Tag: John Deluca

King Philip Defense Locks Down to Grind Out Win

King Philip boys lacrosse
King Philip senior goalie Paul Macrina makes one of his 11 saves in the Warriors’ first round win over Natick. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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NATICK, Mass. – As the final seconds of the second quarter wound down in Thursday evening’s Div. 1 South first round matchup at Natick’s Memorial Field, King Philip was tied with the hosts at just a single goal apiece. The Warriors had not only been unable to score in the quarter but had gone nearly the full 12 minutes of the second while registering a single shot attempt.

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Another defensive stand won the ball back for KP with 11 seconds on the clock. The ball moved quickly to Zach D’Amico and the senior LSM fired a strike from more than 50 yards away to the stick of classmate Tim Watson, who was camped out on the edge of the Natick crease.

Watson fired from a tight angle and scored the go-ahead goal just two seconds before the whistle. It was a lead that KP would not relinquish.

“We make a 50-yard pass with two seconds left and he didn’t even have a really good angle and we score, but then a guy throws a ball five yards in front of net and we drop it,” joked first-year KP coach Jamie Stefanini. “These guys are going to give me a heart attack.”

Sophomore Colin DeVellis scored a pair of goals and added an assist, while Watson scored once and assisted on two others, but it was the lock down defense of the Warriors and the play of senior goalie Paul Macrina (11 saves) that led KP to a 6-3 victory and a possible meeting with top seed BC High.

“Our defense is our backbone. They come in and they play hard,” said Stefanini of a defensive corps led by D’Amico, Conor Khung, and Michael Curtin with Macrina smothering the few chances that the Redhawks managed to create.

“They all play hard and if you saw in the game [Natick] didn’t get good shots,” Stefanini continued. “They were always far away, guys pushing them out…and they weren’t coming close to scoring.”

The defensive effort started right from the opening face-off, as KP went man-down twice inside the opening two minutes. On Natick’s first possession, senior midfielder John DeLuca picked off a pass, setting the tone for the type of defense KP would play all game.

While the defense was shutting down the Redhawks, the offense was struggling to find a rhythm and keep control of the ball. A turnover on an outlet pass created the first goal of the game for the hosts when Chris Burnes got free in transition to make it 1-0.

KP would answer back five minutes later. DeVellis created space for himself on the left side and saw his shot ricochet off the crossbar. The Warriors got the ball right back and the sophomore attackers got a second chance and made no mistake with a rip just inches under the bar.

In the second quarter, KP forced one save from Natick goalie John Carr, but then watched almost every offensive possession end in a turnover. Things were just not clicking on that end of the field until D’Amico stepped in with his pinpoint outlet to Watson.

“Guys are getting open and we’re throwing the ball over their head or we’re making the throw and we’re dropping it,” said Stefanini. “We need to clean that up.”

He added, “These kids want it. They want it bad. It’s up to us as coaches and players to correct these things. We need to catch it and finish.”

KP spent almost the entire halftime on the field taking shots and trying to find that groove on offense and it seemed to work. The Warriors added a third within the first minute of the second half when DeVellis picked out Aiden Bender with a inch-perfect skip pass.

DeLuca struck the post with another good KP chance midway through the quarter but then Natick finally found space to get a goal back. Macrina made two close-range saves but the Redhawks continued to snag the rebound and keep the pressure up. Finally, Billy Tinney was able to squeeze a shot past the Drexel-bound Macrina and the post to make it 3-2.

In the final second of the third, KP appeared to score again. Watson flicked a pass across the Natick defense to Ben Palmer and the senior midfielder leapt and finished but the clock read all zeroes. After a quick conversation, the officials ruled the goal was good and KP went into the fourth up by two.

Macrina came through with a point-blank save on Burnes and, after another save two minutes later, he also spearheaded a quick break that was finished off by DeVellis with a nifty move on the edge of the crease for a 5-2 lead.

The game was far from over as Burnes scored his second of the game with 2:21 remaining to cut the lead to two. Natick won the ensuing possession and caught KP’s defense flat-footed with Burnes racing in untouched for a golden scoring opportunity only for Macrina to read the bounce and make another great stop that sealed the win.

“That was a nice save,” Stefanini said. “He’s so passionate and so motivated about the game and this team. He’s not just a good goalie, but he’s also a great leader and he’s always trying to inspire his teammates. You see it when he plays.”

Nathan Minkwitz added an empty net goal in the final minute to give KP the three-goal advantage, but Stefanini admitted that the Warriors will have to take it up a notch against the top seeded Eagles in the likely second round matchup.

He said, “Their first couple goals were dropped balls by us and now we have an unsettled situation in their favor, especially if we’re looking at playing the No. 1 seed.

They’re going to take advantage and be much better on offense. If we play defense the way we can, we can play with anybody, but the offense needs to be more consistent.”

King Philip (13-8) awaits the winner of BC High and Newton South at a time and date to be determined.

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North Attleboro Clinches Share Of First League Title

North Attleboro boys lacrosse
North Attleboro’s Zach McGowan (left) is defended by King Philip’s Conor Khung in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Back in April, North Attleboro boys lacrosse saw its second half comeback effort against King Philip fall just short.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon where no come back was necessary. In fact, the Rocketeers were in driver’s seat the entire way, racing out to an early lead and never looking back to pick up a convincing 10-3 win.

With the win, North Attleboro clinched at least a share of its first ever Davenport division title; also the program’s first ever league title.

“I think we worked together as a team, on both ends of the field,” said North Attleboro head coach Kevin Young on the biggest difference between the two games. “It wasn’t just one guy trying to drive the crease and everyone else watch. Everybody out there was pretty conscious of the transition game, both offense and defense. [King Philip’s] Paul Macrina is one of the best outlet goalies in the league so we always had someone high all the time – that seemed to work. It was a great effort on both sides, I was very happy with the guys today.”

While the Rocketeers were limited to just one goal in the first half of the first meeting between the two, it took North just one quarter to find the back of the net three times.

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In the first minute of play, Owen Costello found some space and then found the back of the net to put North up 1-0. The Rocketeers continued its strong start when Zach McGowan found Nick Moore in front for a bounce shot less than four minutes into the game. Big Red’s lead grew to three shortly after with McGowan again assisting. This time the senior connected with Tommy Lindstrom for a man up goal.

King Philip’s Tim Watson found Colin DeVellis with a perfectly weighted pass over the goal and the sophomore finished to bring the Warriors within two by the close of the first quarter.

“They came out a little more intense than us to start,” said King Philip head coach Jamie Stefanini. “And then just mental errors. Guys missing assignments, not communicating on defense, and just throwing the ball away — just simple stuff you can’t do. When you play a quality team like North Attleboro, you can’t throw it away.”

North Attleboro tacked on two more goals in the second quarter with McGowan having a hand in both of them.

First, the senior attack took control of possession, dodged around and defenseman as he raced from behind the net. McGowan released a shot as he curled toward goal and found the back of the net top shelf. Minutes later, McGowan connected with Costello as he eluded his mark in front for a quick goal to make it 5-1 heading into half.

The Rocketeers continued to build their lead into the second half. After neither side scored for the first eight minutes, Colin Young found the back of the net on a feed from Jack Dakin. Moore grabbed his second to put North up 7-1.

King Philip had an answer when Watson recorded his second point of the game, sneaking one in from a tight angle to cut it to 7-2.

If there was any hope for a comeback, it was quickly erased when North scored in transition just one minute in. Freshman Will Yeomans scooped up a loose ball and raced into the attacking zone. When he defense committed, he dropped the ball off to McGowan for an easy finish in close.

King Philip cut it back to five when Aidan Bender converted a feed from John DeLuca, but that would be the Warriors’ last tally.

Young grabbed his second on a nice tic-tac-toe play with passes coming from Moore and McGowan. Dakin then found the back of the net from distance after a simple pass from McGowan.

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McGowan (two goals, five assists) paced North’s offense with seven points.

“He’s controlling our offense,” Young said. “He’s smart, he calls the right plays all the time. If he gets the ball and controls the ball, we’re in much better shape. He’s just calm with the ball.

We have a lot of seniors this year that are getting playing time and you can see the difference. Last year we were losing the one goal games, now we’re winning them or we’re getting up early. We traded blows with KP last game and ti went right down to the wire. We were hoping to get up early and we did.”

Friday’s game marked the lowest offensive output of the season for King Philip. Defensemen David James, Tom Lockavitch and Brett LaBonte, along with LSM Max Fontes and midfielders Nick Moore and Paul Yeomans prevented the Warriors from building any momentum. Goalie Dan MacDonald registered 14 saves for Big Red.

“My assistant coach John Hensey has been working on some defensive schemes that are really working well,” Young said. “There’s no one that doesn’t have a job. All the slides were set. We have a couple of different sets based on who we play and who is carrying the ball. The defense can play with confidence because Danny is in net and he’s killing it.”

North Attleboro boys lacrosse (11-2 overall, 8-1 league) is back in action against Attleboro in a non-league game. The Rocketeers can win the Davenport title outright with either a win over Mansfield or Stoughton, or a loss from Foxboro. King Philip (10-5, 7-2) is back in action on on Saturday, hosting Walpole.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/10/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Mansfield, 1 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final (8 inn.) – Mansfield notched its fifth straight win and qualified for the state tournament behind a complete game shutout from sophomore Connor Sheehan. Sheehan struck out a career-high 10 batters in eight innings of work, allowing just four hits and two walks. Zach Peterson knocked in Matt Farragher (2-for-4) with a double in the top of the eighth for the lone run. Kevin Dow went 3-for-3 for Mansfield as well. Attleboro’s Eoin Kelleher had another solid outing on the mound, allowing just the one run in eight innings of work with two strikeouts. Matt Callahan had two hits for Big Blue.

Milford, 8 @ Canton, 4 – Final – Milford’s offense exploded for five runs in the third inning to extend its lead to six and tacked on two more in the sixth before holding off a seventh inning rally from Canton. Alex Macek got the win, tossing 6.2 innings with no runs allowed, five strikeouts and six hits. Ryan Goncalves went 2-for-4 with two runs, Anthony Arcudi was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and Luke Allegrezza had two hits and two RBI. Canton’s Kevin Monagle went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Stoughton, 8 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Stoughton senior Justin Hutchinson needed just 88 pitches to toss a complete game shutout on the road at Foxboro. Hutchinson allowed just four hits, struck out five and didn’t issue a walk to earn the win.

Taunton, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Franklin emerged from another pitcher’s duel with a close 2-1 win over visiting Taunton. FHS junior Jason Ulrickson tossed a complete game, scattering five hits, issuing one walk and striking out five to earn the win. Taunton’s Tyler Medeiros also allowed five hits with just one talk, striking out seven in six innings of work. Tyler Gomes had a double and a run scored for the Panthers while Ulrickson accounted for the other run. Sophomore Alex Haba was 2-for-2 with an RBI and Cam Lupien brought the Panthers’ other run home with a sacrifice fly. Taunton’s Christian Simoes was 2-for-3 and scored on an RBI double from Joe Manchester.

King Philip, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames broke a tie game open with five runs in the bottom of the second inning, giving sophomore Tom Parker a lead he wouldn’t relinquish in a complete game effort. Parker allowed just three hits while walking two and striking out a pair. Both Alden Newman and Kyle Gagliardi went 1-for-2 for the Tigers, each scoring a run and each knocking in one as well.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – After allowing the first four batters to reach, North Attleboro’s Matt Iaconis settled in to toss a complete game with just one run allowed and two strikeouts to help the Rocketeers pick up a win on the road. After North went up 1-0 in the top of the first, Sharon rattled off three straight singles and tied the game on a hit batter. From there, Iaconis escaped the bases loaded jam with three straight outs. He allowed just four hits the rest of the way and didn’t issue a walk. North tacked on two runs in the top of the second, three in the third and one more in the fifth. John Brennan went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, Kyle McCarthy was 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI, Zach DeMattio went 2-for-3 including a triple and Aidan Harding had a pair of hits and an RBI.

Softball
Attleboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Attleboro rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a one-run victory. Jenna Gittle led off with a double to start the seventh inning and hits from Emily Gittle and Ashley Macia pushed across the tying and winning runs for the Bombardiers. McKenzie Bergdoll earned the win, tossing a complete game with seven strikeouts, allowing just four hits. Mansfield scored both of its runs in the second inning. Liz Mackin led-off with a single and, after a sacrifice bunt, scored on a single by Sarah Cahill. Caty DeMassi singled in the second run. The Hornets loaded the bases in the final frame but could not push across the tying run.

Canton, 1 @ Milford, 19 – Final (5 inn.) – Milford junior Emily Piergustavo notched her 100th career hit, one of 18 that the Hawks belted out. Piergustavo went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs while Maggie Farrell went 4-for-4 with a triple, four runs scored and two RBI and Jess Tomaso went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs, four RBI and a towering home run to left. Kaitlyn DeCapua added two hits, two runs and an RBI, Shannon Cormier had two hits, including a double, and two RBI and Emily Hartman launched a three-run home run. Kelley Reichert earned the win, scattering five this with five strikeouts in a complete game effort.

Foxboro, 1 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Gina Carafa struck out 10 Foxboro hitters, including her 100th strikeout of the season, and scattered four hits to pick up the win. Nikki Coppola drove in both of Stoughton’s runs with a two-out single in the third and Shannon Flaherty was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate for the Black Knights. Foxboro cut the lead in half in the sixth inning when Kelly Fisher drove in Kelly Mccarthy with a sac fly off a great running catch by Alessandra Loffredo.

Franklin, 0 @ Taunton, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton’s offense got off to a strong start, plating a pair of runs in the first inning then blowing the game open with six runs in the second. Jaime Brown went 4-for-4 and scored four whiles while Kya Enos (two hits) knocked in four runs. MacKenzie Handrahan knocked in three runs on a pair of hits, McKenzie McAloon added two hits and eighth grader Hannah Aldrich hit her first career home run for the Tigers. Courtney Fisher struck out four without issuing a walk, allowing just one hit (fifth inning) and two total base runners.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip junior Jess Bonner collected three hits and knocked in three runs and junior Elise Pereira knocked in three runs on a pair of doubles to pace the Warriors’ offense. Hailey McCasland added two hits while Jenn Hutnyan (two hits, three RBI) threw four scoreless innings, striking out eight. Victoria Ziner, Lexie Campbell and Kayla Georgeu each had a hit for OA.

Sharon, 2 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Freshman Bella Erti allowed two unearned runs in the first but retired 18 of the final 19 hitters that she faced to seal the win for North and book a place for the Rocketeers in the state tournament. Erti allowed one hit and struck out 13, while adding a pair of hits at the plate. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fourth, Abby Gallagher drove in two with a single. Abby Warren, Olivia Capobianco, and Gallagher each reached base three times and Meg Barlow added a pair of hits.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ North Attleboro, 12 – Final – North Attleboro senior Zach McGowan registered six points, completing a hat trick with his 100th career strike. Owen Costello added three goals and an assist, Colin Young scored once and had two helpers, and Tommy Lindstrom and Jack Dakin each found the back of the net once and registered two assists. Hunter Sarro, Damien Curtis and Jason McNeany (nine face off wins) each scored once and Andy DeMattio had one assist. Dan MacDonald turned away 11 shots in net for the Rocketeers.

Canton, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin built a 5-1 lead by halftime and shut Canton out in the second half in a low scoring frame. Franklin sophomore Jacob Alexander won all 12 face offs that he took in the game while classmate Nitin Chaudhury notched a hat trick to pace the Panthers’ offense. Eric Civetti scored twice, Chase Tanner and Jack Platner each found the back of the net once and Sam Arsenault recorded two assists. Packie Watson, Kyle McEniry and Pat Morrison each had one assist and Connor O’Rourke made six saves in net.

Foxboro, 4 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip’s Conor Khung intercepted a pass just above the restraining then launched a pass from the face off circle, finding John DeLuca, who tucked away the game-winning goal with 17 seconds left to hand KP a close win over visiting Foxboro. Tim Watson and Nate Minkwitz each scored twice while Paul Macrina made 17 saves to keep Foxboro at bay.

Mansfield, 14 @ Milford, 4 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 16 – Final – Junior Jack Lang and freshman Sandro Masciarelli each notched a pair of goals as Oliver Ames rolled to a big win. Seniors Mike Young, Robbie Almeida and Liam Brown, junior Ryan Bennett, sophomore Colin Bourne and freshman Sam Stevens each scored once for OA.

Stoughton, 4 @ Sharon, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 16 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Kenzie Rosenberg scored five goals to lead the Rocketeers to the win, including the 150th goal of her career. Chloe Olsen scored three goals and had three assists for North and head coach Mike Vitelli said that Kayla Moulin played will in goal.

Franklin, 15 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Caroline Lounsbury paced Franklin’s offense with four goals while Lauren Bissanti notched a pair of goals for the Panthers. Mairead Goguen notched a goal and an assist and Annie Walsh (two goals, assists) had seven draw controls.

King Philip, 6 @ Foxboro, 15 – Final – Meg Curran scored four goals to lead the way for the Warriors, while Jackie Brion and Caroline Boudreau each scored hat tricks. With the win, Foxboro clinched the outright Davenport division title, its sixth straight league championship.

Milford, 6 @ Mansfield, 15 – Final – The Hornets had nine different goal scorers and booked a place in the state tournament with their ninth win of the season.

Oliver Ames, 16 @ Taunton, 10 – Final – Chloe Kikelly scored four goals while Liv Piazza, Sofia Masciarelli and Emalyn Duvall each recorded hat tricks in Oliver Ames’ win on the road. Alex O’Connor added two goals, Sarah Stevens scored once and Ari Waldorf recorded 18 saves for OA. Taunton was led by Abbey Kingman’s hat trick and two goals apiece from Delaney Powell, Alana Tavares, and Kayla Phillips. Lorna Li made 15 saves in defeat.

Sharon, 17 @ Ursuline, 9 – Final – Anna Crosby and Sabrina Robbins each scored their 100th career goals for the Eagles in the win.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro @ Mansfield, 3:45

Canton, 4 @ Milford, 1 – Final

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Franklin, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Franklin won all five matches in straight sets, with its second doubles pairing registering a win without losing a game. Rahul Herur won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, Eli Brooks took second singles 6-2, 6-0 and Rohan Herur won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. The team of James Johnson and Derek Wu notched a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg walked away with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip emerged with a sweep, dropping just two games total against Oliver Ames. Cole Ginter (first singles), Blake Ginter (second singles) and Martin Matous (third singles) each won 6-0, 6-0. The team of Ryan Gemelli and Sam Colella won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and Marco DiStefano and Jake Webster notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – For the 38th straight year, a Hockomock League championship banner belongs to Sharon. With a 4-1 win, the Eagles clinched at least a share of the Davenport division title, stretching its historic streak to 38 years, dating back to 1980. Griffin Fein won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles, Andre Olivei recorded a 6-1, 6-1 win at second singles and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Alex Romantz and Andre Olivei won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles for Sharon. North Attleboro’s Andrew Harris and Vikram Senthilakumaran won 5-7, 6-4, 10-3 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield swept singles playing, dropping just one game, and won one doubles game without losing a game to beat Attleboro. Paulina Martin (first) and Sarah Doyle (second) won 6-0, 6-0 in singles play while Elizabeth Elsner notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. Mansfield’s fourth win came via a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles by Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi. Attleboro’s Katie Furtado and Brooklyn Palermo won 6-2, 6-4 at second doubles.

Milford, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Milford swept singles play and added another win at first doubles to pick up a win on the road. Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz won 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 at first singles, Allison Buckenmaier won 6-0, 6-3 at second singles and Caitlin Carafella recorded a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles. Victoria Beyer and Daniella Aroujo won 6-3, 7-6 at first doubles for the Hawks. Canton’s Stelina Michaelidis and Sarah Hernandez won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Foxboro lost just two games in singles play in a sweep against Stoughton. Lexi Nelson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Kayla Prag recorded a 6-1, 6-0 victory at second singles and Julia Muise won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for the Warriors. Olivia Dantona and Morgan Krockta won 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles and the team of Jacey Nicklas and Kendall Milender prevailed 6-4, 6-0 at second doubles.

Taunton, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Taunton won four matches in straight sets, taking two wins at singles and two in doubles play. Jordan Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles and Jillian Pagliuca prevailed with a 6-2, 7-5 victory at third singles. The team of Ashleigh Eason and Emily Moor didn’t lose a game at first doubles and Jordan Martin and Caroline Hebert notched a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles.

King Philip, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – It was a clean sweep for the Warriors, winning all five matches in straight sets to earn a win on the road. Becca Ricci won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles, Erin Regnier won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and Meghan Sepich recorded a 6-0, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Megan Davenport and Carly Adams won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and Corinne Palumbo and Gracie Jarest recorded a 6-3, 6-0 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon earned a sweep and also earned at least a share of its third straight Davenport division title with a win over North. Sophomore Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-3 at first singles, freshman Emily Zhang won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles and junior Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The Eagles also won both doubles matches with Katie Merport and Emily Wen winning 6-4, 6-3 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein taking a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. Millis, 3 – Final

Taunton, 3 vs. North Quincy, 1 – Final – Taunton snapped a two game skid with a big win at home at North Quincy, prevailing 25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22. Lance Law did it all for the Tigers, recording 17 kills, 10 digs, six blocks, two assists and an ace in the win. Lens Esquil added 12 kills and four blocks, Malik Charles had 19 digs, eight kills and three blocks and Nate Grant finished with 49 assists in the win.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/18/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final – Attleboro senior Tyler McGovern allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work, but Feehan escaped with the win. McGovern struck out six. Matt Callahan went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and scored the Bombardiers’ lone run of the game.

Foxboro, 3 @ Dedham, 0 – Final – Senior Colin Thoener tossed a complete game shutout, earning the Warriors a key Division 3 win over Dedham. Theoner scattered six hits, walked three and finished with six strikeouts to earn the win. With the win, Foxboro qualifies for the postseason through the Sullivan Rule.

North Attleboro, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final

Mansfield, 4 vs. Braintree, 10 – Final – Mansfield got off to a good start with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the unbeaten, two-time defending Super 8 champions Braintree flexed its muscles with five runs in the second to take the lead and never look back. Max Boen went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Kyle Moran, Anthony DeGirolamo and Cullen Anastasia each had an RBI. Aidan Cahill and Zack Peterson each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Oliver Ames, 6 vs. Falmouth, 5 – Final – Falmouth scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead but Oliver Ames scored three runs in the bottom half to walk off with a the win. Senior Kyle Gagliardi had a two-run double to knock in the tying and game-winning runs for OA. Nick Zwerle went 2-for-2 with three runs scored in his first game back from injury while Cam Johnson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Sam Burr was solid on the mound, allowing just two runs in six innings of work while striking out three.

Taunton, 4 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final – Coyle took the lead in the top of the fourth, but Taunton responded with three runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Senior Jimmy Hoye (two runs) knocked in the tying run and Jacob Crawford and Jack Moynihan both drew walks to bring in Taunton’s second and third runs. The Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Tyler Medeiros earned the win, allowing just two hits without issuing a walk in 5.1 innings of work. Danny Keogh earned the save with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Bishop Feehan, 8 – Final

Franklin, 1 @ Abington, 11 – Final

King Philip, 0 vs. Newton North, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up its first win of the season on the back of sophomore Kayla Georgeu, who allowed just three hits in a complete game effort. Georgeu struck out two with just one run allowed while Rachel Han provided strong defense with seven put outs. Freshman Katie Abreu went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and Caroline Mahoney went 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored to pace the offense. Junior Sarah Tetrault added an RBI and junior Lexie Campbell had a stolen base and a run scored for the Tigers.

Stoughton, 1 vs. Milton, 3 – Final – Shannon Flaherty threw five innings without allowing an earned run, but picked up the loss in the second game of the doubleheader. Jordan Lyons had a pair of hits for the Black Knight and scored their lone run.

Stoughton, 6 vs. Milton, 4 – Final – Gina Carafa struck out 16 for Stoughton and earned her fourth win of the season in the opener of a doubleheader with the Wildcats. Jordan Lyons went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Taunton, 5 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 6 – Final – The Tigers rallied with three runs in the sixth inning to cut the D-R lead to one, but couldn’t avoid their first loss of the season. Courtney Fisher allowed two earned runs and struck out four for Taunton. Jaime Brown had three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth, and MacKenzie Handrahan had two hits and two RBI, both in the sixth.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 3 @ Bishop Feehan, 16 – Final

Canton, 13 @ Norwood, 3 – Final – Canton junior Charlie O’Connor was in control at the face off X and senior Michael Pigeon dominated at ground balls as the Bulldogs picked up a big win on the road. Senior Ryan Lodge had a team-high five goals and three assists to pace Canton offensively. Freshman Chris Lavoie netted his first career goal in the win and O’Connor notched two assists. Freshman Jack Connolly made seven saves in net for Canton.

Foxboro, 6 vs. Norwell, 5 – Final (OT) – Foxboro built a 3-0 lead through the first three quarters but Norwell stormed back to tie the game at 5-5 and send the game into overtime. Foxboro senior Colin Spinney scored his second goal of the game less than a minute into overtime to lift the Warriors. Brendan Tully and Bobby Yerardi also scored two goals apiece for Foxboro while Jake Addeche made 10 saves in net to keep the Clippers’ offense at bay.

Franklin, 18 vs. Westford Academy, 5 – Final – Junior attack Eric Civetti netted a team-high seven goals and had one assist as Franklin rolled past Westford Academy. Senior Packie Watson netted two goals and had three assists and Chase Tanner finished with four goals and one assist. Sophomore Jacob Alexander won 21 of 26 face offs and Connor O’Rourke made six saves in net.

North Attleboro, 4 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip built a 3-1 lead by halftime and held on for a narrow non-league win over North Attleboro. KP head coach Jamie Stefanini said John DeLuca (two assists) put forth great effort on both sides of the ball for KP. Tim Watson paced the Warriors’ offense with three goals and one assist. Paul Macrina made 11 saves in net for KP. For North, Tommy Lindstrom had two goals and one assist, Zack McGowan and Hunter Sarro each scored once and Jack Dakin, Nick Moore and Jason McNeany each had one assist. Tom Lockavitch had four ground balls and Dan MacDonald made 15 saves in net.

Mansfield, 12 vs. Braintree, 6 – Final – Mansfield junior Hunter Ferreira outscored the Wamps himself, netting seven goals with two assists to pace the Hornets. Danny DeGirolamo (assist) and Sam O’Connell each added two goals for the Hornets, who advance to the semifinal round of the Chowder Cup. Cullen Murphy added a goal and an assist for Mansfield. Grant Milas and Mick Debreuil played well defensively in front of Sean Powers (eight saves) in net.

Milford, 8 @ Stoughton, 9 – Final – Stoughton celebrated its first ever home varsity lacrosse game with the program’s first ever varsity win, edging out Milford in a non-league game. Seniors David Cellucci and Jon Lessa each found the back of the net three times to pace the Black Knights’ offense. Sean Doherty added two goals and AJ Scott netted one for Stoughton.

Sharon, 7 @ Medway, 8 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro vs. Bishop Feehan, 10:00AM

King Philip, 9 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final – Mackenzie Rosenberg led the way for the Rocketeers with five goals and a pair of assists. Julia Dakin had a hat trick and Katie Lindstrom added three goals and an assist. Emily Schromm had seven draw controls for North.

Mansfield, 13 vs. Holliston, 12 – Final

Taunton, 6 @ Sharon, 20 – Final – Alex Rabb was the top scorer for the Eagles with four goals. Emma Eberhardt, Amanda Klayman, and Sabrina Robbins each had hat tricks in the win.

Boys Tennis
King Philip, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip came away with a clean sweep of singles play and also grabbed a win at second doubles in a non-league showdown with North. Cole Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Blake Ginter won 6-3, 6-4 at second singles and Martin Matous won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The team of Marco DiStefano and Aidan Ignatius won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles. North Attleboro’s Daniel Zhang and Ben Pfeffer won 7-5, 7-5 at first doubles.

Girls Tennis
North Attleboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/12/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Canton, 3 @ Milford, 11 – Final – Milford scored two runs in the first and another run in the second, but really broke the game open with eight runs in the fifth inning. The Scarlet Hawks erupted for 14 hits as a team with five players recording at least a pair of hits. Aidan Wilde and Zack Tamagni each had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for Milford. Nate Irwin got the win, striking out four in five inning sof work with one earned allowed on five hits.

Foxboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Stoughton took advantage of a lead off walk in the second inning, turning it into the lone run of the game. Sophomore Evan Gibb drew the walk and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Ruben Gonzalez. Stoughton senior Ryan Sullivan threw a complete game shutout, scattering three hits with just one walk, fanning three batters for the win. Foxboro’s Aaron Wentling had a strong outing on the mound, allowing just five hits while striking out five in six innings of work.

Oliver Ames, 9 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames overcame an early 2-0 deficit, taking a 3-2 lead in the third inning. The Tigers then tacked on three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to create a big lead. Kyle Gagliardi went 3-for-5 with an RBI to lead OA while Alden Newman was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Head coach Joe Abarr noted Newman also had a terrific game defensively as well. Senior Sam Burr threw 6.1 innings, striking out three without issuing a walk, giving up three earned runs on eight hits.

Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – North Attleboro’s offense got going early, plating a pair of runs in the first while tacking on single runs in the third and fifth innings. Big Red broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. Junior Nate Pearce tossed a complete game shutout on just 74 pitches, allowing three hits while striking out four batters to earn the win. At the plate, Pearce was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and pair of RBI. Nick Crawley went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly, finishing with three RBI and Jeff Gale added three hits for the Rocketeers.

Softball
Mansfield, 5 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Sarah Cahill picked up the win for the Hornets, allowing seven hits and had five strikeouts. Sarah Bradley went 2-for-2 to lead the Hornets offensively and Liz Mackin, Kerran Holmes, Hayley McGowan and Caty Demassi all had hits in the win. Amanda Giambanco made a big play in right to double up a runner on third to end the sixth inning.

Milford, 21 @ Canton, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Milford’s Ali Atherton and Maggie Farrell each knocked in five runs as Milford rolled to a big win. Atherton went 3-for-3 with a pair of triples and five RBI while Farrell was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a triple and five RBI. Emily Piergustavo went 3-for-3 with a double, triple, two walks and five runs scored while Kate Irwin also went 3-for-3 with a double and four runs scored.

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Hannah Davis provided a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Foxboro the win in its delayed season opener. Jamie Gorham led off the inning with a base hit and was moved into scoring position by a Kelly McCarthy bunt. Davis ripped a hit to left to score the winning run. Kelly Fisher had two hits and two RBI for the Warriors and Emma Rohan went the distance for the win. Gina Carafa gave up only one earned run in 6-2/3 innings for the Black Knights.

Taunton, 10 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Courtney Fisher allowed one earned run to pick up her fifth win of the season. Kya Enos had a home run and a double and drove in three runs for the Tigers, while Hailey Medeiros had a double, triple, and two RBI and Katie Van Zandt had a pair of hits. Eighth grader McKenzie McAloon added her first career varsity hit and RBI in the win.

King Philip, 6 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames scored in the first inning and loaded the bases in the second, but couldn’t add any more damage as KP picked up the win. OA’s Victoria Ziner was 2-3 with a pair of doubles and a run scored and Rachel Han had an RBI for the Tigers. Kayla Georgeu struck out two in a complete game effort for OA.

North Attleboro, 12 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – North Attleboro junior Amelia Murphy had a big day for the Rocketeers, tossing a one-hitter with nine strikeouts to earn the win while also hitting a home run at the plate. Andrea Miceli added three hits, Meg Barlow and Liz Morehouse each had two hits and Kristina Murphy had a three-run triple for the Rocketeers.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 19 – Final – Eleven different players found the back of the net as Franklin rolled to its second league win. Four players scored their first career goals for the Panthers; sophomore Cam Sweeney had two goals and one assist, junior Scott Ehrenberg (5/8 on face offs) scored once and sophomores Ben Kolb and Aaron Mollo each netted one goal. Sophomore Jacob Alexander won 14 of 16 face offs. Junior Connor O’Rourke made five saves in net and sophomore Will Davis made three saves in the cage for Franklin.

Canton, 13 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Canton built a commanding 12-0 lead by halftime to pick up a win over the Hawks. Ryan Lodge led all scorers with four goals and three assists for the Bulldogs. Junior Joey Vaughan and freshman James Murphy each scored their first career goals in the win. Canton’s Jack Connolly, CJ Martin, and Dylan Cunningham split time in goal and each played well according to head coach Bill Bendell.

Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final – Foxboro’s Louis Piccolo scored four goals to pace the Warriors’ offense. Sam Blake added two goals while Brendan Tully had three assists.

King Philip, 7 @ Mansfield, 6 – Final – King Philip scored the final two goals of the game, turning a deficit into a win over the Hornets. John DeLuca scored with four minutes to play to tie the game 6-6 and then with under two minutes to play, senior Tim Watson scored his goal of the game, which turned out to be the game-winner. Head coach Jamie Stefanini praised the team’s defensive effort, highlighting Connor Khung’s shutdown performance. Paul Macrina made 14 saves in the cage for the Warriors. Colin DeVellis added two goals for KP while Mike Curtain and Ben Palmer each scored once.

North Attleboro, 11 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – North Attleboro put on a dominant performance in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 7-1 to pull away and earn a league win on the road. Zach McGowan (three assists), Tommy Lindstrom (assist) and Colin Young each scored a pair of goals to pace the Rocketeers’ offense. Dan MacDonald and Jack Dakin each had a goal and an assist while Owen Costello and Andy DeMattio each scored once. Hunter Sarro and Nick Moore each recorded an assist. North Attleboro’s Jack Puccio (four saves) and Jake McNeany (five saves) split time in the cage for North.

Taunton vs. New Bedford, 4:00

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 19 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Eleven players scored a goal in Franklin’s win and 13 players recorded at least a point for the Panthers. Hailey Toolin had three goals, Grace Platner and Kelsey MacCallum each had two goals and a pair of assists and Lauren DeStefano had four draw controls for Franklin.

Milford, 9 @ Canton, 14 – Final

Mansfield, 16 @ King Philip, 13 – Final

Oliver Ames, 6 @ North Attleboro, 19 – Final

Taunton @ New Bedford, 4:00

Boys Tennis
Mansfield @ Attleboro, 3:45

Milford, 2 @ Canton, 3 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin senior Rahul Herur won a competitive match at first singles while the Panthers won all five matches in straight sets. Herur won 7-5, 6-2 while Eli Brooks won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Rohan Herur won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg won 6-3, 6-0 at second doubles for the Panthers.

King Philip, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – King Phillip won all five matches in straight sets, only dropping one single game in an impressive performance. Cole Ginter and Blake Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively while Martin Martous won 6-1, 6-0. The doubles teams of Ryan Gemelli and Sam Collella (first doubles) and Aidan Ignatius and Marco DiStefano (second) both won 6-0, 6-0.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – It was a clean sweep in singles play for the Eagles, who got another win at first doubles. Senior Griffin Fein won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles, junior Fred Bondar won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Danujan Thirumavalavan won 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and freshman Alberto Olivei won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles. North Attleboro’s Andrew Harris and Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Mansfield senior Paulina Martin won in straight sets without dropping a single game at first singles to pace the Hornets. Junior Sarah Doyle won 6-0, 6-3 at second singles and Elizabeth Elsner won 6-3, 6-1 at third singles for the Hornets. Senior Chloe Peters and sophomore Tessa Garufi won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles for Mansfield. Attleboro senior Katie Furtado and Brooklyn Palermo won 7-6, 6-3 at second doubles.

Canton @ Milford, 4:00

Foxboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Foxboro notched a clean sweep, winning all three singles matches without losing a single game. Sophia Prinos, Lexi Nelson and Julia Muise each won 6-0, 6-0 at first, second and third singles, respectively. Kayla Prag and Olivia Dantona won 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Kendall Milender and Morgan Krockta won 6-1, 6-3 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames @ King Philip, 3:45

Sharon, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – Sharon won all three singles matches in impressive fashion while the Rocketeers won both doubles games. Sophomore Nupur Shukla won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, freshman Emily Zhang won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and junior Lulu Yuan won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. North’s Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq won 6-1, 6-2 at first doubles and Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey rallied to win 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 2 vs. Xaverian, 3 – Final

Taunton, 1 @ Barnstable, 3 – Final – Taunton suffered its first loss of the season, losing 25-21, 26-24, 17-25, 25-20 to Barnstable. Lens Esquil had 14 kills, two blocks and an ace while Lance Law had 14 kills, two aces and a block for the Tigers.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/10/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
King Philip, 8 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip broke open a close game with six runs in the seventh inning to pick up a win on the road at Attleboro. The Warriors took the lead with two runs in the second inning but didn’t breakthrough again until the top of the seventh. In the top of the second, Ryan Coulter singled, stole second and then scored on a base hit from Chris Wing. Wing came across to score on a double by Patrick Limerick. Wing got the win on the mound for the Warriors, tossing a complete game with six hits allowed. The senior struck out eight batters in the win. In the seventh inning, Will Weir tripled in Kyle Guenthner, Weir came across on a single from Ben Furfari, Collin Cooke knocked in Furfari with a base hit and Jack Webster and Cooke scored on a double from Wing. Attleboro’s Tyler McGovern tossed five solid innings for the Bombardiers with two runs allowed.

North Attleboro, 11 @ Canton, 2 – Final – North Attleboro scored a pair of runs in each of the second and third innings and really created separation with a five-run fifth inning. Big Red added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Junior Nick Sinacola had a standout performance, both at the plate and on the mound for the Rockteers. He tossed six innings, scattering five hits with just one walk allowed while striking out eight. At the plate, Sinacola went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a triple, a run scored and three RBI. Kyle McCarthy added two hits, two runs and two RBI, John Brennan had a pair of hits and Zach DeMattio hit a solo home run.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Franklin emerged from a pitcher’s duel with a 1-0 win, scoring the lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Franklin lefty Jason Ulrickson went the distance, tossing a complete game shutout with just four hits allowed. He walked just one batter while striking out three. Ulrickson also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-3. Oliver Ames sophomore Tom Parker also had a strong performance, going five-plus innings with just three hits against and two walks. The sophomore struck out a pair while allowing just the one. Franklin senior Ryan Hodgkins scored the lone run of the game, coming home on a sacrifice fly to right field from Josh Macchi. The Panthers had a strong game defensively, led by sophomore shortstop Alex Haba, who had eight putouts.

Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Junior Tyler Medeiros shined in his first start of the season, striking out four while allowing just three hits and one walk in six scoreless innings. Trevor Pietrzyk and Danny Keogh (save) combined for a scoreless seventh inning to close the game. Taunton junior Joe Manchester singled in the fourth inning and came around to score after an errant pickoff attempt and a misplay in the outfield. Taunton tacked on a second run in the fifth. Billy Emerson singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice by David Schofield, advanced to third on a single from Matt Machado and scored on a single to left field from junior Jacob Crawford. “Tyler threw the ball exceptionally well today,” said first year head coach Blair Bourque. “He threw strikes and let his defense make plays for him. After the first inning he really settled in. He was mixing his pitches up and hitting corners.” Mansfield’s Nolan Dousa struck out six in six innings of work, scattering six hits. Max Boen had two hits for Mansfield.

Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 15 – Final (5 inn.) – For the second time in three games, Stoughton’s offense has reached double figures in hits and runs scored. The Black Knights belted 16 hits while coming across to score 15 runs. Stoughton senior Justin Hutchinson (3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two runs and an RBI) got the win on the mound, tossing four shutout innings with just two hits and one walk allowed, all while striking out seven batters. Sophomore Evan Gibb (2-for-3, three RBI, run) tossed a scoreless 1-2-3 fifth inning with a pair of strikeouts. Also hitting well for the Black Knights were Ruben Gonzalez (3-for-4, three runs, RBI, three stolen bases), Jack Connelly (2-for-2, double, home run, three runs, three RBI), Pat Hagerty (2-for-3, triple, RBI, three runs), Nick Hardy (2-for-3, double, run, two RBI), Matt Hadley (triple) and Ryan Sullivan (run, RBI).

Softball
Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:45

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 21 – Final (5 inn.) – Bella Erti was perfect through five innings to pick up the victory for North Attleboro, striking out five of the 15 hitters she faced. Olivia Capobianco went 4-for-5 and Liz Morehouse went 3-for-4 for North. Also for the Rocketeers, Meg Barlow, Amelia Murphy (3-for-3 on the day), and Stephanie Inglese each had two-run homers.

Franklin, 13 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Franklin turned a 2-0 deficit into a big lead, plating 10 runs in the fourth inning and then adding three more runs in the sixth inning. Ally Shea had a hit and knocked in two runs for the Panthers while Meg Caron and Olivia Haba each knocked in three runs. Sophomore Emily Valentino tossed a complete game, striking out one to earn her first varsity win.

Taunton, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Courtney Fisher went the distance for the Tigers, tossing a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts. Hannah Aldrich went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a pair of runs for Taunton, while Jaime Brown had a pair of hits and Kya Enos drove in a pair of runs. Sarah Cahill made her first varsity start for the Hornets and went five innings, allowing just five hits.

Stoughton, 2 @ Milford, 10 – Final – The Scarlet Hawks broke the game open with a five-run third inning, turning a one-run deficit into a lead. Jess Tomaso (3-for-4, double, six RBI) had a three-run homer run and three batters later, Kelley Reichert (2-for-4) had a two run single to put Milford up 5-1. Shannon Cormier drew three walks and came around to score each time for Milford. Reichert got the win in the circle, tossing a complete game with five strikeouts.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 17 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final

Canton, 6 @ Scituate, 12 – Final – The Bulldogs finally played their first game of the season, but fell on the road to a tough Scituate team. Sophomore Mike Shaw led the Bulldogs with three goals and one assist while Kevin Albert added three asses. Ryan Lodge scored a pair of goals, Dan Cohen netted one tally and Nick Allen chipped in with two assists. Freshman Jack Connolly played with in goal in his first varsity game, making 12 saves.

Franklin, 7 vs. BC High, 8 – Final

King Philip, 8 @ Bishop Feehan, 7 – Final – King Philip overcame a plethora of penalties to edge out Bishop Feehan. The Warriors were down a man for over 16 minutes in the game but a great defensive effort and a stellar performance from Paul Macrina in goal helped KP hang on. Macrina made 16 saves in net while first year head coach Jamie Stefanini said Michael Curtain, Connor Khung, Zach D’Amico (goal), Wes Bishop and Garrett Maxwell all played outstanding. John DeLuca scored a pair of goals for KP while Tim Watson had one goal and two assists, Colin DeVellis had one goal and one assist and Ben Palmer and Robert Tartagulla each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Silver Lake, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames shut out Silver Lake in the fourth quarter and scored three unanswered goals but fell just shy of completing its comeback against the Lakers. Senior Liam Brown, juniors Owen Gallagher and Eric LeBlanc and freshman Shane Kikelly each scored once for OA.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 7 @ Walpole, 8 – Final – Sophia DiCenso and Caroline Boudreau each scored hat tricks for the Warriors and Meghan Curran added one. Freshman goalie Sara Addeche made six saves, as Foxboro held the defending Div. 2 state champions scoreless in the second half.

King Philip vs. Bishop Feehan, 4:00

North Attleboro, 8 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Katie Lindstrom, Erin Holley and Kenzie Rosenberg each scored two goals for the Rocketeers and goalie Kayla Moulin made 12 saves in the win.

Milford, 19 vs. Bellingham, 5 – Final

Oliver Ames, 7 @ Whitman-Hanson, 9 – Final – Emalyn Duvall recorded a hat trick and Sofia Masciarelli found the back of the net twice but the Tigers fell on the road at Whitman-Hanson. OA goalie Ari Waldorf made 14 saves for the Tigers.

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – Cole Ginter didn’t drop a game at first singles, the team of Ryan Gemelli and Sam Collela did the same at first doubles and KP won all five matches in straight sets to beat Attleboro. Ginter won 6-0, 6-0 at first while brother Blake Ginter won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles. Martin Martous won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles for KP. Gemelli and Collela won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles while Jake Webster and Marco DiStefano won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.

Canton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro dominated in both doubles matches and took wins at second and third singles to pick up a win over Canton. Senior Barsomo Nuay win 6-2, 6-3 at second singles and junior Alex Rinaldi won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of senior Daniel Zhang and junior Ben Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles and senior Andrew Harris and Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles. Canton junior Jake Wolicki won 6-1, 6-4 at first singles for the Bulldogs’ lone win.

Franklin, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Franklin’s Tony Calderone and Dan Angermeier both made their varsity debuts, teaming up at second doubles and won in straight sets without losing a single game. The pair won 6-0, 6-0 at second doubles while the team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won by the same score at first doubles. Rahul Herur won 6-2, 6-2 at first singles, Eli Brooks won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Rohan Herur won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles.

Taunton @ Mansfield, 3:45

Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
King Philip @ Attleboro, 3:45

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro’s Emily Chiasson and Jordan Willis each won in straight sets without dropping a game to pace the Rocketeers. Chiasson won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles while Willis won with the same score at second singles. Kate Ovoian won 6-3, 6-1 at third singles. The team of Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles while Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin junior Hailey Strier rallied back after dropping the first set, winning the second set 7-5 and then winning the tiebreaker, 10-8, to secure the win for the Panthers. Franklin also got wins from senior Hannah Sweeney (6-0, 6-0 at first singles) and senior Anja Deric (6-1, 6-3 at second singles). Oliver Ames swept doubles play as Tori Wyman and Kristin Bloumbas won 6-2, 7-5 at first doubles and freshmen Tate Hadges and Maura Kiernan won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles.

Mansfield, 0 @ Taunton, 5 – Final – Taunton won all five matches in straight sets with Jillian Pagliuca taking the win at third singles without losing a game (6-0, 6-0). Olivia Sweeney won 6-4, 6-2 at first singles, Jordan Pagliuca won 6-2, 6-0 at second singles, Emily Moor and Ashleigh Eason won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles and Callie Herbert and Jordan Martin won 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles.

Milford @ Stoughton, 3:45

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Nipmuc, 1 – Final – Milford picked up its third win of the season, beating Nipmuc 25-21, 25-20, 16-25, 25-19. Outside hitter Jack Winship had 18 kills and 18 digs, middle Joao Boaventura had 10 kills, 11 digs and four blocks and setter Danny Zwonik finished with 37 assists, a block and an ace.

Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 1 – Final – The Tigers defended home court with a 25-20, 25-16, 14-25, 25-21 win over the Hilltoppers on Monday. Lens Esquil had eight kills, three blocks and an ace, Lance Law had seven kills, a block and an ace, Collin Hunter added five kills, two blocks and two aces and David Fusiecki had six digs, two blocks, two kills and an ace.

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/05/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 5 @ Stoughton, 14 – Final – Stoughton’s offense exploded for 20 hits with seven players registering at least two hits for the Black Knights. Ruben Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with a triple, three runs and two RBI, Pat Hagerty was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three runs and two RBI and Jack Connelly was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Luke Johnson (double, triple, 3 RBI), Ryan Sullivan and Nick Hardy each had two hits. Justin Hutchinson (3-for-3, 2 RBI) earned the win on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings with four earned runs. The senior struck out 10, including six straight, and scattered three hits.

Mansfield, 15 @ Canton, 0 – Final – Mansfield scored in each of the first five innings, including six in the third inning to break the game open. The Hornets connected for 15 hits and reached base on 11 walks. Senior Matt Farragher led the way from the nine hole, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored, Anthony DeGirolamo went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, Max Boen was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored and Zach Peterson had a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored. Nolan Dousa tossed a complete game shutout to earn the win, striking out six while allowing just three hits and one walk.

Foxboro, 1 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Senior Kyle Guenthner initiated a game-ending 4-3 double play as the Warriors hung on for a 2-1 win over Foxboro. Foxboro loaded the bases in the seventh but Guenthner’s double play helped KP survive. Will Weir wen 2-3 with three stolen bases, scoring both of King Philip’s runs. First, Weir had a two-out single in the first inning, stole both second and third and then scored on an error. Weir scored again in the sixth, connecting on another two-out second, stealing second and then scoring on a single from Ben Furfari. Foxboro had tied the game in the fourth when AJ Bubencik singled, stole second and scored on two passed balls. Sophomore Jack Webster got his first career win, tossing two scoreless innings in relief with just two hits allowed. Junior Jackson Sheibler went 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one run and junior Jeremy Rhines got the save with a scoreless seventh inning.

Franklin @ Milford – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.

Taunton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro seized the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but Taunton responded, grabbing two runs in the top of the sixth to edge the Rocketeers. The Tigers cashed in on three walks and two hit batters to pushed across the tying and winning run. Taunton’s David Schofield earned the walk to draw in the game-winning run in the top of the sixth. Joe Manchester (1-for-3, run) and Jack Moynihan also had an RBI for Taunton, while Matt Machado had two hits. Moynihan tossed four scoreless innings while striking out five. Danny Keogh earned the win, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout. North Attleboro’s Nate Pearce (3-for-4, double, triple, RBI) allowed just one run in five innings of work. Zach DeMattio added two hits, an RBI and a run and Nick Crawley added a pair of hits for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Oliver Ames got its offense going early, scoring in the first inning for the second straight game and then adding four more runs in the third inning. Junior Mitch Goulet had a pair of hits in the win for the Tigers.

Softball
Attleboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – McKenzie Bergdoll made an impact both in the circle and at the plate, leading the Bombardiers to a walk-off win over Stoughton. Bergdoll tossed a complete game, scattering six hits while striking out nine. Attleboro was the home team despite the change of venue, giving them the opportunity to bat last. In the bottom of the seventh, Bergdoll connected for a double, driving in MacKenzie Killough (2-for-4) for the winning run. AHS head coach Mark Homer said Jordyn Lako and Ashley Macia had strong games defensively for the Bombardiers.

Canton, 7 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Megan Letendre pitched a complete game for the Hornets allowing six hits and striking out six batters. She also went 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Kara Bendanillo went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and Kerran Holmes went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs for Mansfield. Caty DeMassi had three hits and Hayley McGowan had two for the Hornets. Lillian Carrington and Samantha Keefe each hit a home run for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro @ King Philip, 3:45

Milford @ Franklin – Postponed to Thursday, 4/13 at 3:45.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 8 – Final – Courtney Fisher picked up the win with a complete game, allowing only one run on six hits, while striking out four. MacKenzie Handrahan powered the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Kya Enos chipped in with two hits and two RBI and Katie Van Zandt hit a homer for Taunton. North Attleboro junior Amelia Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double.

Sharon @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield, 12 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Mansfield raced out to a 6-2 lead and kept that pace up in the second half to earn the win over Attleboro. Mansfield junior Hunter Ferreira had his way, scoring eight goals while notching an assist as well. Midfield Joe Cox was a top distributor, recording five assists while finding the back of the net once. Cullen Murphy and Danny DeGirolamo each scored once and had two assists and Sam O’Connell scored once. Sean Powers made nine saves in net for the Hornets.

Stoughton @ Canton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Foxboro goalie Jake Addeche turned away 11 shuts and Pat Stapleton had a strong game on defense with five groundballs as the Warriors blanked Oliver Ames. Foxboro scored three goals in each half, led by Trey Guerini’s two goals and one assist. Sophomore Pete Conley scored once and had two assists while Brendan Tully, Mike Collins and Sam Blake each scored once in the win.

North Attleboro, 6 @ Franklin, 7 – Final – Franklin held a 3-2 lead at half, extended it to 7-3 early in the fourth quarter and then held off North Attleboro’s late charge of three straight goals. Franklin goalie Connor O’Rourke had 10 saves and came up big in the final minute as the Panthers held on to their one goal lead. Chase Tanner scored twice and had one assist to lead the Panthers, Kyle McEinry and Packie Watson each scored once and had an assist, Sam Arsenault had a pair of assists and Nitin Chaudhury and Jake Davis each scored once. North Attleboro’s Dan MacDonald made 15 saves to keep the Rocketeers in the contest while both Jack Dakin and Zach McGowan scored twice and had one assist. Tommy Lindstrom added a goal and an assist and Nick Moore also found the back of the net for Big Red.

Sharon, 6 @ King Philip, 14 – Final – The Warriors opened the season with a win as senior Tim Watson accounted for eight points and classmate Paul Macrina made 13 saves in goal. Watson scored five goals and had three assists while sophomore Colin DeVellis scored twice and had three assists. John DeLuca scored twice and had one assist and Zach D’Amico had one goal, one assist and 11 groundballs for the Warriors.

Milford, 9 @ Taunton, 3 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 19 – Final

Canton, 1 @ Braintree, 14 – Final

Foxboro, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames goalie Ari Waldorf made 19 saves for the Tigers while head coach Abby Tepper said Sydney Hedrick had a strong game on defense.

North Attleboro, 7 @ Franklin, 13 – Final – North Attleboro took a 4-3 lead into the halftime break but Franklin’s offense came to life with 10 second half goals. Seven different Panthers found the back of the net, led by senior Kendall Reardon’s four goals. Annie Walsh, Erin Walsh and Kelsey MacCallum each scored two goals for Franklin. Freshman Gianna Cameron made nine saves in net while head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said freshman Alex Field played well defensively and on the draw.

King Philip, 13 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 8-2 lead at halftime and never looked back to open the season with a win over Sharon. Katie Crowther, Meg Wagner and Caroline Klim each scored a pair of goals in the for the Warriors while Alli Meehan, Angela Vellante, Dana Truini, Victoria Tormey and MacKenzie Mazur each scored once. Caroline Watson made 13 saves in net for KP.

Taunton, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Taunton won its second game in a row to start the season thanks to a game-winning overtime goal by eighth grader Alana Tavares, her sixth of the game and 11th in the first two games of her varsity career. Delaney Powell chipped in with three goals for the Tigers and Lorna Li made 12 saves. Emily Hayley had three goals for the Hawks, while Jordyn Lombardo, Taylor Dube, and Jill Burley each had two.

Boys Tennis
Stoughton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro’s Shawn Gordon and Abdul Khatib each won three set thrillers to help the Bombardiers edge Stoughton and pick up their first win of the season. Shawn Gordon won 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 at first singles and Khatib won 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of Eli Araujo and Ryan Gordon picked up a 6-0, 6-4 win at second doubles. Stoughton’s Tony Jordan won 6-1, 6-3 at second singles and the team of Jon Podesta and Erik Anderson won 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 at first doubles.

Canton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final

Foxboro, 3 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – Foxboro’s Andre Jabari won the deciding match, winning in a three-set thriller at second singles to help the Warriors edge King Philip. Jabari dropped the first set 6-7 (7-9) but battled back to win the next two 6-3, 6-3 to earn Foxboro the win. Foxboro swept doubles play for its other two points. The team Shawn McNamara and Matt Tierney won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at first doubles and Brandon Wasserman and Ben Dorman won 6-4, 6-2 at second doubles. King Philip’s Cole Ginter won 6-1, 6-1 at first singles and Blake Ginter won 6-3, 6-3 at third singles.

Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin picked up a sweep, winning all five matches in straight sets to beat Milford. Rahul Herur won 6-3, 6-4 at first singles, Eli Brooks won 6-3, 6-0 at second singles and Rohan Herur won 6-3, 6-2 at third singles. The team of James Johnston and Derek Wu won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Rahul Hosdurg paired together for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro etched its first tally into the win column for 2017 with a sweep on the road at Taunton. Senior Zac Pfeffer won 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 at first singles, senior Dan Zhang won 6-4, 6-2 at second singles and junior Alex Rinaldi won at third singles without dropping game, 6-0, 6-0. Junior Ben Pfeffer and senior Andrew Harris won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and senior Mayank Wadekar and sophomore Vikram Senthilakumaran won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

Girls Tennis
Attleboro @ Stoughton, 3:45

Mansfield, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – The Hornets of Mansfield took care of singles play, winning all three in straight sets and also grabbed a win in doubles to beat Canton. Paulina Martin won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Sarah Doyle took second singles 6-1, 6-0 and Elizabeth Elsner won 6-1, 6-0 at third singles. Mansfield’s fourth win came from the team of Chloe Peters and Tessa Garufi, notching a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles. Canton’s Jenna Paynter and Stelina Michaelidis won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

King Philip, 2 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro swept singles play to edge King Philip on Wednesday afternoon. Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, Lexi Nelson didn’t lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles and Julia Muise won 7-5, 6-1 at third singles to clinch the win for the Warriors. King Philip’s Corrine Palumbo and Carly Adams won 6-4, 6-1 at first doubles and the team of Lucy Barnard and Caitlin Gonser won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.

Franklin, 3 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Franklin won in straight sets at first and second singles and then used three-set win at second doubles to edge the Scarlet Hawks. Senior Hannah Sweeney didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and classmate Anja Deric won 6-1, 6-4 at second doubles. The team of senior Julia Hogan and junior Jillian McLaughlin won the deciding point with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 decision at second doubles. Milford’s Caitlin Cafarella won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at third singles and the team of seniors Victoria Beyer and Daniella Arojo won 6-2, 6-4 at first doubles.

Taunton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro had to claw back at both first singles and first doubles to claim a win over North Attleboro in a rematch of last season’s epic playoff showdown. North’s Emily Chiasson dropped the first set 0-6 but rallied back to win the next two, 6-4, 6-1. The team of Gabby Duva and Azka Siddiq fell behind after losing the first set 2-6, but won a huge tiebreaker 10-8 to win the second set 7-6 and then took the third 6-3. Jordan Willis won 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and the team of Katie Demontigny and Hana Hershey won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles for Big Red. Taunton’s Jillian Pagliuca won 6-0, 6-2 at third singles for the Tigers.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final – Sophomore Nupur Shukla and freshman Emily Zhang won in straight sets, at first and second singles respectively, without dropping a game as the Eagles picked up the win. The team of juniors Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-0, 6-1 at first doubles and sophomore Sachi Bhasin and Sydney Gordon won 6-0, 6-3 at second doubles. Oliver Ames freshman Maura Kiernan made her varsity debut with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win at third singles.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. St. John’s Prep, 3 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ North Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton picked up its third straight sweep and second in a row on the road with a 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 win over North Quincy. The Tigers used a balanced attack with Lens Esquil leading the way with 12 kills and three blocks. Malik Charles added six kills and one block, David Fusiecki had six kills and four aces and Collin Hunter had five kills and two blocks.

Nine Hockomock Players Selected for Shriners Classic

Hockomock Shriners Game History
Hockomock Shriners Game History

 

Shriners Classic
Hockomock League MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year John DeLuca (6) of King Philip is one of nine players from the Hock selected for the annual Shriners All-Star Classic. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

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The rosters for the annual Shriners Classic were recently released by the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association and nine Hockomock League football players were selected to compete in this year’s game at Bentley University on Saturday, June 17 at 4:00.

The nine players, all seniors representing seven Hockomock schools, who will be part of the South team roster are Joe Bartucca of Foxboro, Riley Burns of Milford, John DeLuca and Carl Sanuth of King Philip, A.J. Gibbs of Mansfield, Adam McLaughlin of Taunton, Bobby Mylod and Thomas Reynolds of North Attleboro, and Ryan Sullivan of Stoughton.

The annual all-star game pits graduating high school seniors from teams in the North and the South and raises money for the Shriners Hospital in Boston. Through the years, the MHSFCA has partnered with the Aleppo Shriners and has donated more than $1 million through its all-star game.

The players were nominated by their coaches and then selected by the coaching staffs that were elected by the MHSFCA to run the game. The South team will be coached by Bill Kinsherf of Archbishop Williams.

In addition to being part of the Shriners Game, Burns, DeLuca, and Mylod were also chosen by the MHSFCA as part of the annual All-State Super 26 Team. Also, North Attleboro assistant coach Jack Johnson will be honored at the annual banquet as one of six MHSFCA Assistant Coaches of the Year.

Each of the nine players were Hockomock League all-stars this fall. DeLuca was named both the league MVP as selected by the coaches and the HockomockSports.com Player of the Year.

The Shriners Classic will be held on June 17. For more information, visit http://shrinersclassicsports.com.

Hockomock Shriners Game History
Hockomock Shriners Game History

2016 HockomockSports.com Football Awards

Click here to view the 2016 HockomockSports.com Football Awards.

King Philip Defeats Reading For First State Title

King Philip football
King Philip junior Shane Frommer carries the ball in the first half at Gillette Stadium. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
FOXBORO, Mass. – Throughout the 2016 season, King Philip head coach Brian Lee has said time and time again that the Warriors can throw the ball – they just don’t like to if they don’t have to.

Through the first 11 games, the running game was more than sufficient.

But in the D1A State Championship, KP had to rely on the passing game – and Lee was right, the Warriors can throw the ball.

Using an impressive aerial attach and it’s typical hard nosed defense, King Philip defeated Reading, 21-18, at Gillette Stadium for the program’s first ever state championship.

“Reading has an awesome defense, we could not [run the ball],” Lee said. “There were a lot of dudes in there and they were big and strong and physical. We just knew they were not going to let us do what we wanted. We worked on throwing the ball more in practice. We’ve been saying we can throw it, we just don’t like to if we don’t have.

“That’s why this team is so special, because we’re a running team and we had to throw it today. We had to throw it to guys that aren’t your conventional wide receivers and they had to make plays on the biggest stage. That’s why they’re so, so special.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

King Philip’s running attack has given teams fits as season but the Rockets’ defense was stout throughout the first half, bottling up run after run by the Warriors. KP’s defense kept things close but after a scoreless first quarter, the Warriors had just nine yards after two offensive series.

Reading was able to move the ball on its second series of the game, even converting a fourth down a fourth down on the first play of the second quarter at the KP 19-yard line. The Rockets were forced to go for it again on fourth down from the 13 yard line but Reading quarterback Corey DiLoreto’s pass was dropped in the end zone.

A 45-yard gain by Gio Fernandez finally gave King Philip’s offense some life as they moved into Reading territory. But a penalty forced KP back and 10 yard gain on fourth down from Brendan Lydon (13/18, 256 yards, two touchdowns) to Fernandez came up a yard short.

One play into Reading’s third series, Nick DiNapoli took the toss to the right side and got around the edge and sprinted his way for a 79 yard touchdown. A failed two point rush gave Reading a 6-0 lead with 3:11 to go in the first half.

On the next series, King Philip began its commitment to the passing game. Facing 3rd and 20, Lydon hit senior Tyler Jenesky over the middle for a 24 yard gain and a first down. Two plays later, Lydon connected with David Morganelli for 14 yards and another first down. After another completion to Jenesky, Lydon connected with Ethan Dunne on a post route for a 14 yard touchdown. Freshman Cole Baker’s extra point (3/3 PAT) gave KP a 7-6 lead with 28 seconds left in the half.

“That was huge,” Lee said of the first half touchdown. “We were getting outplayed big time. Gio gave us a big spark. I thought field position was a real factor early on. We could have done play action but I don’t like to do it when we’re backed up that much. We got some room with that big run and able get those points.”

Reading fumbled the ensuing kickoff and KP recovered at the Rockets’ 30 yard line but the refs ruled the runner down and the team’s headed into the halftime break just a point apart.

King Philip’s defense forced a punt on the opening series of the second half and took advantage with its offense. On the first play, Lydon went play action and found a wide open Brett Mazur for a 62 yard completion. An eight yard pass from Lydon to John DeLuca (45 all purpose yards) made it 4th and 1 from the 2 yard line.

Lydon called his own number and bulled his way into the end zone and Baker’s second extra point put King Philip up 14-6 with 6:34 in the third quarter.

After KP’s defense forced another punt, the offense marched down the field again but Lydon was picked off in the end zone to end the threat. On the ensuing offensive series, Reading opened up its playbook, going with a double reverse with receiver Matt Panacopoulos connecting with Eric D’Agostino for a 50 yard touchdown. However, the two point pass sailed high as KP held a 14-12 advantage with 9:48 left in the game.

It certainly didn’t take King Philip long to respond those. After a one yard gain on first down, the Warriors went play action with Lydon once again finding an open Mazur, who fought off a defender and scampered in for a 69 yard touchdown. Baker’s third extra point put KP up 21-12.

“All season, we’ve averaged about 200 yards on the ground,” Mazur said. “Tonight was a changeup. It was open, it was there, we knew that, and we just took advantage of it. We got the flats open, got everything open and it worked for us.”

“It was confidence and [Brendan’s] really calm,” Lee said of his quarterback. “After he made the mistake, he comes back and puts the ball on the money down here, just unbelievable.

“He’s never lost. Every time he starts, he’s never lost as a quarterback I think that’s impressive. I know it was freshmen and JV before but still. I was yelling and he said coach relax, we’re going to win this.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After getting the ball back by stopping Reading on downs, King Philip was faced with its own fourth down from the Reading 37-yard line. It looked as though Lydon connected with Mazur again, who clearly got one foot down in bounds, but the ref ruled it was out of bounds and KP turned it over on downs.

The missed call was costly as Reading connected for a 63 yard touchdown on its ensuing drive. DiLoreto hit DiNapoli, who slipped by a pair of defenders and raced the rest of the way. The extra point attempt sailed wide with 3:38 to go.

For the second straight playoff game, Liam Cullagh came up with the onside kick attempt. The Warriors used back to back handoffs to DeLuca to earn a first down and two runs from Shame Frommer resulted in six yards, but KP faced 4th and 5 with 1:08 to go.

“The feeling is surreal; all the hard work throughout the year has really come together right now,” DeLuca said. “That was an A-plus effort. Reading over there played a great game, we played a better one. It was the little things that counted in that game. They made a lot of big plays and we just had to keep our mind straight to come back from those hard plays.”

Lee put his faith back in the passing game. Jenesky came in motion from left to right and split out with DeLuca heading in the opposite direction. That left Jenesky open for the catch and 16 yards, converting the first down and giving King Philip the win. It was Jenesky’s third catch of the game – he had just two all season prior to the game.

“Mazur making catches, Jenesky making another at the end…it was just awesome,” Lee said. “Just unbelievable, unbelievable. And then Morganelli made a catch down there, Gio had one on the wheel. It was just crazy.”

For Lee, the program has come a long way since he took over in 2005.

”No disrespect to anybody but football was in a very bad spot when we got there,” Lee said. “I was just hugging it out with Rich Hardwood, who has helped me build this program and made sure these kids have what they need. As a regional school you lose a lot to Xaverian and we lost a lot to Feehan in the beginning. We were always trying to get the kids and the community to buy in. Building a culture is harder than building a team. Coming out today and seeing all of those people, I was like where are we? It’s taken 12 years to build this.

“If you’re a young coach out there and you say our school doesn’t have it, this is not the right place, we can’t win here…you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. You can win anywhere, KP proves it. You win at KP, you can win at everywhere.

“I am not a great coach. What I do is I hire great people and I have great assistant coaches. My defensive coordinator Matt Wassel and [offensive coordinator] John Sariandies – Norwood, shame on them for not standing by him when he was trying to do the right things down there – we have great, great coaches and they’re winners, I love them.”

King Philip finishes the season 12-0 as D1A State Champions.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.