Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 83 vs. Middleboro, 52 – Final – Foxboro’s offense was nearly unstoppable in the third quarter as the Warriors used a 26-point frame to blow the game wide open in a win over Middleboro, claiming the Warrior Classic Championship. Senior Dylan Gordon made half of his 12 field goals in the third quarter alone and had 14 of his team-high 28 points as Foxboro turned a 10-point halftime lead (35-25) into a 61-36 advantage going into the fourth. Junior Alex Penders added 16 points on eight makes from the floor and Sam Golub sank four threes, finishing with 13 points.
King Philip, 56 vs. Hanover, 65 – Final – King Philip cut the deficit down to three going into the final quarter but the Warriors couldn’t keep pace with Hanover over the final eight minutes. KP used a 24-point third quarter, getting a pair of threes from Charlie Grant (11 points), seven points from Braeden Sottile (13 points) and six from Will Laplante (15 points) to make it 45-42 going into the fourth but Hanover pulled away with the win over the final eight minutes.
North Attleboro, 27 vs. Randolph, 51 – Final – North Attleboro trailed by just six at halftime and played good defense throughout, but couldn’t keep pace with the Blue Devils in the second half. Casey Poirier scored half of his eight points in the first and Givany Carney had four as the Rocketeers established a 10-6 lead after eight minutes. Randolph took control with a 19-point second quarter, taking a 25-19 advantage into the break. Brody Rosenberg added six points for North.
Stoughton, 66 vs. Southeastern, 44 – Final – Stoughton held Southeastern scoreless for over seven minutes in the third quarter, turning a tie game at halftime in a blowout win. The Knights were deadlocked at 32-32 at the break but came out and dominated the Hawks in the third, opening on a 15-0 run before Southeastern got on the board with under a minute to go. Stoughton put the game away with a 9-2 burst to open the fourth quarter. Connor Andrews scored 11 points in the pivotal third quarter and finished with a game-high 25 points while junior Rayan Sablon connected on five threes and finished with 20 points. Konrad Rogers chipped in with a career-best 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 53 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Despite three players in double digits, Foxboro fell to visiting Walpole in the final of the Warrior Classic. Kailey Sullivan led the way with 17 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Hannah Blake and Camryn Collins each finished with 13 points.
Oliver Ames, 46 vs. Medfield, 64 – Final – Oliver Ames entered halftime trailing by just two (29-27) but a big third quarter from Medfield created the separation the Warriors needed to get the win. Caroline Peper had a team-high 15 points, Jasmyn Cooper added 14 points, and Sarah Hilliard chipped in with 10 points for The Tigers, who will host Medfield in a rematch on Thursday.
King Philip, 58 @ Shrewsbury, 29 – Final – KP won for the second time in as many days and clinched a spot in the state tournament. The Warriors held Shrewsbury to just two points in the first quarter and 10 points in the opening half to build a double-digit lead. Coming out of the break, KP scored 22 points in the third quarter to break the game open and then secured the win by holding Shrewsbury to only five points over the final eight minutes. Emily Sawyer had a big day in the middle for the Warriors, nearly matching Shrewsbury on her own by scoring 24 points. Julia Marsden and Elizabeth Molla each scored 10 points in the in win and Jackie Bonner returned from an injury to knock down a pair of threes and score eight points.
Stoughton, 52 @ Waltham, 61 – Final – Stoughton put up a great fight but fell on the road in its final game of the season. Senior Vanessa Phelimond led Stoughton with 11 points while senior Kate Bulger chipped in with nine points.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro had an offensive explosion on Tuesday afternoon, netting a pair of shorthanded goals in a win over Attleboro. The Warriors put 54 shots on net with Jack Watts pacing the offense with a hat trick and one assist. Ben Ricketts added two goals and Matt Grace finished with three assists.
Canton, 6 vs. Boston Latin, 2 – Final
Stoughton, 2 @ Taunton, 2 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Canton got a pair of second period goals from its defense to come from behind and beat Franklin. With the win, the Bulldogs sweep the season series with the Panthers and complete an undefeated league campaign. Franklin took the lead in the first when Molly Hurley redirected a pass from Lindsay Dennett. Canton answered back in the second, as Tori Carr and Maya Battista both found the back of the net. The Bulldogs were able to fend off pressure from the Panthers in the third to pick up the win.
Sharon sophomore Jacob McLoughlin, who had a team-high 15 points, goes up for a layup in the first half against Stoughton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
STOUGHTON, Mass. — Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson is usually preaching for his players to be unselfish, urging them to share the ball and make the extra pass.
But going into Friday night’s clash on the road in Stoughton, Ferguson said the Eagles needed to be selfish.
Not on the court, of course, but rather in terms of the Davenport division title race. Sharon clinched a share of the title on Tuesday, but if the Eagles didn’t grab a win on Friday, there was a chance of sharing the Davenport with potentially Foxboro and/or Oliver Ames.
Fittingly, it was an unselfish performance that resulted in five players scoring in double figures and the Eagles outlasted the Black Knights, emerging with a hard-fought 65-61 to claim sole possession of the Davenport, the program’s first league title since 2014.
“We have been very lucky with some of the results around the league in the games that we have lost, so we didn’t want to leave it up to anyone else tonight, we wanted to take care of it ourselves,” Ferguson said. “And then to do it bouncing back after those first eight minutes, I’m so unbelievably proud of this group. The Davenport beats itself into mediocrity, we are just so evenly matched every night. So to be able to claim ourselves as division champions, it’s got a good ring to it.
“Our fourth quarter, they just didn’t give up. And it was both teams too, neither team gave up. We talked about grinding every single possession, and that’s what that was for the last eight minutes.”
Sophomore Jacob McLoughlin had a team-high 15 points and four assists, sophomore Nate Katznelson added 13 points and four boards, senior Ryan Zunenshine had 12 points and 11 rebounds, senior Donyae Pierre finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, and junior Matt Baur (nine rebounds) scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Foxboro and Oliver Ames both did win their games, leaving the chance for a three-way tie as the Eagles and Black Knights ended up as the last game to finish in the league.
After falling behind 16-4 through one quarter of action, the Eagles battled back to make it a one-point game at halftime (26-25) and the two squads were level (38-38) going into the fourth.
The fourth, though it had its share of whistles like the first three quarters, saw the best back-and-forth of the game. There were five lead changes or ties in the opening minutes, and although Sharon led for the final five minutes, the advantage never grew past two possessions and was at one basket for the majority of the frame.
Maybe the biggest swing came just before the three minute mark. After McLoughlin dropped in a runner to make it 51-47, the Eagles nearly had a stop on the other end. Konrad Rogers was able to pounce on the loose ball for Stoughton, got it in the hands of Rayan Sablon (16 points, nine rebounds, four assists), and he found Cashmere Mathurin (10 points, eight rebounds) on a big alley-oop that brought the crowd to their feet.
The home side’s momentum was short-lived. The Knights were caught sinking too far in their 2-3 zone and Katznelson found Baur alone in the corner for a wide-open three.
Rogers answered with two free throws for Stoughton but McLoughlin found some space, got by his man, and finished his shot plus the foul to make it 57-51 with two minutes to go.
Stoughton took advantage of an offense rebound and Sablon kicked it to freshman Matt Greenspoon for a three to cut the deficit in half at 57-54. Out of a timeout, the Eagles got the ball to Zunenshine and he burst past his defender for a layup.
“They played a box-and-one [on Baur] against us last time, we knew they’d want to take him away so we had to have other guys step up, and we have all the confidence in the world in them to do it,” Ferguson said. “Jacob and Nate aren’t playing like sophomores anymore, Ryan stepped up huge for us…every game that came in contributed for us.”
Sharon got a stop and extended the lead to 60-54 on a free throw from McLoughlin. Connor Andrews answered with a tough two, plus the foul, to make it a one-possession game as the clock ticked under a minute to go.
The Eagles missed a pair from the line but Stoughton couldn’t cut into the deficit any further, off on a three and then off on a putback attempt.
Baur made four free throws down the stretch and McLoughlin added another to ice the win.
It was a slow start for both teams, with Sharon holding a meager 2-1 lead through four minutes of action. Stoughton’s offense erupted through and finished with a 15-0 run over the final 3:22. Andrews lone triple of the game helped spark the run, Liam Pearl had a steal and a layup, Sablon added some free throws, and then Pearl beat the buzzer with a putback for a 16-4 lead.
“I thought we missed a few easy baskets earlier in the game that we usually hit, and some late too,” said Stoughton head coach Evan Taylor. The Black Knights made just a trio of threes on 21 attempts. “I think it probably had to do with nerves and the excitement of the game, it was a great atmosphere in the gym tonight. But this one felt like it got away from us.”
After Katznelson and Greenspoon traded baskets to start the second, the Eagles’ aggressiveness resulted in a lot of whistles and trips to the line. McLoughlin, Zunenshine, and Pierre cut into the Stoughton lead with free throws and alter in the period, Katznelson drained a three to halve the lead. Katznelson then finished off a steal, Mathurin answered for Stoughton but McLoughlin added a late bucket on a pass from John Baez to make it 26-25 at the half.
“Our second quarter was really good because the first quarter we played poorly and didn’t shoot the ball well,” Ferguson said. “And that bled a little bit into our defense but the second quarter we came back and I thought we played awesome.”
Sharon boys basketball (9-7 Hockomock, 11-7 overall) will close out the regular season with a pair of home games in the Dudley Davenport Tournament, hosting Ashland on Sunday. Stoughton (6-10, 7-10) is on the road for its final three games. The Black Knights are on the edge of the postseason based on the latest ratings but could clinch a spot if they win their final three games, starting with a trip to North Andover on Sunday.
Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
Mack Gulla, Franklin
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Chris Leonardo, Attleboro
Kaiden Murray, Attleboro
Jared Arone, Franklin
Shane Kindred, Franklin
Will Tracey, Franklin
Joe Tirrell, Franklin
Hunter Hastings, King Philip
Crawford Cantave, King Philip
Rudy Gately, King Philip
Mark DeGirolamo, Mansfield
Jephte Jean, Mansfield
Trevor Foley, Mansfield
Rocco Scarpellini, Mansfield
Tyler Lane, Milford
Marco Monteiro, Milford
Isaiah Pantalone, Milford
Trent Santos, Taunton
Davenport Division MVP
Dylan Gordon, Foxboro
Davenport Division All Stars
Bahsor Mahn, Canton
Tom Marcucella, Foxboro
Rashaad Way, Foxboro
Dylan Kerrigan, Foxboro
Aidan Hughes, Foxboro
Tom Sharkey, Foxboro
Tyler DeMattio, North Attleboro
Tyler Bannon, North Attleboro
Jared Vacher, North Attleboro
Keysun Wise, North Attleboro
Gavin Wells, North Attleboro
Collin Williamson, Oliver Ames
Jonah Ly, Stoughton
Anthony Girolamo, Stoughton
Emmett Pearl, Stoughton
Shawn Fargher, Stoughton
Honorable Mentions
Isaac Pereira, Attleboro
Colin Albert, Canton
Ryan Addeche, Foxboro
Cullen Pek, Franklin
Nick Viscusi, King Philip
Joseph Forte, Mansfield
Evan Cornelius, Milford
Greg Berthiaume, North Attleboro
Chad Silva, Oliver Ames
Konrad Rogers, Stoughton
Jose Touron, Taunton
Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
Stoughton senior Anthony Girolamo muscles his way to a first down in the second half against Oliver Ames. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – The end of the first half and beginning of the second half couldn’t have gone worse for Stoughton during last week’s trip to Mansfield.
It couldn’t have gone much better this time around.
Sparked by a broken play, the Black Knights finally got on the scoreboard with less than a minute to go in the first half and then scored on all four of its drives in the second half to land a 35-7 win on the road against Oliver Ames.
Locked in a scoreless game, Stoughton’s first two drives combined for eight plays and six yards, and the Knights lined up to punt on fourth down after their third drive stalled at their own 35-yard line with time running out in the second quarter.
But a low snap and pressure from an Oliver Ames special teamer forced senior Emmett Pearl to abandon the kick and take off running down the left sideline, sprinting 10 yards to move the sticks and keep the drive going.
“That was his decision, that was huge,” said Stoughton head coach Greg Burke.
Seven plays later, facing a 3rd and 20 from near midfield, sophomore quarterback Jarred Daughtry rolled out to the right on a bootleg, planted his feet, and fired back to the left side where Pearl, who had lined up on the right side of the formation, sprinted free and hauled in the catch, going for a 49 touchdown with just 29 seconds left in the half.
“It was a low snap and I saw the kid rushing, and I saw the open sideline and I wanted to score before halftime,” Pearl said. “I took off and it paid off. We really haven’t practice that so it was more my call off of instincts. I think coach felt the momentum with me and gave me a shot [on the touchdown].
“We learned our lesson from last week about staying up and keeping the lead. We fought and didn’t let the momentum take over after their touchdown.”
That spark ignited the Stoughton offense, which couldn’t be stopped the rest of the way. The Black Knights received the opening kickoff of the second half and quickly marched 65 yards on nine plays, highlighted by a 26-yard pass from Daughtry to Jonay Ly (11 carries, 82 yards, one touchdown).
Stoughton football
Stoughton faced a 3rd and 2 inside the 10-yard line and the Tigers got to Anthony Girolamo (12 carries, 118 yards, two touchdowns) in the backfield but the senior running back withstood the hit and bulldozed his way forward for a first down. Two plays later, Ly plunged in from a yard out as the Knights doubled their lead to 14-0.
“The end of the half one really sucked,” said OA head coach Ed DeWitt. “We felt good at halftime, just made the one mistake, but they came out right away and scored. We thought we had a shot to get a tackle to get them into a longer fourth down but [Girolamo] breaks the tackle and they get in the next play. It’s kind of a killer. We’d like to get a little more push back there.”
Oliver Ames marched into the red zone, helped by runs from Collin Williamson and Chad Silva, for the second time in the game but came up empty-handed again. Stoughton’s Michael Jardim defended a pass in the end zone in the first half to end the Tigers’ first trip and this time around, a sack from Tyler Noel and Liam Joyce pushed OA back and on second down and Pearl came up with an interception on the next play.
“I don’t know if we’re at their level yet but I think we’re really close,” DeWitt said. “But when they had a shot, they got it in. When we had a shot, we don’t. If you score during the two red zone trips, it’s a different game. We’re playing differently, they have to play it differently, and all of a sudden you’re right in the game. But those big point swings are hard to overcome.”
Stoughton football
Stoughton turned that interception into more points, going 83 yards on just six plays. Ly had back-to-back carries of nine and 12 yards, Girolamo broke free for 26 more yards, Konrad Rogers added 10 yards, and two plays later, Girolamo muscled his way to a 16-yard touchdown.
“We’re happy with the way we’re doing it,” Burke said, “As long as we can stay healthy I think we can hang in there with anybody…we’re going to be fighting and clawing and that’s Stoughton all the way.”
Oliver Ames reached into its bag of tricks to get on the scoreboard and get some momentum back. A reverse on the first play saw junior Jaden Graham go for 14 yards and a first down. On the next, senior quarterback Jake Grimaldi tossed a quick pass out to classmate Sean Friel, who was behind the line of scrimmage. Friel launched a pass down the left sideline and junior Jack Morley hauled it in, broke free from the last defender, and toed the line for a 51-yard touchdown.
The momentum was short-lived for OA, as the onside kick attempt just slipped through and Stoughton took over. Two plays later, Girolamo burst up the middle for a 45-yard touchdown and a 28-7 lead.
Stoughton got its second fourth down stop of the game and went 41 yards on seven plays, capped by a fourth down touchdown pass from Daughtry and Jardim from 11 yards out.
“Last week was tough, we played hard,” Burke said. “We didn’t win but we learned some lessons and fixed some mistakes. We’re just going to keep getting better and we’re happy we got our first league win. We’re hoping to get into the playoffs like everybody else in America.”
Stoughton football (1-0 Hockomock Davenport, 2-2 overall) is back on the road for the third straight week when it travels to Foxboro (3-1). Oliver Ames (0-1, 1-3) will try to bounce back when it takes to Canton.
Outlook:
Canton was bound to have a rebuilding year in 2020, as the Bulldogs moved on from a historically successful class of players that won back-to-back league titles for the first time since the early 80s. With a second year under head coach Anthony Fallon, Canton will be looking to build on that experience and try to climb back up the standings this fall.
The strength for the Bulldogs will be on defense. Canton has a tough linebacking corps and an experienced secondary to try and slow down opposing offenses. There will be some new faces up front after graduations on the line of scrimmage but there are playmakers in this defensive unit. Senior Colin Albert is a tough tackler and someone who covers a lot of ground at linebacker and he’s joined by classmate Bashor Mahn, who is a leader on that side of the ball. Senior Andy Butler and junior Charlie Cox return at the safety positions and senior Vincent O’Brien is the top cover guy at corner.
Offensively, Canton battled injuries and consistency last year, but there are players capable of making big plays. Albert is a bruising runner, who filled in nicely last season after an injury to starting running back Cam Sanchez. Mahn will add depth and a different dynamic in the backfield. Butler, O’Brien, and Cox are a trio of tough receivers that can be used in various ways. As on defense, there will be some new faces up front but decent size and there is also youth at the quarterback position.
“Our strength will be our defense,” Fallon said. “With a strong core of LBs back and three of our four secondary guys we should be tough to score on. On offense we will be young but big up front and have a couple of guys who can spring some big plays.”
Outlook:
Foxboro came as close as anyone to beating North Attleboro last season and nearly forced a three-way tie at the top of the Davenport division. As usual, the Warriors did it with defense, allowing only 48 points in five games with only Stoughton and North reaching double digits. This season, the Warriors should be right in the mix again with experienced skill position players and speed all over the field.
Senior Tom Marcucella is the returning quarterback from last year and he should have a lot of weapons to utilize in the Foxboro offense. Dylan Gordon is stepping in as the primary back this year with dynamic athletes Rashaad Way and Tom Sharkey lining up on the outside. Foxboro should have good balance on that side of the ball. There is also plenty of experience on the line, led by seniors Dylan Kerrigan, Steven Bridges, and Eric Kristenson. Special teams should also chip in with points this year, as junior kicker Sam Carpenter is back after a strong sophomore season and Way will be one of the top return threats in the league.
Defense is something the program prides itself on and the Warriors are looking at a deep, experienced group at linebacker and a playmaking secondary. Senior nose tackle Ryan Addeche, junior defensive end Andrew Finn, and senior Aidan Hughes will add to the strength at the line of scrimmage. Senior Omarion Otto-Broomstein and Kerrigan will be the players to watch at linebacker with their combo of speed and aggressiveness. The secondary is filled with ball-hawks, including Gordon, Sharkey, and Way.
“We are greatly looking forward to a somewhat normal football season even with a very short turnaround period from last year,” said Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli. “The kids are excited, resilient, and appear to be making the focused transition while retaining a great deal of what was taught last year.”
Outlook:
North Attleboro has won the league title in five of the past six seasons, including four out of five in the Davenport. The Rocketeers bounced back last year by going unbeaten and regaining the title. Now Big Red returns an experienced crew on both sides of the ball and, as usual, will have the target on its back as the team to beat in the division. North faces Bishop Feehan, Mansfield, and King Philip to start the season so will know right away where it stands.
It starts on offense with senior Tyler DeMattio. North’s quarterback is a playmaker using either his arm or his legs and is just as capable grinding out a long drive as hitting a big play for a touchdown. Keeping DeMattio healthy will be a key and to help give other weapons in the backfield, senior Tyler Bannon will be used as a power back. There is a lot of talent in the slot and out wide with seniors Danny Curran, Gavin Wells, and Joey Perriello among the players who could step in and contribute. Up front, senior Jared Vacher will be the leader of the offensive line, and his versatility allows some flexibility as to where players slot in. Senior Keysun Wise will also be counted on to open holes for DeMattio and the offense.
On defense, North will have several positions to fill and players that will be building experience over the course of the season. Linebacker should be a strength. Bannon is a playmaker on the outside, whether he lines up on the end as a pass rusher or drops back into coverage. Junior Greg Berthiaume started as the “mike” last year as a sophomore and has great instincts when reading the play. Vacher and Wise will get help on the line from junior Zach Gallagher, who started on the offensive line as a sophomore. The secondary is athletic, with Nathan Shultz (a three-year varsity player) joined by Wells, Curran, and Perriello.
“On the proverbial ‘paper’ we’ve got some experience coming back that should enable us to be competitive, but every year is a new team that comes with new leadership and a cast of different players that have to find a way to get it done,” said North coach Don Johnson. “We have to develop some quality depth and stay healthy if we want to be in the hunt in the end.”
Outlook:
Oliver Ames is in its second year back in the Davenport division and head coach Ed DeWitt is looking for the Tigers to push up the standings and be more competitive with the teams above them. With experienced players coming back, especially at the skill positions, OA will be focused on more consistency on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the Tigers only scored 46 points in six games last year, and only twice did they score more than 10 points in a game. OA will need more scoring punch to try and make a bigger impact in the league. Junior running back Chad Silva will be the focal point of the attack again this season. A bruising, every down back, Silva is a downhill runner that is hard to tackle. Senior Collin Williamson gives OA a change of pace with his ability to get to the outside and make people miss. Senior quarterback Jake Grimaldi is the leader on that side of the ball with classmate Sean Friel being a top target on the outside.
Up front, OA returns several players who will have key roles on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Senior Onyekachukwu-Obinani Nwadiugwu will play on the line on offense and drop back to linebacker on defense. Seniors Minh Nguyen and Jaden Hinton and juniors John Carey and Chris Young add to the size at the line. Silva and classmate Jack Morley are both strong linebackers who can cover a lot of ground. Williamson, Friel, and junior Robert Jenkins will give OA playmakers in the secondary. The concern for the Tigers will be depth over the course of a long season.
“We are trying to get to a more competitive level within the league,” DeWitt said. “We need to take that next step of being a team that makes other teams work hard. We want to be a difficult team to play against.”
Outlook:
The Black Knights came up just short in the quest for the Davenport division during the Fall 2 season, and there will be plenty of new faces stepping into new roles this season. Stoughton graduated a very talented senior class that featured nearly a dozen players that played at least two years at the varsity level, highlighted by division MVP Christopher Ais, Christian Ais, Christian Georges, and quarterback John Burke among others.
Now there’s a group mixed with some returners and some new faces eager to prove that Stoughton isn’t in a rebuilding year, but just reloaded and looking to battle for the division crown. Senior linebacker and fullback Anthony Girolamo was one of Stoughton’s most impactful players last season before an injury cut his season short. When he’s back in the mix, he’ll be one of the top players on both sides of the ball for the Black Knights. Senior Jonah Ly was a two-way starter last year and will likely see an increased role on the offensive end alongside classmates Emmett Pearl and Konrad Rogers.
Both Pearl and Rogers will be key targets for new senior quarterback Brady Clark, who is eager to take over after the Knights had three seniors at the position last season. After the Knights introduced a handful of new faces to the line for the Fall 2 season, now Stoughton has a good amount of experience helping protect Clark while also paving the way for Stoughton’s ground game, which is always dangerous. Returning starter and senior Liam Joyce will be an anchor the offensive line for Stoughton this season.
Defense is always a calling card for Stoughton and the Knights will be looking to continue that tradition this year. Against division opponents last year, only North Attleboro (14 points) scored more than one touchdown against Stoughton, who allowed just one touchdown to each OA, Foxboro, and Canton. Rogers, who will get snaps at running back on offense, had a breakout year on defense a year ago and will be one of the top linebackers in the league this year.
On top of the always challenging Davenport division, Stoughton has a tough non-league schedule that features a pair of teams from the Kelley-Rex in Mansfield (Week 3) and Milford (Week 7).
“Hopefully we can stay healthy and get through a super tough schedule,” said longtime head coach Greg Burke.
Stoughton senior Christian Ais breaks free for a long run in the fourth quarter against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
STOUGHTON, Mass. – The Stoughton football team has long prided itself on its performance in the fourth quarter and how they finish games.
Whether it’s with a lead, in a tie game, or trying to come from behind, the Black Knights always look to empty the tank in the final 12 minutes of action.
Locked in a defensive battle with division rival Foxboro, knotted at 7-7 since the opening quarter of the game, Stoughton delivered in the fourth quarter. The Black Knights scored a pair of touchdowns inside the final five minutes of the game, sandwiched around a game-clinching takeaway to earn a 21-7 win over the visiting Warriors.
After the opening drive of the game in which the Black Knights broke free for a 44-yard touchdown, Foxboro’s defense stymied Stoughton’s offense. The Warriors recovered fumbles on back-to-back possessions in the first half, forced Stoughton to punt to start the second half, and had a huge stop in the red zone forcing a turnover on downs in the third quarter.
But when Stoughton’s offense took the field for the first time in the fourth quarter, starting at their own 20-yard line with 11 minutes to play, the Black Knights finally found a rhythm.
Helped along by a pass interference call three plays in on a third down, Stoughton’s ground game got going. Christopher Ais (20 carries, 138 yards) took four straight carries, moving the chains twice, and took the Knights into Foxboro territory. Then it was Christian Ais’ (10 carries, 50 yards) turn, cutting back up the middle for a 21-yard dash to get down to the 10-yard line.
Three plays later, Christian Ais bowled his way over a trio of Foxboro defenders at the goal line, getting an extra push from junior lineman Edward Conrad, for a 2-yard touchdown. Jonah Ly (3-for-3 on extra points) split the upright to put Stoughton up 14-7 with 4:33 to go.
Ais’ score capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took off 6:27 of the clock.
“We fumbled all over the place, you don’t do that, you can’t give up the ball,” said Stoughton head coach Greg Burke. “They are tough, we knew they’d be good but at least we finished up the way we want to play and we played good defense throughout. But hey, if we give up only one touchdown every week I’ll take it. We have a couple of issues that we still need to iron out but we’ll get there.”
Foxboro started the ensuing drive at its own 15-yard line but Cam Prescott’s deep pass got caught up in the wind and Stoughton senior Andrew Medina was able to adjust and come down with the interception to get the hosts the ball back right away.
Stoughton went right back to its ground game, and aided by a Foxboro unsportsmanlike penalty, moved into the red zone. Christopher Ais broke free for a 15-yard run to get inside the 10-yard line and two plays later, senior quarterback John Burke took the QB option around the corner on the left sideline for a 9-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 1:31 to play.
“The fourth quarter comes down to weight training,” Burke said. “We’ve got a brand new weight room here that the kids haven’t been able to use. They put in the time, they found ways in the offseason to lift. We aren’t the biggest team but pound-for-pound I’ll match us against anyone. I felt like if we could hang close for three quarters, we could win in the fourth. We didn’t help ourselves with the fumbles, they had one or two good hits but those fumbles are our fault. We’ll get back to the drawing board but we’re 2-0 and we’ll take any league win we can.”
While Foxboro’s defense slowed Stoughton’s offense throughout the majority of the game, the Black Knights’ defense kept the Warriors’ offense bottled up.
The Warriors’ defense forced a turnover on downs to set up Foxboro’s best drive of the game, a 5-play, 45-yard drive. Starting in Stoughton territory, junior Dylan Gordon had pair of good runs and junior Omarion Otto-Broomstein barreled his way in from 1-yard out. Sam Carpenter’s successful point after attempt tied the game, 7-7, with 1:14 left in the opening quarter.
But beyond that, Stoughton’s defense didn’t allow the Warriors to move the ball much. In fact, Foxboro only ran more than five plays on one drive, punting on five possessions, including four straight between the second and third quarters. The Warriors ran nine plays on their second possession but that came to an end on downs.
“Our defense played great for us,” Burke said. “[Gordon] had a couple of runs, we kept [Chris McNamara] in check, and [Luis Sulham] only caught a couple of passes. They did a good job passing blocking, that’s something we usually get in on but they did a nice job there. But I was very, very happy with the way the defense played and getting the win, it was a tough win. We still have a long way to go.”
Stoughton nearly jumped back in front twice near the end of the second. The Black Knights marched 9 plays to get into the red zone but fumbled on a run to the left and Sulham jumped on the loose ball for the visitors. But Foxboro’s drive was put to a stop on a sack from Davin Swierzewski. Stoughton got the ball back at the Foxboro 31-yard line with 32 seconds left but had four straight incompletions to end the half.
The Black Knights threatened again at the end of the third quarter, set up on a 41-yard pass and catch from Burke to Christian Ais. But Foxboro’s defense tightened up, getting key tackles from Mike Norvish, Dylan Kerrigan, Jon Moses, James Kraus and Trent Rennie. Stoughton tried to run the “Philly Special” on fourth down but Jake Queeney’s pass to Burke was just out of reach in the end zone.
“I thought the kids did a good job but those three backs [the Ais brothers and Christian Georges], you can’t key on one that’s for sure,” said Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli. “It’s not like stopping one back, and they run what they run offensively very well. Even if you have those kids stopped, they are still going to get positive yardage so give them credit. It was a good game, 21-7 doesn’t look like the game I saw…14-7 yeah. If you don’t tie up those kids before they get going…they are as good as I’ve seen in a while in a league and there are three of them.
“I’m disappointed in how it ended but not disappointed in how the kids played from start to finish. Now we’re onto next week.”
Stoughton (2-0) will host Sharon on Friday night at 5:00 while Foxboro (1-1) has its home opener, hosting Canton at 5:30.
