Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent (4) goes up for a layup against Foxboro senior Sam Golub in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
TAUNTON, Mass. — After a slow start to the game on the offensive end, Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey turned to a defensive adjustment in search of an energy boost.
The Tigers extended their defense to full-court pressure from the second quarter on, and while it had some positives on the defensive end, its biggest impact was changing the pace to where Taunton wanted it to be.
That tempo kicked Taunton’s offense into gear and the hosts combined a strong finish to the third quarter with a hot start to the fourth to run away with a 64-52 win over visiting Foxboro.
“We had to,” Dacey said of the decision to press. The Tigers had just three buckets in the first quarter, shooting under 20%. “I think we got into a good tempo [with the press]. We’re able to run around, we didn’t really turn them over but it sped the game up and got it to where we wanted it.”
The Warriors had their best stretch in the middle of the third quarter anchored by senior Alex Penders (21 points, 10 rebounds), who sat out the entire second quarter due to foul trouble. Penders sparked an 11-2 run for Foxboro, assisting or scoring on the first four buckets of the run while Sam Golub capped it with a three-pointer off an offensive rebound and assist from Ryan Cotter. That run presented Foxboro with its lone lead of the second half, 38-33.
Taunton took the punch and countered with one of its own, landing a 12-2 run in response. Troy Santos (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) drained a three after an offensive rebound from Dimari Brown, and Chris Volcy (18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals) turned a steal into a traditional three-point lead down the other end, giving the Tigers the lead back for good. Volcy and Santos each added two more and Chris Perault (22 points, 5 rebounds) capitalized on a turnover for two and a 45-40 lead going into the fourth.
“If we’re not shooting well, which we didn’t tonight, we have to find our points in other ways,” Dacey said. Taunton went 9-for-10 from the free throw line, scored 20 points off turnovers, and 17 second chance points. “It’s not the most attractive sometimes, but guys like Volcy will do the work to get them. Dimari had a couple offensive rebounds in his first varsity start.
“You have to piece it together because [Foxboro] isn’t easy to play. They’re disciplined. You get that element in your game, that makes you a better team.”
The Tigers carried the momentum into the fourth and duplicated that run, opening the fourth with another 12-2 surge. Perault opened the scoring and then converted a putback after an early turnover from the Warriors. Penders cleaned up his own miss to keep Foxboro within seven, but a steal from Volcy led to a three from Santos and then Volcy sank a triple of his own. After a Foxboro miss, Santos got a layup and suddenly the Tigers had a comfortable lead at 57-42 with four minutes to play.
“I thought mentally our response wasn’t as good as it needed to be when they went on that run,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We lost our focus and composure a little bit and didn’t stick to the plan as much as we needed to. When you do that against a team that is as explosive as Taunton, things can snowball really quickly. If you can’t focus on the one play that you’re on, the game can get away from you quickly and that’s what you saw tonight. We’re going to use it as a learning experience and it’s a good reminder we have to stay present and win the possession we’re on.
“I thought Taunton was able to get the game to the tempo they wanted in the second half, it was in their pace. Against them, we wanted to make it more of a half court game and their press sped us up. Even though there were a lot of possessions that we ultimately got good shots and good looks, it was in their tempo and over time, that favored them.”
Penders scored half of Foxboro’s 14 first quarter points and hauled in three rebounds, but was hit with his third foul with 1:30 to go. Ryan Kelley added a first quarter three while Sam Golub (9 points, 6 rebounds) and Ryan Cotter also scored as the Warriors staked a 14-6 lead.
Nolan Gordon, Andrew Finn, and Ian Foley had second quarter buckets to keep Foxboro’s offense going but Perault erupted for 11 points in the frame as the Tigers jumped ahead, 24-23, at halftime.
Taunton boys basketball (8-3 Hockomock, 10-4 overall) hits the road to visit North Attleboro on Friday while Foxboro (5-6, 9-6) takes a trip to division-leading Mansfield.
Sharon senior Matt Baur pulls up for a shot in the second half against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)FOXBORO, Mass. — Sharon knew its offense could keep them in the game, but if they wanted to complete the comeback it had to be done on the defensive end.
The Eagles got all the stops they needed, holding Foxboro scoreless for the final four minutes of regulation and forced a huge turnover with 30 seconds to go in the extra period that led to the go-ahead basket, and Sharon earned a hard-fought 74-71 overtime win over the Warriors.
Foxboro junior Ryan Cotter (15 points, six rebounds, five assists) converted his own miss to take a 71-70 lead with just under 1:30 to play and despite the Warriors getting a stop, Sharon was able to get the ball back after forcing a turnover.
The Eagles tossed it out of bounds themselves but head coach Andrew Ferguson quickly entered his defensive subs, and the move paid off.
Sophomore Sam Letendre deflected the inbounds pass and it went right to the hands of junior Ryan Brown — two players that just came in for defensive purposes — and Brown quickly laid it in for two and the lead.
Sharon kept its full-court pressure and as Foxboro tried to break it, Tyler Goodman came soaring in from his own half and intercepted a lob pass. He was fouled and sank two from the line with 22.3 seconds to go to give the Eagles a 74-71 lead.
Foxboro had one look at a three that was off the mark and out on Sharon. On the ensuing inbounds, Sharon quickly fouled to prevent another and held on for the win.
“We knew we’d have to get stops to get back into that game,” Ferguson said. “We focus so much on our core values and two of them are physical rebounding and aggressive defense. I think that’s what got us back into the game. Relentless pressure from our guards, I thought Nate Katznelson did a fantastic job down low. We felt like in the first half, bad offense bled into bad defense. We turned up the defense in the second half and I think that really helped our offense too.”
Foxboro’s Ryan LeClair (15 points, five assists) hit three and Ian Foley made a nice cut to the basket for a layup to hand the Warriors an eight-point edge at 67-59 with just over four minutes to go. The Warriors held a 10-point lead at halftime and kept the Eagles at arm’s length for the majority of the second half.
From there, the Eagles grinded out an 8-0 run over the final minutes to force the extra period.
Jack Bates split a pair of defenders for a layup, Matt Baur (13 points, three rebounds) hit a jumper, and after a two-minute scoreless stretch from both sides, the Eagles turned a steal from Baur into a layup from junior Nate Katznelson (24 points, six rebounds) on a nice feed from Jacob McLoughlin (10 points, six assists) to cut the deficit to just 67-65 with 1:30 to go in regulation.
Sharon’s defense got a stop, surviving a turnaround three in the corner and a putback bid at the shot clock. On the offensive end, McLoughlin got around his man, drew the help, and dropped one off to Goodman (12 points, five rebounds, five assists) for an easy two to make it 67-67.
Each team had a chance inside the final 20 seconds but Foxboro had a turnover and the Eagles’ three-point attempt at the buzzer was off.
“We scored 67 points in regulation, I just told the guys that has to be enough to win,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We have to be able to get big stops down the stretch and close games out with our defense. With the lead at the half, the eight-point lead going into the fourth, and being at home…we just have to get a little more consistent with our execution defensively so we can close those games out.
“The effort was there, there’s no doubt we competed hard and gave everything we had for the entire game, we just have to execute a little better on the defensive end.”
Entering the game, both teams were among the top five scoring teams in the Hockomock League and combined to feature five of the top 16 scorers in the league. Add in Sharon’s Matt Baur, a HockomockSports First Team selection from a year ago, that was playing in his first league game of the year.
So it wasn’t a big surprise when the offense was the story early on. Baur, Cotter, Sharon’s Dante James, LeClair, and Goodman all traded threes for the first five field goals of the game. There was little separation in the first eight minutes and the Eagles and Warriors finished level at 17-17.
The back-and-forth continued in the second with Alex Penders (19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Katznelson trading buckets, followed by Foxboro’s Sam Golub and Katznelson trading shots. It wasn’t until the final three minutes of the half that Foxboro found some separation.
Golub hit a jumper and then found Penders for two more. Foley found Penders with a difficult baseline feed, and Cotter capped the 8-0 run with a layup to give the Warriors a 36-26 halftime lead.
Foxboro’s lead fluctuate for the third quarter but never went away. Any time the Warriors threatened to pull away, the Eagles answered. Cotter found LeClair for two to push the lead to a dozen midway through the third only for Katznelson to answer with a triple, and then a steal and score from James. A putback from Katznelson closed the gap down to five.
The Warriors answered with an 8-0 burst capped by a three from Penders as the lead peaked at 13 points (52-39) but over the final two minutes, Sharon stayed in it by closing the quarter with a 7-2 run.
“We have a tough stretch with Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield in a row and we had some time off so we were able to mix some things in defensively,” Ferguson said. The Eagles deployed a zone at times on top of some full-court pressure. “What a job by Sam Letendre and Ryan Brown at the end, coming in and forcing that turnover and getting the bucket. Those guys know what their roles are, coming in and playing defense. I’m super proud of them for their effort.”
Sharon’s increased pressure defensively resulted in an increase in Foxboro turnovers. The Warriors had seven total at halftime but the Eagles forced seven more in each of the third and fourth quarters, and four more in overtime.
“We’ve been very good taking care of the ball but Sharon makes an effort to pressure the ball, reach and gamble for steals, and deny passing lanes,” Gibbs said. “They really look to create offense off of their defense. Certainly give credit to their defense for putting us under pressure.”
Sharon boys basketball (3-1 Hockomock, 5-1 overall) returns home to take on Kelley-Rex division-leading Franklin on Tuesday. Foxboro (1-3, 4-3) is back at home against King Philip.
Franklin senior Ben Harvey (19 points) goes up for a reverse layup in the first half against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Franklin boys basketball team had their foot on the gas throughout the first half. The Panthers slammed the pedal down in the second half.
Junior Sean O’Leary poured in 16 of his career-high 26 points in the third quarter and the Panthers turned a single-digit halftime lead into a runaway win over visiting Foxboro, 77-51.
The Panthers transitioned a strong defensive effort into some easy buckets, getting out and running and attacking the basket early in the shot clock to balloon the nine-point halftime lead up to 21 points going into the fourth quarter.
“I thought the pace of the game was much improved for us in the second half,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely, now in his ninth year at the helm of the Panthers. “We played into the halfcourt with them a little too much in the first half but we’re better when we’re playing with pace and sharing the basketball. I thought we amped it up and it started with our defense. We made a couple of adjustments, we had to switch how we were guarding the ball screens and the blur cuts, and once we made that switch, we stopped [Ryan LeClair] from going downhill and that took away some of their shooting. Once we got stops, we were able to get out and run.”
Franklin boys basketball
Franklin showed glimpses of its fast-paced offense by opening the second quarter with a 10-2 surge. O’Leary scored the first five points, both off assists from Bradley Herndon, the latter coming off a Foxboro turnover. Ben Harvey (19 points) got to the rim quickly after a Foxboro miss, and O’Leary found Geino Scaringello for a three less than 10 seconds after another Warrior misfire.
Foxboro showed some fight with a 10-0 run of its own to keep it close. Sam Golub (11 points, four rebounds, three blocks) had a tough finish around a defender and then assisted on a three-pointer from Alex Penders (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists). Golub turned a steal into another two, and Penders found LeClair (14 points) in the corner for a triple to bring the visitors within one possession at 25-22.
Scaringello, who had struggled to find his shooting touch in Franklin’s first two games, stayed red hot to finish the first half, hitting back-to-back triples to give the hosts a 31-22 lead at the break.
“It was nice to get Geino going, he’s been a shooter for us a long time and he had a slow start,” Neely said. “He was doing all of the defensive stuff but his shot wasn’t going and he was getting frustrated. We know he’s a good shooter, so we just kept telling him to keep shooting and he showed what we can do tonight.”
The third belonged to O’Leary and the Panthers. Justin Allen hauled in one of his 10 rebounds after Franklin forced Foxboro into a tough mid-range jumper at the shot clock, he quickly pushed it up court and found O’Leary, who wasted little time blowing by his man and laying it in for an easy two. From there, Franklin was off and running.
O’Leary canceled out a triple from Golub with one of his own, and on the next play, took down a defensive rebound off a free throw miss and went coast-to-coast, this time going to his right and finishing through contact for two plus the foul.
Franklin boys basketball
Allen came up with a turnover two plays later, and despite Golub getting one of his three blocks in the game, O’Leary was first to the offensive board and once again finished through a foul, hitting a free throw to complete another traditional three-point play.
“There were a couple of matchups we thought we could exploit,” Neely said. “We told them if they find themselves in a situation where you see a little bit of a lane, and the matchup is right, we thought we could get in there and put some stress on them, make them make more decisions than they want to and rotate more than they want to. We didn’t want to wait, if it was there, we wanted to put the stress on them. During the big run, I thought we were able to get downhill and do just that.”
A good example of Franklin’s pace came with under four minutes to play in the third. Golub beat his man and laid it in for two with 3:41 left. Harvey took the inbound pass and raced down the left side of the court, speeding past his man and laying one up and in just seven seconds after Foxboro’s bucket.
“Sean was incredible on both ends of the floor, and he does it every night,” Neely said. “And what Harvey did on Penders was exceptional, those guys really set the tone on both ends of the floor and the rest of the guys responded.”
Even when Foxboro had some success on the offensive end, like when Penders banked a tough turnaround in down low after an offensive rebound from Ryan Kelley, the Panthers pounced offensively. Herndon took the inbounds and used his speed to attack the rim, going up strong with a left-handed finish plus the foul.
“Their pace wore us down as the game went on,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “They were flying at us in transition. Not many teams have multiple forwards like Harvey and O’Leary that can get a rebound and just push it themselves that effectively. And they have a lot of shooting to spread you out.
“Once the deficit got to double digits, we had to start playing faster offensively ourselves to try to climb back in it. The game got into their tempo in the second half.”
Harvey hit a couple of early buckets in the fourth, capping his night with a three as Franklin’s advantage peaked at 68-40 midway through the final frame.
“The first two games, defensively we did a good job and it helped us weather some storms,” Neely said. “We went down big at OA and KP had a second half lead on us but our defense stayed true. We knew our offense would eventually kick. It was just about keeping it simple, it felt like guys were trying to make a five-point shot. We had such a simple practice yesterday, just getting back to doing the stuff we do and I thought we did a good job of trusting each other tonight.”
Franklin boys basketball
Both teams will go outside of the league for their upcoming stretch of games. Franklin (3-0 Hockomock, 3-0 overall) is off to Xaverian on Friday before traveling to Florida for three games over break. Foxboro (1-2, 1-2) closes out this week with trips to Milton and New Bedford on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
Foxboro junior Alex Penders goes up for a shot inside a sea of Stoughton defenders in the first half on Wednesday. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
STOUGHTON, Mass. — For the majority of the season, the Foxboro boys basketball team has leaned heavily on the offensive contributions of its top three scorers Dylan Gordon, Alex Penders, and Sam Golub.
With their division title hopes on the line, and a chance to inch closer to a playoff berth, the Warriors got a huge boost from two additional faces.
Senior Cam Barreira hit five three-pointers in the first three quarters, netting a career-high 15 points that helped keep the Warriors in the game.
And then junior Ryan LeClair scored Foxboro’s final nine points, including the go-ahead basket with 20 seconds to go to help the Warriors secure a 67-66 win on the road over Stoughton.
“This team has matured so much from the beginning of the season,” said Foxboro coach Jon Gibbs. “We’ve had some really gritty wins the last couple of weeks when we’ve been down but hung in there and shown a lot of resiliency. We’ve been about to make some adjustments and close out the game strong. I’m just so proud of them for them to hang in there and keep their composure and make big plays on both ends down the stretch.”
Stoughton led for over 30 minutes of action, stretching the lead to as much as 14 in the first half but also had a 12-point advantage early in the fourth quarter.
But each time it looked like Stoughton was set to stretch it to an insurmountable lead, Foxboro fought back.
The Black Knights’ once 14-point lead shrunk to five by halftime. In the third quarter, Stoughton used an 11-1 run to turn a one-point lead into a double-digit advantage.
Stoughton kept the Warriors in check to start the fourth too, getting a pull-up jumper from Connor Andrews (14 points, four rebounds) to push the lead to 58-46 with just under seven minutes to play.
Foxboro boys basketball
Foxboro’s run started just before the midway point of the quarter, fittingly with a bucket from LeClair, who scored 11 of his career-high 16 points in the fourth. Penders (14 points, eight rebounds) sank a pair of free throws, and despite a contested deep three from Andrews, Foxboro continued to find success as Barreira found Penders for two.
Sam Golub (nine rebounds) came up with a steal and a layup and Penders took a feed from Gordon (16 points, 12 rebounds) and finished with three minutes left to make it a two-possession game. After another, LeClair drained a three to cut the deficit to 64-61 with 2:46 to go.
Stoughton was off the mark on a baseline take after a nice play set up the backdoor cut and LeClair got around his man and dropped in a floater in the lane. After another stop, LeClair went to the line and hit both free throws to give Foxboro its first lead, 65-64, with 1:56 to go.
Foxboro boys basketball
Junior Rayan Sablon, who had a career-high 30 points, went up and under and finished a tough take to send Stoughton back in front with 1:31 to go. The teams traded misses and turnovers — Foxboro missed twice while Stoughton turned it over twice.
After the second turnover, LeClair found space attacking the basket again and laid it in for a 67-66 lead with 12 seconds to go.
“Ryan was tremendous, especially down the stretch,” Gibbs said. “Because of the way they were trying to guard us and take away Dylan and Alex, we were trying to take advantage of that. So we put the ball in his hands and we basically put the game in his hands and he responded in a big way. He was able to get in the paint and he made great decisions and finished plays. He made some tough shots and made some great passes and I thought he was flawless in his decision-making.
“He makes a ton of contributions on the defensive end and as the point guard, as the floor general. It’s been brewing for a while to get his offense going and you saw tonight it all come out and saw what he’s capable of.”
With just three team fouls, Foxboro fouled twice — first with 5.9 seconds left and then second with 2.4 seconds left. It worked as Stoughton had to settle for an off-balance three at the buzzer that was short.
“We only had three team fouls and they had two guards that are phenomenal,” Gibbs said. “Sablon and Andrews are unbelievable offensive talents and they both had it going tonight, they were making tough shots all night. We wanted to keep them out of the lane but it’s easier said than done. We thought if we could foul a few times to break up their rhythm and shorten the clock, that maybe that would prevent them from getting downhill and it ended up working out pretty well.”
While it was LeClair’s big plays that completed the comeback for Foxboro, the Warriors likely wouldn’t have been in a position to make a late charge without Barreira’s big shots through the first three quarters.
After a make in the first quarter, Barreira added two more three-pointers in the second. With Stoughton holding a double-digit lead, Foxboro had managed just three points through the first five minutes of the second quarter. Barreira sparked a 12-6 run to close the quarter with a three and hit another a minute and a half later.
In the third, Barreira hit two more in the first three minutes of the quarter, helping the Warriors stay close despite an early three from Andrews, two more from Sablon, and a putback from Cash Mathurin (nine rebounds).
“Cam shot the extremely well for us and he was due for a game like this,” Gibbs said. “He’s a really good shooter, he buries shots every day in practice and everyone on our team has faith in him to shoot those shots. He was on fire tonight, and there were stretches we had that we struggled to score and his three’s kept us in striking distance.”
Foxboro boys basketball (7-8 Hockomock, 8-8 overall) closes out its league schedule on Friday with a visit to Canton. The Warriors would need to win that game, and also get a win from Stoughton (6-9, 7-9), who is hosting Sharon on the same night.
Foxboro junior Alex Penders goes up for a layup in the first half against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – There’s never a dull night in the Davenport division.
Even on a Monday, in a rescheduled game inside a gym with capacity limitations, division rivals Foxboro and North Attleboro battled back and forth before the Warriors emerged with a 62-55 overtime win.
It looked like Foxboro was on the verge of the win at the end of regulation, holding a four-point lead with 23.6 seconds to go. But as we’ve seen earlier this season and in years prior, nothing is decided until the final buzzer.
North Attleboro came flying down the court to cut the deficit in half with 18 seconds to go and then forced a jump ball off the inbounds with 9.9 seconds to go. The Warriors kept possession but a heave down court on the ensuing inbounds was picked off by North senior Gavin Wells.
Wells got the ball to classmate Brody Rosenberg, who got past his defender, split another two Warriors, went up and under the rim, and finished just before the buzzer to send the game to overtime, 51-51.
Foxboro boys basketball
The back-and-forth slugfest that started in the fourth quarter continued to start overtime as junior Alex Penders (16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) finished down low off a feed from senior Dylan Gordon (16 points, 11 rebounds), but North quickly answered on a drive from senior Casey Poirier, who tied a career-high 22 points along with 10 boards.
Gordon took it to the rim to get the Warriors back ahead while North’s layup bid was just off the mark. Andrew Finn (9 points, 9 rebounds) increased the lead to three with a free throw, and again, the Rocketeers’ two chances from down low rolled off the rim and out. North got a stop but a contested layup bounced out.
Junior guard Sam Golub sank his fourth triple down the other end and Foxboro’s advantage jumped to six, 59-53, with a minute to go in overtime. Golub finished with a career-high 16 points.
“I was very proud of the response to start overtime,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “I reminded them of the Stoughton game earlier this year, the same thing happened with the other team scoring at the buzzer. We came out and won that one, so I reminded them of that and we had to move on to the next four minutes. It had to start with our defense and I was really proud of the grit they showed and how they were able to go out and execute. I thought it showed a lot of character and hopefully, it will stay that way the rest of the season.”
Foxboro boys basketball
North Attleboro was unable to answer again as Foxboro connected enough from the free throw line to keep the Rocketeers at bay over the final minute.
“I’m proud of the way our guys didn’t quit through the fourth quarter,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We just had too many mental errors, whether it was missed bunnies or just being in the wrong spot. And I don’t know if it was fatigue or mental, or a combination of both, but I thought there was a stretch we had some missed assignments. After making them earn a lot, I thought all of a sudden we kind of opened things up for them and give them credit, they made the shots. We just couldn’t make enough shots down the stretch.”
Penders scored six points in the first quarter to help the hosts establish an early 13-9 advantage after one quarter, and then Golub had eight in the second quarter as the Warriors’ lead ballooned to double-digits, 30-19, at halftime.
North responded in a big way in the third, preventing Foxboro from pulling away with one of its best shooting quarters of the season. Poirier hit a three to start the second half and hit another two trips later. Gordon answered with a triple of his own to keep the lead at nine but North Attleboro closed the rest of the quarter on an 11-3 run.
Senior Nate Bennett scored off a nice post move and sophomore Derek Maceda splashed in a triple. A minute later, Wells hit a triple of his own off a pass from Givany Carney (11 points, four rebounds, four assists), and then Wells returned the favor to Carney for a three — North’s five trifecta of the frame — with less than 30 seconds to go to cut what was once a 13-point deficit down to one point going into the fourth.
“We wanted to come out and win the third to get more separation but to North’s credit, they knocked down a bunch of shots in the third to get them back in the game in the hurry, and because they were able to score more that allowed them to get into their full court pressure which just threw us out of rhythm and sped us up,” Gibbs said. “I thought there were times we got good shots out of it that we just didn’t make but North’s shooting changed the momentum of the game.”
There weren’t any runs from either squad in the fourth, only punches and counterpunches.
Poirier scored to give the Rocketeers their first lead since the opening bucket but Finn answered on the other end to get the hosts back ahead right away.
Foxboro boys basketball
Carney broke a lengthy scoreless stretch but North’s lead once again just lasted seconds as Gordon cut to the basket for two off a feed from Penders. The visitors tied it on a free from Poirier and North once again took the lead on a layup from Carney.
After a defensive stop, Gordon muscled his way to the rim for two more to make it 45-45 with 1:41 to play. Ryan LeClair (five points, four rebounds, four assists) found Finn on a baseline cut for two and Penders stole an inbounds pass and sank two from the line to put Foxboro back in front.
“I think it’s experience, these guys have played a lot of games together now going back to last season,” Gibbs said. “The quality of this league and how tough the teams are. Even though we’ve had some tough losses, playing against quality teams has helped us get better, learn and prepare for these situations.”
After a free throw from Gordon, Foxboro led 50-45 with 33 seconds to play but the visitors were able to rally for a 6-1 burst in the final moments, starting with a layup from Poirier.
“The last two weeks or so, Casey is playing at the level he expects himself to be at,” Mulkerrins said. “And [Carney] has emerged that’s been aggressive for us. But at the end of the day, we need more points. It’s hard to win in this league no matter what but when you’re barely breaking 50 points you have to be pretty near perfect on defense, and at times we’ve been pretty close.”
Foxboro boys basketball (2-5 Hockomock, 3-5 overall) will try to make it two in a row when it hosts Milford for its second game of a four-game homestand on Tuesday. North Attleboro (2-6, 2-7) returns home to host Taunton on the same night.
North Attleboro senior George Ladd takes a shot over Foxboro sophomore Alex Penders in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – The final eight minutes of Wednesday afternoon’s contest gave us a glimpse into the future as a young Foxboro squad scratched and clawed its way back into the game, showing what the Warriors are capable of.
But the first 24 minutes belonged to North Attleboro, a veteran group that built a big cushion through the first three quarters and showed its experience by making enough plays down the stretch to fend off Foxboro’s ferocious comeback attempt, earning a 61-53 win.
North Attleboro boys basketball George Ladd
The Rocketeers’ offense exploded for 21 points in the first quarter and added 19 more in the second, carrying a 17-point lead into the final quarter. The Warriors made things interesting, cutting the deficit to single digits with three minutes to play but North Attleboro did enough to close out the win.
“Basketball is a game of swings, I always say it,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “They are a younger team, we have an older group and I didn’t want us to have a hangover from the 23-point final to lead into this start so I want at them pretty hard yesterday and prior to the start of the game to stress how important a good start was. Jon [Gibbs] obviously does a great job and they came back with a counter punch and thankfully we had just enough of a cushion.”
North Attleboro followed a similar blueprint from its win over the Warriors (58-35) on Monday evening as Mulkerrins stressed the importance of a strong start, fully aware of what Foxboro can do (as seen in the fourth quarter).
The Rocketeers heeded the advice of their coach and came out flying in the first eight minutes. North score on six of its first eight possessions to build a 13-4 lead over the first four minutes of action. After missing on the first possession, Casey Poirier (nine points, five rebounds) took a feed from Edan Kelley (nine points) to break the ice and get the run started.
North Attleboro boys basketball George Ladd
“North is an excellent team, they are a veteran team and they execute extremely well on offense,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “They get the ball to the right guys in the right places and put you in difficult positions. And defensively they are so well prepared and they do a great job taking away what you want to do, which is a credit to their coaches and players. Playing against a good team like that, it certainly gives us a good measuring stick moving forward.”
Brody Rosenberg (nine points, five assists, four rebounds) sniffed out a pass and laid it in for two and Poirier scored after Jared Vacher forced a Foxboro turnover. The Big Red missed on its first shot of the next possession but junior Gavin Wells (career-high 13 points) crashed hard and tipped it back in. North’s defense got its sixth stop of the game and Rosenberg cut to the basket, taking a feed from Kelley for two and a 10-2 lead, forcing the home side into a timeout.
Foxboro got one stop but couldn’t turn it into points and North came back down and senior George Ladd (21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) came down with a traditional three-point play. JuniorDylan Gordon (16 points) hit two from the line but Kelley answered with a three to make it 16-6, a double-digit lead the visitors would carry for the majority of the game.
“We knew that Foxboro would be ready and it wouldn’t be a continuation of what the scoreboard was from the first game,” Mulkerrins said of the strong start. “I was real happy with the way our guys were locked in. There were a couple of things, counters to the counters so to speak, that I thought we were ready for. Defensively we were locked in too.”
Ladd added two more and Rosenberg drained a three off a feed from Poirier and the visitors staked a 21-8 claim through one quarter.
Foxboro made things interesting in the opening moments of the second with back-to-back threes from sophomore Sam Golub (12 points, four rebounds) to get within two possessions but North responded with a pair of runs to regain a comfortable lead. Wells, Kelley, and Poirier all hit from two-point range and then Jason Rodriguez linked up with Ladd for two more. Ladd used a strong post move for two to cap a 10-4 surge that put the Rocketeers ahead 31-20.
North Attleboro boys basketball George Ladd
Gordon finished at the rim to get Foxboro back into the scoring column but North used another run, this time a 9-2 spurt to close out the first half. Wells drained a corner three off a feed from Ladd and then Rosenberg rewarded Ladd for his movement down low. Kelley scored off a turnover and then fed Wells for two in the final minute to put North ahead 40-22 at the half.
At halftime, North Attleboro had 12 assists on its 18 makes from the field.
“Our guys have done a great job committing to sharing the ball with each other,” Mulkerrins said. “It starts with George because if your best player offensively isn’t willing to share the ball then it creates some issues. We know he’s going to get doubled, going to get tripled and he’s willing to share it and I think there’s a domino effect.”
Foxboro’s defense started to slow the Rocketeers’ offense in the third quarter, limiting the visitors to just 10 points on four makes from the floor while forcing three turnovers. Foxboro’s offense was steady. Four players scored for the Warriors with Gordon getting four, Golub and sophomore Alex Penders (16 points, 15 rebounds three blocks) had a bucket each, and Sean O’Leary drained a three but the deficit was 50-33 going into the final quarter.
The Warriors made things interesting with a quick 7-0 run to open the fourth quarter, Golub making an early three, and Gordon scoring four straight in just 1:30 of action. Six straight from Ladd, including a traditional three-point play, kept the visitors ahead, pushing the lead back to 56-42, but Foxboro continued to claw its way back.
“Penders is a heck of a player, he’s a bull,” Mulkerrins said. “We tried to go to George early and often to try and see what counter [Foxboro] would make defensively. They did a good job on him but I thought later in the contest, a couple of penetrations he made from the right-wing area, I thought he showed his senior stripes a bit there and made some big buckets for us.”
Penders had back-to-back strong takes down low and Gordon sliced through the defense for two more and the lead was down to just six, 56-48, with three minutes to go. Foxboro fouled to try and extend the game and North obliged with some missed free throws but the Rocketeers’ defense clamped down and didn’t let Foxboro get any closer.
Wells added four free throws down the stretch to help ice the game.
“I couldn’t be any prouder of their effort,” Gibbs said. “North made some timely shots throughout the game and we missed some shots that we probably hope to make. We had a couple of stretches where we got sloppy with the ball and had some turnovers and that allowed North to build a little bit of a lead.
“But at the end of the day, our effort and energy was phenomenal and it could have been easy for a team that’s 2-8 to quit when you’re doing 17 points going into the fourth quarter but we fought and scrapped and battled and made it a game and a had chance to steal it. I think that speaks a lot to the character of those kids and I’m really proud of that.”
North Attleboro boys basketball (7-2 Davenport, 7-2 overall) kept its hopes for a share of the division title alive with a win at the time but Oliver Ames won it outright with a victory over Stoughton later in the day. The Rocketeers travel to Sharon on Friday to close out their division schedule. Foxboro finishes its season at 2-8 in the division and 2-9 overall.
Foxboro sophomore Sam Golub dribbles past Canton senior Ryan Connerney in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – It was a situation the Foxboro boys basketball team had been in before this season. But the young Warriors were more than happy to come away with a different outcome
The Warriors have been in plenty of tight games this season but whether it was overtime, an untimely turnover, or an unlikely offensive outburst from their opponent, Foxboro couldn’t find its way into the win column — until Thursday night.
Foxboro made all of the plays it needed to down the stretch, including a huge three-pointer from sophomore Ryan LeClair, to earn its first win of the season, 46-39, over visiting Canton.
“I think we were just more consistent on the small controllable things,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “Offensively, down the stretch, we were able to take care of the ball and keep our composure against pressure and we executed and got good shots. Earlier in the season, in late-game situations, we were having some untimely turnovers, and not only that, the other team would break out for a big momentum basket. We didn’t do that tonight, we were able to get quality shots and guys stepped up to make the big shots.”
Locked into another close game in the fourth quarter, the Warriors withstood pressure from a talented Canton team. Even after its four-point lead evaporated and momentum seemed to swing in favor of the Bulldogs, Foxboro didn’t panic.
The game was knotted at 29-29 after three quarters, setting up a winner-take-all fourth period. And for six minutes, it was a back-and-forth battle with each team matching the other, basket for basket, and stop for stop.
Foxboro boys basketball
Junior Dylan Gordon, who scored a career-high 22 points, put the hosts ahead with a strong take to the rim, LeClair hit one from the line with just over three minutes to go, and sophomore Alex Penders scored his first basket of the game to give Foxboro a 37-33 lead with just under three minutes to go.
Canton took its turn to answer as senior Ryan Connerney (10 points) sliced through the defense to the rim for two and then found Steven Burbank (13 points) on a nice backdoor cut to tie the game as the clock ticked under two minutes to go.
But the Warriors refused to wilt under pressure and came back with an answer of their own. Halfway through the shot clock, LeClair found some separation after setting a screen and drained a deep straightaway three to make it 40-37 with 1:35 to play.
“He’s always been a really confident kid, and that’s one of his best attributes and that’s really important for a point guard,” Gibbs said. “Each passing game, we’ve really seen that confidence grow and with that, he’s improved more and more and grown into his role. He just continues to get better. We want him to take that shot in that moment, we all believe in him and I’m really happy for him that he stepped up and knocked it down.
Foxboro got a stop after Canton’s attempt at a tying three was just off the mark. This time, LeClair drove left past his defender which forced a pair of Bulldogs to help. The sophomore guard dumped a pass off to Sean O’Leary, who finished off a tough layup for a 42-37 advantage with less than a minute to go.
The Bulldogs kept it close when junior Lanse Dorcelus drove from the right wing into the paint and finished through contact. Down three, Canton elected to foul Gordon, who drained a pair from the line to ice the win for the Warriors.
“It’s a classic Canton-Foxboro game where every single basket is hard to come by,” said Canton head coach Ryan Gordy. “At the end of the game, it was tied late, they had kids that made more plays when it mattered. They made plays in winning time and we’re still learning how to do that.
“When we get hot, we get real hot and when we get cold, we get real cold. Tonight was one of the cold nights and credit to Foxboro, they played great defense. That’s a team that’s been working hard all season. I’m disappointed for us but congrats to them for getting their first win, they deserved to win tonight, we didn’t.”
LeClair might not have been in position for his big three and assist in the final minutes if it wasn’t for a big shot from junior Cam Barreira earlier in the game. Sophomore Sam Golub (six points, six rebounds) drained a three for Foxboro with 4:10 to go in the second quarter but the Warriors would go on a long drought before scoring again.
Canton rattled off a 10-0 run over the course of the next 8:41 of game time. Steven Burbank scored the last four points of the first half to give the Bulldogs an 18-17 lead at halftime. Connerney converted a traditional three-point play and Eric Mischler (11 points, five rebounds) drained a corner three off a nice feed from Connerney and the Bulldogs held a 24-17 lead with 3:44 left in the third.
Out of a timeout, Barreira came up with a huge shot. The inbounds found Penders, who was immediately double-teamed. The sophomore center alertly turned and dished to Barreira in the corner and the junior didn’t hesitate, sinking a three-pointer that lit a fire under the Warriors.
Barreira’s bucket sparked a 12-5 run that brought the hosts back into the game. Gordon scored six straight, sandwiching a pair of field goals around two from the line. And Golub hit his second three of the game to put Foxboro ahead 29-26. Canton’s Will Keefe answered with a triple in the final seconds to make it 29-29 going into the fourth.
Foxboro (1-6 Davenport, 1-6 overall) will travel to Canton (3-3, 3-6) for a rematch on Wednesday at 7:00.
Foxboro senior Brandon Borde is fouled as he drives to the basket against Hingham in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
HINGHAM, Mass. – For 32 minutes, the 12th-seeded Foxboro Warriors gave the fifth-seeded Harbormen of Hingham High everything they could handle.
The four minutes of the overtime period, however, was all Hingham.
The Harbormen forced the extra period with a free throw with 1.6 seconds left in regulation and then dominated the extra frame en route to a 76-62 win in the First Round of the Division 2 South Sectional tournament.
Foxboro raced out to a 41-33 lead at halftime but the Harbormen employed a box-and-one defense on Warrior senior star guard Brandon Borde (22 points, nine rebounds) in the second half, a tactic that slowed the Warriors throughout the final 16 minutes of regulation.
By the start of the fourth, Foxboro’s lead shrunk to just two, 45-43, after the Warriors hit just one field goal in the third quarter and scored four points total. The fourth quarter certainly went better and the Warriors went back-and-forth with the hosts.
“They went to the box-and-one [on Borde], we knew it was coming,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We spent a lot of time on it in practice the last two days, we had a lot of different things ready to go, and for the most part, I thought we did get some good looks but it was just one of those nights where the ball didn’t fall at key times. I thought we executed pretty well, just didn’t make enough of our good looks. And it took us out of our rhythm in terms of running our normal offense.
Hingham sophomore Nick Johannes converted a tough layup off the glass to seize a 54-52 lead with 3:28 to go but two possessions later, Foxboro senior Donald Rogers (12 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) finished a layup through contact, adding a free throw to put Foxboro ahead 55-54 with 2:19 to play.
Thomas Koenen finished down low for Hingham to take the lead back but a hustle offensive rebound from Foxboro senior Dylan Barreira led to a bucket from classmate Ryan Hughes (nine points, six rebounds) off an inbound pass from Rogers.
Hingham answered again, this time as Luke Mashburn sank a difficult turnaround baseline jumper for a 58-57 lead. With just under a minute to go and the shot clock about to expire, Rogers drove to the basket to draw a pair of defenders, leaving Hughes open for an easy finish and a 59-58 lead with 34 seconds to play.
The Warriors got the stop they needed but couldn’t extend their lead, missing the front end of a one-and-one situation with 10.6 seconds to go. Hingham’s Jack Hurley (career-high 28 points, 13 rebounds) was fouled driving to the basket with 1.6 seconds to go. He missed the first but hit the second to tie and send it to overtime.
In overtime, Foxboro had the first possession but came up short. Hingham missed from the line but got the offensive rebound, missed a three, but once again got the offensive rebound, and Johannes finished at the rim. Hingham held a 46-31 advantage on the boards, including 13-7 on offensive rebounds.
“Felt like more [than 13 offensive rebounds],” Gibbs said. “For whatever reason tonight, we just didn’t rebound the ball as well as we needed to. Give credit to Hingham, they attacked the offensive glass with incredible energy. Guards, forwards, everybody on their team seemed to be all over the offensive glass. I thought our guys played hard but those rebounds hurt us. I think especially early on, fouls and rebounds hurt us, they were able to stay within striking distance.”
On the ensuing possession, Hurley deflected a pass free and went in uncontested for a layup and a 63-59 lead, tying Hingham’s largest lead in the same at that point. Another Foxboro miss and Hingham drained a three for a 66-59 lead with 2:32 left.
In all, it was a 13-0 run to start the overtime period before Foxboro got on the board with under a minute to go.
“Once it got it to the overtime, I thought they punched first,” Gibbs said. “We had a couple of good looks that didn’t drop and they knocked down some shots. At that point, with not a lot of time left on the clock, you’re in a tough spot. They stole the momentum early in the overtime and kind of put us back on our heels.”
While Hingham’s defense slowed the Warriors in the second half, the only thing that really held Foxboro back in the first half was fouls (13 team fouls in the first).
Foxboro shot 51.9% from the field over the first 16 minutes, racking up 41 points in the process. The Harbormen had no answer for Borde in the first half as the senior poured in 20 points, including going 4-for-6 from three point range.
Hughes added five points in the first before running in foul trouble in the second, Dylan Barreira converted a traditional three-point play, and Rogers sank a triple to help Foxboro take a 23-14 lead through the first quarter.
Borde added 10 more points in the second quarter as the Harbormen tried to slow Foxboro with a 2-3 zone. Will Morrison (11 points) and Rogers each hit a three and Barreira added two more from the line to help Foxboro take a 41-33 lead into halftime.
The Warriors shot 7-for-14 from three-point range in the first half but only sank one each in the third, fourth, and overtime periods.
Foxboro boys basketball finishes the season at 14-9 with a share of the Davenport division title.
Foxboro senior Brandon Borde gives a thumbs up to the crowd after scoring his 1,000th career point in the fourth quarter against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Foxboro senior Brandon Borde was certainly happy when he scored his 1,000th career point, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. And how it happened was pretty cool, too.
The Warriors’ once 14-point second-half lead had dwindled over the third quarter and the Red Rocketeers were threatening early in the fourth, getting within five.
Just three points away from the milestone, Borde instead recorded an assist to Will Morrison for a three-pointer, and two possessions later, the senior guard got within one point when he converted down low on an inbound pass from Donald Rogers.
The next possession up, Borde (21 points, four rebounds, four assists) used a screen to break free from his man, taking a pass from Ryan Hughes in the corner and hit nothing but net from three-point range, surpassing the milestone with 5:55 left. The shot also proved to be the dagger the Warriors needed to fend off North Attleboro.
Foxboro went on to pick up a 68-57 win, clinching a share of the Davenport division title alongside Stoughton and Milford, who also won on Friday night.
“It means a ton to me, since I was a little kid, I’ve pictured this,” Borde said. “I came to the high school games, shooting around in the gym, watching all the guys ahead of me. It means a lot to represent the town in that way, and I wouldn’t have gotten here without all of the guys I’ve played with since my freshman year to now.
“We had a lot of adversity, dealing with injuries, so [the division title] means a lot. We had two big things happen besides the 1,000, we won a share of the division and we qualified for the state tournament so it was a big night for the team. And it was nice to hit it on a three, kind of cooler than a layup.”
For Foxboro, it was the punctuation of a run that sealed the win, a division title, and a playoff spot. The Warriors had an 11-point lead at halftime (39-28) and pushed the lead to its peak at 44-32 with 6:43 to play on a layup from Borde.
But North Attleboro refused to go away, getting six straight from sophomore Brody Rosenberg — three from deep, three the traditional way — and two more from senior Josh Porter. Junior George Ladd, who was the focus of the North offense for most of the night, got going in the post, scoring through contact to make it 46-42.
Borde stemmed the tide with a finish through traffic and Morrison (15 points, three assists) set up Rogers (15 points, five rebounds, four assists) for a triple, one of 10 made from downtown from the Warriors.
Edan Kelley answered from deep and Ladd (20 points, seven rebounds) added a traditional three-point play but Hughes (eight points, nine rebounds) had four points for the Warriors in the final minute to keep the visitors ahead 55-48 through three quarters.
“In the second half, they really went inside to Ladd and take advantage of their size to get some easy baskets,” Gibbs said. “We had to make some adjustments on how we were defending the post. I was just really proud of the resiliency of our guys. The first half went pretty smoothly for the most part but then they cut it down to four, and the momentum had totally turned.
“Given the circumstances, the pressure of what was at stake, the way the game was going on the road, we could have folded but we didn’t. I thought we really locked in, we got some big stops, got some big rebounds, and we came down and executed on offense and guys made some big shots. I was just really proud, that’s what you hope your team is going to do with a lot of seniors and they did that tonight.”
Ladd sank a pair of free throws to get the Rocketeers within 11 with just under five minutes to go and North’s defense got back-to-back stops but the offense couldn’t cut into the deficit any further. A long possession from the Warriors ended in a three from Rogers on a pass from Dylan Barreira.
“They were the better team tonight, I thought their kids played really hard,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “Brandon Borde is a really tough player, it’s a great achievement to get 1,000 points. He’s a tough matchup. I thought our kids fought hard we just had too many breakdowns, especially on defense. To Foxboro’s credit, when we made a mistake, they generally finished. That was probably the difference.
“It’s frustrating because our guys are better than some of the breakdowns we had. [Foxboro] had a good game plan, they wanted to get us into help, get us into rotation and our rotation was just not where it needed to be. It’s basic fundamental things that we need to be better at and stuff that I have to do a better job of getting them to the level they need to be defensively in the Hockomock League.”
Rogers got Foxboro off to a strong start, getting to the basket three times for six points in the opening quarter while Borde and Hughes each had four, and Morrison hit the first of his five three-pointers. North Attleboro senior Ethan Friberg hit three three-pointers to keep the Rocketeers close, down 17-13 after one.
Borde had a steal and layup to push Foxboro’s lead to nine in the second, and Barreira finished off a three-point play at the midway point of the second to push the Warriors’ lead to 28-17. Tommy Whalen, Rosenberg (13 points, six rebounds), and Ladd kept the Rocketeers in it but Liam Devlin scored off his own miss and then beat the buzzer from three-point range to give Foxboro its 39-28 halftime edge.
With the win, Foxboro earns a share of the Davenport division title, the program’s third since 2016. The Warriors share the crown with Stoughton and Milford, the Warriors split the season series with both teams. Foxboro had to win its final two games to earn a share.
“I just said to them in the locker room, out of the three league championship teams I’ve been fortunate to coach, I’m most proud of this one because of the adversity that they’ve had to overcome,” Gibbs said. “A lot of things in the team with injuries and illnesses that have made it tough for us to have competitive practices at times, made it hard to establish roles and rotations.
“And we’ve had some tough, heart-breaking losses to good teams over the course of the season and every time that happened, they bounced right back. I think throughout the season, we showed a lot of resiliency and that was on full display tonight when North made that run. I’m just really proud of them.”
Foxboro boys basketball (9-7 Hockomock, 11-8 overall) will wrap its season up with three non-league games, starting with a first-round matchup in the Warrior Classic against Holliston on Monday at 2:45. North Attleboro (4-12, 5-14) will close the season with a trip to rival Attleboro for a non-league game on Wednesday.
