Foxboro sophomore Ben Angelini had a big day on the ground with over 150 yards rushing. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. — With a lot of new faces in the lineup this season, longtime Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli knew patience was key for this year’s squad to find its rhythm.
Despite starting the season 1-3 in its first four games, Martinelli saw improvement each and every week, and that all came together on Friday night in the form of a 31-0 statement win on the road over Stoughton.
The Warriors had their way on both sides of the ball, especially in the first half as they scored a touchdown on four consecutive drives. Sophomore Ben Angelini had a breakout game for Foxboro, turning 21 carries into 173 yards as Foxboro pounded the ball on the ground to the tune of 282 rushing yards.
“I talked about it in the preseason, if the coaches and kids can remain patient, and remember you never pick up where you left off, I think this could be a pretty good football team,” Martinelli said. “And we’re very young. Every week we’ve gotten better at one phase or the other, and tonight we kind of put everything together. We had some great offensive movement, good defense, and with Sam [Carpenter], I could be on the kickoff team, he’s a weapon.”
After marching into Stoughton territory on its opening drive, Carpenter had a rare miss on a field goal attempt but from there, the Warriors’ offense couldn’t be stopped.
And the defense did its job too. They forced Stoughton into a punt on its first drive, Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady blocked a punt on the second drive, and the Warriors pounced on a fumble on Stoughton’s drive.
On their second series, Foxboro marched down the field on nine plays before finding the end zone for the first time. Angelini was the workhorse on the drive, with four carries for 35 yards and one catch for 32 to get the visitors inside the 5-yard line. From there, Lincoln Moore took back-to-back handoffs, the latter for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 1:43 left in the first quarter.
Stoughton got its first first down when Jarred Daughtry connected with James Currier on a tipped pass and another first down when Daughtry hit Tagh Swierzewski for nine yards. But a holding call, an incompletion, and a good tackle from Moore put an end to that drive. After nearly blocking the first punt, Mazenkes-O’Grady blocked the punt the Warriors recovered at the Stoughton 31-yard line.
From there, Angelini had four straight carries for 29 yards and once again Moore capped the drive, taking the handoff from the fullback spot for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.
The Warriors’ offense wasn’t on the sideline very long as Stoughton coughed up the ball on the very first play of the ensuing drive. Foxboro took over at the Stoughton 22-yard line. The Black Knights’ defense stood tall as Liam Pearl had a tackle for loss on third down that would have put Foxboro in fourth and 7 from the 20-yard line, but Stoughton accepted a holding call and Foxboro’s drive stayed alive.
On the next play, sophomore quarterback Mike Marcucella bought some time, scrambled out of the pocket, and threw a jump ball that sophomore Nolan Gordon came back to get right at the goalline for a 29-yard touchdown, and a 21-0 lead with 6:08 left in the second.
A 28-yard keeper from Daughtry and a reception from Alex Huynh helped Stoughton cross midfield but that’s where the drive ended.
Even though field position couldn’t slow the Warriors’ offense. Starting at their own 32-yard line, the Warriors orchestrated another nine-play drive that culminated in another touchdown. Back-to-back passes from Marcucella to Tony Sulham moved the sticks, Marcucella scrambled for 11 yards, and Angelini broke free for 21 yards.
“He’s a puppy but he played unbelievable tonight,” Martinelli said of Angelini. “Having so many young kids, having good senior leadership — we don’t have a lot of them but it’s good leadership — and with that, they hung tough the first couple of weeks when we struggled a bit. But I’ve seen them improve every week and I think it’s the right time to see that improvement.”
Facing a third and 8 from the Stoughton 9-yard line, Marcucella found senior Jaden Becker in the back of the end zone for a 28-0 lead with just seconds left in the half.
“They made some spaces up front and that’s the name of the game,” Martinelli said of his offensive line. “I’m happy all around, happy with how all of them played. Now it’s onto another challenge with North. I know they’ll enjoy tonight but they’ll be ready to go with film on Sunday and practice on Monday.”
Foxboro only had three possessions in the second half and Carpenter drilled a 30-yard field goal at the end of the second series.
Stoughton had its two best offensive series in the third quarter, one that reached the Foxboro 30-yard line, and another that got down to the Warriors’ 25-yard line, but both ended on a turnover on downs.
Foxboro football (1-0 Hockomock Davenport, 2-3 overall) has yet another non-league game next week but this time against a familiar foe in North Attleboro on Friday at 7:00. Stoughton (1-1, 2-3) also has a crossover clash as they hit the road to face Attleboro.
Football
Attleboro, 35 @ Durfee, 6 – Final 1Q: (A) Matt Harvie 41-yard pass to Adrian Rivera, Ethan Lako 2pt rush good; (A) M. Harvie 5-yard pass to Malachi Jefferson, Josue Salguero XP good.
2Q: (A) M. Harvie 25-yard pass to Ayden Ramirez, J. Salguero XP good; (A) Brody McKenna 30-yard interception return, XP failed.
3Q: (A) M. Harvie 59-yard pass to Andre Turner, J. Salguero XP good.
4Q: (D) Durfee 4-yard rush, XP failed.
Canton, 30 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 7 – Final
Foxboro, 7 vs. Holliston, 33 – Final
Franklin, 32 @ Wachusett, 22 – Final 1Q: (W) McGeary 3-yard rush, XP good; (F) Jase Lyons 65-yard pass to Luke Davis, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2Q: (W) Wachusett touchdown, XP good; (F) G. Portesi 30-yard field goal. (F) J. Lyons 60-yard pass to L. Davis, XP failed.
3Q: (F) J. Lyons 35-yard pass to L. Davis, XP failed; (F) G. Portesi field goal.
4Q: (W) McDonald rush, McGeary 2pt rush; (F) Mike Davide 4-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
BC High, 0 @ King Philip, 35 – Final 1Q: (KP) Rudy Gately 10-yard rush, Matt Kelley XP good; (KP) R. Gately 19-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good,
2Q: (KP) Tom McLeish 6-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) Aiden Astorino 4-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (KP) Kyle Abbott 1-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
Mansfield, 35 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 6 – Final 1Q: (M) CJ Bell 32-yard pass to Trevor Foley, Travis Hennessey XP good; (M) Rocco Scarpellini 1-yard rush, T. Hennessey XP good; (M) Conner Zukowski 9-yard pass to Ryan DeGirolamo, T. Hennessey XP good.
2Q: No scoring.
3Q: (M) R. Scarpellini 4-yard rush, T. Hennessey XP good.
4Q: (M) T. Hennessey 15-yard rush, T. Hennessey XP good.
Milford, 42 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1Q: (M) Nate Scudo 5-yard rush, Nicholas Araujo XP good; (M) Evan Cornelius 13-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
2Q: (M) E. Cornelius 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
3Q: (M) N. Araujo 12-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
4Q: (M) E. Cornelius 9-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) Owen Callahan 17-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
North Attleboro, 28 @ Bishop Feehan, 6 – Final 1Q: (NA) Nathan Shultz 27-yard rush, Austin Clemente XP good; (NA) N. Shultz 41-yard rush, A. Clemente XP good.
2Q: (BF) Nick Yanchuk 82-yard rush, XP no good.
3Q: (NA) Greg Berthiaume 22-yard rush, A. Clemente XP good.
4Q: (NA) Chase Frisoli 1-yard rush, A. Clemente XP good.
Oliver Ames, 41 vs. Brookline, 12 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1Q: (OA) Chad Silva 8-yard rush, Nick Ferrini XP good.
2Q: (OA) C. Silva 24-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good; (OA) Wayne Casey 56-yard pass to Andrew Whiteside, XP blocked.
3Q: (OA) W. Casey 12-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good; (B) Joshua Karp 53-yard pass to Andrew Bamberg, XP failed; (OA) Harold Smith 18-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
4Q: (B) J. Karp 4-yard pass to Caetano Drinkwater, 2pt pass failed; (OA) CJ Crocker 19-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
Stoughton, 28 vs. Norwood, 13 – Final 1Q: (S) Jarred Daughtry 14-yard pass to James Currier, XP good; (S) Alex Huynh 45-yard interception return, XP failed.
2Q: (S) Liam Pearl 3-yard rush, Alex Huynh 2pt rush good.
3Q: (N) Jack Dwyer 4-yard rush, XP good; (N) J. Dwyer 13-yard rush, XP failed.
4Q: (S) L. Pearl 1-yard rush, XP failed.
Taunton, 33 @ New Bedford, 7 – Final 1Q: (T) Jacob Leonard 34-yard pass to Dmitrius Shearrion, Elias Foreman XP good; (T) Elijah Prophete 62-yard fumble return, XP failed.
2Q: (T) J. Leonard 61-yard pass to Jose Touron, Abby Doherty XP good; (NB) Amari Harris 5-yard pass to Darrin Godine, Brent Sharples XP good; (T) Malachi Johnson 86-yard kickoff return, A. Doherty XP good.
3Q: (T) Anthony Petijohn 48-yard interception return, XP failed.
4Q: Not played.
Sharon, 27 @ Weston, 14 – Final
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Attleboro scored the first and last goals of the game, the latter coming with less than 10 minutes to play to help the Bombardiers secure a tie and a point on the road. Luke Hagopian bagged a brace on his birthday, finishing off an assist from Esvin Morales in the 74th minute to bring the Bombardiers back level. Hagopian opened the scoring in the 16th minute off an assist from Steve Etienne. Mansfield leveled the game less than 10 minutes later on a blast from distance from Aiden Steele. Mansfield took the lead in the 34th minute as Grady Sullivan buried a rebound off a shot from Steele. For Mansfield, Matty Sullivan, Derek McGrath, Aiden Jones, Brendan Flynn, and Kyle Johnson all played well defensively.
Milford, 4 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Milford scored a pair of goals in each half to pick up a pair of points on the road at Foxboro. The Hawks converted a pair of crosses to establish the lead, starting with a finish from Eduardo Santana on a service from Saverio Fulgitini. Milford double its lead when Kaua Pereira scored off a cross from Nick Ribero. In the second half, Pereira set up Arthur Tome to make it 3-0 and then Santana fed John Borges for a finish to make it 4-0.
Franklin 1, @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Oliver Ames raced out to a three-goal lead by halftime and then tacked on two goals inside the final 15 minutes to secure a 5-1 win over Franklin in its season opener. Five different players scored for the Tigers, starting with a goal just over five minutes into the game. Sophomore Luke Churchill lifted a ball over the top of the defense and junior Ryan Linhares ran onto it and calmly chipped the oncoming keeper on the bounce. Less than 10 minutes later, sophomore Casey Milliken played in a through ball to junior Ryan Carney and he finished low to the far post. OA made it 3-0 in the 35th minute as Hector Bucio was first to a corner from Linhares, hitting a low one-timer into the back of the net from inside the area. Franklin had a strong start to the second half and played equal to the hosts. The Panthers pulled one back in the 47th minute after good pressure from juniors Andrew O’Neill and Hansy Jacques ended up in a combination between the two and the latter smashed a low left-footed shot off the far post and in. After some more even play, OA cashed in on a Franklin turnover. Andrew Martins took down a failed clearance connected with Milliken, who fired a cross/shot that was spilled in the area and Mirray Dasilva was first to the loose ball and fired it in. Michael MacAdam came up with a turnover at midfield and quickly hit a counter pass up to Milliken that drew Franklin goalie Griffin Tolonen well off his line. Tolonen got the ball but it deflected right to Martins, who passed one into the back of the net.
King Philip, 1 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final
Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 2 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield opened league play with a solid road win. Kara Santos put the Hornets in front, finishing a corner by freshman Olivia Dunham, who recorded her first varsity point. Meghan McCann doubled the lead when she ran onto a through ball from Lauren Signoriello and finished the breakaway. Olivia Salisbury made three saves to get the clean sheet.
Canton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Canton scored a pair of second half goals to break things open and secure a win in the season opener. The Bulldogs opened the scoring midway through the first half on a goal by Emily McCabe. North started the second half on the front foot, but Canton regrouped and in the 60th minute freshman Georgia Campbell got her first varsity goal to make it 2-0. Emma Cahill sealed the win with a goal in the final minute. Mekahala Costello, freshman Alyssa Wong, and Tess Giglio recorded assists. Canton coach Idris Senyonjo praised Wong and Campbell for giving Canton a needed energy boost in the second half. Maddie Ferrin made six saves for the Rocketeers.
Foxboro, 2 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Neve Taylor scored a pair of unassisted goals and Allie Sougaris made a huge save in the closing minute to secure a hard-fought win for the Warriors. The game was scoreless at halftime and it was the home team that broke the deadlock when Paige Caldon finished off a pass from Dani Atherton. Foxboro responded almost immediately, as Taylor equalized. With about 18 minutes to play, Taylor struck again for what turned out to be the game-winner. Atherton had a chance to steal a point with nearly the final kick of the game, but Sougaris made a brilliant save on the breakaway to keep the Warriors in front. Freshman Kaliegh Tourtellot had a strong game in goal for the Hawks, filling in for injured Chloe Murdock.
Stoughton, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – KP took 32 shots on Friday but only managed a pair of goals, pulling out a tough home win in its league opener. Ella Pisani’s through ball set up Dani Lomuscio for a goal early in the first half. In the second half, Dani Gresham’s corner kick went off a defender to double the lead.
Field Hockey
North Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Canton scored three goals in the third quarter and then held off a fourth quarter comeback bid from North Attleboro to secure a 5-4 win. The Bulldogs built a 2-0 lead in the second quarter but Julia Puccio scored a pair of goals, including one off a Kelsey Thompson corner with 31 seconds left in the half to bring the Big Red level. Canton extended its lead to 5-2 with a big third quarter but Puccio scored two more times in the fourth to make it a one-goal game. Puccio netted a deflected shot with 9:05 left in the game and then scored off a pass from Madison Folan with 3:54 left to make it 5-4. Canton had five different goal scorers, including one goal and two assists from freshman Carolyn Schiavo.
Volleyball
King Philip, 3 vs. Walpole, 0 – Final – King Philip continued its strong start to the season with a dominating 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-8) sweep over Walpole. Sami Shore led the offense with seven kills, Ahunna James added six kills and a pair of aces, Emily Sawyer registered four kills, two aces, and two blocks, and sophomore Madison Asprelli landed four aces in the win.
Canton, 1 vs. North Quincy, 3 – Final – Canton jumped ahead in the match with a win in the first set but North Quincy bounced back with three straight to claim victory, 3-1. For Canton, Jess Wright had an outstanding performance with 14 kills and a pair of aces.
Outlook: After experiencing some growing pains against a tough schedule last season, the Bulldogs boast a good number of returning players looking to have a bounce-back year in 2022.
Canton has key pieces in key spots on the field and has a total of 22 seniors on the roster. The defense will be filled with veterans including a talented group of linebackers that include seniors Jack Flaherty (captain) and Hayden Rose along with junior captain Owen Lane. While the linebackers are likely to be the heart of the defense, the Bulldogs also have some key experience – and some noticeable size – on the defensive line with seniors Julian Prentice (captain) and Jack Digirolamo. In the secondary, Charlie Cox and Josh Richards will man the safety positions to anchor the secondary unit.
The Bulldogs have a familiar face back at quarterback in Lane, an athletic lefty that can make plays with both his feet and his arm. As just a sophomore a year ago, Lane gained valuable experience and will be looking to build on a solid campaign. He will work behind a somewhat inexperienced line that is anchored by senior captain Matt Lesser at center with Nathan Levis and sophomore Luke Richard at guard, and junior Giovanni Disasio and sophomore Luke Laguerre at tackle. Senior Godson Ofonagoro has transferred in and will be in the mix at running back along with James Robbins, Cole Ouellette, and Michael Sayers.
Canton opens the season on the road at Dighton-Rehoboth but then hosts back-to-back non-league games as the Bulldogs look to build some momentum before their first meeting with Mansfield since 2012.
Outlook:
Foxboro narrowly missed out on a trip to Gillette last year, falling in the Div. 5 state semifinal. The reigning Davenport division champions will have to replace the production of league MVP Dylan Gordon, but the Warriors have a host of younger players ready to step into bigger roles this season and will be excited about adding league title drama to their Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Mansfield.
Even graduating its starting tailback and quarterback, Foxboro will have a lot of depth in the skill positions this season with several underclassmen showing that they are ready to contribute right away. Sophomore Mike Marcucella will take over under center and will have plenty of options in the backfield and at receiver. Junior Lincoln Moore has the strength and quickness to be a dynamic runner along with junior Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady, senior Jaiquann Williams, and sophomore Ben Angelini. Senior Payton France will be an option at wideout, junior Tony Sulham adds speed wherever he lines up, and sophomore Nolan Gordon will be a big target on the outside. The offensive line is loaded with size this season. Senior Andrew Finn will be the leader of a group that includes junior Nate Urman and sophomore Jonathan Balde. Sam Carpenter is one of the league’s top kickers and gives Foxboro the chance for points every possession.
Defense has always been a focal point for the Warriors and they have plenty of experience returning to be a strong group. As one offense, Foxboro will have plenty of size up front. Finn and Mazenkas-O’Grady are constant threats from the ends with Urman and Balde helping out in the interior. Moore was a standout linebacker as a sophomore and he leads a group that includes Williams and Angelini. Sulham is a lockdown corner and Gordon, Francis, and Marcucella will all add depth in the secondary.
“If the players and coaches are patient and are mindful that you never pick up where you left off, assuming nothing, this can be a good football team, characterized by senior strength and tremendous underclass talent,” said Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli.
Outlook:
It usually doesn’t take Mansfield long to rebuild and the Hornets come into the new season with an experienced core of returning players, particularly in the skill positions, that is poised to challenge not only for the program’s first Davenport division title but also to make a deep run in the state tournament. With nearly all of its production back from last year, Mansfield will be counting on that year of experience to be ready for a tough schedule meant to prepare the Hornets for the playoffs.
The Mansfield offense should have plenty of balance to it this season. Senior Conner Zukowski will be back under center for the Hornets and he has a host of weapons to take advantage of in both the passing and ground games. Seniors Drew Sacco and Rocco Scarpellini will be in the backfield this season and both are dynamic runners who can grind yards or break big plays. Juniors Brian Butler and Nolan Bordieri could also be added to the mix. Junior Connor Curtis will give another option as a running QB. Junior Trevor Foley emerged as one of the top receivers in the league last season and junior CJ Bell, Bordieri, and junior Brandon Jackman give the Hornets a lot of depth on the outside, while senior Ryan DeGirolamo gives Zukowski a big target at tight end. The line should also be deep this season, led by seniors Jephte Jean and Colton Johnson and newcomers senior Dexter Harris, and juniors Aidan Gleavy, Matt Tryon, and Jason Riley.
Experience is a strength on the other side of the ball as well. Foley and Bell give Mansfield playmakers in the secondary that will cause havoc with opposition passing attacks. Bordieri and Jackman will add to that defensive back group. Jean was an imposing force on the defensive line and he will be helped by Gleavy and Harris. DeGirolamo gives the Hornets a threat from his defensive end position and Riley could step into that role on the other side. Scarpellini and senior Caden Colby will return at linebacker.
“Depth and experience at offensive skill positions with the return of about 95 percent of the team’s production from last year,” Mansfield head coach Mike Redding said of his team’s strength. “Defensive group is also experienced with the secondary returning three of the four starters and two of the three linebackers, so good experience there as well.”
Outlook: Buoyed by a productive offseason, Oliver Ames is looking to get back into the heart of the division title race this season. The Tigers have a strong nucleus of players back and are hoping a strong line – both offensively and defensively – will pave the way for success this season.
Three of the Tigers’ five captains call the offensive line home so OA will lean heavily on that unit to pave the way for the offense. Columbia University-commit Jaden Hinton has transformed into one of the best two-way linemen in not only the Hock but in the state. He will be joined by fellow captains Chris Young and John Carey, as well as classmate Luis Fernandes. The unit will be in charge of creating holes for four-year starter and captain Chad Silva. After handling lead blocking duties last year, Silva will likely be the feature back for the Tigers and has a great combination of power and speed.
Senior captain Wayne Casey will start under center and will be tasked with controlling the offense. He will work with Robert Jenkins, Jaden Graham, and Bronson Burnham as weapons on offense.
Silva is back for another year at linebacker and is a big-time playmaker on that side of the ball. Seniors Jack Morley and Jordan Young round out an experienced group while Hinton will work with Young, Fernandes, and classmate Donovan Howard along the defensive line. Seniors Jack Perron and Nick Ferrini will play in the secondary alongside Jenkins and Graham.
“I am thrilled about the work our older guys have put in this offseason and really think it should help them pay off,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “We really want to continue to improve week to week and play with more consistency than we did last year.”
Outlook:
Sharon is continuing its independent schedule this fall and, with 13 returning starters, the Eagles will have plenty of experience. Depth continues to be a challenge for the program, but there is room for development, and head coach Dave Morse is hoping that a very young roster will continue to develop this season.
Junior quarterback Liam Conway will lead an offense that is going to try and add more balance this season. Senior Kyle Samuels and junior Jacob McLoughlin will be the primary targets in the passing game. Juniors Gabe Korn and Duncan Seaman will be in the backfield and will give the Eagles a couple of threats in the running game. Senior fullback Joden Chanel will try and lead the way in the running game and senior lineman Dan Davis will be there to open holes.
Defensively, Sharon wants to be more aggressive. Korn and Seaman will lead the linebacking corps and add playmaking on the defensive side of the ball. Davis will be an impact player on the line and Chanel will give Sharon speed on the edge. In the secondary, Samuels will be one of the top cover guys, while junior Elijah Wisdom will be a ball hawk at free safety.
“Hoping to continue to develop and turn that into winning football games,” Morse said. “We are still very young because of the lack of seniors but it is my job to get all of our players up to speed at the varsity level.”
Editor’s note: Sharon is competing a non-league schedule this season.
Outlook: Stoughton finished in the middle of the pack in the Davenport division after an injury-plagued season last year. The Black Knights reached the state tournament and kept it close before falling in the first round, and ended the season with a win over rival Canton on Thanksgiving to finish at 5-6.
Between the graduating seniors and the players returning from injury, there will be plenty of new playmakers for the Black Knights this season. One familiar face will be the one under center as junior Jarred Daughtry is back at quarterback after getting a lot of reps a season ago. Daughtry showed that he can make plays with his arm but he’s very athletic and will be someone opposing defenses have to keep an eye out for.
Running the Wing-T, Daughtry will have senior Tagh Swiezewski and juniors Liam Pearl and Alex Huynh – both of who got off to promising sophomore campaigns before injuries. All three will be involved in blocking and running, and also key pieces in the Stoughton passing game. Junior James Currier has emerged as a top option as a receiver as well.
Stoughton has been known for its tough defenses over the years under longtime head coach Greg Burke, and the Black Knights will be looking to continue that tradition this year. Stoughton gave up over 23 points per game last, which was unusually high for a program that has kept teams under 20 for at least the six seasons prior to that. An athletic secondary will feature Swierziewski, Daughtry, Huynh, and Currier. Timmy Chung returns as one of the starting linebackers alongside Pearl and Beder, while Laz, Noel, and Thomas will all be two-way linemen.
“We need to stay healthy and improve on the line,” said Burke. “We need younger players to play and to improve every week.”
