06/14/201806/15/2018

Tigers’ Run Ends in South Final Against Needham

Taunton boys volleyball — Lance Law (1) takes a swing against Needham in the South final. Taunton lost 3-0 to the Rockets, the only loss of the season for the Tigers. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

NEWTON, Mass. – Taunton may have been the top seed heading into Thursday night’s South final at Newton South, the undefeated team having its best season in program history, but the Tigers were squaring off with Needham, a perennial power that had won the past three sectional titles and was only two years removed from winning a state championship.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Tigers (20-1) had the energy and the excitement of a program on the rise, but it turned out that the experience of having played, and won, on this stage many times before was too much to overcome. Needham won its fourth straight South crown with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-11) sweep, although the match was closer than the final score indicated.

In the second set, Taunton led 18-15 and seemed to be on the verge of getting back into the match, but Needham ran off six straight points to grab the lead, the momentum, and eventually the control of the match.

“You have to execute at the highest level,” said Taunton coach Toby Chaperon. “They very rarely made any mistakes. They’re not going to shoot themselves in the foot. They’re going to rely on their intelligence and their execution and usually it works out.” 

At the start of the match, Taunton seemed rushed. The Tigers were obviously excited about the opportunity and making uncharacteristic mistakes. Passes were just a little off target, blocks were a little too close to the net, and the Rockets seemed to take advantage of everything.

“We were excited to be here,” said Chaperon. “We were amped up to play and I think a couple of plays into it they got a couple big blocks and kind of put us on our heels right away and that’s a team when they put you on your heels, they’re going to push you right over.”

Following a Lance Law ace, Taunton trailed just 8-6, but Needham rattled off 12 of the next 16 points to extend the lead to as many as 10. To that point in the set, the Tigers had only two kills, one from Lens Esquil and the other from Collin Hunter.

Chaperon said of the Rockets, “Their defense was almost flawless. The seams that you think are open, they’re able to get them. They get touches, their back row guys are pulling them up. They just play an awesome brand of defense.”

Law had a kill and Marc DeSousa had a block for a point, as Taunton grabbed a little bit of positive play right at the end of the set and the Tigers carried that over despite falling behind in the match. They came back onto the court for the second looking much more composed and confident.

Taunton jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the second, behind hits from Law, Esquil, and Hunter. Needham answered with four straight to cut the lead to three, but Esquil again took a perfect pass from setter Ricardo DaFonseca, who was also a standout defensively throughout the match, and blasted the Tigers in front by four.

“We just rotated it up, so that we could get Lens up front a little bit,” Chaperon explained. “He’s our second best hitter and we tried to get him more swings. We thought he’s one of our better blockers and we thought he could challenge their opposite and outside hitters a little better.”

Things went back-and-forth for the next few points, with Needham getting back within one on six different occasions, but Law and Esquil always seemed to find a hit that kept Taunton in front. After a DaFonseca kill and a hit that went long, Needham took a timeout trailing 18-15. It turned out to be the moment that would seal the win for the Rockets.

Needham came out with two kills by Jack Cruickshank and one from setter Eli Wallace to tie the set. The Rockets scored the next three points before a Malik Charles kill ended the run and Gage Kingman managed to drop a shot in between the entire Needham defense to make it 21-20. Cruickshank and Cam Robins fired Needham to four straight points and a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Rockets made sure that there would be no three-set comeback from the Tigers. Needham took a commanding 8-1 lead in the third and really never looked back, closing out the match with a dominant set. There were moments of energy from Taunton, such as Charles smashing a point down the middle, but the Rockets led the set throughout.

Regardless of the result in the South final, this was the best season in program history for the Tigers and one that Chaperon believes could build for the future.

“It was fantastic. What a great ride,” he said. “They’re one of the best groups of guys I’ve ever been able to coach. Not only are they great volleyball players, they’re great citizens, great students, and they went through their tie where it was a rough road for a couple years, but look what happens.

“You’ve got the whole school behind you and that’s what high school athletics should be about. Every team deserves to play in front of crowds like this.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

09/04/2017

Boys Soccer: 2017 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Kelley-Rex Boys Soccer Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 8-6-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Peter Pereira

Even though Attleboro graduated some key pieces, the Bombardiers have a lot of experienced and talented players back for the 2017 season. The biggest challenge will be replacing center backs Harry Lancaster (Best XI selection) and Tyler Treichler (Second XI selection) in the heart of the defense.

Juniors Colin Levis and Aidan Lancaster are both back on the defensive line after gaining plenty of experience a season ago. They’ll look to work with Brandon Lewis and Connor Dunn to solidify the back four in front senior goalie Nick Hasenfus (2016 Best XI selection). In the midfield, Zach White is back and will be relied upon as one of the team’s top playmakers once healthy. He’ll have the help of Brady Holander, Nathan LaPlume, Devin Andre, Eli Araujo and Keith Thompson.

After breaking out as one of the league’s bright young stars a season ago, Will Halben is back to lead the attack alongside sophomores Mike Russo and David Medeiros.

“We are hoping to do a bit better than last year with a bit more depth,” said Attleboro head coach Peter Pereira.

Franklin

2016 Record: 6-9-3
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Fran Bositis

It looks like there is a chance of growing pains in the forecast for the 2017 Panthers. After graduating over a dozen seniors from last year’s team, there will be some inexperience in the lineup for Fran Bositis.

Senior Freddie Beckmann returns as the team’s starting goalie to give the defensive end some familiarity, but it will be a brand new back four in front of him. Sophomore Sam Stowell saw some minutes a year ago and will anchor the defense alongside senior Andrew DiLeo. Senior Connor O’Rourke, who also played some last year, will man the outside along with junior Sam Malloy.

In the midfield, Nitin Chaudhury will take over as the holding mid in the center of the pitch but could also move around depending on need. He’ll have the help of sophomores Jacob Cummings and Donny Tappin. Up front, there are mainutes up for grabs with junior Tim Duval in the running to likely grab one of the spots.

“We’re going to be young and inexperienced,” Bositis said. “We have a handful of seniors back but a youth movement is happening. But overall, the kids are really working hard and have great attitudes. We’re looking for improvement each day.”

King Philip

2016 Record: 17-2-2 (Kelley-Rex Division Champion)
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Nick Gale

It will be hard to top the historic season the Warriors had a year ago, winning the division title and allowing just eight goals all season. But Nick Gale and his squad are focused on 2017, not last Fall.

Even though 2016 Best XI selections Cam Mullin and Colby Koch, and Second XI selections Ryan Coulter and Eli O’Neill all graduated, the Warriors still return some of the top talent in the league this year. Tyler Mann, the 2016 HockomockSports.com Player of the Year, is just one of many talented players back for Gale. Senior Connor Mullins will be a key piece in the midfield, senior Larsen Keys started all of last year on the back line and senior Mike Rowe is a dangerous player inside the 18. Thomas Lugten, Anthony Bozza and Zac White are all back as well after playing plenty of minutes last year.

Junior Nick Beltramini and sophomore Tristan Stephani are battling for minutes in goal.

“Our focus continues to be on developing players and improving our team,” Gale said. “We understand that opposing teams will be after us, but we won’t take our attention away from training, competing, and focusing on the smaller details that will help us continue to move forward. The league will be good, and we know we will need to be as well.

Mansfield

2016 Record: 11-5-3
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Steve Sheridan

Mansfield will be relying on a mix of experience and new faces in an effort to get back to the postseason for another year. The Hornets have the challenge of trying to fill the shoes of two-time Best XI selection Max Gurnon, and as well as the void left by the injury to Ethan Brill-Cass, a two year varsity starter.

However, with Sean Lanzillo, Nick Hyland, Sam Hyland and Harry Braidt back, the Hornets have a solid core to work on. Lanzillo’s speed makes him one of the toughest marks in the league while Sam Hyland emerged as a top midfielder last season. Nick Hyland and Braidt will be back to anchor the back line. Head coach Steve Sheridan expects junior Sam Nugent to step in and make an impact early on defensively, as well as junior midfield Luke Savoie on the offensive end.

Senior Nick Ferraz is battling with sophomore Anthony Salisbury for the starting position in net.

“I’m hoping some of the younger guys can step up on offense, and with the departure of Max along with the injury to Ethan and graduation of Jed in goal, our defense is going to have some new faces,” said Mansfield head coach Steve Sheridan.

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 10-5-3
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinal
Coach: John Barata

Oliver Ames returns plenty of talent and will be looking to challenge King Philip for supremacy in the Kelley-Rex division. Two-time HockomockSports.com Best XI selection Nathaniel Cardoza is back to anchor the Tigers from the middle of the field. His ability to play defense, as well as get forward, gives OA a boost.

Other returning starters back this year include Matt Campbell, Matt Alvarado, Cam Vella, Mason Galbato and Jack Sheldon. Mike Braga and Chris Lawrence bring experience to the back line in front keeper Jack Carroll, who is in his third year in net.

With the graduation of three-year starter Thomas McCormick, the Tigers have a void to fill at the striker position. Senior James Gillespie saw time last year off the bench and proved a capable option up top while Alvarado also showed his ability to finish. Senior Brandin Osborne transferred in from Coyle and will also be an attacking option for OA. Nick Bloumbas, Sean Flaherty and Niko Byron will all likely see time off this season as well.

“We are looking to build a solid team that will play well in a very competitive environment,” OA head coach John Barata said. “We know that to succeed we will need to play our best soccer everyday. The boys are working hard – we need to turn our effort into results. I feel confident that we will find our way and make an effort to qualify for the MIAA State tourney.”

Taunton

2016 Record: 1-16-2
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Taylor Whitters

Taunton brings back eight starters from last year’s team and head coach Taylor Whitters is hoping that experience will translate into an improved season in 2017. On top of of those eight starters, the Tigers will have Marc deSousa back in net after a missing his junior season battling cancer.

Senior Liam Crowley is back again with more experience to anchor the back line along with junior Kyle Aubin. DaeShawn Duffie and Hasan Farahat both return to give the Tigers a solid duo in the middle of the pitch while junior Liam Crowley also adds experience to the midfield. Jake DeAndrade, Brett Beaulieu and Alec Nunes are also back in the mix this year as well.

The Tigers got a boost from their rival as Ian Soderbom traded his Warrior blue and gold in from Coyle for Tiger black and orange. Soderbom will be a key piece on defense while Francois Hennaux, an exchange student from Belgium, will add depth to Taunton’s offense.

“Our team is already looking stronger and better,” said Whitters. “They say the tougher the set back the stronger the comeback. We are going to be one of those teams.”

09/29/2015

Warriors Set Tone Early in Division Win Over Taunton

King Philip's Ryan Ackles and Taunton's Luke Figueira battle for possession. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) — King Philip’s Ryan Ackles and Taunton’s Luke Figueira battle for possession. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
NORFOLK, Mass. – King Philip first year head coach Nick Gale strived for continuity through the program’s first six games this season and the team went 3-3.
On Tuesday afternoon, Gale decided to switch it up and it paid off in a big way as the Warriors picked up their biggest win of the season, a 4-0 win over divisional rival Taunton.
“You try to have some continuity in what you do and we’ve kind of kept things the same the last five or six games,” Gale said. “And I thought this would be a good game to switch things up, spice things up.”
KP senior captain Joe Kellett has seen time at center back and in the center midfield but was pushed higher up in a more attacking role against the Tigers. The switch paid off as he put a shot on frame inside the first 30 seconds as the Warriors set their attacking tone early.
“We’ve struggled to score goals so we had to try set a tone early,” Gale said. “Even right off the opening play we wanted to be offensive. I think Joe was a good adjustment up there and he took advantage of his opportunities. You can put him anywhere and he’s going to be a threat.”
Kellett had the first serious scoring chance for the Warriors in the 10th minute. Sophomore Tyler Mann cut a pass back to Clayton Geuss and he centered to Kellett but a sprawling effort from Taunton sophomore goalie Marc DeSousa pushed the shot wide.
But it didn’t take long for the Warriors to create another chance and this one found the back of the net. A short free kick from Taunton in the defensive third turned into turnover when Kellett pressed high and came away with the ball. Kellett took control of possession and found Mann wide open in the middle of the area and the sophomore buried his chance.
Junior Sean Crowley had a chance to level the game for Taunton in the 14th minute. Crowley gathered the ball with his back to goal along the left flank and cut into the middle. He was about to get around his defender and ripped a low shot from outside the 18 but KP goalie Brandon Ziolkowski.
Four minutes later, Mansfield was able to double their lead, this time Mann returning the favor to Kellett. On a corner kick, Mann put his service towards the back post and Kellett came sliding in to connect and find the back of the net.
The Warriors were able to make it 3-0 just over the half hour mark. Will Weir picked up a loss ball and lifted a shot that just went through the finger tips of DeSousa and found the back of the net.
““We set a tone very early,” Gale said. “We wanted to be very offensive today and very direct and we got that result early, which is the first time we’ve really gotten an early lead and held onto it. And I think that really sucks the wind out of your opponent. They challenged a lot, especially in the second half, but we set the tone early and that was awesome.”
Though the three lead felt comfortable heading into the second half, King Philip was able to tack one more on inside the first five minutes of the second half. Taunton was whistled for a foul about 30 yards from its own net. The ref whistled for King Philip to push the ball back and as DeSousa hugged the near post to try and set up a wall, King Philip’s Cam Mullins ripped a shot that floated into the back of the open net. Despite the lack of a restart whistle, the ref allowed the goal to count.
“You can try to set things up [on a free kick] but he’s an offensive minded defender I guess you can say,” Gale said. “He has a nose for goal even as a center back. He took advantage of the open goal and it was a good heads up play.”
Both teams pushed to try and find the back of the net for the rest of the half but neither was able to create a serious scoring threat.
With the win, King Philip improved to 4-3 overall and 4-3 in the division, which puts them in second at the time. The Warriors will be back in action on Friday when they host Franklin. Taunton drops to 1-4-2 overall and in division play and will look to bounce back with a trip to division leading Mansfield.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

09/08/2015

Boys Soccer: 2015 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

Attleboro

2014 Record: 12-6-3
2014 Finish: Reached MIAA D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Peter Pereira
The Bombardiers had a great 2014 regular season and then had an even better run in the playoffs, pulling off an upset of second-seeded New Bedford.
This year, the Bombardiers will be looking to get back to the postseason but there will be a challenge after graduating a group of talented, experienced players in the Class of 2015. The good news is that coach Peter Pereira has a good group of players this season. Zach Rodrigues, a player that has a ton of varsity experience, is a good starting spot for a team that will likely be right in the thick of the wide-open Kelley-Rex title race.
Junior Harry Lancaster is also back for his third year on varsity while Junior Coca will be another talented player in the middle of the field for Attleboro. Ahijah Joseph emerged as a credible player during his sophomore year and is back for what could be a breakout junior season.

Franklin

2014 Record: 13-2-5
2014 Finish: Reached MIAA D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Fran Bositis
For the past four seasons, the Panthers have claimed the Kelley-Rex division title. This year, it could be more of an uphill battle in order to claim a fifth straight.
The Panthers graduated 16 seniors and a good solid chunk of their starting lineup so a couple of strong returning players will be relied on heavily for coach Fran Bositis. Austin Kent is the only starter back and 2015 will be his third year on varsity. Hatim Brahimi had a big sophomore season last year and his junior campaign could be a big one for him.
“The focus has been on just trying to find the right mix of players right now,” Bositis said. “I know that the kids have worked really hard, and are in real good shape physically but we’ve got a ways to go before we call ourselves a good soccer team.”
Senior Nick Parent will see his role increase this year while Danny Geraci and Pat Kapples are two players who have some experience in the back. Henri Guilmette will step in as the new goalie and could have a breakout 2015.

King Philip

2014 Record: 9-6-4
2014 Finish: Reached MIAA D1 South First Round
Coach: Nick Gale
The Warriors were a tough team to beat last year and that should continue to be the case in 2015. Nick Gale steps in as the new head coach for the program as the Warriors will be a serious content to claim their first division title since 2010.
“In order to compete in a strong Hock league, we’re going to have to play intelligent, team and detail-oriented soccer and so far, this group has welcomed every challenge,” first-year head coach Nick Gale said. “These guys want to learn and compete in everything we do and I feel for these reasons, we will be successful this year.”
UMass Lowell-commit Joe Kellett has been one of the top players in the league for the past two years and with 2015 being his senior season, it would be the best one yet. The 2013 Underclassman of the Year has had to overcome some injuries but every year continues to have a serious impact on games. Kellett will be complemented by senior Clay Geuss in the midfield while sophomores Tyler Mann, Mike Rowe and Larsen Keys could play key roles. Defensively, the Warriors have some experience back with Ethan Edney, Cam Mullins, Ryan Coulter and Colby Koch. The Warriors are expecting to use a mix of youth and experience to take a run at the division title.

Mansfield

2014 Record: 3-8-7
2014 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Steve Sheridan
Head coach Steve Sheridan is hoping there is some truth to the saying ‘defense wins championships.’ The Hornets were in a tough spot last year when they only had one starter back but with six back this season, Mansfield will have a lot more experience heading into 2015.
“My three captains have been very, very good throughout the offseason getting kids together playing,” Sheridan said, crediting seniors Brad Eames, Jared Miller and Chris Elsner for their work throughout the winter, spring and summer. “They noticed the need to be bigger and stronger and I credit their work in the offseason.”
Eames will patrol the middle of the pitch with the Hornets alongside junior James Chotkowski. Jared Miller will get an opportunity up top to try and provide a scoring punch while Sheridan expects big things from Michael Kirejczyk in goal.
However, the Hornets biggest strength will be the defense. Elsner is back in the middle alongside junior Max Gurnon. Sophomore Nick Hyland is back on the outside with some experience under his belt while the other spot is still being highly contested.

North Attleboro

2014 Record: 1-15-2
2014 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Geoff Burgess
Similar to Mansfield, the Rocketeers will be relying on their defense this season. With both center backs returning and with last year’s goalie back again, North Attleboro will be looking to make it tough for opponents to score. Matt Coscarella and Gareth King are back in the middle of the defense while Rob Heaney will be back in net.
“I think we are going to be tough to score on,” head coach Geoff Burges said. “[We have] lots of speed and experience there.”
The key going forward for the Rocketeers will be fitting new faces into the offense. Gabe Pinhancos will take on a big role in the center of the midfield while junior Leo Charlebois and senior Yezan Ismail will be relied on up top to find the back of the net.

Taunton

2014 Record: 3-12-2
2014 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Dave Purpura
The Tigers will be looking to get back to the playoffs after missing out this past season. With a good combination of experienced players and new talent, head coach Dave Purpura is hopeful for a bounce back 2015 campaign.
The combination of youth and experienced players could be a good formula with the division race wide open. Seniors Derek Pereira, Austin Botelho and Torin Mizuno are all back with a lot of varsity experience while younger players like sophomores Riccardo Da Fonseca, Daeshawn Duffy, Liam Crowley and freshman Hasan Farahat all could play vital roles this season.
“We are more skilled at more positions this season than last,” head coach Dave Purpura said.”We will need guys to step up and score goals from several positions to make up for a couple of key losses to graduation.”
Along with Mizuno and Da Fonseca in the back, seniors Luke Figueira and Matt Holt will be prominent figures. Sophomore goalie Marc DeSousa is back after earned the starting role midway through his rookie campaign.
“We are definitely a younger, deeper team than last year and I think the attitude and focus of the team is different,” Purpura said. “If we continue to improve as a group we could surprise some teams as we are a program trending in the right direction.”