06/17/2023

King Philip Falls Short In Final Against Top Seed Milton

King Philip Baseball — King Philip senior Tommy Martorano reacts after driving in the opening run of the D2 state final against Milton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

WORCESTER, Mass. – It was like déjà vu. For the second season in a row, King Philip was able to push through the gauntlet of the Div. 2 tournament, winning its last three games by two runs or fewer, and reached the state title game. But, standing in the way of a trophy was top seed Milton.

A new season and a new venue, but the result was the same.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The defending state champion Wildcats scored three times in the third inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to pull out a 6-2 victory at Polar Park.

“I thought we were pretty locked in,” KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. explained. “We were excited to be back and to play in a venue like this is awesome. The guys were super pumped.

“It didn’t go our way. We’re playing one of the better teams in our division….it happens. I’m super proud of these guys.”

Although KP was disappointed to be leaving with runners up medals for the second year in a row, to be able to reach the final stage in back-to-back seasons is an impressive accomplishment in its own right.

“Absolutely, it’s not an easy thing,” Plympton, Jr. said. “I think that the schedule that we play, playing in the Hockomock League, helps us get back. Moving up to Div. 1 next year isn’t an easy thing, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

KP got off to a great start. Max Robison led off the game by ripping a single up the middle against Milton ace Owen McHugh, who responded by striking out the next two batters. With two down, Drew Herlin lined a single to center. Tommy Martorano followed by knocking a base hit into left and bringing in the game’s opening run.

Milton tried to answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. McHugh drew a leadoff walk against KP starter Rudy Gately and stole second. Brendan Sencaj made a nice play to cut off a bouncer between third and short. After a fly ball to center that moved McHugh to third, Gately closed out the first with a strikeout.

Gately started the second with a single to right and, after another McHugh strikeout, Cam Hasenfus reached on an error. McHugh didn’t allow the Warriors to build additional momentum by striking out a pair and ending the threat.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Ryan Kelly beat out an infield single that went off the glove of Robison’s dive at first. Tommy McLeish ended any rally by making a nice diving grab on a sinking liner at short.

Matthew Kelley had a single in the third, but KP weren’t able to get anything going against McHugh. In the bottom half, Milton grabbed control of the final.

Harrison Hinckle, MIlton’s No. 9 hitter, started things by ripping a double into left center. McHugh followed with a single and then stole second. Jimmy Fallon walked to load the bases and Scott Longo drew a free pass to tie the game. A grounder to McLeish got the runner at second, but a throwing error would allow two runners to come home.

Gately got a grounder and a strikeout to limit the damage, but Milton led 3-1. He then reached on an error in the fourth, but was caught in a rundown trying to take third on a grounder to short. Milton went around the horn on a double play to end the inning.

Things looked comfortable in the bottom of the fourth after two quick outs, but the Wildcats rallied. Hinckle again got things going with a single and then stole second. McHugh turned on an 0-2 pitch and pushed the lead to 4-1.

Robison got a leadoff walk in the fifth, but McHugh ripped off three straight strikeouts. Martorano took over on the hill for the Warriors. A one-out error put a runner in scoring position, but he bounced back with a couple of strikeouts.

KP kept battling and had an opportunity to get into the game in the sixth. With one out, Aidan Astorino drew a walk. Gately reached for the third time, dropping a single into shallow left. McLeish went the other way, knocking a hit between first and second to score Astorino. A wild pitch allowed McLeish to put the tying run at second.

McHugh struck out his 11th batter of the night to put the Wildcats on the edge of escaping the jam. With Robison coming up, Milton turned to lefty Tommy Mitchell out of the pen. A 2-2 pitch got away from catcher Jack Finnegan and Gately tried to take advantage. Although Gately got a good jump, Finnegan pounced quickly and made a perfect toss to Mitchell to get the out at the plate.

Plympton, Jr. said, “It’s tough to get runs and we were at the heart of our lineup and I trust Rudy to make decisions. I support him on that. I thought he got a decent jump and they made a great play. We’re looking to get runs and I can’t fault him for being aggressive.”

The Warriors were only down two, but momentum was fully with Milton. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Sullivan singled to right and stole second. After Hinckle drew a walk to reach base for the third time, a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Milton continued to make those situations count. Following a strikeout, Fallon lined a single to left to score one.

Fallon appeared to slip while taking his lead with the intention of drawing a throw over. Once Martorano went to first, Hinckle broke for the plate. The throw home got away allowing the second run to score, but Leo Dowling was able to recover and throw out Fallon, who attempted to go first to third on the play.

Mitchell sealed the win for Milton. He got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts before being surrounded by his teammates on the mound, celebrating a second consecutive state title.

“McHugh is an awesome pitcher and Mitchell coming in is like us bringing in Martorano, so we knew they had velocity and I was happy how we responded in that first inning putting a run up,” Plympton, Jr. said. “We went a little flat there and were threatening there at the end but just couldn’t get the hit that we needed.”

King Philip finished the year at 17-8.

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06/07/2023

King Philip Squeezes Out Extra Innings Win Over North

WRENTHAM, Mass. – When the game started, there was some concern about smoke and rain, but three hours and 11 innings later, light was starting to become an issue at Lombard Field. Wednesday afternoon’s Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen matchup between league rivals North Attleboro and King Philip turned into a marathon.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

In the bottom of the 11th, KP was at the plate with its fifth chance to walk off with the win. For the third time in those five innings, KP had the bases loaded and the winning run just 90 feet away. KP coach Jeff Plympton, Jr. decided it was the perfect opportunity to try something different.

With one out, Rudy Gately surprised the North defense by squaring around and pushing a bunt towards the second baseman. The safety squeeze made it just past the mound, North had no play at the plate, and the Warriors celebrated a 4-3 victory and a return to the D2 quarterfinal.

Plympton, Jr. said, “I thought we had a few too many mental errors to win that game and, you know, our pitching kept us in it and gave us that opportunity to finish it off. Rudy is an excellent bunter and I knew that he’d get it down and that he’d get it down far enough that he’d get in.”

Asked what he was looking for in that at-bat, Gately replied, “Just bunting there, a little safety squeeze, just get it in play so we can score. That’s all I needed to do. Struggling at the plate, I think half my hits are bunts right now, so stick with it.”

North Attleboro (8-14) came into the playoffs as the No. 19 seed and went on the road to upset No. 14 Duxbury in the first round. Head coach Mike Hart was proud of the way his team battled one of the favorites for the state title and a team had already beaten the Rocketeers twice this season.

“The last two weeks of practice have been phenomenal,” Hart explained. “KP’s a great team, we knew they were going to fight, and we were ready for it. This caliber of kids is fantastic. Seeing it all come together over the last two games, over the last two weeks of practice, it’s been a fun time.”

Way back in the top of the first, it was North that jumped in front. With two outs, Derek Maceda drew a walk. He stole second and then stole third as well, with the throw getting away into left field to allow him to come home and make it 1-0.

The lead was short-lived. In the bottom half, Matthew Kelley beat out a two-out, infield single to short. Drew Herlin singled to center and the ball was misplayed, allowing Kelley to come all the way around from first and tie things up. Jordan Paradis would make a nice grab on a long fly by Aiden Astorino to end the inning.

In the third, Paradis led off with a single and, with one out, Maceda lined a single to center. He would steal second to put two in scoring position. Cam Hasenfus threw a nasty fastball on the corner to strike out fellow sophomore Gio Martello and then got a high chopper to Brendan Sencaj at third to escape the jam.

KP grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Sencaj drew a one-out walk and Kelley crushed a ball that one-hopped the right field fence for a run-scoring triple. Herlin came through with his second hit of the day to bring in Kelley. Dillon Harding gave up a double to Tommy Martorano but Martello made an excellent play on a ball that tipped off Harding’s glove and then the pitcher got a comebacker to end the threat.

It stayed 3-1 until the fifth inning. Paradis led off with a walk and stole second. Hasenfus got a strikeout for the first out, but Maceda smashed a ball over the fence in right for a game-tying homer that sent the North bench (and Hart in the third-base coach’s box) leaping towards the plate in jubilation.

After Martello singled and stole second, sophomore Nate Pennini came in for KP and got a grounder to second and a strikeout to keep the game tied.

The home team’s first chance to win it came in the seventh. Sencaj singled and Kelley followed with a grounder, but North couldn’t get the force at second. After a grounder moved the runners up, Martorano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Martello had another nice play, cutting down the potential winning run at the plate and a bouncer to short ended the inning.

KP had another golden opportunity to win it in the eighth. With two outs, Max Robison hustled to beat out an infield hit. Sencaj lined a double just inside the line in right, putting two in scoring position. Again North intentionally loaded the bases, this time giving Kelley the free pass, and Maceda came in to relieve Harding (7-2/3 innings, two earned runs).

Maceda got Herlin to fly out to left and the game continued on.

“Dillon and Derek have been our horses on the mound,” said Hart. “It was getting close, Dillon’s pitch count was getting up, but there was nobody we were going to put there in that spot. He puts the team on his back, he’s so mentally tough, the situation is never too big for him.”

Both teams had base runners in the ninth, but Leo Dowling threw out Chris Hanewich trying to steal second and Maceda got a strikeout after Gately’s infield single.

North’s best chance to go in front came in the 10th. Pennini walked Harding and Maceda to start the inning, but Sencaj handled a tough grounder and got the lead runner at third for the first out. Pennini (5-2/3 innings, no runs, seven strikeouts) then bore down, striking out the next two hitters to get out of the inning without any damage.

Maceda allowed a leadoff walk in the bottom half, but Nate Kelly threw out Tommy McLeish stealing second. It was the second runner Kelly threw out in extra innings. Martorano came in to pitch the top of the 11th and set North down in order, with a little help from Dowling who made a couple of excellent plays on popped up bunts around the plate.

“Two sophomores, Hasenfus and Pennini, got us the majority of the innings and having Martorano back being able to come in and chuck, he throws hard and got us that last inning that we needed,” said Plympton, Jr.

As the light was starting to dim and there was concern creeping in about how much more baseball could be played on Wednesday, Kelley sparked the Warriors with another infield single. Hanewich made a great running grab on a Herlin ball in the gap, hanging onto it despite a nasty collision with Paradis. Martorano added another infield hit and Astorino was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That brought up Gately with the chance to be a hero. It wasn’t a blast to the gap that would decide the game, but a well-executed bunt, put in just the right spot.

“It’s always hard playing a rivalry team three times in a year,” Gately said. “No matter what the records are, it can always go both ways.” He continued, “It was definitely a long game. We haven’t played a game that long all year. It’s difficult to stay in it, especially all the ups and downs, but we stayed focused in at the end to get the win.”

“We’ve been in tight games, but there’s nothing like this throughout the season,” Plympton, Jr. said. “It’s good to show to the team that we can win these type of games and it’s only going to get harder down the stretch trying to make a good run.”

King Philip (15-7) will host No. 6 Westwood on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 with a spot in the D2 Final Four on the line.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

05/02/202305/04/2023

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/03/23

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
North Attleboro, 5 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – North Attleboro senior Jordan Paradis had a strong start on the bump and the Rocketeers produced enough runs offensively to secure a 5-2 rivalry win at Attleboro. Paradis allowed just two runs on two hits and three walks, striking out 10 in five innings for the win; sophomore Gio Martello tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the save. The Rocketeers took the lead in the top of the first inning and never surrendered it against the Bombardiers. Derek Maceda lined a two-run double to give the visitors the lead in the top half before Attleboro got on the board in the bottom half on an RBI double from Aiden Hochwarter. North extended its lead in the top of the fourth on Paradis’ RBI triple and an RBI single from Martello to make it 4-1. Ayden Delaney added a sacrifice fly for North while Casey Victorio drove in a run for the Bombardiers in the fifth.

King Philip, 9 @ Canton, 2 – Final – KP exploded for seven runs in the top of the second and never looked back, rolling to its fourth win in a row. Brendan Sencaj blasted a grand slam to lead the KP attack at the plate. Matthew Kelley continued his strong work with the bat, going 4-for-4 and scoring three runs. Cam Hasenfus went six innings and allowed two earned runs to pick up the win, while Nate Pennini stepped in to pitch a scoreless seventh. Matt Chafin had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs, while Andrew Gillis reached base three times and scored once. Griffin Hughes had a strong relief outing, going five innings and allowing two runs.

Franklin @ Mansfield – Postponed to Saturday, 5/6 at 4:00.

Softball
King Philip, 1 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames plated all four of its runs in the bottom of the first inning and Katie Melendy and the Tigers’ defense took care of the rest to land a key 4-3 win over division rival Foxboro. It was the visiting Warriors that struck first when sophomore Natalia Leach smacked a solo home run to center field to present Foxboro an early 1-0 lead. OA responded in the bottom half with all four of its runs; Maddie Homer led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Devon Morris to tie the game. Melendy singled and two at-bats later, Erin Martin singled and Melendy came home on an error. A double from Katherine Farley plated one more run and Samantha Johnson followed with another RBI double to make it 4-1 in favor of the Tigers. Foxboro cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth on a single from freshman Mia Flanagan that scored two runs but Melendy got the third out in the inning to strand the tying run at second. Foxboro got the tying run to second in the top of the seventh as well but Melendy got back-to-back outs to secure the win. Melendy earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and five walks, striking out five in a complete game effort. Vittoria Cuscia pitched well for Foxboro, scattering seven hits and three walks for four runs, striking out four in six innings.

Stoughton, 11 @ Milford, 16 – Final – Milford pounded out 18 hits to the tune of a 16-11 win over visiting Stoughton, securing its third win in the last five contests. Although the Black Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first (highlighted by RBIs from Alyssa Edwards, Camryn Whitman, and Caitlin Driscoll), Milford’s Olivia Baglione led off the bottom half with a solo home run and the Scarlet Hawks were off and running offensively. Milford ended up pushing across five runs in the first and three more in the second to get the lead; Stoughton rallied for three runs in each the fifth and sixth but the Hawks answered with seven combined runs in the same two innings. Junior Maeve Driscoll had a team-high four hits and knocked in one run, Baglione (two RBI, two runs), Cae Pellegrini (four runs) and Maeve Williams (four RBI, three runs) each added three hits, and Jianna Fernandes (four RBI, run) had two hits. Edwards went 4-for-4 with a home run, a triple, five RBI and four runs to lead the Black Knights while Anna Hobbs and Kerry Driscoll each had two hits.

Boys Lacrosse
North Attleboro, 10 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final

Canton, 8 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final – Foxboro used a dominant first half to land a key win over division rival Canton. The Warriors poured in eight goals in the opening half and played great defense to limit the visiting Bulldogs to just one goal for an 8-1 edge at the break. Conor Noone led the charge offensively, scoring six goals with one assist while Tony Sulham added a hat trick in the win. Ryan Cotter, Jon Sacchetti, and Mikey McCabe each added one goal while Finn Stapleton had an outstanding defensive game for the Warriors. Adam Addeche made 14 saves in net to keep Foxboro ahead.

Franklin, 19 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Luke Davis continued to dominate offensively and Franklin ran away with a big win on the road at Mansfield. Davis had eight goals and three assists, all in the first three quarters, while Jayden Consigli added six goals and two helpers and Tyler Sacchetti chipped in with four goals and three assists for the Panthers, which built a double-digit (13-3) lead by halftime. Drew Hansen added two assists and Justin Alexander (one assist) went 16-for-22 at the face-off X. Ryan DeGirolamo made 20 saves in net for the host Hornets and Drew Sacco led the team offensively with three goals and an assist. Cody Gordon and Andrew DeGirolamo each added one goal, and Andrew Burnham and Nico Smith each had two assists.

Taunton, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Milford, 11 – Final (OT) – Ben Reardon’s second goal of the game delivered a walk off win for Oliver Ames as the Tigers dispatched Milford in overtime. The Scarlet Hawks and visiting OA were tied 11-11 at the end of regulation but Reardon found the back of the net for the second time to hand the Tigers the dramatic win. Shaun Teehan and Alex McAndrew had big performances for OA with each scoring three goals while Jake Manthous, Ryan Jaco, and Victor Romeiro each scored once. Noah Iselib made 12 saves in the win.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 19 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final – Locked in a tight battle at halftime, Attleboro erupted for 11 second half goals to run away with a big win on the road at rival North Attleboro. The Bombardiers had a balanced attack offensively with sophomore Isabella Cavallini (two assists) scoring a team-high five goals while junior Molly Moore (three assists), junior Addison Papagolos, and freshman Amelia Collins each scored four goals in the win; senior Gabriela Sprovieri and freshman Mekenah Stokes each added one goal in the win. Jordan Mooney added four assists while Papagolos (six) and Cavallini (nine) did well on the draw. Peyton McAuliffe made 11 saves in the win for Attleboro.

Foxboro, 17 @ Canton, 8 – Final – After a back-and-forth first half, Foxboro’s balanced offensive attack proved to be too much as the Warriors found the back of the net 10 times in the second half to pull away from Canton in a key division battle. Senior Paige Curran spearheaded the Warriors’ attack with six goals and three assists while Mya Waryas added five goals and four assists and Val Beigel had four goals — including the 100th of her career — and one assist in the win. Cate Noone chipped in with one goal and three assists, Addie Riley scored once, and Mary Collins notched an assist. Devan Spinale led the Bulldogs with four goals, Emily McCabe chipped in with two goals, and Nora Giannacopoulos and Shannon McGrann both had one goal. Ashley Balunas made six saves in net for the Bulldogs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin senior Kaitlyn Carney hit a big milestone in the win, recording her 200th career point. Grace Nesbit added her first goal of the season for the Panthers. Brooke Butler had a goal and an assist, while Ava Adam and Lola Varricchione each scored once for the Hornets. Caitlyn Zajac made five stops in goal for the visitors.

King Philip, 20 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – KP had 18 different players find the back of the net, as they made it back-to-back wins. Makenzie McDevitt scored once and had a pair of assists, recording the 100th point of her career. Maggie Sweeney, Ashleigh Whitbread, Sierra King, Isabelle Taylor, Katie McGann, Mara Boldy, Halle LeBlanc, and Faith Garvey all scored their first varsity goals in the win. Cali Melo scored for Taunton on an assist from Caroline Vallarelli.

Milford @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to Thursday, 5/4 at 4:00.

Sharon, 9 @ Stoughton, 8 – Final – Sharon edged Stoughton to pick up its second win in the past four games and deny the Black Knights their first win as a varsity program. Amanda Reid was the top scorer for the hosts with five goals, and also pulled down three draw controls. Casey Groppi dished out five assists, while Morgan Groppi and Nicole Reid each scored once. Jordan Coleman made 13 saves in the loss.

Boys Tennis
Canton, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Canton freshman Bharat Ramanathan overcame a one-set deficit and a three-game deficit in the second set to earn the clinching win at second singles for the Bulldogs. Ramanathan rallied from a 2-5 deficit to get the win and followed with a 12-10 third-set tiebreaker win to clinch the match. Max Kupferman continued his dominance at the first singles with a 6-0, 6-1, and Canton’s second doubles team of Drew Garrett and Matt Weaver earned a 6-1, 7-5 victory. Foxboro’s Ryan Fossella and Evan Paluzzi took a point at first doubles with a 6-1, 6-2 verdict and sophomore Luca Meyer earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles for the Warriors.

Taunton, 5 @ New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton went on the road and returned home from the Whaling City with five wins — all in straight sets — to sink host New Bedford. Mike Kimmer emerged from a competitive first singles match with a 6-4, 6-1 win, Martin Frankimet dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 second singles win, and Heitor Sens rolled to a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. In doubles action, Collin Lofgren and Derek Desseault teamed up and lost just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory at first doubles while the pairing of Kenny Dias and Rowan Kimmer dominated to the tune of a 6-2, 6-0 win at second doubles.

Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – In a battle of division leaders, Sharon repped the Davenport with a clean sweep by taking all five matches in straight sets. Sophomore Jacob Slavsky bounced back with a 6-2, 6-2 win at first singles, junior Matthew Lally prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at second singles, and sophomore Alex Budovalcev continued his impressive sophomore season with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 showing at third singles for the Eagles. Sophomores Sava Kassev and Joel Zwicker emerged from a tough test at first doubles with a 6-2, 7-5 win, and the team of senior Kevin Li and sophomore Sujun Zhao took a 6-2, 6-1 victory at second doubles.

Stoughton, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final

Girls Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Foxboro took a pair of wins from both singles and doubles actions to earn a 4-1 verdict over host Canton. Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1) and Makayla Peck (6-2, 6-4) each wins at first and second singles, respectively, while the teams of Emily Stow and Katelynn Dineen (7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7), and Abby Grace and Arianna Urman (6-4, 6-3) swept doubles play for the Warriors. Canton’s Katherine Powers was victorious at third singles, taking a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Taunton, 4 vs. New Bedford, 1 – Final

Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon earned its 10th straight win to start the season, taking a clean sweep over visiting Attleboro. Sophomore Judy Song dropped just two games en route to a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Navya Shukla added a 6-2, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Abby Vilk completed the singles sweep with a 6-2, 4-0 (default) win at third singles. The team of sophomore Alina Hou and Olivia Landstein earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Eagles, and the second doubles pairing of Grace Zhang and Emma Gershun prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Milford, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Milford sophomore Mallory Brickley erased a one-set deficit to secure a win at third singles and clinch the win for the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Brickley dropped a tight first set but then won two in a row for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win. Milford also got wins from the sophomore first doubles pairing of Ava Merrill and Lily Bogonis (6-2, 6-1) and the second doubles team of sophomores Audrey Brannigan and Paige Caldon (6-3, 7-5). Ally Lada earned a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 comeback win at first singles and senior Nadia Prokopiuk rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win at second singles for the Black Knights.

Boys Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 83 – Final

Girls Outdoor Track
Foxboro, 34 @ Stoughton, 85 – Final

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Medfield, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Minnechaug, 0 – Final

12/04/202212/04/2022

King Philip Falls To Catholic Memorial In D2 State Final

King Philip football Matt Kelley — King Philip senior Matt Kelley is tackled by Catholic Memorial’s Maxwell Tucker at Gillette Stadium during the Division 2 state championship. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

FOXBORO, Mass. – For the second straight year, the King Philip football team went toe-to-toe with the best team in Massachusetts on the biggest stage, but unfortunately for the Warriors, the result was the same.

Catholic Memorial blanked KP over the final two quarters and scored a pair of second half touchdowns to pull away for a 27-7 win to claim their second straight MIAA Division 2 state championship and extend their win streak to 29 straight games.

“It’s just a lot to hang with for a long time,” said King Philip head coach Brian Lee. “Our kids have such great heart and work so hard, and we’re gifted with great coaches, but in the end, it’s just too much to hang with for that long. We couldn’t bail out our defense enough. We couldn’t run the ball and get sustained drives. It was hard, it was tough, they are so fast and converge on the ball so it was just tough.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors were in a good spot after 24 minutes of action, trailing by just a score at 14-7 going into the halftime break. The Knights scored on their opening drive – 10 plays for 80 yards, helped along by a 30-yard fumble recovery by an offensive lineman – and then again on their fourth series, punching in a touchdown with just 16 seconds left in the halftime.

KP bounced back after going three-and-out on its opening series. The defense, which played well for all four quarters, forced a turnover on downs on CM’s second drive to get the ball back. The Warriors marched 60 yards on 14 plays to find the end zone.

Rudy Gately (14 carries, 43 yards) converted a third down with a 6-yard carry running behind senior center Michael Murphy and right guard Logan Van Vaerenewyck, Will Astorino also moved the sticks with a 4-yard burst up the left behind Luke Danson and Sean King, and two plays later Gately got his biggest run of the game for 16 yards. A roughing the passer flag kept KP’s drive alive and moved the Warriors inside the 10-yard line.

The drive stalled inside the 5-yard line but KP elected to go for it and after not finding an open receiver, junior quarterback Tommy McLeish kept it himself and dove across the goalline for a 4-yard touchdown. Matthew Kelley’s extra point got KP within a point, down 8-7, with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

KP’s defense once again forced a turnover on downs but the CM defense stood tall and forced a punt from the Warriors. The Knights covered 54 yards in seven plays, going with play action on first down as freshman quarterback Peter Bourque found Maxwell Tucker for a 23-yard strike. The two-point attempt was picked off by KP sophomore Aiden Astorino, but couldn’t be returned.

Despite trailing 14-7 at half, the Warriors were set to receive the second half kickoff.

“Just keep doing what we were doing,” Lee said of the halftime discussion. “We were in it, we were hanging in there. We knew we needed to get a little more going. It was kind of the same thing last year, in the second half we get tired running guys on and off. They wear you down. They’ve got some humongous tackles, some serious players and it just wears you down.”

A strip sack on third down put an end to KP’s first drive of the second half and set CM up at the KP 40-yard line. Despite good field position, the CM offense couldn’t crack the Warriors’ defense and seniors Will Astorino and Carson Meier dropped CM running back Carson Harwood in the backfield for a turnover on downs.

KP was able to get a first down on the ensuing drive on a penalty but an interception by Tucker stopped the Warriors. That set up CM’s third scoring drive as JC Petrongolo hit Harwood for a 22-yard touchdown with just 1:22 left in the third quarter.

The Warriors had to punt on their first series of the final quarter and the Knights cashed in just four plays later. Meier had a tackle for a loss on first down and an incompletion on second down – due to pressure from Chris Sesay – set the Knights up for 3rd and 11 but Bourque hit Jaedn Skeete in stride down the left sideline for a 31-yard touchdown and a 27-7 lead with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter.

“These kids come out and know what they are going up against and they sat in there and fought,” Lee said. ”And they did it a bunch of times this year. We had some really big wins, had a few losses mixed in, but you have to be, and I am, so proud of what they’ve accomplished. No matter what you’re doing in life, you’re trying to maximize what you are and what you can be. Nobody wants to be average, and these guys didn’t want to be average. They didn’t want it to be a rebuilding year, and they came back to Gillette. I’m so proud of them.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Kyle Abbott had a first down run and McLeish had a couple of QB sneaks on fourth down to keep the drive alive and move the chains. A 12-yard pass from McLeish to senior Will Laplante earned another first down and moved KP into the red zone. But the Warriors couldn’t finish the drive and turned it over on downs.

“For them to work and get back here, to have the kind of wins they did, to take the steps to put themselves back here and have another chance at this is very, very impressive,” Lee said. “When I look at what our ceiling was and how we smashed through it, and willed ourselves back here, that’s a tribute to the kids and their work.”

King Philip football finishes the season at 9-3.

11/24/2022

Franklin Wins Back-to-Back Titles After Comeback at KP

Franklin Football — Franklin senior Luke Davis (6) hauls in a two-point conversion with 2:46 remaining, which lifted the Panthers to a come from behind win at rival King Philip and to a second straight Kelley-Rex title. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – King Philip got the ball back up by seven points with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter of Thursday morning’s holiday matinee at Macktaz Field and went back to work with the ground game that had been nearly unstoppable for most of the game.

After running more than seven minutes off the clock, KP had first down from the Franklin 30 and looked like it was maybe one or two plays away from clinching the title-deciding showdown.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Rudy Gately (21 carries, 116 yards) was stopped for a loss of three by Emmett Lackey. Quarterback Tommy McLeish took the next snap and went on a sweep around the left side, but Franklin read the play and pried the ball loose. Devine Johnson pounced on it at the 34 to give the visitors a chance with 6:11 on the clock.

Mike Davide (11 carries, 40 yards) broke free for a 13-yard gain into KP territory and Jase Lyons (20-of-27, 232 yards) hit Josh Ribeiro on the sideline. Ribeiro refused to go out of bounds, cutting back infield and eventually gaining 17 to the KP 28. After back-to-back completions to Luke Davis, Lyons kept it himself, looking for contact in the secondary and being brought down at the three. Davide finished the drive to bring the Panthers within one.

Instead of lining up for a Garrett Portesi extra point and potentially playing for overtime, Franklin coach Eian Bain rolled the dice and kept the offense on the field.

“Not for a second,” Bain said later, when asked if he thought about kicking. “We were going for two and then just onside kick it if we have to. We were going for the win right there and then make them have to make a decision too, do they stick with the offense they ran the whole game?”

Lyons dropped back and looked for Davis on a quick out-route a couple yards into the end zone. Davis (nine catches, 153 yards) made the diving grab and put the Panthers up 29-28 with only 2:46 left on the clock. The Franklin defense was able to limit KP to just one first down, sealing a win and a share of its second straight Kelley-Rex division title.

“We just had a good matchup,” Bain said. “We had a play call for both sides and when they adjusted from the empty backfield, we had Luke one-on-one, which is what we wanted.”

Davis was thrilled at his coach’s decision to stick with the offense in that situation. He said, “I was hoping for him to say that. Obviously, KP is a good team and they have their drives, so just to get that extra point was huge. I had full confidence in Jase and the offense to make the play, so it was a great call. Trust coach.”

KP coach Brian Lee rued uncharacteristic turnovers from his team that led to two Franklin touchdowns, including the eventual winner, but also praised Bain for his call to go for two at the end.

“We were just about another first down away from giving (Matthew) Kelley a chance for a field goal and kudos to them,” Lee explained. “Bottom line, we’ve got to hold onto the ball. We turned it over twice. Once on an exchange – points, and down here – points.”

He added, “The guts on coach to go for two. That’s a great call. I love that stuff, going for that win here. It shows that program is in good hands.”

Franklin came into Thanksgiving an underdog against KP, which is heading back to its fifth Div. 2 Super Bowl in six seasons, but the Panthers were riding the confidence of beating the Warriors last year (ending a decade without a win in this series) and got off to a roaring start. On third and five, Lyons went deep down the sideline to Davis, who hauled in the pass then cut back towards the hash mark and raced past a pair of defenders for a 69-yard TD.

“He does everything,” Bain said about Davis. “He’s going to be impossible to replace. I don’t think the kid ever gets tired, I don’t think he ever doesn’t smile, he always goes and he does it right way too.”

Davis noted, “Being on that team last year, we got that feeling of success. We’ve been working at it all year, had KP in the back of the mind all year until it was finally Thanksgiving week. Having that success last year, helped us know what it meant and know what the feeling is to win this game.”

KP responded like it usually does, but lining up behind its big offensive line and running right at the heart of the defense. On their first drive of the day, KP marched 64 yards on nine plays, all of them runs between the tackles. Gately had five carries on the drive, including a 16-yard rush inside the Franklin 10. William Astorino (14 carries, 109 yards) punched it from the two to tie it.

Kyle Abbott and Christopher Sesay each sacked Lyons to end Franklin’s next possession. KP got the ball back and went 57 yards on eight plays, again all runs right up the middle, to take the lead. Astorino and Gately split the carries on the drive, with Astorino finding the end zone on a 12-yard run. Kelley’s extra point made it 14-7.

Franklin drove into KP territory, but David Constantine’s interception ended the drive at the Warriors 12. On third and 17, a fumbled hand-off was recovered by Jack Nutter to give the Panthers the ball at the 18. The Panthers took advantage, as Lyons recovered from being sacked twice (by Carson Meier and Astorino) to hit Davis for a six-yard score, tying the game with 46 seconds left in the half.

Coming out of the locker room, the Warriors took control. A seven-play, 65-yard drive kicked things off. Abott broke free for 16 yards into Franklin’s half of the field and then Astorino ran over defenders on a 32-yard rush down to the 13. Four plays later, Astorino got his third score of the day from two yards out.

The KP defense stepped up to stop Franklin. Gately was playing centerfield and he read a deep ball to Davis on the sideline, coming across to pick it off and return it down to the Panthers 26. On second down, McLeish went play-action and hit Astorino in the right flat. The running back did the rest, weaving his way to the end zone for a 28-14 lead.

Momentum was swinging back-and-forth and this time it was Franklin’s turn to steal it back. The Panthers went 69 yards in nine plays to get back into the game. A pass interference call got the ball to the 27. After and eight-yard pass to Derek Dubriske (five catches, 32 yards), Lyons fired a strike to Davis, who went up and over the defensive back to pull in the 19-yard score.

Killing the clock and killing off the game is usually KP’s forte, but the Panthers found a way to force the turnover and give themselves one last chance to retain the Kelley-Rex crown. When they found the end zone, there was no question of going for the tie, only for the win.

Bain said of the comeback that earned Franklin (7-3) its first back-to-back league titles since 1971, “King Philip makes you play a certain way. You’ve got to get a little grimy, you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and you’ve got to bang with them. Today we got hit in the mouth plenty, there were any number of times where we could’ve said, ‘You know what, we had a good run,’ but these guys never gave up.”

King Philip (9-2) will play Catholic Memorial in the D2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night at 8:00. It is a rematch of last year’s title game, but Lee was adamant that the upcoming final had no impact on his team’s play on Thursday.

“Up 14, that’s something where you feel like you should be able to control it and we just couldn’t,” Lee said. “No. 6 (Davis) is a dude and the quarterback gets the ball out on time and that puts you under pressure. They kept making plays, kept fighting, and kept believing and that’s a hard thing to combat.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

11/23/202211/24/2022

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/24/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 12 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Nathan Shultz 22-yard interception return, Austin Clemente XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Chase Frisoli 43-yard pass to Greg Berthiaume, A. Clemente XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) Austin Rivera 1-yard rush, XP no good.
4th Quarter: (NA) A. Clemente 35-yard field goal; (A) Matt Harvie 7-yard pass to Brody McKenna, Conversion failed.

Stoughton, 14 @ Canton, 28 – Final

Mansfield, 33 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 47-yard pass to Trevor Foley, Travis Hennessey XP good; (M) Brandon Jackman 77-yard interception return, T. Hennessey XP good; (M) Tommy Smith 80-yard rush, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 6-yard rush, Conversion failed.
3rd Quarter: (M) Drew Sacco 2-yard rush, T. Hennessey XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Franklin, 29 @ King Philip, 28 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (F) Jase Lyons 69-yard pass to Luke Davis, Garrett Portesi XP good; (KP) William Astorino 2-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) W. Astorino 12-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (F) J. Lyons 6-yard pass to L. Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) W. Astorino 2-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) Tommy McLeish 26-yard pass to W. Astorino, M. Kelley XP good; (F) J. Lyons 19-yard pass to L. Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Mike Davide 3-yard rush, J. Lyons 2-point pass to L. Davis.

Milford, 38 @ Taunton, 28 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Romeo Holland 70-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good; (T) Jacob Leonard 43-yard pass to Dmitrius Shearrion, Sete Deletoille XP good; (M) Evan Cornelius 27-yard pass to Isaiah Pantalone, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 50-yard pass to Jose Touron, S. Deletoille XP good; (T) Malachi Johnson 6-yard rush, S. Deletoille XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Andrew Rivera 4-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 53-yard pass to J. Touron, S. Deletoille XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) N. Araujo 42-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: (M) E. Cornelius 30-yard pass to I. Pantalone, N. Araujo XP good; (M) E. Cornelius 63-yard pass to A. Rivera, N. Araujo XP good.

Oliver Ames, 28 @ Sharon, 20 – Final

11/21/202211/28/2022

Player of the Week: Matthew Kelley, King Philip Football

Matthew Kelley

By HockomockSports.com Staff

King Philip senior Matthew Kelley has been selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, for Nov. 13 through Nov. 19. Kelley is the 11th player chosen as Player of the Week for the 2022-23 school year.

Kelley played a major role in King Philip sealing its fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last six seasons. Kelley scored five points (a field goal and a pair of extra points) and picked off a pass, as the Warriors held off Bishop Feehan in the second half to win 17-10. KP is now 18-3 in the postseason since 2016.

The Warriors started the semifinal in dominant fashion, controlling the game and jumping out to a 14-0 lead, with Kelley making both extra points. Late in the first half, KP drove deep into Feehan territory but the Shamrocks held defensively. Kelley made sure that the Warriors came away with points, splitting the uprights on a 46-yard kick that made it 17-0. In a matchup that featured the running game almost exclusively, Kelley wasn’t very busy in the secondary, but with Feehan facing a third and 22 late in the fourth quarter he jumped an out-route, intercepting the pass and returning it to the Feehan 21, which essentially sealed the victory.

Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.

Matthew Kelley

Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Matthew Kelley The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.

11/19/202211/19/2022

KP Holds Off Feehan, Books Another Visit to Gillette

King Philip Football — Carson Meier celebrates after sacking the Bishop Feehan quarterback in the first half of Friday’s Div. 2 semifinal at Alumni Field. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MANSFIELD, Mass. – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – King Philip makes enough plays down the stretch, getting the defensive stops it needs to hold on and grind out a playoff win. It seems to now be built into this program’s DNA that, as the weather gets colder and the games get tighter, the Warriors will find a way to come out on top.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

On Friday night at Alumni Field, KP did it again. The Warriors scored 17 unanswered to hold a three-score lead at halftime and then held on, making a red zone stand to force a field goal and picking up a key interception to all but seal a 17-10 win over upset-minded Bishop Feehan in the Div. 2 semifinal.

“In the end, they always seem to grit up and find a way to do it,” KP coach Brian Lee said of his team. “We were able to hang in there, make them grind and put them in a passing situation, something they didn’t really want to do, and then we can make that play at the end.”

Senior lineman Christopher Sesay added, “It’s hours of hard work. We know how to work together, we know each other, and we all trust each other. When the game is on the line, we all rally together and we know what to do, what plays we’ve got to make, what business we’ve got to handle.”

The Warriors set the tone early in the game with a prototypical KP drive. Behind its imposing offensive line, the Warriors took the ball and proceeded to march 66 yards on 11 plays and chew up more than six minutes off the clock.

William Astorino got things started with a couple of dives for 15 yards and Kyle Abbott burst through the line for 12. Astorino (12 carries, 70 yards) broke free for 15 more down to the Feehan 20. Rudy Gately (10 carries, 63 yards), who is only recently back from an injury that kept him out for the majority of the regular season, got a couple handoffs. Astorino would get the call on the final three plays, eventually punching it in from a yard out on fourth down.

Feehan had scored 97 combined points in the first two rounds of the tournament (KP had allowed only 19) and was riding the legs of running back Nick Yanchuk, who had rushed for more than 300 yards in each of the first two games. KP knew what was coming on Friday and tried to bottle up the Shamrocks star.

Carson Meier and Luke Danson combined for a tackle on first down, then Aiden Astorino made back-to-back stops to force Feehan’s first possession to end in a punt. On its second drive, Feehan got into KP territory but a false start forced third and long and Meier sacked Niko Iovieno for a loss of five to get the ball back.

KP started at its own 41. On second down, Gately was able to spin out of the pile and broke down the near sideline for 29 yards. It was KP’s longest run of the day. Two plays later, Abbott (seven carries, 53 yards) went around the left side of the line and raced down the sideline for a 25-yard score.

The Warriors were winning the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Danson stuffed Dante Bruschi for a gain of one and, on third and four, Feehan tried a draw to Yanchuk that was dropped for a loss by Robert Casper.

Following a punt return by Gately, KP started at its own 47 and there was a feeling that another touchdown would seal the win even if there was another half to play. Astorino got five yards to convert third and four, but KP wouldn’t be able to keep the drive going. Matthew Kelley made sure that the Warriors came away with points, splitting the uprights from 46 yards out to make it 17-0.

Coming out of the break, the game flipped on its head. Feehan was suddenly winning the battles up front and Yanchuk, who had been held to 49 yards in the first half, finally found some room to run. A 30-yard gain would get the ball into KP territory and a bench interference call tacked on 15 more. On second and goal, Yanchuk (29 carries, 155 yards) would slip through the right side to put the Shamrocks on the board.

It was an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes off the clock, almost an exact replica of KP’s opening possession. When the Warriors went three-and-out on offense, it put a tiring defense back on the field against a Feehan team that felt momentum shifting.

Starting at their own 48, the Shamrocks were going to sink or swim with the ball in Yanchuk’s hands. He got the call on 11 of the next 12 plays, pushing the Warriors back to their own 15. A false start gave the defense a little life and Aiden Astorino made a big play on third and seven to stop Yanchuk for two yards. Brett McCaffrey would pull Feehan back within seven by booting a 30-yard field goal.

“We realized what’s on the line here,” Sesay said about the team coming up with a big stand to hold Feehan to three points. “We owe it to ourselves to get back to Gillette and take it home this time, so I guess we all motivated each other with, if we don’t win this game then we’re going home. Most of our d-line is seniors and it’s our last season together and it’s just the culmination of all the hard work since we were like eight years old.”

KP was unable to get things going with the ball, getting one first down but then failing to fool the Shamrocks with a Thomas Brewster end-around on third and nine. Feehan would get the ball back at its own 30 down by a score with 4:19 to go.

Iovieno converted fourth and an inch with a QB sneak and got another first down on second and short with the same play. Now in KP territory, Feehan was backed up five on a false start. On first and 15, Iovieno was sacked by Abbott and Meier for a loss of seven. Feehan spiked the ball to stop the clock, bringing up third and 22 with 1:49 to play.

Kelley broke on the route on the outside, picking off the Iovieno pass and returning it to the Feehan 21, effectively sealing the win and sending KP back to the state title game.

“Watching film I saw they like the out-route,” Kelley explained, “and I was playing deep because I didn’t want to let anything behind me. I saw the out-route, saw the quarterback’s eyes, and just jumped it.”

With the victory, KP advances to the D2 Super Bowl for the fifth time in six seasons. The Warriors are now 18-3 in playoff games since 2016.

“It’s pretty freaking crazy,” Lee said. “The kids work and give so much. It’s not easy to win and it’s harder now than it ever was, so to be able to do that, to get there again, it hasn’t even sunk in. Five in six years, that’s pretty awesome.”

When Sesay was asked about being part of the program’s sustained success, he replied, “It feels amazing just to be a part of a program that can do something that big.”

“To know we’re part of something this big that will carry on for generations, it’s something special I’ll always hold with me and I’ll know with these guys, it’s something I’ll remember my whole life being part of the KP dynasty.”

King Philip (9-1) will have a rematch in the state title game, regardless of the opponent. Either the Warriors will face top seed Milford in a rematch of their league encounter from October or they will face No. 4 seed Catholic Memorial in a repeat of last year’s title game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/14/202210/16/2022

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/14/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Stoughton, 19 @ Attleboro, 42 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (S) Jared Daughtry 58-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, Tommy Silva XP good; (A) Matt Harvie 1-yard rush, Josue Salguero XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (A) Isaiah Miranda punt block recovery, J. Salguero XP good; (A) Aiden Hochwarter 15-yard punt block return, J. Salguero XP good; (A) M. Harvie 26-yard pass to Aidan Pantages, J. Salguero XP good; (S) J. Daughtry 22-yard pass to Victor Belan, XP blocked; (A) M. Harvie 46-yard pass to Cole McKenna, J. Salguero XP good.
4th Quarter: (A) M. Harvie 18-yard pass to A. Pantages, J. Salguero XP good; (S) J. Daughtry 41-yard pass to Alex Huynh, Conversion failed.

North Attleboro, 19 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final
1Q: (F) Mike Marcucella 23-yard pass to Lincoln Moore, Sam Carpenter XP good.
2Q: (NA) Chase Frisoli 5-yard pass to Jack Munley, XP good; (NA) Greg Berthiaume 18-yard rush, XP blocked.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (NA) C. Frisoli 3-yard pass to G. Berthiaume, XP failed; (F) M. Marcucella 25-yard pass to Luis Sulham, S. Carpenter XP good.

King Philip, 19 @ Milford, 7 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Matthew Kelley 25-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (KP) M. Kelley 42-yard field goal; (M) Evan Cornelius 32-yard pass to Isaiah Pantalone, Nicholas Araujo XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (KP) Will Astorino 1-yard rush, Conversion failed; (KP) Tommy McLeish 13-yard pass to M. Kelley, M. Kelley XP good.

Mansfield, 20 @ Barnstable, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 6-yard rush, Travis Hennessy XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) C. Curtis 2-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Tommy Smith 25-yard run, XP no good; (B) Targas 5-yard rush, XP no good.

Sharon, 29 vs. Fairhaven, 36 – Final
1Q: (F) Fairhaven 1-yard rush, XP good; (S) Liam Conway 34-yard pass to Jacob McLoughlin, Jace McCarron XP good.
2Q: (F) Fairhaven 21-yard rush, XP good; (S) L. Conway 9-yard pass to Jacob McLoughlin, J. McCarron XP good; (F) Fairhaven 13-yard rush, XP good.
3Q: (S) L. Conway 15-yard pass to Anthony Piron, J. McCarron XP good.
4Q: (F) Fairhaven 1-yard rush, XP good; (S) Gabe Korn 9-yard rush, G. Korn 2pt rush; (F) Fairhaven 4-yard rush, 2pt conversion.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Foxboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final

Taunton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Saturday, 10/15 at 3:00.

Oliver Ames, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Casey Milliken recorded a hat trick less than 15 minutes into the game to lead the Tigers to a big win on the road. Milliken finished with five goals on the day and added one assist for OA, who staked a 4-0 lead at halftime. Mike MacAdam, Mike Morais, and Jake Williams each scored once in the win. Ryan Linhares notched two assists while Jason Zalis, Joey Carney, and Andrew Martins each had one assist.

Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon senior Adam Eastman scored a beautiful goal in the second half to give the Eagles a crucial two points on the road at Canton. Rishi Shetty opened the scoring for the visitors, finishing off a service from Miguel Vasconcelos for the lone tally of the first half. Canton senior Jake McCabe buried the equalizer early in the second half but Eastman’s free kick to the upper 90 proved to be the difference. Rhys Davis anchored an outstanding defensive effort by the Eagles and senior Matt Baur had a strong outing in net.

King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin turned it up a notch in the second half and exploded for four goals after the break to take a big win on the road and stay two points clear in the Kelley-Rex division title race. Sophomore Garrett Scagliarini recorded his first assists to junior Michael Fernandez-Martin for the only goal of the opening half. After the break, Trey Lovell scored a pair of goals — the first assists by Max Tobin and the second by Scagliarini, while Fernandez-Martin grabbed an assist to Wyatt Herndon. Noah Cain (from Josh Dunlop) capped the scoring for the hosts.

Girls Soccer
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Freshman Tatum O’Brien recorded four points to lead the Bombardiers to a big win that pulls them back to .500 on the season. O’Brien opened the scoring in the first half, cutting in from the right wing and firing a left-footed shot into the top corner. A few minutes later, O’Brien doubled the lead cutting in from the opposite win. Jamie Davies made it 3-0 for the hosts before the break, running in behind the Milford defense and poking the ball past the onrushing keeper. Milford kept pressing in the second half. Serena Borges hit the bar with a free kick and Dani Atherton’s run down the right and cross into the middle picked out Ava Baglione but the freshman’s shot slammed back off the bar. The Hawks got on the board and with the same combo, Atherton from the right finding Baglione who took a touch in the six, turned, and scored. Attleboro finished the game with a flurry. O’Brien played a ball into the middle for classmate Jordyn Riley and she clipped a first-time shot over the keeper with the outside of her foot. O’Brien wrapped up her hat trick with a left-footed shot that snuck into the bottom corner.

Mansfield, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Meghan McCann scored the game’s only goal in the final three minutes of the first half and it was enough for the Hornets to split the season series with the Warriors. Alexandra Fernandes assisted on the goal. Olivia Salisbury came through with a save on a Foxboro breakaway late in the second half to preserve the win.

Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – KP had a strong first half but was unable to find a way through Franklin goalie Rachel Welch, who made a series of big saves. The Panthers were able to turn things around a little after the break and scored twice to split the season series and move three points clear of the Warriors in the division. Alli Powderly scored the opening goal for Franklin, finishing an assist from Selene Hammad. Anya Zub headed in a long free kick from Norah Anderson for what turned out to be the game-winner. KP pulled one back with five minutes to play. Mikayala Thompson scored off an assist from Rachel DeFlaminis.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro scored less than a minute into the second half to double its lead and tacked on two more in the final half hour of play to get a win on the road. Emma Pratt cleaned up a rebound off of a shot from Caroline McKenna to give the visitors the advantage in the 7th minute, a lead the Rocketeers carried into halftime. In the opening minute of the second half, Clara Giuliano converted a cross from Grace Norack to make it 2-0. McKenna then set up Amelia Maier in the 50th minute, and Haley Sinacola capped the scoring by heading in a cross from Sophia Bostock in the 76th minute. Cali Melo, Ava Uhl, and Juliana Matos has strong performances for the Tigers. Goalie Hayleigh Porter made 10 saves in the loss.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – After the Tigers edged the first meeting by a goal, the two teams played out a scoreless draw in the game at Muscato Stadium. The draw ended OA’s 10-game win streak that went back to the season opener at Franklin. Jenna Nelson, Molly Capace, and Sophia Byron all had strong games for the Tigers.

Field Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Norwood, 0 – Final

North Attleboro, 3 @ Dartmouth, 1 – Final – North staked a one-goal advantage in the opening quarter then scored once in each the third and fourth quarters to earn a 3-1 win on the road over Dartmouth. Sophomore Madison Folan scored off of an assist from older sister Caroline Folan on a corner midway through the first quarter, and that was the only goal from either team in the first half. Caroline Folan set up both of North’s second half strikes, first linking up with Francesca Spencer at 4:35 of the third and then with Julia Puccio at 8:31 of the fourth to make it 3-0. North’s defensive diamond of Ella Luistro, Rory McGinley, Maddie Bailey, and Ava Mckeon kept the net safe and started the Rocketeers’ runs on offense while Ava Spencer, Emily Burnham, and Kelsey Thompson played well in the midfield.

Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Braintree, 1 – Final

Stoughton, 2 @ East Bridgwater, 3 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton earned its second win in as many days, this time earning a 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-18, 25-12) at home over visiting Taunton. Jess Wright had another strong outing with nine kills, 12 digs, and two aces, Kaitlin Bigham and Fatima Sidibay were strong at the net with a combined five blocks, and Zoe Scibelli ran the defense with 12 digs and three aces.

09/24/202209/24/2022

KP Defense Puts the Pressure On to Stop Xaverian

WRENTHAM, Mass. – During Brian Lee’s tenure at King Philip, the Warriors have displayed a penchant for making life difficult for even the most prolific offenses. In big matchups, like Friday night’s visit of highly ranked Xaverian to Macktaz Field, KP manages to turn the game into a low-scoring, ball control, defense-oriented affair.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Against Xaverian, it was a prototypical KP performance. The Warriors had multiple players in the backfield on seemingly every play, making sure that star quarterback Henry Hasselbeck had next to no time to make plays down field. KP finished with four sacks, a forced fumble, a couple of passes batted down, a pick-six, and countless quarterback pressures.

Riding its defense’s dominant play in front of a packed house, the Warriors pulled out a 19-14 victory, solidifying its place among the state’s elite again this fall.

“Really just put a lot of pressure on him, and sustained pressure, and the back end and the secondary did their job too,” Lee said about his team’s defense. “When you’re playing an opponent who has such a reputation, it’s going to amp you up. Everybody knows what Xaverian is, how good they are, how well-coached they are, they have a culture, all the things you’re afraid to face in a program.

“We knew it was going to have to be our best, sustained effort.”

Right from the start, the Warriors were sending blitzes from every angle to make Hasselbeck uncomfortable. On Xaverian’s second possession, Carson Meier’s pressure forced an incomplete pass on first down and Kyle Abbott’s pressure caused one on second down. Will Astorino chased down Michael Oates on a screen pass for a loss of four and a three-and-out.

“Coach Wassel planned a ton of blitzes against them,” Astorino explained after the game. “We knew that if we got pressure we could disrupt them. We did that and that’s why they couldn’t get anything going offensively. That was a great defensive performance. We put on a show.”

On the next Hawks drive, Sean King came up with the big hit on Oates, forcing the ball loose. KP recovered at the Xaverian 40 and used the short field to take the lead. Astorino got the call on three straight fullback dives and then Abbott (18 carries, 66 yards) gained seven. Nathan Kearney got a first down to the 19, but KP managed only three more yards and Matthew Kelley split the uprights on a 33-yard kick.

Jonathan Monteiro almost immediately gave the visitors the momentum with a 52-yard kickoff return. After a Christopher Sesay sack, Oates had his best run of the day, gaining 21 down to the KP 19. Abbott read the sweep and dropped it for a one-yard loss. A drop on third down and a penalty made it fourth and 14 before Kearney got a big hand on a screen pass attempt, leading to a turnover on downs.

KP went into the break leading 3-0 and hadn’t allowed a point in 10 quarters to start the season. Early in the second half, the defense showed that it can score as well as keep other teams off the board. Sesay again got into the backfield, hitting Hasselbeck as he threw. The pass fell into the hands of Meier short of midfield and he went the distance to make it 10-0.

Lee said, “It was huge. We definitely struggled on offense. It was a defensive battle, everybody was having trouble moving the ball. Once we got up 10, it really felt like alright, okay, now we’ve got a little bit of breathing room here. It was just a huge, huge play for us.”

Hasselbeck (8-of-16, 148 yards) just didn’t have the time to get anything going for the Hawks. On the next drive, Abbott pressured one incompletion and on third down, Astorino chased down the quarterback for a four-yard loss.

Thomas Brewster’s good punt return set KP up with another short field, starting at the Xaverian 39. A 16-yard completion from Tommy McLeish to Connor Mello converted a third down to the 21. Aiden Astorino had a couple of carries and on third down KP took no chances with a QB sneak to set Kelley up for a 30-yard kick and a 13-0 lead.

The visitors would get the ball back in the closing seconds of the third. Aiden Astorino batted down the first pass attempt, but on the final snap of the quarter, and with multiple Warriors draped all over him, Hasselbeck was able to lay a ball out for Monteiro on the edge and he took it 77 yards for the score. It was the first points allowed by KP this year.

KP got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter, starting at its own 46. On fourth and three from the Xaverian 47, McLeish was able to draw an offsides penalty for a critical first down. Three plays later, play action fooled the Xaverian defense and McLeish hit Kelley down the right sideline for a 36-yard completion. It was KP’s longest play of the night.

“The offensive coordinator (Shawn Hill) was like I want to throw and I was like I don’t know,” Lee said about the big play call. “It’s three minutes and maybe we just eat some clock here because you could feel every second was going to count.”

Kearney got the ball on the next snap from the six and he churned for extra yards and got an extra push from the line to get into the end zone.

The conversion failed but KP restored its two-score lead with just 2:20 to play. Hasselbeck tried to get the Hawks up the field quickly to give themselves a chance. With the help of a personal foul penalty, Xaverian got to the KP 25 with a minute to go.

Luke Danson got the fourth sack of the night, dropping Hasselbeck for a loss of four, but on the next play the Xaverian QB found Monteiro in the back corner of the end zone. After a brief conversation, the officials ruled him inbounds to cut the lead down to five with 43 seconds to go.

Daniel Silveira snagged the onside kick attempt, sealing the victory for the Warriors.

Astorino, who wasn’t unable to contain his excitement after the win, said, “So proud of those guys. They gave it all that they had. We knew they were going to be a tough challenge. Probably every one of their players outweighs us by 50 pounds, but we played with some heart and some passion. That’s how KP plays.”

When asked about the significance of beating a program of Xaverian’s pedigree, Lee explained, “It’s knowing you played a good team and you were able to compete. I didn’t know really what we were. I didn’t know how mentally tough we were, I didn’t know how resilient we were, I didn’t know what we would do when we couldn’t run the ball, who would make plays in the pass game for us, and can we play that old school KP ‘D’ that has kept us in games.

“We got a lot of yeses and a lot of things to feel better about this week.”

King Philip (3-0) will open Kelley-Rex play next Friday with a visit from also unbeaten Taunton.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.