Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
Danny MacDougall, Taunton
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Matt McMahon, Attleboro
Bailey Camacho Attleboro
Nathan Cooke, Franklin
Jake Fitzgibbons, Franklin
Alfred Mucciarone, Franklin
Conor Cooke, King Philip
Shawn Legere, King Philip
Rudy Gately, King Philip
Anthony Sacchetti, Mansfield
Mario Lee, Milford
Daniel MacDougall, Taunton
Ty Cali, Taunton
Davenport Division MVP
Dennis Colleran, North Attleboro
Davenport Division All Stars
Andrew Middleton, Canton
Steve Burbank, Canton
Matthew Chafin, Canton
Sean O’Leary, Foxboro
Dennis Colleran, North Attleboro
Jared Penta, North Attleboro
Danny Curran, North Attleboro
Jadon Ricci, Oliver Ames
William Whiteside, Oliver Ames
Matthew Nigro, Oliver Ames
Justin Brown, Sharon
Brandon Mantilla-Mercado, Stoughton
Honorable Mentions:
Jake Gorman, Attleboro
Sawyer Julier-Albert, Canton
Ryan LeClair, Foxboro
Jacob Jette, Franklin
Nick Viscusi, King Philip
Eric Sullivan, Mansfield
Evan Cornelius, Milford
Derek Maceda, North Attleboro
Nick Clark, Oliver Ames
JD Rittenberg, Sharon
Kyle Doolin, Stoughton
Conor Quinlan, Taunton
Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Baseball All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
Baseball
D1 South
#8 Norwood, 7 @ #1 Franklin, 11 – Final – Franklin’s offense stayed hot in the postseason as the Panthers pushed across double-digit runs for the second straight game (and sixth time this season) in an 11-7 win over upset-minded Norwood, the #8 seed in the bracket. Franklin built a four-run lead (6-2) through the first four innings but the Mustangs rallied to tie the game with a four-run fifth inning. Franklin responded with five runs in the bottom half and never looked back to book its spot in the D1 South semifinals. Franklin received contributions from up and down the lineup with Nate Cooke (run, RBI) and Jack Marino (run, two RBI) each recording a pair of hits in the win. Chris Goode added two runs on two walks, a hit, and an RBI, Ryan Gerety and Luc Boudreau each scored a pair of runs, Jake Fitzgibbons smacked an RBI double, and Ben Jarosz had an a hit, a walk, and an RBI. James Kuczmiec earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 innings with one run allowed on one hit and two walks, striking out one. Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone was had a strong start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings without issuing a walk. Franklin will play #13 seed BC High on Friday at 7:00.
#7 Taunton, 13 @ #2 Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Taunton had one of its best showings of the season, tying a season-high with 13 runs while blanking the #2 seed Bridgewater-Raynham to advance to the D1 South Semifinals. On the mound, senior Danny MacDougall tossed six shutout innings, working around four hits and three walks while striking out three in the win. And offensively, MacDougall had a pair of hits, driving in one run while scoring four times. Sophomore Ryan MacDougall had a big day a the dish for the Tigers, who scored single runs in the first and second innings, twice in the fourth, three times in the sixth, and put the game away for good with six runs in the top of the seventh inning. The younger MacDougall had three hits on the day, driving in five runs — one on an RBI single in the first, two on a base hit in the fourth, and two more in the sixth. Alyjah Marshall recored three RBI and a run, Dawson Bryce had three hits, three runs, and two RBI, Braden Sullivan added two hits and two RBI, and Colby DeCouta scored once and had two hits in the win. Taunton will travel to #3 Xaverian in the D1 South Semifinals on Friday at 4:00.
D2 South
#8 North Attleboro, 17 @ #1 Nauset, 9 – Final (8 Inn.) – Down to its last out in the seventh inning, North Attleboro rallied to tie the game to force extras, where the Rocketeers pulled away to earn a big win over previously undefeated Nauset. In another roller coaster, back-and-forth contest, North scored twice in the final frame to stay alive. Christian Bates was hit by a pitch to lead off, Jared Penta singled to left to move pinch runner Eric Malcolmson to second and sophomore Derek Maceda was intentionally walked to load the bases. Junior Gavin Wells, who had the game-winning hit against OA in the opening round, hit a two-out, two-run single to center to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. North senior Aidan Weir tossed a scoreless seventh inning to force extras as sophomore Aidan Conrad threw a runner out at second to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, Penta (four hits) plated Tyler Bannon with a single down the third base line to give North a 10-9 advantage. North went on to score seven more runs on four hits, six walks, and two hit batters. In total, the Rocketeers recorded 15 hits, 14 walks and three hit batters, bringing in 16 of the 17 runs on an RBI. North jumped out to an early lead (4-0 on a hit, error, and six walks) but Nauset battled back to tie the game 5-5 after three innings. The Warriors took their first lead in the top of the fifth but Maceda stroked a two-run single to put North back in front, 7-6, in the sixth. Nauset took a 9-7 lead with a three-run home. Weir closed the game out in the bottom of the tenth with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. North Attleboro will play again on Friday, scheduled for a 4:00 PM start against the winner of #4 Dighton-Rehoboth and #5 Hopkinton.
Softball D1 South
#9 Walpole, 0 @ #1 Taunton, 9 – Final – Taunton jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning and added runs in four of the next five innings to take down the visiting Timberwolves of Walpole. The Tigers scored a pair of runs in each the first, third, fifth and sixth innings, tacking on a single run in the fourth. Meanwhile, senior Kelsey White continued her dominance in the circle with another complete game shutout. In seven innings, White allowed four hits and one walk while striking out 15 batters. Offensively, the Tigers had nine hits with White smacking a pair of home runs, driving in a total of four. Senior Hanna Aldrich had three runs, including a triple and a home run, finishing with three RBI. McKenzie McAloon added a hit and an RBI for Taunton. Taunton will host Hock rival and #4 seed King Philip on Thursday at 7:00.
#10 Mansfield, 5 @ #7 Silver Lake, 8 – Final – Mansfield tried to mount a seventh inning comeback but was unable to erase a five-run deficit and saw its playoff run come to an end at Silver Lake. The Hornets trailed 8-3 heading to the final inning, but Callie Lake doubled, pinch hitter Olivia Harnden walked, and Jill Koppy singled to bring in a run. With two runners on, Casey Moussette hit a deep fly ball, but it stayed in play for the center fielder. It was Mansfield that got off to a good start to the game, with a pair of two-out runs in the first. Koppy started the rally by getting by a pitch, Moussette singled, and Molly Kucharski brought both runs in with a single. The Hornets pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a Nicole Kobasa double and an Alanna Conley RBI single. Silver Lake was able to score twice to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning and went ahead with four runs in the fifth.
D2 South
#12 Foxboro, 5 @ #4 Notre Dame Academy, 0 – Final – Emma Callahan struck out six and allowed only two hits to record a shutout and keep Foxboro’s playoff run going. Fiona Dunn had a big hit from the seven-hole, leadoff hitter Peyton Feldman scored a pair of runs, and Morgan Sylvestre had a sac fly with a deep fly to center. Foxboro coach Mark Maguire said, “We took advantage of some mistakes to get some runs and we’re on to the semis.” The Warriors will travel to top seed Middleboro on Thursday at 6:30.
Boys Tennis D1 South
#3 Sharon, 0 @ #2 Brookline, 5 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Central
#6 Wachusett, 0 @ #2 Milford, 3 – Final – Milford will host #9 seed Lincoln-Sudbury in the Central sectional final on Friday at 5:00.
Baseball D1 South
#16 Durfee, 1 @ #1 Franklin, 15 – Final (5 Inn.) – Franklin exploded for 12 runs in the fourth innning, turning a two-run game into a blowout against visiting Durfee. The Panthers built a 3-1 lead over the first three innings but the offense was nearly unstoppable in the fourth, recording nine hits and three walks to put the game out of reach. Junior Chris Goode (double, run, three RBI), sophomore Ryan Gerety (double, three runs, two RBI) and freshman Henry DiGiorgio (three runs, RBI) all smacked three hits to lead the way for the Franklin offense. CJ Jette added two hits and two runs, Jack Marino drove in two runs and scored twice, Jake Fitzibbons hit a double, had a walk and drove in two runs, Nate Cooke reached twice with an RBI, and Ben Jarosz had a hit, two walks, a run scored and an RBI. Jacob Jette earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on three hits and a walk in four innings of work while striking out six. Franklin will host #8 Norwood on Wednesday at 7:00PM.
#10 Walpole, 4 @ #7 Taunton, 6 – Final (8 Inn.) – Taunton senior Danny MacDougall launched a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth as the Tigers survived a scare from visiting Walpole. The Timberwolves got off to a strong start with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning but Taunton was quick to respond, plating four runs in the bottom of the first. Ty Cali, Dawson Bryce, and Danny MacDougall all singled to load the bases and sophomore Ryan MacDougall cleared them with a three-run triple to put the hosts ahead. A wild pitch allowed Ryan MacDougall to score to make it 4-2. Walpole cut the deficit to one with a run in the top of the second and then tied the game with a single in the top of the seventh. Bryce managed a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth to keep the inning alive and Danny MacDougall launched his third home run of the year to win it. Conor Quinlan shined in relief for the Tigers, taking over to start the third inning. Quinlan allowed just one run on five hits, striking out eighth to get the win. Taunton will travel to #2 seed Bridgewater-Raynham on Wednesday at 4:00.
#12 Mansfield, 0 @ #5 Wellesley, 1 – Final – Mansfield went pitch-for-pitch with Wellesley but couldn’t push across a run, falling 1-0 on the road to the Raiders. Aaron Blinn allowed just one run on three hits without issuing a walk, striking out nine in five innings of work. James Gilleran struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief. Mansfield was limited to just two hits between two Wellesley pitchers, putting on five baserunners via walk but couldn’t get a run home.
#22 Attleboro, 4 @ #6 Braintree, 14 – Final
#14 King Philip, 3 @ #3 Xaverian, 8 – Final
D2 South
#9 Oliver Ames, 11 @ #8 North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro’s Gavin Wells singled up the middle with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Rocketeers a walk-off win over Oliver Ames in an epic back-and-forth battle at Community Field. Oliver Ames jumped ahead with five runs in the first two innings and a two-run home run from Jake Waxman helped push the Tigers’ lead to 7-4 in the top of the fifth innings. The Rocketeers responded with six runs in the bottom half as Christian Bates smacked a two-run double to tie the game and Derek Maceda put North ahead with a two-run double for a 9-7 advantage. Wells added an RBI single in the sixth to make it a three-run game and Dennis Colleran launched a solo home run to make it 11-7 going into the last inning. Down to their final three outs, the Tigers rallied to tie the game as Nate Fulford blasted a three-run home run to make it 11-11. Jared Penta led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and stole second. North loaded the bases with no outs after an intentional walk and Wells brought in the game-winner with a base hit. Penta and Wells each had three hits for the Rocketeers while Colleran and Tyler Bannon each had two hits. For OA, Will Whiteside went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs while Jadon Ricci (two RBI, two runs), Waxman, and Patrick Finnerty (run, RBI) each had two hits. North Attleboro will travel to #1 seed Nauset on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 1:00PM.
#11 Canton, 0 @ #5 Plymouth South, 4 – Final – Plymouth South scored twice in each of the first two innings and that was all the offense the Panthers needed to knock off visiting Canton. The Bulldogs were limited to just three hits total with Nate Hewitt recording a pair of them, including a double. Matt Quan also reached base twice with one hit and one walk.
Softball D1 South
#16 Stoughton, 0 @ #1 Taunton, 17 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton opened its playoffs with an offensive explosion. The Tigers had 17 hits as a team, including three homers, and rolled to a big win. McKenzie McAloon led the way, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, four runs scored, and five RBI. Hayley Krockta went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI and bashed a home run. Angie Lynch (2-for-4) added a homer, drove in two, and scored twice, while Tayah DaCosta had Taunton’s third homer, part of a 3-for-4 day where she drove in three and scored two runs. Kelsey White dominated in the circle, allowing only one hit and striking out 11 over five innings. Nicole Baker had the lone hit for the Black Knights. Taunton hosts Walpole on Wednesday in the quarterfinal.
#13 Milton, 3 @ #4 King Philip, 6 – Final – King Philip overcame an early three-run deficit to fend off an upset big from Milton. An infield single, a bunt single, and a home run in the top of the first gave the Wildcats an early 3-0 lead but KP scored in four straight innings between the third and the sixth to get the lead for good. Paige Berdos got the hosts on the board in the third inning, leading off with a single, stealing a base and scoring on a sac fly from Charlotte Raymond. Patience at the plate helped the Warriors bring two more runs in during the fourth inning to tie the game. Maddie Paschke walked, Ava Kelly singled, and Taylor Regan walked to load the bases before Jordan Bennett drew a walk to bring a run in. Berdos was then hit by a pitch to bring in another run to make it 3-3. In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Sarah Cullen smacked a two-run home run to put KP ahead for the first time and the Warriors added a key insurance run in the sixth when Raymond drove in Berdos with a single. Bennett settled in nicely after the first inning, allowing just one base runner after the third inning which was a walk in fifth that was erased on a double play. King Philip will host #5 seed Plymouth North on Wednesday at 6:30 at the Plainville Athletic League complex.
#18 Mansfield, 5 @ #2 Natick, 4 – Final (8 Inn.) – Mansfield pulled off the upset of the tournament so far, going on the road and beating the number-two seed in extra innings. Natick came from behind to tied the game in the seventh and force extras, but Jill Koppy led off the top of the eighth with a triple and she came in to score the game-winning run on a two-out single from Ashlyn Conley. Natick had a 2-0 lead after four innings, but the Hornets responded with a four-run fifth. Ashlyn Conley singled to start the rally and Nicole Kobasa followed with a hit of her own. Alanna Conley drove them both in with a single. After an error moved Conley to third, she was brought home on a bunt by Olivia DeTrolio that led to another defensive mistake. Callie Lake bunted and heads up base running from DeTrolio turned it into Mansfield’s fourth run. Mansfield will travel to Silver Lake in the D1 South quarterfinal.
#14 Attleboro, 3 @ #3 Bishop Feehan, 4 – Final
#11 Bridgewater-Raynham, 3 @ #6 North Attleboro, 2 – Final (9 Inn.) – North faced extra innings for the second playoff game in a row, but the Rocketeers couldn’t find a way past the defending South champions. The Rocketeers got off to a great start with a run in the first. Mandi Hanewich doubled and was bunted to third by Emily Nardelli. Zoey McDonough drove in the go-ahead run with a single. North doubled its lead in the fourth. Ally Levine reached on an error and pinch runner Emma Hanwell scored on a Shaelyn Burns double. B-R tied the game in the fifth with a two-run inning. The game stayed tied until the top of the ninth when a solo homer put the Trojans in front. McDonough allowed only one earned run and struck out seven in the loss. North also flashed the leather, with two double plays, one initiated by Belle Clarkin and the other started by Kelly Colleran.
D2 South
#12 Foxboro, 18 @ #5 Diman, 6 – Final – The top three in the lineup drove in 13 combined runs and the Warriors rolled to a win in Fall River. Foxboro scored 10 runs in the first four innings and scored at least once in every inning but the sixth. Leadoff hitter Peyton Feldman set the table for Foxboro, as she went 3-for-3 with three walks, but she also added punch with a double, a triple, three runs scored, and five RBI. Emma Callahan had a pair of hits and drove in four and Morgan Sylvestre went 2-for-5 with four RBI. Jillian Slattery continued her strong playoffs with two hits, three runs scored, and two RBI from the nine-hole. Fiona Dunn scored four times and Nicole Theriault scored three times for the Warriors. Callahan had seven strikeouts and got better as the game went on, retiring the final 11 hitters that she faced to pick up her second postseason win. Foxboro will travel to Notre Dame Academy in the D2 South quarterfinal.
#22 Canton, 6 @ #6 Plymouth South, 18 – Final – Canton cut an 8-0 deficit to just three in the fourth inning, but Plymouth South scored eight times over the fifth and sixth innings to seal the win and a place in the quarterfinal. Brogan O’Leary sparked the fourth inning rally with a single and Taylor Reynolds and Olivia Mackwell both drove in runs. Amanda Vrabel had the big hit, a two-RBI triple. Reynolds added another RBI in the fifth.
Boys Lacrosse D1 South
#16 Mansfield, 3 @ #1 Franklin, 16 – Final – Franklin’s Justin Alexander only lost one faceoff as the Panthers rolled to their third win over Mansfield this season, this one in the state tournament. Sophomore Luke Davis led the attack with three goals and six assists, Matt Lazzaro added three goals and four assists and Jayden Consigli netted five goals in the win. Owen Kielty added a pair of goals and Joe Consigli notched a goal and four assists. Franklin will host #9 seed Wellesley on Wednesday at 6:30.
#10 King Philip, 2 @ #7 Duxbury, 16 – Final
D2 South
#8 Nauset, 11 @ #1 Canton, 15 – Final
D2 Central/East
#8 North Attleboro, 3 @ #1 Medfield, 16 – Final
#7 Walpole, 12 @ #2 Foxboro, 9 – Final
Girls Lacrosse D1 East
#9 Acton-Boxboro, 10 @ #1 Franklin, 15 – Final – Franklin jumped ahead of Acton-Boxboro early and never surrendered the lead to advance to the next round. The Panthers took a 5-1 lead after the first quarter and pushed the advantgae to 11-1 by halftime. Franklin held a 13-4 advantage going into the final quarter where A-B pumped in some goals to tighten the score. Katie Jones scored three goals and had two assists while Katie Peterson accounted for a pair of goals and a pair of assists in the win. Jamie Tanner played well on defense and in the midfield, notching six draw controls and three caused turnovers. Brigid Earley made eight saves in the win for Franklin, who will host #5 seed Lincoln-Sudbury on Wednesday at 4:00.
Boys Tennis D1 South
#8 Needham, 3 @ #1 Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin took wins at first and second singles but lost both doubles matches and third singles, falling to Needham to end the season. Senior Liam Marr emerged from a battle at first singles with a 6-4, 4-6, 14-12 win while Vayshnav Malhotra recorded a 6-3, 2-6, 10-5 win at second singles for the Panthers.
#11 Plymouth North, 0 @ #3 Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon won all five matches in straight sets to get past Plymouth North and advance to the D1 South Semifinals. Freshman Mehul Bhattacharyya secured a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Ruemon Bhattacharyya added a 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles, and junior Max Chen battled to a 6-0, 6-3 win at third singles. Sharon’s first doubles team of freshmen Matthew Lally and Alex Budoraclev won in straight sets while the Eagles also were victorious at second doubles. Sharon will travel to #2 seed Brookline on Wednesday at 3:00 at Waldstein Park.
D2 South
#5 Bishop Feehan, 3 @ #4 Canton, 2 – Final
Girls Tennis D1 South
#8 Sharon, 2 @ #1 King Philip, 3 – Final
D2 South
#8 Monomoy, 2 @ #1 Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro dropped a total of four games between its three singles matches and that was enough to take down Monomoy and advance. Athena Li rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Pam Nelson continued her hot streak with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking at second singles, and Sarah Prag clinched the win with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at third singles. Foxboro will host the winner of #4 seed Martha’s Vineyard and #5 seed Medfield on Thursday.
Wrestling D2 South
#3 Hingham, 33 @ #2 North Attleboro, 45 – Final
Below are the official 2021 (Fall 2) Hockomock League Football All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
TJ Guy, Mansfield
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Michael Strachan, Attleboro
Chris Leonardo, Attleboro
Jake O’Brien, Franklin
Mack Gulla, Franklin
Patrick Zarba, King Philip
Mikey Malatesta, King Philip
Crawford Cantave, King Philip
TJ Guy, Mansfield
Jake McCoy, Mansfield
Cincere Gill, Mansfield
Nico Holmes, Mansfield
Anthony Comer, Mansfield
Nick Bertolino, Mansfield
Mario Lee, Milford
Carter Scudo, Milford
Dominic Schofield, Milford
Kedrick Santos, Taunton
Trent Santos, Taunton
Davenport Division MVP
Christopher Ais, Stoughton
Davenport Division All Stars
Jack Albert, Canton
Matt Connolly, Canton
James Kraus, Foxboro
Jon Moses, Foxboro
Luis Sulham, Foxboro
Mike Norvish, Foxboro
Sean Ferguson, Foxboro
Harry Bullock, North Attleboro
Jacob Silva, North Attleboro
Jared Penta, North Attleboro
Matt Penta, North Attleboro
Tyler DeMattio, North Attleboro
Ike Ogbonnanze, Sharon
Christopher Ais, Stoughton
Christian Ais, Stoughton
Jake Queeney, Stoughton
John Burke, Stoughton
Sproul Deroulos, Stoughton
Below are the official 2021 (Fall 2) Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
North sophomore catcher Aidan Conrad puts the tag on Justin Brown to get an out in the second inning of North’s 11-1 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – With North Attleboro ace Dennis Colleran toeing the rubber, the Rocketeers know that they typically won’t need a lot of offense to pick up a victory. On Tuesday night under the lights at Community Field, North left no doubt as it racked up double-digit runs for the third straight game.
The Rocketeers scored four times in the first and nine runs through the opening three innings, while Colleran continued his dominant senior season on the mound, to beat Sharon 11-1 in six innings and move back into a first place tie with Oliver Ames atop the Davenport division.
“We’ve been swinging the bats well lately,” said North Attleboro coach Mike Hart. “I think we, like a lot of teams, are finally getting our timing down and getting better at the plate. It was good to be aggressive out there and get some hits early.”
Colleran tossed a perfect top of the first, helped in large part by a diving catch in left by Christian Bates on a sinking liner, robbing Nate Yaffe of a leadoff hit.
North broke the game open in the bottom half. Jared Penta got things started off Sharon starter Dylan Labbe, drilling a double into the stands in left center. Danny Curran and Derek Maceda drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Penta and then Gavin Wells belted a three-run homer into the stands, the first of his career, for a quick 4-0 lead.
Despite facing arguably the league’s best pitcher, Sharon wasn’t giving away at bats and nearly got a run back in the second. Justin Brown reached on an error to start the inning. He stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Wells came up with a big defensive play, grabbing Elliott Pototsky’s grounder and cutting down the runner at home. Pototsky made it to third but third baseman Aidan Weir laid out to grab a soft liner in foul territory to end the threat.
“We really didn’t give him any easy innings,” said first-year Sharon coach Andrew Poliferno. “We made hime work and obviously we knew who we were up against and we knew it was an uphill battle, he’s an excellent pitcher, and we just wanted to battle every inning and make it hard for him and for North. That was our goal and I think we accomplished that.”
After getting out a jam, North went back to work at the plate against Sharon reliever Daniel Fishman. Aidan Conrad singled and stole second, Justin Vecchiarelli walked, and Penta brought in one with a single to center. Curran followed with an RBI single of his own and then Maceda brought in one with a sac fly to left.
Colleran, a Northeastern-commit, seemed to be getting stronger as the game went along. He struck out the side in the third, narrowly missing out on an immaculate inning. The Rocketeers added two more in the bottom of the third, Conrad bringing in Tyler Bannon with a single and then came around to score on a groundout by Vecchiarelli.
JD Rittenberg got Sharon’s first hit of the game, as he dropped a single into right with one out. It ended Colleran’s no-hit streak at 10-1/3 innings over three starts.
North put itself in position to win the game with a run in the bottom of the inning. Bannon brought in Weir with a two-out single to right and it was 10-0. The Eagles could’ve closed up shop for the night, but instead took advantage of some North miscues to get on the board in the fifth. Ben Bouchard reached on an error and was replaced by a courtesy runner. Colby Lentell made it count with an RBI-groundout to extend the game.
“Our positive energy stayed with us,” Poliferno noted, “and I said to the guys that we didn’t dip as the game started to slip away early on. We stayed positive and we kept the energy up and we just kept battling every inning and I think that speaks volumes about the team.”
Rittenberg would get his second hit of the day, this time an infield single to deep short, but Colleran closed out the sixth with his second strikeout of the inning and 10th of the night.
“Dennis has really worked hard,” said Hart. “He’s put in a lot of work to get his velocity up there. It’s not every year that you have someone that’s throwing in the low- to mid-90s consistently. I thought they did a decent job, some of their guys were on the fastball too and ready to hit, but he does have a couple of pitches to complement the fastball and that can get some guys out.”
Joe Hartnett reached on an error to start the bottom of the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Bannon grounder. With two down, Nik Kojoian crushed a line drive into the gap in right center for a walk-off win.
North Attleboro (8-5, 7-2) and Sharon (3-10, 2-7) will face off again on Wednesday afternoon at Community Field. North knows that a win will clinch at least a share of the league title and then the Rocketeers will wait for the result of OA’s game with Stoughton on Friday to determine if they it is a shared title or they win it outright.
“Any time you get the chance to play for the league title it’s great, regardless of what this season has been and what it is,” Hart explained. “We’re here to compete and we’ve got the opportunity, so we’re going to do that and take what comes with it.”
Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 10 – Final – King Philip sophomore Rudy Gately dazzled on the mound, tossing a five-inning complete game shutout as the Warriors rolled to a big win at home. Gately allowed just two hits — a single followed by a double in the top of the third that put runners on second and third for the Bombardiers. But Gately responded by getting three straight strikeouts to end the threat; he finished the game with seven strikeouts and no walks. Shawn Lagere had a pair of walks and runs scored and drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth with a triple that ended the game. KP scored twice in the first (both reached on walks), once in the third (reached via walk), and then exploded for five in the fourth inning. Nick Viscusi had a pair of of base hits, a walk, and three runs, Conor Cooke added two singles and two runs, and Gately helped his cause with two hits, a walk, and a run.
Foxboro, 0 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – North Attleboro’s offense erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning and senior Dennis Colleran threw a five-inning no-hitter to help the Rocketeers secure an important division win. Jared Penta (3-for-3) singled, stole second and scored on a wild pitch in the first while Aidan Conrad launched a solo home run in the second for the Big Red. Justin Vecchiarelli had two hits in the fourth, including a two-run single while Aidan Weir played a stellar defensive game at third. Colleran had a walk and hit a batter in the first but finished by retiring 13 straight, striking out the side in the fifth (nine total strikeouts) to end the game.
Sharon, 3 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final (9 Inn.) – Stoughton forced extra innings with a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh and earned a walk off win with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to earn a win over Sharon. Stoughton took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a base hit from Brady Conlin but Sharon responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 3-2, which held until the bottom of the seventh. Sharon nearly tacked on a run in the top of the seventh with a runner on third and one out but Jonah Ly made a spectacular diving grab in left field and doubled the runner at third to keep the deficit at one. Brandon Mantilla-Mercado came through with a two-out RBI single to right field to knot the game 3-3. In the bottom of the ninth, Ben Zola (two hits) had a one-out single, Brad Franey was hit by a pitch, and Mantilla-Mercado drew a walk to load the bases. Anthony Tilton (two hits) worked a walk on a full count for the walk off win. Conlin allowed three runs (one earned) in 6.1 innings of work, allowing seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Anthony Tilton got the win in relief with 2.2 shutout innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts. For Sharon, Dylan Labbe allowed one earned run on six hits, striking out three in five innings. Justin Brown (triple) and Elliot Pototsky each had two hits and Nate Yaffe had a hit and two stolen bases.
Taunton, 7 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Taunton senior Danny MacDougall had a strong outing on the mound and classmate Alyjah Marshall made a splash in his return from injury to help the Tigers get a win on the road. Marshall, who was a member of the Tigers’ 2019 D1 State Championship squad as a sophomore, had a big two-out two-run single in the fifth inning in his first game back from sustaining an injury during football. Taunton was leading just 1-0 through four innings before Marshall’s big hit gave the visitors some breathing room. Taunton went on to add a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to pull away. MacDougall allowed just three hits and two walks in six scoreless innings of work, striking out six in the win.
Softball
King Philip, 2 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip junior Emma Sheehan had a solid showing on the mound and the Warriors had a strong day defensively to edge Attleboro on the road. Both coaches called it a great game from both sides, praising all three aspects of the game in a battle between two top teams in the area. The Warriors took the lead in the top of the third on a solo home run from Paige Berdos but Attleboro answered in the bottom half on an RBI single from sophomore Lauren Eby but the go-ahead run was gunned down at the plate on a throw from KP left fielder Meg Sherwood and tag from sophomore catcher Sarah Cullen. The Warriors regained the lead in the top of the fourth when Sherwood doubled and came in to score on a one-out triple from freshman Maddie Paschke. Sheehan allowed just one unearned run on six hits and three walks, striking out five in a complete game win. Sheehan stranded runners in scoring positions in four innings, escaping a bases loaded jam in the first. KP also got a huge outfield assist from Charlotte Raymond in the first inning, a throw home to Cullen for an out to prevent a run. Lindsey Perry also had a strong showing in the circle allowing just two runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out three.
North Attleboro, 8 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – North beat second-place Foxboro and moved within a win of its second straight league title. It would be the first time in program history that the Rocketeers won the league in consecutive seasons. Zoey McDonough allowed only two hits and struck out 13 to pick up the victory. Kelly Colleran continued her strong season at the plate, driving in four runs on a pair of homers and a sac fly. Mandi Hanewich had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in three, while Emma Bailey also chipped in with three hits. Chloe Mearn added a pair of hits and Shaelyn Burns scored twice for North.
Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 12 – Final – Stoughton had one of its best offensive showings of the season, exploding for 15 hits in a win at home over visiting Sharon. Sydney Menz led off the bottom of the first with a home run and the Black Knights never looked back. Menz finished 3-for-4, adding a double, while freshmen Alyssa Edwards (triple, three RBI) and Julie Powers both added three hits in the win. Nicole Baker smacked a two-run triple, Julia Driscoll and Melody Casna each had two hits, and Morgan Lessa added a single. Baker got the win in the circle, allowing just two hits while striking out seven in a five-inning complete game.
Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 18 – Final (5 Inn.) – Kelsey White was perfect over five innings, striking out 11 without allowing a base runner, and also had three hits, two home runs, and drove in five runs at the plate, as Taunton continued its undefeated season. Tayah DaCosta added three hits and Kylie Thorpe had two hits and two RBI. Sam Lincoln added four RBI for the Tigers.
Boys Lacrosse
King Philip @ Attleboro, 3:45
North Attleboro, 8 @ Foxboro, 13 – Final
Franklin, 15 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Franklin raced out to a six-goal lead at halftime and allowed just one goal against in the second half to pick up a win on the road over Mansfield. Matt Lazzaro paced the Franklin offense with three goals and three assists while Jayden Consigli added three goals and an assist. Luke Davis and Joe Consigli each had a pair of goals and an assist in the win while Justin Abely netted a pair of goals for the Panthers, who led 8-2 at half.
Sharon, 16 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 18 – Final – King Philip had nine different players find the back of the net in a big win at home over visiting Attleboro. Sarah Brown, Margo Riley, and Colleen Crowther each scored their first career goals in the win.
Foxboro, 18 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Lilly Vey scored seven times and assisted on another goal to power Foxboro to a big road win that clinched at least a share of a ninth straight league title. Paige Curran had a hand in half of Foxboro’s goals, scoring five times and adding four assists, and Mya Waryas chipped in with a hat trick. Mary Collins, Dylan Rappoli, and Val Beigel each scored once, with Collins and Rappoli adding assists as well. Ella Waryas had a pair of helpers in the win.
Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 20 – Final
Taunton, 11 @ Milford, 12 – Final – Milford erased a five-goal deficit and scored the game-winning goal with two minutes to play to break into the win column with a victory on senior night. Trailing 8-3, the Hawks stormed back to get back in it, tying the game at 10 and then scored again to take their first lead at 11-10. Taunton was able to respond with a goal to tie it again but Aislinn Bennett scored her seventh goal of the game with 2:09 to play for the game-winning tally. Emily Crouteau and Olyvia White each scored twice in the win while Stephanie Goulet scored once.
Boys Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip swept all three singles matches in straight sets and added one more point with a victory at first doubles to beat Attleboro. Nick Putney earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Brady Jannell won by the same score at second singles, and Jon Cohen picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. The team of Diego Nieto and Jackson Hom emerged with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win at first doubles for KP. Attleboro freshmen Kyle Neuendorf and Tyler Roccio paired up for a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro took wins in both doubles matches and added two more wins in singles play to get a win on the road over Foxboro. Senior Sayf Saddiq and sophomore Brody Carter scored a 6-0, 6-3 win at first doubles while senior Niteesh Saravanan and freshman Arnav Raghuvanshi rallied to win 4-6, 6-1, 10-6 at second doubles. Senior Jonah Manso was up 6-2 in the first set before winning by default (injury) and senior Sam Gallagher added a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles. Foxboro junior Bo Canfield grabbed a 6-4, 6-3 win at third singles.
Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin stayed undefeated on the season with a 5-0 sweep against Mansfield. Anish Gundimeda teamed up with Sameen Shaik to pick up a 6-4, 6-2 win at first doubles while junior Thomas Broyles and freshman Jay Gorgas continued their strong season at second doubles with a 6-0, 6-3 win. Liam Marr (first singles, 6-1, 6-0) and Vayshnav Malhotra (second singles, 6-0, 6-1) each dropped just one game while junior Drew Mahoney secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles.
Sharon, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Sharon earned two points from singles matches and two points from doubles play to get a 4-1 win on the road over Stoughton. Junior Ruemon Bhattacharya came away with a tiebreaker win, taking the second singles match 6-4, 6-7 (6), 10-3 and classmate Max Chen added a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles. Freshman Matthew Lally and sophomore Rithvik Neti won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles while the team of juniors Mitch Weiss and Seyon Wijendran didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Stoughton senior Waseem Sablon won at first singles, 7-5, default (injury).
Milford, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final
Foxboro, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro inched closer to clinching the Davenport division title with a 4-1 win on the road over North Attleboro. It was another clean sweep in singles action for the Warriors as Athena Li and Pam Nelson each won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while Sarah Prag dropped just one game total in a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Maggie McAuliffe and Abby Costa added the fourth point for Foxboro, taking a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles. North Attleboro’s Lauren Consentino and Kyna Shah had a 6-1, 6-3 win at second doubles for North.
Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets over Milford. Jocelyn Pagliuca (first singles) and Kayla Parrett (second) each picked up a 6-0, 6-0 wins while Cayeesha Charles-Marc added a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles. The team of Brooke Bell and Sam Parrett didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles while Morgan Smith teamed up with Courtney Martin for a 6-0, 6-3 second doubles win.
Boys Outdoor Track
Mansfield, 85 @ Taunton, 49 – Final – Mansfield completed undefeated in dual meets, knocking off Taunton to go 5-0 to claim the Kelley-Rex division title. Senior DaSean Peters-Wolfe had a huge meet for the Hornets, setting a new PR while winning both the 100M (11.2) and the 200M (22.6) while Trevor Flint was also a double-winner, taking first in both the 1 Mile (4:59.5) and the 2 Mile (10:53.7). Mansfield got key points from sweeping the shot put (Charles Newcomb, 38’7; Dan Scriven, 32’10; Billy Gardner, 32’3) and the discus (Newcomb, 101’0; Aengus McGill 98’0; Scriven 94’0).
Girls Outdoor Track
Mansfield, 99 @ Taunton, 37 – Final – Mansfield swept six events on the road to pick up a convincing win over Taunton. The Hornets took the top three spots in the 400M hurdles, the 100M, the 1 Mile, the 100M hurdles, the long jump, and the triple jump. Anna Buckley took first in three of those events, winning the 100M hurdles (16.6), the long jump (16’4), and the triple jump (35’5). Alissa Cooke was also a double winner for the Hornets, taking first in both the discus and the shot put.
Wrestling
Sharon, 40 @ Oliver Ames, 25 – Final
Milford, 50 @ King Philip, 23 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this match – Milford won the final five matches to break things open and turn a five-point lead into a convincing win. It was the sixth consecutive dual meet victory for Milford, which is now one win away from clinching at least a share of its first Kelley-Rex division title and third league title overall (the Hawks won back-to-back Davenport crowns in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The meet started at 195 and Josh Kravetz won 8-0 to put the Hawks up 4-0. Hunter Hastings answered back with a first-period pin at 220 and Yusef Lofti added a third-period pin at 285 to put KP in front 12-4. Milford scored the next 24 points with Mike Boulanger earning a first-round pin at 106 and Robert Lyons scoring a second-period pin at 120. In between were a pair of forfeits. Sam Debaggis ended the Milford run with a pin one minute into the second period at 132 and Michael Gorman dominated his match at 138, earning a 16-1 victory and five points for the Warriors, closing the gap to 28-23. Paul Hough trailed 4-0 after the first period, but turned his match around to win 15-6 at 145 and Danny Alves pinned his opponent at 152 inside the first minute to extend the lead to 38-23. The match at 160 was one of the closest of the day. All the points were scored in the third round, as Ryan Donovan was able to beat Noah Reidel 3-1. At 182, Devin Duest fell behind to Cole Ricci in the third period, but a late reversal was enough to snag a 2-1 victory and cap the Milford win.
Stoughton, 22 @ North Attleboro, 39 – North Attleboro picked up four wins via pinfall, one by decision, and two by forfeit in a win over visiting Stoughton. Tanner Ferguson (113, 0:23), Tyler Tobias (120, 1:48), Andrew Faris (138, 0:25), and Christopher Galligan (152, 1:20) each won by fall while Keysun Wise (285) earned a 3-2 decision. Stoughton picked up wins from Guerard Theodore (145, 5:14), Andrew Medina (160, 10-1), Davin Swierzewski (170, 4:46), and Reggie Ugwuakazi (220, 0:32).
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 2 @ Medfield, 3 – Final
Baseball
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Attleboro rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but the Hornets got the final out to secure the 3-2 win. Mansfield took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the top of the fifth and then tacked on what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of Bombardier errors. Jack Colby walked to open the seventh and advanced to third on a throwing error. Two batters later, an infield error allowed Colby to come home to make it 3-0. Colby was one of five Hornets with a hit; Luke Urban had a hit, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored for Mansfield. Anthony Sacchetti earned the win on the mound with a complete game effort. Sacchetti limited the hosts to two runs on one talk and five hits while striking out 12. Ben Hochwarter smacked a two-run triple in the seventh for Attleboro.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Senior Dennis Colleran and the Rocketeers prevailed victorious in battle that featured two of the top pitchers in the area, earning a key division win on the road. Colleran tossed a complete game with just three hits along, striking out 13 to get the win. Canton junior Andrew Middleton also had a strong showing with just two earned runs allowed on two hits in 6.1 innings of work, also racking up 12 strikeouts. North struck first on an RBI single from Jared Penta in the third inning but the Bulldogs leveled the score in the bottom half on an RBI from Steven Burbank. North sophomore Aidan Conrad brought Tyler Bannon (walk, two stolen bases) in on a squeeze in the top of the sixth and Penta followed with a sacrifice fly to add an insurance run.
Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro senior Dylan Quinn had his best start of the season, tossing a complete game shutout on the road to lead the Warriors to an important division win. Quinn allowed just two hits and issued just two walks while striking out 11 Stoughton batters. Offensively, Foxboro plated a pair of runs in each the first and fourth, and a single run in the second inning. Tom Marcucella (RBI, run) and Sean O’Leary (two RBI) each had a pair of hits to pace the Foxboro offense and sophomore Ryan LeClair recorded two RBI in the win.
Franklin, 6 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – In one of their toughest tests to date, Franklin emerged with a 6-4 win on the road over division rival Taunton. Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone earned the win with three runs allowed on six hits and one walk, striking out three in four innings. Junior Ethan Voellmicke was strong in relief with one run allowed on three hits in three innings of work. Jack Marino had a double and drove in a pair of run for the Panthers, Ben Jarosz added a hit, a walk, a run, and an RBI, and Nate Cooke had three hits on the day, driving in one and scoring once. Ryan MacDougall and Danny MacDougall (RBI) each had two hits, including a double each, while Dawson Bryce plated a pair of runs on two hits.
King Philip, 3 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Milford took care of business at home, securing an 8-3 win over visiting King Philip. Mario Lee earned the win on the mound, striking out five in five innings of work.
Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final (5 Inn.) – Oliver Ames put together its most complete performance of the season, getting it done both offensively and on the mound in a win over Sharon. Nick Clark allowed one unearned run on two hits and one walk, striking out 10 to get the win in five innings. Jake Waxman went 3-for-3 on the day with six total bas, driving in three runs to pace the offense. Jadon Ricci added two hits and four RBI and Joe Cicchetti, who made some great plays defensively at first, added three hits, including a triple, and three RBI.
Softball
Attleboro, 19 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final (5 Inn.) – Attleboro put together an impressive offensive display to earn the division win. The Bombardiers belted out 24 hits, scoring in every inning to get the win on the road. Riley Camacho and Lindsey Perry highlighted the big offensive day with four hits apiece while Haley Perry, Lora Woyton, and Kayla Goldrick each recorded three hits. Lindsey Perry earned the win in the circle with four strikeouts. Mansfield recorded seven hits in the loss. Callie Lake, Jill Koppy, Molly Kucharski, Ashlyn Conley, Alanna Conley, Nicole Kobasa, and Abby DeCoste each had hits for the Hornets.
Stoughton, 7 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – For Stoughton, Melody Casna and Kerry Driscoll each connected on a home run but Foxboro was able to defend its home field behind an offensive outburst. Casna went 3-for-4 overall, adding a pair of doubles to go with the home run. Driscoll smashed a two-run blast while Kate Bulger and Nicole Baker each had a pair of base hits for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 12 @ Franklin, 0 – Final (6 Inn.) – Holding a 6-0 lead on the road through the first innings, Taunton doubled its offensive output in the sixth inning to finish the game off. The Tigers had 12 hits as a team as senior Kelsey White went 4-for-4, hitting a pair of home runs to finish with three RBI and two runs scored. Hannah Aldrich (three RBI, three runs) also hit a home run for the Tigers, and McKenzie McAloon (run) and Skylar Rheaume add drove in a pair of runs. In the circle, freshman Sam Lincoln tossed a one-hitter, stirking out 10 with two walks for the win.
Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 18 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip pushed across six runs in the first inning and then blew the game wide open with 10 runs in the third inning to knock off visiting Milford. Junior Emma Sheehan tossed a five-inning no-hitter for the hosts, allowing just two walks while striking out nine In the circle Charlotte Raymond (four RBI, two runs), Meg Sherwood (home run, three RBI, two runs), and Mia Bennett (RBI, run) each collected three hits on the day. Maddie Paschke (two RBI, three runs), Paige Berdos (four RBI, two runs) and Libby Walsh (two RBI, three runs) each added two hits for KP, who totaled 18 hits as a team.
Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro bounced back from its second loss of the season with a big win against Canton. Zoey McDonough went the distance to get the win, allowing only three hits and striking out 11. Kelly Colleran went 4-for-4 and blasted a three-run homer. Shaelyn Burns added a three-run homer of her own, and went 3-for-3 with a walk. Belle Clarkin had a pair of hits and drove in two. Emily Nardelli had a hit and scored twice and Grace Simmons had a hit and an RBI and Mandi Hanewich made a great diving catch in center for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Katie Melendy had a day to remember, earning the win in the circle and helping her cause with a big day at the plate. Melendy struck out 10 in a complete game effort with no earned runs allowed on six hits. Offensively, she helped herself out by driving in three runs. Katherine Farley added two hits, two RBI, and two runs, Lexi Galsband added two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Grace Simone chipped in with three hits and two runs and Kalei Clark crossed home three runs in the win. Trinity Payne and Ally Foulsham both recorded four strikeouts in the circle and Payne and Savannah Gray scored the runs for the Eagles.
Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 3:45
Milford, 5 @ Canton, 15 – Final
Foxboro, 6 vs. Cohasset, 7 – Final (OT)
Franklin, 19 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Franklin continued its unbeaten start to the season with a win on the road over Oliver Ames. Sophomore Luke Davis registered four goals and four assists to pace the Panthers, Matt Lazzaro added six assists, Jayden Consigli added three goals and one helper, and Justin Abely added three goals. Remi Creighton scored both goals for Oliver Ames.
Mansfield @ Stoughton, 3:45
Sharon, 9 @ King Philip, 8 – Final (OT) – Sharon’s Adam Rabb turned aside 19 shots, Ben Shocket won all but one faceoff and the Eagles picked up an overtime win on the road over King Philip. Brady Daylor had a team-high four goals, Drew Litner notched a hat trick, and Ryan Brown and Aaron Livshin each scored once.
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro @ North Attleboro, 5:30
Milford, 9 @ Canton, 13 – Final – Milford trimmed the deficit to just two at 8-6 but the Bulldogs pulled away to get the win. For the Scarlet Hawks, sophomore Carly Haley scored a hat trick, juniors Aislinn Bennett and Stephanie Goulet each scored two goals, sophomore Emily Croteau found the back of the net once, and senior defender Katie Maietta scored her first career varsity goal.
Taunton, 6 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the first half, scored 20 goals for the second game in a row, and extended its win streak to eight straight. Paige Curran led the way for the Warriors with five goals and three assists and fellow sophomore Mya Waryas chipped in with four goals. Lilly Vey had three goals and three assists. Mary Collins had two goals and three assists, Dylan Rappoli had two goals and two assists, Ella Waryas had two goals and an assist, and Kate Collins and Val Beigel each scored once. Maddie Maher made one save in the win.
Franklin, 18 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – For OA, head coach Gen Rogan praised the play of both Reese Pereira (offensively) and Hailey Bourne (defensively).
Sharon, 6 @ King Philip, 15 – Final – KP rebounded from a two-game losing streak (both to Franklin) and got back in the win column against Sharon. Julia Marsden (five goals) and Haley Izydorczak (four goals, assist) each had five points in the win, Lily Brown added four goals, Morgan Cunningham added a pair of goals and assists, and Peyton Mellman scored once for KP. Jenna Goldstein continued her strong season for the Eagles with four goals and four draw controls. Cass Barbera scored once and Vivian Pedicone added her first varsity goal. Tess Letendre made 12 saves for the Eagles.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield won all five matches in straight sets to earn a sweep of visiting Attleboro. Kailash Elumelai secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Benson Delaney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Nikhil Nain emerged with a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles. The senior duo of Kai Schirmacher and Nikhil Lankipalle battled to a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while junior Jonah Fine and sophomore Jessie Colchimiro earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at second doubles.
Canton, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Canton picked up its biggest win of the season with a 4-1 decision on the road. Suraj Ramanathan battled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at first double, Max Kupferman prevailed 6-3, 7-5 at second singles, and Minh Duong outlasted his opponent to earn a 6-3,3-6,6-4 win at third singles. North Attleboro’s Brody Carter and Niteesh Saravanan picked up a 6-2, 7-6 (7) decision at second doubles.
Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro’s depth was on display as the Warriors picked up wins at second and third singles plus a win at first doubles. Justine Neale earned a hard-fought win at second singles at 7-5, 6-2, junior Bo Cainfield picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles and the team of senior Jason Kandula and freshman Justin Kandula knocked off their opponents 6-4, 6-2 at first doubles. Stoughton’s Waseem Sablon rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles while the second duos team of Murtaza Khalil and Ben Dias secured a 6-0, 6-4 victory.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – The Kelley-Rex leading Panthers took care of business in another division win, this time sweeping visiting Taunton. Liam Marr (first singles), Vayshnav Malhotra (second), Drew Mahoney (third) and the team of Thomas Broyles and Jay Gorgas (second doubles) all won by the same 6-0, 6-0 score. Anish Gundimeda and Sameen Shaik picked up a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles.
Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final
Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip defended home court with a singles sweep, adding one more win in doubles action, to beat visiting Milford. In doubles play, junior Diego Meto and sophomore Nate Ihley battled to a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 win at first doubles for KP while Milford’s Connor MacLeod and Leo Donnelly won 2-6, 2-6 at second doubles. In singles action, senior Nick Putney didn’t drop a game at first singles, Brady Jannell picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and sophomore Jackson Hem was on the winning side of a 6-0, 6-3 decision.
Girls Tennis
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield earned a pair of wins in both singles and doubles action to claim a win on the road over the Bombardiers. Senior Alex Burnham battled to a 6-3, 6-4 win at first singles and junior Kate Martin claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Hornets. The team of Sarah Harrington and Alexis O’Keefe prevailed in a three-set thriller 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 at first doubles while the team of Ally McDavitt and Caroline Gurauvage secured a 6-2, 7-7 (7-6) victory at second doubles.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final – By taking wins in two of the three singles matches and one of the two doubles matches, Canton successfully defended home court with a 3-2 decision over the Rocketeers. Rachel Kupferman rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Laura Correal earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles, and the team of Lily Hazam and Olivia Durham walked away with a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles. North Attleboro’s Teresa Fan came away with a 7-6 (3), 10-6 win at second singles and the second doubles pairing of Lauren Constantino and Kyra Sha prevailed 6-4, 5-7 10-7.
Foxboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Foxboro leaned on its singles players to secure a 3-2 win on the road over Stoughton. Athena Li picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles, Pam Nelson was victorious 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Sarah Prag picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. Stoughton’s first doubles team of Brooke Bulger and Emily Pham-Nguyen emerged with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-7 win at first doubles while the pairing of Nadia Prokopiuk and Emilia Lada earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.
Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton defended home court by winning all five matches against visiting Franklin. Jocelyn Pagliuca secured a 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles, Kayla Parrett added a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and Cayeesha Charles earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win at third singles. Brooke Bell and Sam Parrett teamed up for a 6-1, 7-5 win at first doubles while Morgan Smith and Courtney Martin prevailed 6-0, 6-2 at second singles.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – The Eagles won all three of the singles matches and added another point from doubles play to get the win at home. Navya Shukla won 6-2, 6-3 at first singles, Allie Aguilar didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and Hannah Faberman earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles. Sree Dandy and Sasha Fein teamed up for a 6-4, 6-1 win at second doubles for the Eagles. OA’s Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles.
King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to knock off Milford. Katarina Schneider (first singles), Mia Valencia (second singles), and the team of Amanda vanRoon and Dilara Onur (second doubles) all won by a 6-0, 6-0 score. Sammie Taylor locked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at third singles while Ahunna James teamed with Shea Mellman for a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles.
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton took care of business on the road with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 15-7) sweep on the road over the Hilltoppers. Tyler Stewart (17 kills, eight digs) and Jakob Thorpe (12 kills, four digs) and Faisal Mass (six kills, three blocks) paced the offense for the visitors while Travis Nunes (nine digs, two aces) played well defensively.
Wrestling
King Philip @ Foxboro, 4:30
Franklin, 33 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Franklin’s Matt Walker earned an 8-2 decision in the heavyweight bout to give the Panthers a win on the road over North in a battle of Hockomock wrestling elites. Jake Carlucci (132) and Nolan Sheridan (220) each had pinfall victories for the Panthers while Drew DiFilippo (120, 10-1 major decision), Alex Fracassa (160, tech fall), and Liam Cogavin (195, 6-4 decision) also won for Franklin. Andrew Faris (138, fall), Ethan Smith (145, 3-0), Chris Galligan (152, fall), Dylan Vigstol (170, fall), and Greg Berthiaume (182, 4-2) all won for North Attleboro.
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 14-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Steve Dunlea
Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.
“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.
Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.
“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”
For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.
Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.
Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.
“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”
2019 Record: 22-3 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Zach Brown
While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.
Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.
Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.
“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”
2019 Record: 8-12 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jeff Plympton
There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.
Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.
“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”
2019 Record: 18-7 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Chris Hall
Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.
Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.
Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.
“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Alex Dion
Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.
The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.
Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.
“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”
2019 Record: 11-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.
Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.
“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”
2019 Record: 12-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Joe Abarr
After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.
Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.
Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.
“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.
Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.
“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”
2019 Record: 14-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Armour
Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.
The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.
Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.
“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”
2019 Record: 21-7 2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.
Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.
“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”
Football
King Philip, 12 @ Milford, 0 – Final 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Brady Olson 60-yard pass to Carter Scudo, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (M) B. Olson 8-yard pass to Max Martin, XP no good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Oliver Ames, 12 @ North Attleboro, 41 – Final 1st Quarter: (NA) Jacob Silva 3-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 38-yard pass to Matt Penta, T. DeMattio XP good; (NA) T. DeMattio 34-yard pass to Colby Feid, T. DeMattio XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 65-yard pass to Jared Penta, T. DeMattio XP good; (OA) Jake Grimaldi 23-yard pass to Jason Dennehy, Conversion no good.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 10-yard pass to M. Penta, Evan Vigorito XP good; (OA) Chad Silva 1-yard rush, Conversion no good; (NA) Kyle Conroy 23-yard rush, XP no good.
Football
Canton, 26 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 1-yard rush, 2-point conversion no good; (C) Cam Sanchez 91-yard kickoff return, Will Keefe XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) C. Sanchez 88-yard rush, W. Keefe XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (C) C. Sanchez 28-yard rush, W. Keefe XP good; (C) Safety; (C) W. Keefe 34-yard field goal.
Franklin, 28 @ Taunton, 25 – Final
North Attleboro, 48 @ Sharon, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 8-yard pass to Tom Whalen, T. DeMattio XP good; (NA) Jared Penta 1-yard rush. T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 1-yard rush, Evan Vigorito XP goo. (NA) T. DeMattio 25-yard pass to Matt Penta, E. Vigorito XP good; (NA) T. DeMattio 24-yard pass to T. Whalen, E. Vigorito XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Ike Ogbonnanze 85-yard rush, Molly McAlvey XP good; (NA) Nathan Schulz 79-yard kickoff return, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (NA) Aidan Conrade 3-yard rush, E. Vigorito XP good.
Foxboro, 7 @ Stoughton, 21 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (S) Christopher Ais 44-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (F) Omarion Otto-Broomstein 1-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 2-yard rush, J. Ly XP good; (S) John Burke 9-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
