04/24/202204/26/2022

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/25/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Stoughton, 3 @ Foxboro, 7 – Final – Foxboro erased an early three-run deficit by scoring seven unanswered runs in a win over visiting Stoughton. A bases-clearing triple from Anthony Girolamo brought Brad Franey, Anthony Tilton, and Sean Farley home as the Black Knights staked a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Louis Carangelo answered with a two-run single and Jack Watts followed with a two-run double in the next at-bat as Foxboro pushed across four runs in the bottom of the second to take a lead that it never relinquished. Foxboro added a run in the bottom of the third (Tyler Prescott), the bottom of the fifth (Tom Marcucella RBI single), and in the bottom of the sixth (Carangelo RBI single). Sean O’Leary tossed a complete game to get the win for the Warriors, including six shutout innings after giving up three in the first. O’Leary allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out 10.

Softball
Attleboro, 16 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final

Foxboro, 4 vs. Newton South, 2 – Final – Foxboro fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first but rallied for four unanswered runs to get the win over Newton South. Peyton Feldman had a pair of hits and a pair of runs for the Warriors while Allie Willis added two hits and two RBI in the win. Emma Callahan got the win in the circle, striking out six.

Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 6 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final

Foxboro, 16 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Tom Sharkey found the back of the net five times to pace the Foxboro offense in a win on the road over Oliver Ames. Lincoln Moore added four goals and an assist, Conor Noone added a hat trick and one helper, and Jack Avery, Finn Stapleton, and Tony Sulham each scored once for the Warriors. Ben Reardon, Wyatt Fritchman, and Ryan Jaco each scored twice for Oliver Ames.

King Philip, 14 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – KP showed no signs of rust after an 11-day break, jumping out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter and extending the advantage to 9-1 at half to earn the road win. Kip Bishop and Sean Crowther each scored four goals and Ben Riggs chipped in with three tallies to lead the Warriors. Mansfield had four different goal scorers, Drew Sacco, Andrew Burnham, Dash Munson, and Grady Sullivan. James Boldy (KP) and Ryan DeGirolamo (Mansfield) each played well in goal.

Sharon, 17 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Sharon exploded for 17 goals with eight different players finding the back of the net on the road at Milford. Brady Daylor and Ryan Brown led the charge with four goals apiece while Jacob Kaufman, Matt Mahoney, and Sam Rothbaum each added two in the win. Ben Shocket and Matt Harshfield rounded out the scoring for the Eagles with a goal apiece.

Girls Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 15 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final

Canton, 15 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Canton had 11 different players find the back of the net in a big win on the road at Taunton. Shannon McGrann (three goals, one assist), Ella Yeaton (two goals, two assists), and Allie McCabe (one goal, three assists) paced the Bulldogs with four points apiece. Maia Mahoney scored her first career goal in the win. Taunton received goals from Sarah Clark and Maddison Szala.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Foxboro, 18 – Final – Buoyed by a balanced attack, Foxboro claimed a big win at home over visiting Oliver Ames. Paige Curran had a team-high seven points, leading the charge with five goals and two assists. Mya Waryas (two assists), Mary Collins (assist), and Kate Collins each added three goals in the win for the Warriors. Audrey Campbell made four saves in net for Foxboro.

Mansfield, 4 @ King Philip, 18 – Final – Julia Marsden and Lily Brown each hit the 100-point plateau for their careers as King Philip rolled to a big win over Mansfield. Marsden and Brown each scored twice and had an assist to hit the milestone. Haley Izydorzcak scored six goals to pace the KP offense against the Hornets.

Milford, 17 @ Sharon, 12 – Final – Milford scored 11 goals in the opening half and added onto that lead in the second half to claim its third road win of the season. Aislinn Bennett continued her torrid start to the season, adding eight goals to pace the Scarlet Hawks offense. Fiona Jordan, Erin Michelson, Emily Croteau, and Carley Haley each added a pair of goals while Jill Araujo added one in the win. Freshman Esther Fernandes was called up from JV to make her varsity debut, getting the win in net. Anna Hertzel had a hat trick, while Athena Merck, Bailey Garte, and Keira Ledyard each scored twice for the Eagles. Lauren McLaughlin added one for Sharon and Tess Letendre made 10 saves in the loss.

Boys Tennis
Taunton, 0 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Kyle Neuendorf made the switch to first singles and earned a three-set win to highlight Attleboro’s sweep of visiting Taunton. Neuendorf dropped the first set but rallied to get the win, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Ethan Johnson also had a three-set win (6-4, 4-6, 6-1) at second singles while Arnov Sodhani added a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. Tyler Rocchio and Evan Sousa emerged with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-8) win at first doubles for the Bombardiers, and Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen grabbed a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – A sweep of singles action plus one more win in doubles gave Canton a 4-1 win over visiting North Attleboro. Sophomore Max Kupferman earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, senior Suraj Ramanathan added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and freshman Justin Ngan completed the singles sweep with a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-8 win at third singles. The team of senior Kevin Moltenbrey and Max LaRose added a 6-3, 6-4 second doubles win. North Attleboro’s Griffin Rodden and Arnav Raghuvanshi prevailed with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at first doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip won all five matches, all in straight sets to take down Milford on the road. Brady Jannell didn’t drop a set in a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles, Jonathan Cohen earned a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Jackson Hom secured a 6-1, 6-0 third singles victory. Adam Gougie and Connor Sachleben teamed up for a 6-1, 6-2 win at first doubles while Leo Manning and Arjun Rullo added a 6-1, 6-0 win at second doubles for KP.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Sophomore Nick Westerbeke won at first singles (6-2, 6-3) while Raphael Vache and Kylash Ganesh both won in straight sets as Oliver Ames defended home court against Stoughton. The freshman duo of Alex Efrimedas and Patrick Dolan added a 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles for the Tigers.

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Attleboro grabbed a pair of wins in singles play and a pair of wins from doubles action to secure a 4-1 win on the road. Senior Ella Lynch-Bartek rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 10-0 win at first singles while sophomore Maddie Fuscaldo didn’t drop a get in a 6-0, 6-0 second singles win. The senior tandem of Saharla Yusuf and Tina Lam prevailed 6-4, 6-2 at first doubles while sophomores Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller took a 6-2, 6-0 decision at second doubles. Taunton sophomore Ava Alves earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at third singles.

Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro took all three singles matches to secure a 3-2 win over visiting Canton. Lauren Hunt was victorious at first singles (6-3, 6-1), Grace Noreck added a 6-1, 6-1 second singles win, and Kyna Shah prevailed 6-3, 6-4 at third singles. Canton won both doubles matches with Olivia Dunham and Grace Powers winning 6-3, 6-4 at first singles, and Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong adding a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Foxboro, 3 @ Sharon, 2 – Final – Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets to earn a key division win over rival Sharon. Athena Li continued to roll at first singles, securing a 6-0, 6-0 win while Hailey Kornbluth added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Analise Jia earned a 6-4, 6-4 win at third singles for the Warriors.

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – The Warriors took two wins from both singles and doubles play to defend home court against visiting Milford. Sophomore Shea Mellman moved up to first singles and won 6-0, 6-1 while senior Sammie Taylor emerged from a hard-fought match at second singles with a 6-4, 6-1 win, a match that longtime head coach Bob Goldberg called Taylor’s best match in her three years of playing. The first doubles team of junior Lauren Casper and senior Resha Ajoy added a 6-0, 6-1 win while senior Palina Yakamovich and junior Priya Riar secured a 6-1, 6-1 second doubles victory. Milford’s Serena Borges claimed a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames took all five matches, including three without dropping a set, to take down Stoughton on the road. Hannah Farber (first singles), Elizabeth O’Brien (third singles), and the team of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper (first doubles) all won 6-0, 6-0. Mia Corradini added a 6-4, 6-1 win at second singles for the Tigers, and Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 0 @ North Quincy, 3 – Final – Ty Ekstrom had nine assists and two kills but Taunton fell 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-19) on the road at North Quincy. Josue Andrade (front row) and Owen Kelly (back row) both played well for the Tigers.

04/06/202204/07/2022

2022 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Kevin Patton
Attleboro had some growing pains during the 2021 campaign, but has a good chunk of the roster back in the fold for 2022 and will try to take the next step forward as a program.

The Bombardiers will have a strong foundation on the defensive end of the field. Captain Fred Wheaton is back for another year to anchor the defense and he’s joined by fellow returners Bobby Sawyer and John Wheaton to give Attleboro a solid veteran nucleus to try and shut down some of the top offenses in the league. Attleboro also has sophomore Harry Wheaton back in net after gaining valuable experience in the cage in 2021.

Having last year’s top scorer in Carter Shelton back in the fold will give the Bombardiers a good start in the attack. Shelton scored 30 goals and had 15 assists, finishing 12th in the Hock in scoring. Captain Keigan Conley is also back to bolster the attack, coming off a 22 goal, 10 assist campaign a year ago. Freshman Nathan Conroy is also in the mix already in the attack.

Attleboro’s midfield will be anchored by captain Ryan Betts along with Chad Beaupin and Seth LaPlace. The Bombardiers also expect contributions from Cole McKenna, Patrick McAvoy, and Spencer Scherck.

“We have a lot of returning guys that picked up valuable varsity experience last season,” said Attleboro head coach Kevin Patton. “We are looking forward to a strong season in 2022.”

Canton

2021 Record: 14-2
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Ryan Quinn
Canton split its two games with Foxboro to win a share of the Davenport title in 2021, just the third league title in program history and were an overtime goal away from reaching the Div. 2 South final. The Bulldogs have a lot of experience in the attack and the midfield this season with the goal of putting in another challenge for the league crown and putting together another state tournament push.

The Bulldogs had a dynamic attack last spring and the league’s leading scorer Sam Carlino headlines a strong group this season as well. Junior Jeff Chaput joins Carlino in the attack and the midfield group is filled with experience from last season. Sophomore Brendan Tourgee, juniors AJ Thomas and Chris Hamilton, senior Eddie Gillis, and Charlie Vaughn will all give Canton playmaking at the middie position.

Defensively, Canton will definitely miss graduated goalie Dylan Coyne but the Bulldogs have a talented group of poles that should be tough to score against this season. Senior Sean Connolly will lead that defensive group alongside sophomores Luke Darling and Colin Blake.

“I am really excited about this upcoming season,” said second-year coach Ryan Quinn. “Our student-athletes have been working hard to build on our success from last season, but are very aware that everything we achieve is based upon the work we put in this year, every day. We are led by a small, but strong senior class, and have depth across all four grades levels. This group is a very coachable group and we are very excited to begin”

Foxboro

2021 Record: 11-4
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Matt Noone
After graduating just two seniors from last year’s team, Foxboro is back with a strong lineup that will look to reclaim the Davenport title that it shared with Canton in 2021. The Warriors will have depth up and down the field with the goal of not only returning to the top of the division but also being ready for a deep run in the statewide tournament.

Foxboro’s attack is all back from last season. The Warriors finished third in goals scored in the league in 2021 and a year’s worth of experience should make them even more dynamic. Junior Conor Noone was the league’s third-leading scorer last season and he will lead the line again alongside sophomore Lincoln Moore, coming off a breakout rookie campaign, and senior Jack Avery. Senior Tommy Sharkey was an all-star middie last season and he will be joined by junior Finn Stapleton and sophomore Tony Sulham, another player who made a strong varsity debut as a freshman.

Depth should be a strength for the Warriors, who return their second midfield group as well, including sophomores Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, and Ian Foley. Foxboro’s defense is returning as a group too. Seniors Dylan Kerrigan and Ben Ricketts are the leaders at the back and will be joined by classmate Mark Jansen. Senior Matt Grace will start at LSM with sophomore Jack Sullivan backing him up. Sophomore Adam Addeche is back in goal, backed up by classmate Nate Urman, and freshman midfielder John Sacchetti and defender James Dee Gaffney are newcomers with potential.

“The Warriors graduated two seniors and return the core of their team,” said Foxboro coach Matt Noone. “Everyone is a year older with varsity experience which will help us in our 2022 push.”

Franklin

2021 Record: 18-1
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Lou Verrochi
After reaching the program’s first sectional final in 2021, Franklin brings a typically strong lineup of experienced players who will be aiming to make a run in the new statewide tournament. The Panthers have loaded up their regular season schedule to prepare for the rigors of the tournament with state powers Medfield, Lincoln-Sudbury, and St. John’s Prep among the teams that Franklin will challenge itself against to be ready to shoot for silverware this spring.

Franklin’s attack scored more than 300 goals in 19 games last season and should be just as dynamic this year with junior All-American Luke Davis joined by classmate Jayden Consigli, who were both in the top five in scoring in the league in 2021. Junior Tyler Sacchetti will be the third member of the attacking crew. Sophomore Drew Hansen and Ed O’Brien and junior John Walshe will make up the first midfield. Junior Justin Alexander was one of the best face-off middies in the state last year and the Panthers will be counting on him to control possessions again this season.

Senior Kyle Palmieri will lead the defensive group, which should once again be a challenge for the opposition to score against. Junior Ben Harvey and senior Billy Gardner will also be key players at close defense. Sophomore goalie Matt Corvi will step into the cage this spring and has the potential to be a standout.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

“Once again, we will have a very competitive team this spring with a very tough schedule,” said Franklin coach Lou Verrochi.

King Philip

2021 Record: 9-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Hal Bean
With more than a dozen players back in the fold from last year, King Philip is looking to take another step forward after posting a 9-5 record last year.

The Warriors have key pieces in the lineup all over the field, starting with senior goalie James Boldy. Boldy had a great campaign a season ago and will be among the top goalies in the league this year. He will work with fellow senior captain Will Weiblen and senior Shaun Fitzpatrick as the anchors of the King Philip defense.

There is a strong core of midfielders back in the mix this year, starting with returning faceoff specialist Thomas Brewster. He will be joined by a very experienced group that features seniors Ben Riggs, Sean McCarthy, Andrew Longobardi, Nolan Feyler,
Brayden Thompson, John Campbell, and Ian Hill, along with sophomore standout Noah Minkwitz. Riggs (31 points last year) will be one of the most dangerous two-way players in the league but KP has a lot of depth in the position.

Offensively, King Philip has Sean Crowther back in the fold, who was just one of six Hock players to reach the 40-goal mark on the season. He’s joined by Kip Bishop and Colin Lightbody, who both registered 19 points a year ago, as well as Colin Gillis and sophomore Donovan DeVellis.

“King Philip boys lacrosse expects to compete in every game and anticipates a productive season and playoff run,” said KP head coach Hal Bean “We all are looking forward to a fun season!”

Mansfield

2021 Record: 6-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias
With a handful of young faces fighting for spots in the lineup, Mansfield is hoping to pick up valuable experience early and make a late charge for a spot in the state tournament.

The Hornets do have some experience on the defensive side of the ball with Ryan DeGirolamo starting in the cage and senior captains Zander Holmes and Mark DiGirolamo patrolling the space in front of him. Mansfield has a handful of young poles that will be in the mix including Liam Barry, Patrick Gormley, Nolan Bordieri, and James DeGirolamo.

The group of upperclassmen will make up the majority of the field with senior Dash Munson joining a trio of talented juniors in Grady Sullivan, Drew Sacco, and Cody Gordon. The Hornets have a lot of young players looking to find spots in the midfield and lineup and general, and new names that could contribute early on include Aidan Steele, Jake Feinberg, and Liam Steele.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

In the attack, senior Jack Roberts will be accompanied by a pair of sophomores in Tommy Smith and Andrew Burnham.

Milford

2021 Record: 2-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Austin Costa
Under the guidance of new head coach Austin Costa, the Scarlet Hawks are aiming to show improvement throughout the season and set the program on an upward trajectory.

There is a strong mix of veteran leadership and new faces eager to find a spot in the lineup for Costa and the Scarlet Hawks this season. Senior captain Eric Landry is set to be the leader on the defensive end, and his experience will be key as Milford tries to fend off some lethal offenses. Landry will be joined by Brian Goncalves and junior Nick Casilli, both returners for the Scarlet Hawks. Defensive experience will be key as the Hawks turn to Alex McGuire for his varsity debut in the cage.

Offensively, look for veterans Jacob Ligor and Eric Farrell to be major contributors for the Scarlet Hawks. Both have a good amount of experience playing at this level and know what it takes to compete in the Hockomock League. Other returners for Milford include Kyle Donelan, Shawn O’Donnell, and Ronn Swineford while freshmen Alex Maietta and Jayden Martins have impressed early on and could be key contributors right away.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 7-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Central/East Quarterfinal
Coach: Kevin Young
North Attleboro finished in a tie for third in the Davenport division last year and had an impressive playoff win over Belmont before being beaten by sectional finalist Medfield. The Rocketeers only graduated two players from last season’s team, so Big Red comes into the spring with big expectations of competing for a first league title since 2017 and being a threat in the state tournament.

The North attack should be an area of strength this season with seniors Matt Antonetti, Connor Ruppert, and Clayton Billingkoff all back up top. Antonetti led the team with 57 points in 2021. Juniors Jack Regan and Luke Ward have both had strong preseasons, while freshmen Ethan Gustafson and Brady Brackner could be poised for breakout debuts. Senior Jared Vacher will do his best to get as many possessions as possible for the North attack by winning draws.

North’s defense has plenty of experience as well. Senior Max Hobbs, Anthony Ferro, and James Brennan will get plenty of help from sophomore Connor Rajotte and junior LSM Julian House. The Rocketeers can also count on two experienced goalies with senior Ethan McGrath and junior JT Gallagher both back in the cage this spring.

“We know the Hockomock will be strong this year,” said North coach Kevin Young. “I am excited to watch this group compete and grow as a team.”

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 3-11
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Ben Devlin
Oliver Ames coach Ben Devlin stepped down after last season, but he was convinced to come back this spring to lead a young Tigers team. Twenty-four of the 34 players in the program this year are either freshmen or sophomores, so OA will be counting on younger players to step up across the field and Devlin is excited about the promise he sees during the preseason.

Senior midfielder Wyatt Fritchman and junior attacker Ben Reardon will be the leaders on offense. Fritchman was second on the team in scoring last year and Reardon went on a run of nine goals in the final three games of his sophomore season. Senior Wes Tower is back to run things in the midfield and sophomores Ryan Jaco and Alex McAndrew have the potential to find the back of the net.

On the other end of the field, senior Cam Tower has been converted to LSM this season. The other poles will be led by junior Jake Manthous, who also was in charge of the face-offs last year, and sophomore Landon Grothe. Junior Noah Isleib returns in goal to keep things organized on defense and sophomore Ethan St. Jean will be his backup.

“Despite being much younger, we are looking to improve on last year’s results and continue building the program,” said Devlin. “We expect to have some growing pains early in the season, but look to improve as the younger players get experience and develop their game during the season. It’s never easy to rebuild in a talented league like the Hock. There aren’t any easy games as every team is talented and well-coached…but we are setting our sights on winning enough games to reach the postseason.”

Sharon

2021 Record: 9-6
2021 Finish: Missed postseason
Coach: Jon Shocket
Sharon has a solid core back from last year’s nine-win team but without any juniors on the squad, there will be a lot of young players in the lineup with most getting their first taste of varsity lacrosse.

With over a half dozen seniors on the roster, head coach Jon Shocket will lean heavily on their veteran leadership and experience as the new players get integrated into the lineup and acclimated with the speed of the high school game. The senior trio of Ben Shocket, Brady Daylor, and Ryan Zunenshine are this year’s captains.

The other seniors on the team include Jace Nestler, Matt Mahoney, James Lillenfeld, and Chance Hanah, and all four will be vital as the Eagles make a push for the postseason. There are four freshmen already in the lineup including Matt Powers in net, Jordan Burke at attack, and Zach Bernstein and Ben Goldberg at defense. Sophomores Gabe Korn, Ryan Brown, Jacob Kaufman, and Ronin Widland will also be in the mix for the Eagles.

“I hope to get a lot of growth from our team as we get more experience,” Shocket said.

2022 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

10/10/2015

Dominant Defensive Effort Boosts Rocketeers Again

IMG_1875_2 — North Attleboro’s Nick Rajotte rushes in the second half against rival Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

Click here for a photo gallery from the game.
By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – There’s really no other way to put it — North Attleboro’s defense is very good.
Just ask Stoughton, Bishop Feehan King Philip, Franklin and now, Attleboro.
The Rocketeers walked into Tozier-Cassidy Field at Attleboro High undefeated and walked out with a 14-0 shutout win over the rival Bombardiers.
Through five games this season, the Rocketeers have yet to allow more than one touchdown in any given game and only Feehan was able to put up two scores. The defense has allowed a measly 5.6 points per game now.
Unsurprisingly, it was the Rocketeers defense that got things started on both sides of the ball.
After the teams traded punts, Attleboro took over in North Attleboro territory. Facing a 1st and 16 from the 43 yard line, junior quarterback Tyler McGovern dropped back and fired a pass but North Attleboro senior Patrick Johnson read the play the entire way. Johnson stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it in stride and raced 65 yards untouched for a touchdown. Connor Flynn’s extra point was good giving North Attleboro a 7-0 lead with 6:32 left in the first quarter.
It was the fourth pick six for the Rocketeers through five games this year and Johnson was the third different player to do so.
“I think our guys up front have to get some credit,” North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson said of the secondary’s success thus far. “I think we’ve done a good job of pressuring quarterbacks all year and forcing some quick throws. We’ve got a pretty smart group out there in our secondary so that helps.”
North Attleboro’s defense didn’t rest there and came right back out with a big stand. Attleboro gained three yards on first down on the ensuing drive but couldn’t move the ball on the next two and were forced to punt for the second time of the game.
Click here for a photo gallery from the game.
The Rocketeers offense then went to work with its most efficient drive of the game. On first down, junior Bobby Mylod (seven carries, 54 yards) raced up the left side for 24 yards and a first down. Sophomore quarterback Chad Peterson (8/12, 66 yards) kept it on the next play for four more and on second down, Nick Rajotte (three carries, 38 yards) came across to the right side and scampered for a 30 yard touchdown. Flynn’s extra point was good, giving the Rocketeers a 14-0 lead with 4:17 left in the first quarter.
Although it looked like the floodgates might open for the Rocketeers, neither North Attleboro or Attleboro was able to tack anymore points onto the scoreboard.
Attleboro senior Kyle Murphy put a stop to North’s next drive, dropping Mylod for a four yard loss on third and short but the Bombardiers went four and out. The Rocketeers moved the ball but couldn’t covert a 3rd and six and gave the ball back to Attleboro.
McGovern hit sophomore Cam Furtado for 15 yards on first down to get the drive going but a rush for no gain and then a false start put Attleboro in a hole. On 3rd and 15, North Attleboro’s Brodey Barr broke up a pass to set up a punt. Instead of a long punt, North Attleboro’s Davon Andrade broke through and blocked the punt. Junior Tom Reynolds was able to haul in the ball in the air and North took over at the Attleboro 32 yard line.
North converted a 4th and 2 when Peterson connected with Barr over the middle for 20 yards, setting up 1st and goal from the 5 yard line but there was only five seconds left in the half. The Rocketeers elected to run a play but a low pass fell incomplete and the final seconds of the first half ticked off.
“We’re struggling a little bit to finish drives so we’re making things a little more difficult on ourselves,” Johnson said. “We’re getting better. I think we moved the ball on the ground as well as we have all year tonight, I think it was the most yardage all year. We just have to be better at finishing. We took a chance at the end of the half, we thought we had enough time for the play and the field goal. Maybe if there wasn’t some indecision on if it was a catch maybe there’s a second. We’re getting there. Thankfully the defense is playing well and keeping us in these close games.”
Click here for a photo gallery from the game.
Attleboro came up with a big stop to open the second half as North Attleboro attempted to go for it on 4th and 1 but Matt Mahoney jumped in and stopped the play in the backfield. The Bombardiers came out and went with Furtado as the quarterback of the second half and moved the ball the most efficiently all night.
Furtado used quarterback runs on the first three downs to get a first down and then floated one that senior Alex Silva went up and grabbed for a 25 yard gain inside the red zone. But the momentum would stop there.
Furtado rushed for three yards but Reynolds and Nicholas Thorpe stopped Furtado for no gain on second down. An incomplete pass set up 4th and 7 from the 16 and Furtado tossed one to the end zone but it was over the head of Brendan Nunes and the Bombardiers turned it over on downs.
The Rocketeers were able to kill a lot of clock on the next drive, moving the ball 65 yards on 13 plays. Peterson’s (four rushes, 25 yards) eight yard gain was followed by backup quarterback Kyle McCarthy (six rushes, 21 yards) coming in for a rush of nine yards. Peterson hit Ridge Olsen on back to back plays for 11 yards each time and, after a six yard rush from Nick Morrison (16 carries, 86 yards), Peterson hit Olsen for six more yards and a first down. Rushes from Rajotte and McCarthy combined for 17 yards but after an incompletion and a short gain, North faced 3rd and 7.
Thats when Owen McKenna came crashing in, sacking Peterson for a 5 yard loss. Flynn attempted a 36 yard field goal but it came up short.
Attleboro had to punt once again after going four and out but the defense held and got the ball back four plays later. On 3rd and 10, Attleboro moved forward via a hands to the face call. Nick Morrison came in for a sack on the next play but two plays later, McGovern hit Silva down the right side for 36 yards to the 10 yard line.
But once again, it was North Attleboro’s defense that came up big. Two incompletions were followed by a sack from Andrade, and on fourth and goal from the 27 yard line, the pass fell incomplete. North Attleboro was able to run the clock out the rest of the way.
Attleboro’s quarterbacks combined for just five completions on 21 attempts, which is a combination of a strong secondary and the players up front for North Attleboro.
“It allows us to man up and then we can bring more people if you’re matched up man to man,” Johnson said of having a strong secondary. “Sometimes you don’t have that luxury because you have some mismatches out there. Brodey gives us some length out there too.”
North Attleboro finished with nearly triple the yards in the game (282-100) and just under triple the first downs (15-6).
“We just couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Attleboro head coach Mike Strachan said. “We fought though, this was a tough game up front, it was really a battle up front all day long. We just couldn’t get anything going. Offensively we have to look at the film and see what we can improve on. Next week becomes a huge game for us, really the playoffs start for us next week.
“We have to learn from these games.”
North Attleboro is now 5-0 overall and have the lead in the Kelley-Rex division at 3-0. The Rocketeers will look to continue its strong start next week when they host Taunton. Attleboro (2-3, 1-2) will look to bounce back when they take a trip to King Philip (2-1, 2-3) next Friday night.
Click here for a photo gallery from the game.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

09/18/2015

Bombardiers Offense Sputters Against Dartmouth

Alex Silva (85) pulls in a reception on the far sideline, one of the few big plays for the Bombardiers against Dartmouth. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Click HERE for photo gallery from the game.

By Josh Perry, Managing Editor

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Following a week in which it scored 55 points to bring home the Elks Trophy against crosstown rival Bishop Feehan, the Attleboro offense failed to ignite against defending Div. 3 state champion Dartmouth in a non-league game at Tozier-Cassidy Field on Friday night.

The Bombardiers defense did its part, limiting their former Old Colony League rival to just one touchdown and forcing three straight three and outs in the third quarter. But Attleboro turned the ball over four times and only reached the Dartmouth red zone once in the game, as the visitors pulled out a 10-0 win that evened both teams records at 1-1.

“Turnovers, you just can’t do it,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “Not in these games. It’s so tight, going back and forth, and we get field position then we turn the ball over.”

Attleboro was missing senior running back Brandon Nunes, the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week from week one, who was out with an ankle injury. Nunes accounted for four touchdowns against Feehan.

When asked how much his absence hurt, Strachan responded, “He’s explosive. We have to be able to bounce back from losing a Nunes or a senior leader…I give the credit to Dartmouth; they came to play and they took care of the ball.”

The teams traded punts on their first possessions of the game and Attleboro took over for its second try on offense in Dartmouth territory at the 49. Senior Brian Letourneau, who started in place of Nunes, converted on fourth and one to give Attleboro a first down at the Indians, but on the next play Tyler McGovern was picked off in the end zone by Matt Craig.

Cameron Furtado put a big hit on a Dartmouth receiver to put an end to the next Dartmouth drive and got the ball back on its own 36. Eight plays later, including a 20-yard hook-up between McGovern and senior Alex Silva, the Bombardiers faced second and five from the Dartmouth 11. A no gain by Letourneau was followed by a pair of passes that sailed out the end zone ending the drive.

The Indians took advantage of the Bombardiers failure to score. Dartmouth went on a drive that would eat up the rest of the time in the half as well as 74 yards. The Indians had the ball first and goal from the nine but Sean Donnelly stepped up and made a big play for a seven-yard loss.

On the 17th play of the drive, Dartmouth lined up a 32-yard field goal attempt. The Attleboro coaches called timeout just before the snap and watched as Kyle Sequeira’s kick sailed wide left. After the timeout, Sequeira’s second attempt was right down the middle for a 3-0 lead.

Dartmouth went three and out to start the third, but three plays later and after an Attleboro first down, Sean Smialek ripped the ball out of Letourneau’s hands and raced to the Bombardiers 20. Again, the defense stepped up to force a turnover on downs.

“I thought we bounced back from a week ago where we cleaned up a lot of things that we did,” said Strachan of his team’s defensive effort.

Senior lineman Kyle Murphy was a force on the line of scrimmage and was seemingly in every tackle, while also putting pressure on Dartmouth quarterback Cole Jacobsen. Senior Matt Mahoney also stepped up with big plays in the third quarter.

Strachan added, “I was really happy with the defense. That’s how we’re going to have to play when we hit the Hockomock League next week.”

Attleboro started to move the ball again on its next drive, but on third and two from its own 45, McGovern’s pass into the flat was deflected and intercepted by Craig again. The turnover did not prove costly, as the defense again held Dartmouth to three and out.

“We have to learn from this,” said Strachan. “You can’t turn the ball over and have expectations too high.”

On its first possession of the fourth quarter, Dartmouth took over at its own 19. The Indians would go 81 yards on nine plays to ice the game, highlighted by a 23-yard keeper by Jacobsen who also finished the drive with a three-yard run.

The defense thought it may have kept hope alive for Attleboro in the final few minutes by making one more big stand, but the ensuing punt was muffed and recovered by the Indians to run out the clock.

Attleboro will now turn its sights to Mansfield and the start of Hockomock League play next Friday at home. Strachan knows the challenges continue to grow for the Bombardiers.

“They’re such good programs,” he explained. “It really comes back to practice and getting things into the game plan that we need to execute.”

Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.