuels netted a third of his 15 points in the fourth, and Jack Rudolph (10 points) went 4-for-4 from the line to help the Panther secure the win. OA sophomore Amari Brown had a team-high 12 points while senior Jake Erlich added 11 points and senior Ethan Eckstrom finished with 10 points.

Mansfield, 74 @ King Philip, 58 – Final – King Philip scored 20 points in the third quarter to make it a three-point game entering the fourth as the Warriors aimed for a season sweep of the visiting Hornets. But Mansfield’s offense exploded in the fourth quarter, connecting on six three-pointers and scoring a total of 27 points in the final frame to run away with a victory to split the season series. Junior Sam Stevens (eight rebounds) had two threes in the fourth, scoring 11 of his team-high 28 points in the quarter while senior Tommy Dooling (seven assists) splashed in three triples for nine of his 19 points. KP junior Alex Fritz (six rebounds) scored a career-high 28 points, including 13 points in the third quarter to get the Warriors back into the game. Andrew McKinney added 10 points and seven rebonds while Bruce Saintilus finished with six points, eight rebounds, and four assists for KP.

Stoughton, 55 @ Milford, 65 – Final – Milford poured in 27 points in the final quarter and limited Stoughton to eight points in the fourth to erase a double-digit halftime deficit to earn the win. The Black Knights led 16-9 after one an took a 36-24 advantage into halftime, but the Scarlet Hawks got within eight (47-39) to start the final quarter and senior Brendan White took over the in the fourth to lead Milford to a comeback win. White sank four three-pointers in the fourth, scoring 15 of his game-high 26 points in the quarter to spark the comeback. After being held without a field goal in the first, White scored six points in the third to help Milford inch closer. Danny Corsini added 14 points for Milford. Myles Grigalunas-Powell paced Stoughton with 18 points and Obinna Ugwuakazi added 14 points for the Black Knights.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 61 @ Taunton, 52 – Final – Attleboro led by just two points heading into the fourth quarter but outscored the Tigers by seven in the final eight minutes to pull out the road win. Jordyn Lako scored a season-high 23 points and snagged 12 rebounds for the Bombardiers. Jaelyn Fernandez scored 17 and Alexa White had 13 for Taunton.

North Attleboro, 39 @ Canton, 52 – Final – After allowing the Rocketeers to make 10 three-pointers in the first meeting, Canton did a much better job defending the perimeter, limiting North to just two made threes and only 13 points in the first half to pick up the win. It is the 12th win of the season for the Bulldogs, one away from tying their most wins in a season since 1993. Tayla DeGraw had a great game in her varsity debut, according to head coach Jim Choquette.

Sharon, 34 @ Foxboro, 64 – Final – Katelyn Mollica scored 23 points and Abby Hassman added 10 to lead the Warriors to a big league win.

Franklin, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 51 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

King Philip, 66 @ Mansfield, 51 – Final – KP jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter and extended it to 19 by halftime, holding the Hornets to just 14 points at the break. But Mansfield closed the gap in the second half, getting the lead down to as little as seven points to start the fourth quarter. The Warriors closed out the win by shooting 8-of-10 at the line in the fourth. Faye Veilleux scored 21 points and Faith Roy continued her strong play in the last week with 16 for KP. Julia Leroux and Emma Glaser each scored seven points in the win. Sydney Mulkern, Maggie Danehy and Mady Bendanillo each scored eight points for the Hornets, while Emily Vigeant added seven.

Boys Hockey
King Philip, 8 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – King Philip senior Brendan Shandley recorded six points as the Warriors skated to a big league win on the road at Attleboro. Shandley netted a hat trick and added three more assists, Conor Cooke had a pair of goals and a pair of assists, and Chris Daniels finished with a goal and three helpers for KP.

Canton, 4 vs. Hanover, 3 – Final – Canton scored three goals in the third period to hand Hanover just its second loss of the season and the Bulldogs improved to 18-0-0 on the season. The Bulldogs opened the scoring less than a minute into the game off the stick of Timmy Kelleher but Hanover tied the game just a minute later. Ryan Nolte put Canton back ahead with a shorthanded goal early in the second but the Indians tied the game just two minutes later on the power play. Johnny Hagan put Canton back on top with just under five minutes to go in the second and Chris Lavoie made it 4-2 just 39 seconds later. Hanover scored four minutes into the third and had a power play in the middle of the period but Canton killed it off and secured the win.

Franklin, 1 vs. St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 6 – Final

North Attleboro, 2 vs. Wayland, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Newton South, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames peppered the Newton South net with 49 shots and outplayed the hosts but could only find the back of the net once in a loss on the road. Newton South converted on a pair of deflections on shots from the point and a breakaway while senior Matt Mullaley made 20 saves in goal. Jake Gottwald had the lone tally for Oliver Ames.

Taunton, 11 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final – Taunton’s Mike Albert recorded five points and Cam Sneyd added four as the Tigers ran away with a win over visiting Durfee. Albert scored once and had four assists while Sneyd found the back of the net four times. Jordan Couto added a pair of goals while Colton Scheralis netted his first career goal in the win.

Girls Hockey
Canton, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Maggie Malloy scored her 100th career point and the Bulldogs recorded a fifth straight shutout.

Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Cassi Ronan and Regan Paterson each scored for the Panthers to earn the road win. Paterson and Amanda Lewandowski each had an assist for the Panthers.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/08/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
King Philip, 54 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Attleboro senior Mason Houle hit a big three and junior Qualeem Charles sank two big free throws as the Bombardiers held off an upset bid from King Philip. Houle (15 points) took a feed from Kevin Velazquez (nine points) and drained a three to make it 56-48 with 1:20 to play. KP’s Bruce Saintilus (21 points) answered with a three of his own to make it 56-51. After a stop, Tim Nault sank a three for the Warriors to make it 56-54 with 39 seconds to play. Charles (13 points, eight rebounds) hit two free throws with 12.4 left to secure the win for Attleboro. Tim Callahan added 13 points for Attleboro while Alex Fritz finished with 13 points for the Warriors.

Sharon, 43 @ Canton, 69 – Final – Canton senior Devin Foster scored 31 points to lead the Bulldogs to a win. With the victory and other results from the Davenport division, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the division title.

Stoughton, 62 @ Foxboro, 53 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

Franklin, 67 @ Taunton, 49 – Final – After an even first quarter, Franklin controlled the final three periods to secure a win on the road over Kelley-Rex rival Taunton. Tied at 12-12 through eight minutes, Franklin created a 30-23 lead heading into the halftime break. The Panthers then extended the lead to 49-33 after three and never looked back to get the win. Franklin junior Chris Edgehill scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, Jalen Samuels added 14 points, and both Jake Macchi and Will Harvey (all points in the first half) finished with 10 points apiece. Dante Law had a team-high 10 points for the Tigers.

Mansfield, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 51 – Final – Mansfield connected on nine three-pointers and found success at the free throw line to return home with a win over Oliver Ames. Sophomores TJ Guy and Matt Boen each had 16 points for the Hornets, who held a three point lead at halftime (29-26) and entering the final quarter (45-42). Sam Stevens scored five of his eight points in the final quarter for Mansfield.

Milford, 53 @ North Attleboro, 63 – Final – North Attleboro was perfect from the field in the fourth quarter, going 9-for-9, and poured in 31 points to complete a comeback win over visiting Milford. The Rocketeers were limited to 16 points in the first half but equaled that total in the third quarter. Trailing 41-32 after three, the Rocketeers opened the fourth with an 8-0 run to get back into the game. Junior Ethan Friberg (11 points) hit a pair of threes in the fourth, sophomore George Ladd added 10 points (all in the second half), and Nate Gonsalves scored all eight of his points in the final quarter. Senior Josh Montague scored a team-high 19 points while Josh Porter added nine points, including a big layup in the fourth quarter. Brendan White had a team-high 14 points and Brendon Sailer added 13 points for the Hawks.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – Faith Roy set a career-high with 22 points to lead the Warriors to a win that clinches a state tournament berth. Shannon O’Connor and Faye Veilleux chipped in with 12 points apiece for KP.

Sharon, 48 @ Canton, 65 – Final – Kiara Cerruti scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Bulldogs to their 11th win this season. Defensively, seniors Maggie Connolly and Julia Hamilton combined for 14 steals in the win. Emma Eberhardt scored 19 points in the loss and Telishya Herbert added 15 for the Eagles.

Foxboro, 79 @ Stoughton, 36 – Final – Katelyn Mollica had 25 points, including seven three-pointers, to lead the Warriors to a division win. Yara Fawaz had 16 points and Abby Hassman and Chelsea Gibbons each scored nine points in the win.

Taunton, 37 @ Franklin, 82 – Final – Franklin clinched the outright league title with the win. It’s the first title since 2013 for the Panthers. Eleven different players scored for the Panthers in the win led by Ali Brigham with 20 points. Bea Bondhus added 16 and Megan O’Connell had 13 in the win. Sonya Fernandez was Taunton’s top scorer with 12.

Mansfield, 45 @ Oliver Ames, 39 – Final – Maggie Danehy led the way for the Hornets with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Mady Bendanillo added 10 ppoints, four assists, and three steals in the win. OA closed the gap in the fourth quarter, cutting an 11-point lead to just six, thanks in part to freshman Caroline Peper, who scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth.

North Attleboro, 55 @ Milford, 19 – Final – Liz Smahi and Julia Kleczkowski each scored eight points for the Rocketeers.

Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 9 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Brendan Tully netted a hat trick and Kirk Leach scored twice as the Warriors skated to a win over Stoughton at Asiaf. Sean Doherty and Carter Gerome each scored for Stoughton.

Gymnastics
Mansfield @ Sharon, 7:30
Oliver Ames, 137.95 @ Mansfield, 147.05 – Final

Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro @ Newton North, 6:30