Senior running back Chad Silva scored all but one of OA’s points, catching two touchdowns and rushing for a third, to help the Tigers beat Canton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Looking to set aside last week’s tough loss to Stoughton in the league opener, Oliver Ames wanted to make sure it set a positive tone from the opening whistle of Friday night’s visit of Canton to Muscato Stadium.
With two touchdowns in its opening two drives, OA was able to get out to an early lead and, behind three scores from senior running back Chad Silva (two receiving and one rushing) and a second-half shutout from the defense, walk away with a 19-7 victory.
“You want to get on top, you want to score early, you want to play from ahead. We got that done tonight,” said OA coach Ed DeWitt. “We had a couple things we liked coming in and executed them pretty well. It takes that kind of execution because they’re super tough, they’re super big, they come after you.”
OA wasted no time in trying to make its mark on the game. On the first play from scrimmage, Wayne Casey (3-of-6, 97 yards) caught the Canton defense with play action and threw a strike to a wide open Jordan Young for 66 yards down to the Canton 14. Three plays later, on fourth and two from the six, Canton jumped offsides to gift the Tigers a first down. Silva took the next snap, went around the left side, and raced to the pylon for a three-yard touchdown.
Penalties would be an issue for the Bulldogs all night, hampering the offense’s attempts to move the ball. After a first down on the first possession, Godson Ofonagoro’s big run was brought back by a holding call. Silva stuffed Canton QB Owen Lane (18 carries, 101 yards) for a loss to bring up third and long and Thomas Whiteside broke up a pass to get the ball back for the Tigers.
“We just made too many mistakes,” said Canton coach Anthony Fallon. “We’re hurting ourselves on offense. We just couldn’t find a way to get too much going tonight. We have some things we need to clean up.”
OA’s offense went right back to work, marching 76 yards in eight plays to add to its lead. Silva (19 carries, 90 yards) was the main man, getting the ball five times and breaking off runs of 17 and 18 yards to help get into the red zone. On third and 11, Casey again caught the Bulldogs, faking a jet sweep to the left and finding Silva, who had leaked out of the backfield on the right, for a 21-yard score.
The extra point was blocked, but the hosts led 13-0.
Canton was also coming off a tough loss in its league opener and looked in need of a spark. A penalty on a punt return backed them up to their own eight with time winding down in the half, but the Bulldogs wouldn’t fold.
Lane broke away for a 47-yard keeper to move the ball out to the OA side of the field. On third down, the Bulldogs got a break when Lane’s pass was broken up by Nick Ferrini, but Silva was called for roughing the passer. Ofonagoro (15 carries, 73 yards) would gain 10 on third and five and then on the next play he cut inside the left tackle, finding a seam for a 13-yard touchdown.
With just 38 seconds left in the second, the visiting sideline came to life and it looked like Canton was going to take momentum into halftime. Ferrini had a different idea. He returned the ensuing kick 76 yards, all the way to the Canton 10. On first down, Casey flipped a pass to Silva, who was able to snatch the low throw and find the end zone. The conversion attempt failed on a sack by Hayden Rose.
In just 19 seconds, Canton went from going into halftime down just six points to being back down by two scores.
“It was a dagger,” Fallon admitted. DeWitt said, “Nick does kind of what he’s been doing for us all year. He makes a huge play. Wayne makes a great throw to Chad, who picks it off his shoe tops, gets in the end zone, and we’re back at it. It’s a huge turning point.”
OA had chances to put the game away in the third quarter, but the Tigers couldn’t put together the plays on offense to take advantage. A 72-yard touchdown run by Jack Morley was wiped out by a holding call and, after back-to-back first down runs, a fumbled hand-off stalled the drive.
A bad snap led to a Canton fumble and Donovan Howard pounced on it at the Bulldogs 26, but Charlie Cox and Ruairi Ritson sacked Casey for an 11-yard loss on first down and OA ended up having to punt.
It was big plays by the OA defense that was keeping the Bulldogs at arm’s length. Silva and Jake Manthous combined to stuff a jet sweep for a loss of four and on fourth and one Harry Leventhal came up with a big sack of Lane to force a turnover on downs.
DeWitt said, “Our guys play both ways. So, if they’re playing poorly on offense, we talk about resiliency all the time, you’ve got to be able to snap into defensive mode and just stop them.”
After a three-and-out, Canton got the ball back with four minutes to play. Lane (4-of-13, 32 yards) hit James McCool for a sliding grab to convert third and five, but three plays later Morley sniffed out a screen pass to force fourth and 10.
Mathous pressured Lane into an incomplete pass and Silva sealed the win with a seven-yard burst on third and short, so the Tigers could take a knee.
“Six (Silva) is a handful,” said Fallon. “He’s a hard guy to bring down. We tried to go low and take out his legs but he just lowered his shoulders and ran through some guys.”
Oliver Ames (3-2) will have a short week before hosting the Tiger Bowl against Taunton on Thursday. Canton (3-2) has a bye week before a trip to Martinelli Field to face Foxboro.
Football
Attleboro, 20 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final 1Q: No scoring.
2Q: (A) Matt Harvie 27-yard pass to Ayden Ramirez, Adrian Rivera 2-point rush good; (A) M. Harvie 14-yard pass to Cole McKenna, XP failed.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (A) Shaun Maher 4-yard rush, 2-point rush failed.
Canton, 14 vs. Dedham, 0 – Final 1Q: No scoring.
2Q: (C) Owen Lane 22-yard pass to Michael Thomas, Hayden Rose XP good.
3Q: (C) O. Lane 3-yard rush, H. Rose XP good.
4Q: No scoring.
Foxboro, 14 @ Plymouth South, 21 – Final
Franklin, 21 vs. Duxbury, 34 – Final 1Q: (D) Alex Barlow 1-yard rush, XP good; (F) Michael Davide 5-yard rush, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2Q: (D) Matt Festa 6-yard rush, XP good; (D) M. Festa 40-yard pass to Chris Walsh.
3Q: (D) Adam Barr 1-yard rush, XP failed; (D) M. Festa 88-yard pass to C. Walsh, XP good; (F) Jase Lyons 37-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, G. Portesi XP good.
4Q: (F) J. Lyons 49-yard pass to Luke Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
King Philip, 19 vs. Xaverian, 14 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1Q: No scoring.
2Q: (KP) Matthew Kelley 33-yard field goal.
3Q: (KP) Carson Meier 45-yard interception return; M. Kelley XP good; (KP) M. Kelley 30-yard field goal; (X) Henry Hasselbeck 77-yard pass to Jonathan Monteiro, Joseph MacDonald XP good.
4Q: (KP) Nathan Kearney 6-yard rush, 2-point conversion failed; (X) H. Hasselbeck 29-yard pass to J. Monteiro, J. MacDonald XP good.
Mansfield, 35 @ Doherty, 0 – Final 1Q: (M) Drew Sacco 18-yard rush, Travis Hennessy XP good; (M) Brian Butler 12-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good; (M) B. Butler 9-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
2Q: (M) Connor Curtis 8-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
3Q: (M) Tommy Smith 13-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
4Q: No scoring.
Milford, 42 @ Natick, 27 – Final
Oliver Ames, 35 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 0 – Final1 1Q: (OA) Chad Silva 2-yard rush, 2-point failed.
2Q: (OA) Wayne Casey 25-yard pass to Bronson Burnham, XP failed; (OA) W. Casey 70-yard pass to Nick Ferrini, C. Silva 2-point rush good.
3Q: (OA) C. Silva 2-yard rush, W. Casey 2-point pass to Jack Morley; (OA) Jordan Young 2-yard rush, N. Ferrini XP good.
4Q: No scoring.
Stoughton, 14 vs. Hanover, 51 – Final 1Q: (H) Nick Freel 17-yard rush, XP good; (H) N. Freel 15-yard rush, XP good.
2Q: (H) Ben Scalzi 5-yard rush, XP good; (H) B. Scalzi 36-yard pass to N. Freel, XP good; (S) Jonathan Goncalves 90-yard interception return, XP good; (H) B. Scalzi 15-yard pass to David Quinlan, XP good; (H) B. Scalzi 38-yard pass to John McDonald, XP failed.
3Q: (S) Liam Dunn 51-yard rush, XP good; (H) J. McDonald 25-yard field goal.
4Q: (H) Marvin Felix 2-yard rush, XP good.
Taunton, 24 vs. Middleboro, 13 – Final 1Q: (T) Tanner Brannon 35-yard fumble return, XP failed.
2Q: (M) Jacob Briggs 66-yard rush, Matt Cohen XP; (T) Malachi Johnson 1-yard rush, 2pt pass failed; (M) J. Briggs 56-yard rush, XP failed; (T) Jacob Leonard 32-yard pass to Jose Touron, 2pt rush failed.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (T) M. Johnson 52-yard rush, 2pt pass failed.
Sharon, 0 @ Dover-Sherborn, 16 – Final
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Attleboro junior Alex Vecchioli scored twice and assisted on a third to lead the Bombardiers to a bounce-back win on the road at Taunton. Vecchioli opened the scoring in the first half, finishing off an assist from Billy Badger to put the visitors ahead 1-0, which they took into halftime. Vecchioli set up the next goal, finding Steve Etienne who scored to make it 2-0. Clay Tyler assisted on Attleboro’s final goal, connecting with Vecchioli, who buried his fourth goal of the week.
King Philip, 1 @ Milford, 3 – Final – A goal-filled first half favored Milford and that was all the scoring in the contest as the Scarlet Hawks staked a 3-1 win over King Philip. The teams traded goals to start as Milford took a 1-0 lead when Eduardo Santana found Mathias Felipe for the opener but King Philip leveled on a goal from Matt Crago, assisted by Dermott Amorim. Santana put the Hawks back ahead, finishing off a corner from Arthur Tome, and then right before the halftime whistle, John Borges found Nick Ribeiro, who squeezed one in from a tough angle.
Sharon, 2 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Sharon scored a pair of goals inside a five-minute span in the second half to secure two points in a win over Mansfield. The Hornets took the lead 10 minutes into the game when Cooper Austin headed in a corner kick from Tyler Znoj for a 1-0 lead, an advantage that Mansfield carried into halftime. In the second half, Palash Raina headed in the equalizer off a cross from Rishi Shetty. Just four minutes later, Cam Birnbaum ran onto a through ball from Adam Eastman and finished for the eventual game-winner. Znoj, Austin, Derek McGrath, Dylan Mullin, Marco Germiniani, and Lucas deSousa played well for Mansfield.
Girls Soccer
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Neither team could find the back of the net in a game where the advantage depended on who had the wind at their backs. Taunton keeper Hayleigh Porter made nine saves to earn the first clean sheet of her career, while Alexis Campbell played well to get her first clean sheet this season. Christina Da Costa, Cali Melo, and Jenna Pereira all played strong games in Taunton’s defense, while Emily Calderon and Juliana Matos sparked the Taunton attack in the second half. Eighth graders Kaylee Lopes, Maddie Crowley, and Lia Abouyazbek also impressed for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 0 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Foxboro and Stoughton played to a scoreless draw at Sam Berns Community Field. The Warriors created a few chances through forward Erin Foley, but couldn’t find the finishing touch. Allie Sougaris made several important stops in the second half and earned her second clean sheet of the season for Foxboro.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final
Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 9 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Rachel DeFlaminis scored a second half hat trick and Mikalyla Thompson finished with three assists to lead the Warriors to a big win at home. Ella Pisani’s brace had KP up 2-0 in the first half (her fifth and sixth goals in the past two games), but Milford cut the lead in half when Dani Atherton’s cross wasn’t cleared and Erin Michelson finished from close range. KP was able to score in the final minute of the half to restore its two-goal lead, as Kylie Menendez finished off a pass from Thompson. Heidi Lawrence added two goals, Ally Pochay scored on a Danielle Gresham corner, and Dani Lomuscio (two assists) slipped a pass through to DeFlaminis to make it 7-1 just 12 minutes into the second half. DeFlaminis would score twice more, one off an assist from Menendez, to wrap up the scoring.
Mansfield @ Sharon – Postponed to Saturday, 10/29 at 10:00AM.
Field Hockey
King Philip, 1 @ Westwood, 2 – Final – King Philip put up a great fight but fell on the road in a non-league tilt at Westwood. Kelly Holmes scored the lone goal for the Warriors while Maggie Murphy had a great game defensively in front of goalie Haley Bright (16 saves).
Stoughton, 0 vs. East Bridgewater, 0 – Final
Volleyball
Attleboro, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Attleboro rolled to a 2-0 lead and then closed out the sweep with a competitive third set over Bridgewater-Raynham (25-14, 25-7, 25-23). Mary Katherine Runey called it a “full team effort” in the win. Natalie Brojek notched 26 assists and six aces, Julia Leonardo recorded 13 kills and five aces, and Addie Shelton chipped in with seven kills and four aces.
Milford @ North Attleboro, 5:15
Golf
Attleboro, 176 @ King Philip, 151 – Final – King Philip’s Cameron Hasenfus carded three birdies in a medalist round to lead the Warriors past Attleboro. Hasenfus birded on the second hole and then back-to-back on seven and eight to finished with a medalist round of 34. Anthony Fraone shot a 37, Jason Silva added a 39, and Gavin Croke rounded out the scoring with a 41.
Mansfield, 177 @ Sharon, 178 – Final – Mansfield senior Drew Urban fired a team-low round of 42 and the Hornets left the Cape Club of Sharon with a one-stroke victory over the Eagles. Brendan Vokey added a 44, Davon Sanders shot a 45, and Jason Friedman rounded out the scoring with a 46.
Oliver Ames senior Chad Silva (6) carries the ball in the first half against Brookline. Silva finished with 161 yards on 17 carries. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. — For starters, there was a lot to like for Oliver Ames head coach Ed DeWitt.
The Tigers rushed for just under 300 yards, scored on four of five drives during the middle quarters, recorded six sacks, and forced three turnovers in a season-opening win, 41-12, over visiting Brookline at Muscato Stadium.
OA opened the game with an eight-play, 62-yard drive capped by a rushing touchdown from senior Chad Silva, and the Tigers never trailed in the contest. Silva finished with 161 yards on just 17 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, senior Jake Manthous finished with four sacks, including one strip sack, and both senior Jack Perron and sophomore Thomas Whiteside had an interception.
“For the most part, I’m pretty happy,” DeWitt said. “There’s definitely stuff we can improve on but it’s Week 1, it’s going to happen. I thought there was some resiliency early, a couple of things didn’t go our way, a couple of drives don’t go our way. But we fought back which is something we’ve talked to this group a lot about, not letting one thing get us down.”
Penalties deterred the Tigers on their second and third drives, a total of nine plays that netted positive three yards because of holding penalties. But OA’s defense was up to the task all night, limiting the visitors to 175 total yards and just 2-for-10 on third down.
Brookline started its second drive of the game in OA territory but on third down, Perron jumped the route just inside his own 20-yard line for the interception to end the Warriors’ biggest threat of the first half.
Oliver Ames football
OA’s offense clicked into gear on the fourth drive again. A healthy dose of Silva — five carries for 48 yards — helped the Tigers move the sticks. Senior quarterback Wayne Casey converted a second and long with a 22-yard pass to Jordan Young (who had two sacks defensively), and on the next play, Silva raced to the end zone from 24 yards out and, after a success point attempt from Nick Ferrini, a 14-0 lead with 5:02 left in the first half.
“It’s nice having him, it’s a guy we can trust,” DeWitt said of Silva, a three-year starter. “He knows our stuff, I can bring up something from two years ago, a play that we had and he allows us to get it in pretty quick. We have some pretty intelligent guys, a lot of studious guys and he’s right up there. He runs hard and he’s tough to tackle.”
A tackle for a loss on second down from Jaden hinton followed by Manthous’ first sack on third down forced Brookline into a quick punt and OA wasted little time moving the ball. Jaden Graham drew a pass interference call on the first play and on the next play, Casey rolled out right, eluded a tackle, and came back left before firing across the field to Whiteside, who was left all alone, and he scampered for a 56-yard touchdown and a 20-0 lead for the hosts going into halftime.
A first down sack from Manthous pushed the Warriors back on the opening drive of the second half and a big heave down field was hauled in by Whiteside, and he returned it 25 yards into Brookline territory.
Although OA gave it right back on an interception of its own, Hinton broke up a screen attempt and Manthous recorded a second down sack, and Brookline was forced to punt once again.
“We made some good plays [on defense],” DeWitt said. “Those interceptions we got were timely because they were in our end, one in the red zone. Those are great plays, [defensive coordinator] coach [Mark] Lenehan does a great job getting them ready. For the most part, I thought we pursued really well, tackled pretty strongly, and our coverage was good all night so I was happy about that.”
Runs from Jack Morley, Whiteside, Henry Mirrione, and Silva produced a pair of first downs, Silva scampered for 29 yards into the red zone, and Casey used a bootleg misdirection keeper to go in from six yards out to make it 27-0.
Oliver Ames football
Brookline got on the board late in the third, converting a fourth down for a score. On 4th and 1, junior quarterback Joshua Karp hit classmate Andrew Bamberg on a quick slant and he broke free for a 56-yard score.
It didn’t take long for OA to respond as sophomore Harold Smith had a big kickoff return all the way to the Brookline 18-yard line. DeWitt rewarded him with his first carry of the night and he was able to bounce it outside to the right and sprint to the end zone for a touchdown on the first play of the drive, making it 34-6.
Manthous put an exclamation mark on his big night on the final play of the third quarter, breaking free from his block to record the strip sack and Giovanni Delarosa recovered to get OA the ball back going into the fourth.
“He was injured last year, he was a little bit lighter but he put in good work during the offseason,” DeWitt said of Manthous. He works hard, he hustles, and he’s a big second part of the play kind of guy. If he doesn’t get you at the beginning, he’s got a big motor and I think he played both ways almost all night.”
Junior CJ Crocker capped the scoring for the Tigers with a 19-yard touchdown with two minutes to play to make it 41-12.
Oliver Ames football (1-0) is home again next Friday when they entertain Quincy at 7:00.
Outlook: After experiencing some growing pains against a tough schedule last season, the Bulldogs boast a good number of returning players looking to have a bounce-back year in 2022.
Canton has key pieces in key spots on the field and has a total of 22 seniors on the roster. The defense will be filled with veterans including a talented group of linebackers that include seniors Jack Flaherty (captain) and Hayden Rose along with junior captain Owen Lane. While the linebackers are likely to be the heart of the defense, the Bulldogs also have some key experience – and some noticeable size – on the defensive line with seniors Julian Prentice (captain) and Jack Digirolamo. In the secondary, Charlie Cox and Josh Richards will man the safety positions to anchor the secondary unit.
The Bulldogs have a familiar face back at quarterback in Lane, an athletic lefty that can make plays with both his feet and his arm. As just a sophomore a year ago, Lane gained valuable experience and will be looking to build on a solid campaign. He will work behind a somewhat inexperienced line that is anchored by senior captain Matt Lesser at center with Nathan Levis and sophomore Luke Richard at guard, and junior Giovanni Disasio and sophomore Luke Laguerre at tackle. Senior Godson Ofonagoro has transferred in and will be in the mix at running back along with James Robbins, Cole Ouellette, and Michael Sayers.
Canton opens the season on the road at Dighton-Rehoboth but then hosts back-to-back non-league games as the Bulldogs look to build some momentum before their first meeting with Mansfield since 2012.
Outlook:
Foxboro narrowly missed out on a trip to Gillette last year, falling in the Div. 5 state semifinal. The reigning Davenport division champions will have to replace the production of league MVP Dylan Gordon, but the Warriors have a host of younger players ready to step into bigger roles this season and will be excited about adding league title drama to their Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Mansfield.
Even graduating its starting tailback and quarterback, Foxboro will have a lot of depth in the skill positions this season with several underclassmen showing that they are ready to contribute right away. Sophomore Mike Marcucella will take over under center and will have plenty of options in the backfield and at receiver. Junior Lincoln Moore has the strength and quickness to be a dynamic runner along with junior Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady, senior Jaiquann Williams, and sophomore Ben Angelini. Senior Payton France will be an option at wideout, junior Tony Sulham adds speed wherever he lines up, and sophomore Nolan Gordon will be a big target on the outside. The offensive line is loaded with size this season. Senior Andrew Finn will be the leader of a group that includes junior Nate Urman and sophomore Jonathan Balde. Sam Carpenter is one of the league’s top kickers and gives Foxboro the chance for points every possession.
Defense has always been a focal point for the Warriors and they have plenty of experience returning to be a strong group. As one offense, Foxboro will have plenty of size up front. Finn and Mazenkas-O’Grady are constant threats from the ends with Urman and Balde helping out in the interior. Moore was a standout linebacker as a sophomore and he leads a group that includes Williams and Angelini. Sulham is a lockdown corner and Gordon, Francis, and Marcucella will all add depth in the secondary.
“If the players and coaches are patient and are mindful that you never pick up where you left off, assuming nothing, this can be a good football team, characterized by senior strength and tremendous underclass talent,” said Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli.
Outlook:
It usually doesn’t take Mansfield long to rebuild and the Hornets come into the new season with an experienced core of returning players, particularly in the skill positions, that is poised to challenge not only for the program’s first Davenport division title but also to make a deep run in the state tournament. With nearly all of its production back from last year, Mansfield will be counting on that year of experience to be ready for a tough schedule meant to prepare the Hornets for the playoffs.
The Mansfield offense should have plenty of balance to it this season. Senior Conner Zukowski will be back under center for the Hornets and he has a host of weapons to take advantage of in both the passing and ground games. Seniors Drew Sacco and Rocco Scarpellini will be in the backfield this season and both are dynamic runners who can grind yards or break big plays. Juniors Brian Butler and Nolan Bordieri could also be added to the mix. Junior Connor Curtis will give another option as a running QB. Junior Trevor Foley emerged as one of the top receivers in the league last season and junior CJ Bell, Bordieri, and junior Brandon Jackman give the Hornets a lot of depth on the outside, while senior Ryan DeGirolamo gives Zukowski a big target at tight end. The line should also be deep this season, led by seniors Jephte Jean and Colton Johnson and newcomers senior Dexter Harris, and juniors Aidan Gleavy, Matt Tryon, and Jason Riley.
Experience is a strength on the other side of the ball as well. Foley and Bell give Mansfield playmakers in the secondary that will cause havoc with opposition passing attacks. Bordieri and Jackman will add to that defensive back group. Jean was an imposing force on the defensive line and he will be helped by Gleavy and Harris. DeGirolamo gives the Hornets a threat from his defensive end position and Riley could step into that role on the other side. Scarpellini and senior Caden Colby will return at linebacker.
“Depth and experience at offensive skill positions with the return of about 95 percent of the team’s production from last year,” Mansfield head coach Mike Redding said of his team’s strength. “Defensive group is also experienced with the secondary returning three of the four starters and two of the three linebackers, so good experience there as well.”
Outlook: Buoyed by a productive offseason, Oliver Ames is looking to get back into the heart of the division title race this season. The Tigers have a strong nucleus of players back and are hoping a strong line – both offensively and defensively – will pave the way for success this season.
Three of the Tigers’ five captains call the offensive line home so OA will lean heavily on that unit to pave the way for the offense. Columbia University-commit Jaden Hinton has transformed into one of the best two-way linemen in not only the Hock but in the state. He will be joined by fellow captains Chris Young and John Carey, as well as classmate Luis Fernandes. The unit will be in charge of creating holes for four-year starter and captain Chad Silva. After handling lead blocking duties last year, Silva will likely be the feature back for the Tigers and has a great combination of power and speed.
Senior captain Wayne Casey will start under center and will be tasked with controlling the offense. He will work with Robert Jenkins, Jaden Graham, and Bronson Burnham as weapons on offense.
Silva is back for another year at linebacker and is a big-time playmaker on that side of the ball. Seniors Jack Morley and Jordan Young round out an experienced group while Hinton will work with Young, Fernandes, and classmate Donovan Howard along the defensive line. Seniors Jack Perron and Nick Ferrini will play in the secondary alongside Jenkins and Graham.
“I am thrilled about the work our older guys have put in this offseason and really think it should help them pay off,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “We really want to continue to improve week to week and play with more consistency than we did last year.”
Outlook:
Sharon is continuing its independent schedule this fall and, with 13 returning starters, the Eagles will have plenty of experience. Depth continues to be a challenge for the program, but there is room for development, and head coach Dave Morse is hoping that a very young roster will continue to develop this season.
Junior quarterback Liam Conway will lead an offense that is going to try and add more balance this season. Senior Kyle Samuels and junior Jacob McLoughlin will be the primary targets in the passing game. Juniors Gabe Korn and Duncan Seaman will be in the backfield and will give the Eagles a couple of threats in the running game. Senior fullback Joden Chanel will try and lead the way in the running game and senior lineman Dan Davis will be there to open holes.
Defensively, Sharon wants to be more aggressive. Korn and Seaman will lead the linebacking corps and add playmaking on the defensive side of the ball. Davis will be an impact player on the line and Chanel will give Sharon speed on the edge. In the secondary, Samuels will be one of the top cover guys, while junior Elijah Wisdom will be a ball hawk at free safety.
“Hoping to continue to develop and turn that into winning football games,” Morse said. “We are still very young because of the lack of seniors but it is my job to get all of our players up to speed at the varsity level.”
Editor’s note: Sharon is competing a non-league schedule this season.
Outlook: Stoughton finished in the middle of the pack in the Davenport division after an injury-plagued season last year. The Black Knights reached the state tournament and kept it close before falling in the first round, and ended the season with a win over rival Canton on Thanksgiving to finish at 5-6.
Between the graduating seniors and the players returning from injury, there will be plenty of new playmakers for the Black Knights this season. One familiar face will be the one under center as junior Jarred Daughtry is back at quarterback after getting a lot of reps a season ago. Daughtry showed that he can make plays with his arm but he’s very athletic and will be someone opposing defenses have to keep an eye out for.
Running the Wing-T, Daughtry will have senior Tagh Swiezewski and juniors Liam Pearl and Alex Huynh – both of who got off to promising sophomore campaigns before injuries. All three will be involved in blocking and running, and also key pieces in the Stoughton passing game. Junior James Currier has emerged as a top option as a receiver as well.
Stoughton has been known for its tough defenses over the years under longtime head coach Greg Burke, and the Black Knights will be looking to continue that tradition this year. Stoughton gave up over 23 points per game last, which was unusually high for a program that has kept teams under 20 for at least the six seasons prior to that. An athletic secondary will feature Swierziewski, Daughtry, Huynh, and Currier. Timmy Chung returns as one of the starting linebackers alongside Pearl and Beder, while Laz, Noel, and Thomas will all be two-way linemen.
“We need to stay healthy and improve on the line,” said Burke. “We need younger players to play and to improve every week.”
Taunton senior Trent Santos hauls in a 61-yard touchdown pass in the first half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
TAUNTON, Mass. – Taunton’s two-game losing streak came to an emphatic end on Thursday night.
The Tigers had their best offensive outing in three seasons, scoring six touchdowns plus a field goal to grab a 45-20 win in the Tiger Bowl over Oliver Ames in a non-league crossover clash.
After a close loss to King Philip two weeks ago and a setback to Franklin last week in a game that was closer than the scoreline indicated,
Taunton football
Taunton got back into the win column for the fourth time this season.
Taunton senior Trent Santos hauls in a 61-yard touchdown pass in the first half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
“Offensively we knew we’d have the chance to score some points and we did a good job there,” said Taunton head coach Brad Sidwell. “I’m proud of our guys, we haven’t scored that many points in a while.”
Taunton football
Taunton picked up points on its first three drives — a field goal followed by two touchdowns — which all came in the opening quarter of the game. The host Tigers scored inside the final two minutes of the first half and less than two minutes into the second half and added two more in the third quarter to get the win.
The defense set the tone by forcing Oliver Ames into a three-and-out on the first series of the game. OA punted on each of its first three drives, had two series end on turnovers, and one turnover on downs.
A high snap slowed Taunton’s first drive of the game and the hosts settled for a 31-yard field goal off the right foot of senior Nate Keenan.
The offense didn’t need much time on its second drive to find the end zone. After Evan Perrotta (13 carries, 56 yards) moved the chains with a 10-yard run on first down, junior quarterback Jacob Leonard found Trent Santos in single coverage down the right sideline. Leonard dropped the pass into Santos’ hands in stride and the senior, who missed last week due to injury, did the rest for a 61-yard touchdown.
OA couldn’t get anything going offensively on its third series, partly due to a tackle for a loss from Ryan MacDougall, and the visiting Tigers had to punt, pinning Taunton inside its own 20-yard line.
The long field didn’t phase Taunton, who scored on its first play of the drive. Leonard dropped back and hit Perrotta on a screen. The senior back squirmed through the defense up the middle but OA kept with the play and forced a fumble. But before any OA player could pounce on the loose ball, Taunton senior tightend Faisal Mass scooped up the loose ball and raced his way to the end zone from 54 yards out.
Just like that,
Taunton football
Taunton held a 17-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
“We have to come out better,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “I don’t think it’s an X’s and O’s, I think they are blocking their stuff right…we just came out flat tonight. There wasn’t enough emotion…and when something goes wrong, we have to fight back.”
Oliver Ames put together a much-needed response that took nearly six minutes of the clock. Senior quarterback Jake Grimaldi connected with classmate Sean Friel, who fought for some extra yards to move the sticks with a 24-yard gain. Junior running back Collin Williamson (15 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD) broke free for 21 yards on the next play and then converted a third down inside the red zone three plays later. After that, Williamson took the handoff to the left and found his way into the end zone to make it 17-7.
“Collin’s great, he runs hard,” DeWitt said. “Sometimes it takes us a little bit to figure out where his seam is but when we do, he hits it and when he gets through, he’s a hard tackle and finishes runs for us. He’s been doing it all year for us.
OA’s defense held Taunton to just four yards on its next series, getting good coverage from junior Jordan Young on second down to help get the ball back. OA started to move the ball on its next drive but Nathen LaPlante had a big tackle for loss, OA was hit with a holding call, and Taunton sophomore Troy Santos intercepted a third down pass near midfield, taking it all the way to the OA 25-yard line with just 3:31 left in the half.
Taunton football
Taunton kept it on the ground for this series, handing it off to Perrotta four consecutive plays, the last for a 2-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead going into halftime.
OA took a chance to start the second half, going for an onside kick on the opening kickoff. The visiting Tigers got the blocks they wanted but the ball bounced out and Taunton took over with good field position. The hosts took advantage of that field position, needing just three plays to add to its lead.
Leonard hit Perrotta with a swing pass out in the flat that went for 28 yards and then the Perrotta took back-to-back handoffs, the latter going for a 4-yard touchdown and a 31-7 lead with 10:20 left in the third.
“We haven’t finished the last two weeks so the whole thing this week was about finishing, and we did which was good to see,” Sidwell said.”With the new playoff system, you’re winning a game and you’re trying to keep that certain lead, keep it at the max. You’re not being unsportsmanlike, you’re trying to do the math figuring out the difference.”
It didn’t take long for Oliver Ames to respond. On just the second play of the ensuing drive, Robert Jenkins (68 receiving yards, 87 rushing yards) took a counter to the left before cutting up the field and through the difference, running away for a 77-yard touchdown with 9:13 to play in the third.
Chad Silva recorded a tackle for loss on second down and junior defensive end Chris Young made a nice play by getting his hands up to bat down a third down pass at the line, forcing Taunton to punt. Grimaldi hit Jenkins for 22 yards and a first down and Williamson gained five on the next play but Troy Santos read the play nicely on the next play, undercutting the pass for his second interception of the game.
Facing 3rd and 11, Leonard hit sophomore Jose Touron on a comeback route on the right side and he was able to break free from the defense and took off for 62 yards, tackled at the 1-yard line. Keenan burst up the middle and into the end zone for a touchdown and Taunton pushed the lead to 38-14 with 3:58 left in the third.
OA’s offense had another response to keep within striking distance. Williamson broke out for 35 yards on first down and Grimaldi kept it on a QB sneak four plays later to convert a fourth and short. Two plays later, Williamson bounced it outside to the right and used his speed to sprint away from the defense for a 34-yard touchdown. That cut the deficit to 38-20 with just 10 seconds left in the third.
“We fought a bit, tried the onside kicks to get back into it but there were some positives we can take from the second half,” DeWitt said.”We felt like we really came out flat in the first half, not much to build on. We put our knee down on the opening kickoff and then had a false start on the first play…and it spirals from there.
“When we got it to 17-7, we have to hammer down there and keep that score going into the half. We just have to come out strong and playing within the aspect of the game, managing the game a bit better.”
Taunton senior Trent Santos hauls in a 61-yard touchdown pass in the first half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Taunton football
Taunton recovered the ensuing onside kick and march 55 yards on 7 plays to add another touchdown. Leonard hit Santos early in the drive to move the sticks and Keenan had a 21-yard gain on third down to keep the drive alive. Touron took the sweep to the right and Santos blocked the corner to allow the ball carrier to get into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and a 45-20 lead with 9:21 to play.
“Our offense did a good job moving the ball but we have to establish the run game a little bit more, especially when you’re having a little trouble stopping the run. But I’m proud of the way our guys played. We’re trying to get healthy and better for the remainder of the season. The gauntlet of the Kelley-Rex [division] is really hard.”
Both teams have a tough schedule as they head into the final two weeks of division play. Taunton football (0-2 Kelley-Rex, 4-2 overall) hits the road to take on Mansfield while Oliver Ames (1-1 Davenport, 2-4 overall) returns home to host North Attleboro.
