02/01/2022

King Philip Outlasts North Attleboro To Snap Skid

King Philip boys basketball Grant Kinney — King Philip junior Grant Kinney finishes a layup after being fouled in the first half against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – Buoyed by a big second quarter, a solid defensive performance, and timely baskets in the fourth quarter, King Philip got back into the win column after a five-game skid.

The Warriors had their best defensive quarter of the game in the second eight-minute frame, and that translated into their best offensive quarter of the game, turning a deficit into a lead that it never relinquished in a 65-51 decision over North Attleboro.

King Philip boys basketball

King Philip forced the visiting Rocketeers into eight turnovers in the second quarter which translated into 10 of their 25 points in the frame. The Warriors also cashed in after North’s misses, as the Rocketeers were unable to get into the full-court press. Instead, KP hit three of their five total trifectas after North misses, and a total of 11 points came after a stop.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We did a very good job of taking away all of the gaps and even if the guys weren’t there in time, they seemed to get a hand in there to dig it out,” said King Philip head coach Dave DeStefano. “I thought we were pretty aggressive defensively not allowing to get into the paint and get many easy looks.”

The big second quarter turned a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter (14-10) into a 35-23 advantage at halftime.

After KP’s Will Laplante (20 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and North’s Nate Bennett traded threes just before the midway point of the quarter, the Warriors closed on a 12-4 surge. Grant Kinney (16 points, six rebounds) scored off a turnover, Danny Clancy (15 points, 10 rebounds) dished one off to classmate Braeden Sottile for an easy two, and then Clancy converted a putback off a missed free throw following another North turnover.

King Philip boys basketball

Sottile took advantage of another turnover and went in for an easy two, Laplante had a steal and assist to set up Kinney on the break, and then tacked on two free throws after North missed the front end of a one-and-one. North finished just 9-for-20 from the free throw line, missing all seven attempts from the line in the second.

“I thought we played hard throughout, which I don’t take for granted,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We’ve had this throughout the season, we have spells where we lose focus a little bit. Whether it’s a turnover or a missed shot, and that seems to turn into another play or two, and against a team like that, and with Laplante back, they’re offensively talented enough to really make you pay. We had too many lulls in the second quarter, missed a bunch of free throws. I thought we fought like heck to get back into it during the second half but we just had too many lulls.”

KP pushed its lead to 15 when Kinney converted one of KP’s 11 offensive rebounds for two, Sottile cleaned up another miss, and Clancy drove to the basket for two more to make it 41-26.

A quick 8-2 surge kept North in the game with senior Casey Poirier (15 points, seven rebounds) connecting from the line, a traditional three-point play from junior Givany Carney, and sophomore Derek Maceda (seven points, five rebounds) sank a triple to bring the visitors within single digits at 43-34.

Laplante answered with a deep three and Charlie Grant went in for an uncontested two after a steal near midcourt to give KP a 48-34 advantage going into the fourth.

North made another push early in the fourth after back-to-back buckets from Jack Munley and a three-point play from Brody Rosenberg close the game to 50-43. Laplante and Carney traded baskets, and North got a stop on the first shot but Clancy cashed in on an offensive board to stall the momentum.

After a stop, Laplante got back his man and finished through contact for a three-point play, and then after another North miss, Laplante once again muscled his way to the rim for two plus the harm, and suddenly KP’s lead surged back to 60-45 with three minutes to go.

“I think in the end when we calmed down and relaxed against their pressure, and we stopped forcing shots, when we were able to move the ball and move them around defensively, we were able to get some get some good baskets,” DeStefano said. “We had some good drives and got some good kicks to the corner too.

“Grant Kinney had a great start for us (all 10 of KP’s first quarter points) and then Will finished it for us with 10 points in the fourth. Those two stepped up for us in big moments. And it helped to give up single digits in two of the quarters defensively, I thought we stepped up on the defensive end when we needed to.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a three-game absence due to injury, Laplante finished with 10 of his 20 points in the final eight minutes.

“Will’s a gamer and I thought he stepped up and looked really good after being out for a while,” DeStefano said. “He did a good job with his shots, and he understands the game so well and understands when you need a big basket, and he knows how to get it for us.”

King Philip boys basketball (2-8 Hock, 4-9 overall) will try to make it two in a row when it entertains first place Taunton on Friday. North Attleboro (2-9, 2-10) returns home for a clash with Sharon on the same night.

01/25/2022

Foxboro Outlasts North Attleboro In Overtime Battle

Foxboro boys basketball Alex Penders — Foxboro junior Alex Penders goes up for a layup in the first half against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

FOXBORO, Mass. – There’s never a dull night in the Davenport division.

Even on a Monday, in a rescheduled game inside a gym with capacity limitations, division rivals Foxboro and North Attleboro battled back and forth before the Warriors emerged with a 62-55 overtime win.

It looked like Foxboro was on the verge of the win at the end of regulation, holding a four-point lead with 23.6 seconds to go. But as we’ve seen earlier this season and in years prior, nothing is decided until the final buzzer.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

North Attleboro came flying down the court to cut the deficit in half with 18 seconds to go and then forced a jump ball off the inbounds with 9.9 seconds to go. The Warriors kept possession but a heave down court on the ensuing inbounds was picked off by North senior Gavin Wells.

Wells got the ball to classmate Brody Rosenberg, who got past his defender, split another two Warriors, went up and under the rim, and finished just before the buzzer to send the game to overtime, 51-51.

Foxboro boys basketball

The back-and-forth slugfest that started in the fourth quarter continued to start overtime as junior Alex Penders (16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) finished down low off a feed from senior Dylan Gordon (16 points, 11 rebounds), but North quickly answered on a drive from senior Casey Poirier, who tied a career-high 22 points along with 10 boards.

Gordon took it to the rim to get the Warriors back ahead while North’s layup bid was just off the mark. Andrew Finn (9 points, 9 rebounds) increased the lead to three with a free throw, and again, the Rocketeers’ two chances from down low rolled off the rim and out. North got a stop but a contested layup bounced out.

Junior guard Sam Golub sank his fourth triple down the other end and Foxboro’s advantage jumped to six, 59-53, with a minute to go in overtime. Golub finished with a career-high 16 points.

“I was very proud of the response to start overtime,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “I reminded them of the Stoughton game earlier this year, the same thing happened with the other team scoring at the buzzer. We came out and won that one, so I reminded them of that and we had to move on to the next four minutes. It had to start with our defense and I was really proud of the grit they showed and how they were able to go out and execute. I thought it showed a lot of character and hopefully, it will stay that way the rest of the season.”

Foxboro boys basketball

North Attleboro was unable to answer again as Foxboro connected enough from the free throw line to keep the Rocketeers at bay over the final minute.

“I’m proud of the way our guys didn’t quit through the fourth quarter,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We just had too many mental errors, whether it was missed bunnies or just being in the wrong spot. And I don’t know if it was fatigue or mental, or a combination of both, but I thought there was a stretch we had some missed assignments. After making them earn a lot, I thought all of a sudden we kind of opened things up for them and give them credit, they made the shots. We just couldn’t make enough shots down the stretch.”

Penders scored six points in the first quarter to help the hosts establish an early 13-9 advantage after one quarter, and then Golub had eight in the second quarter as the Warriors’ lead ballooned to double-digits, 30-19, at halftime.

North responded in a big way in the third, preventing Foxboro from pulling away with one of its best shooting quarters of the season. Poirier hit a three to start the second half and hit another two trips later. Gordon answered with a triple of his own to keep the lead at nine but North Attleboro closed the rest of the quarter on an 11-3 run.

Senior Nate Bennett scored off a nice post move and sophomore Derek Maceda splashed in a triple. A minute later, Wells hit a triple of his own off a pass from Givany Carney (11 points, four rebounds, four assists), and then Wells returned the favor to Carney for a three — North’s five trifecta of the frame — with less than 30 seconds to go to cut what was once a 13-point deficit down to one point going into the fourth.

“We wanted to come out and win the third to get more separation but to North’s credit, they knocked down a bunch of shots in the third to get them back in the game in the hurry, and because they were able to score more that allowed them to get into their full court pressure which just threw us out of rhythm and sped us up,” Gibbs said. “I thought there were times we got good shots out of it that we just didn’t make but North’s shooting changed the momentum of the game.”

There weren’t any runs from either squad in the fourth, only punches and counterpunches.

Poirier scored to give the Rocketeers their first lead since the opening bucket but Finn answered on the other end to get the hosts back ahead right away.

Foxboro boys basketball

Carney broke a lengthy scoreless stretch but North’s lead once again just lasted seconds as Gordon cut to the basket for two off a feed from Penders. The visitors tied it on a free from Poirier and North once again took the lead on a layup from Carney.

After a defensive stop, Gordon muscled his way to the rim for two more to make it 45-45 with 1:41 to play. Ryan LeClair (five points, four rebounds, four assists) found Finn on a baseline cut for two and Penders stole an inbounds pass and sank two from the line to put Foxboro back in front.

“I think it’s experience, these guys have played a lot of games together now going back to last season,” Gibbs said. “The quality of this league and how tough the teams are. Even though we’ve had some tough losses, playing against quality teams has helped us get better, learn and prepare for these situations.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a free throw from Gordon, Foxboro led 50-45 with 33 seconds to play but the visitors were able to rally for a 6-1 burst in the final moments, starting with a layup from Poirier.

“The last two weeks or so, Casey is playing at the level he expects himself to be at,” Mulkerrins said. “And [Carney] has emerged that’s been aggressive for us. But at the end of the day, we need more points. It’s hard to win in this league no matter what but when you’re barely breaking 50 points you have to be pretty near perfect on defense, and at times we’ve been pretty close.”

Foxboro boys basketball (2-5 Hockomock, 3-5 overall) will try to make it two in a row when it hosts Milford for its second game of a four-game homestand on Tuesday. North Attleboro (2-6, 2-7) returns home to host Taunton on the same night.

01/19/2022

Rocketeers Ride Rosenberg, Defense To Win Over Milford

North Attleboro boys basketball Brody Rosenberg — North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg (career-high 30 points) goes up for layup in the second quarter at Milford. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – The North Attleboro boys basketball team built its lead over Milford through its full-court pressure defense, so it’s only fitting the game came down to one final stop for the Rocketeers.

North got it, and then another, surviving a pair of highly contested three-point attempts from the host Hawks to break into the win column for the first time this year with a 53-50 decision on Tuesday night.

Senior Brody Rosenberg scored a career-high 30 points, including a key three-pointer midway through the fourth, and anchored North’s full-court pressure, grabbing six steals along with six boards.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I think our group has been pretty good defensively all year, we’ve held four of the six teams we’ve played under their average entering tonight but we just haven’t really found our footing on offense,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “But I was proud of our guys making enough plays tonight. Milford, hats off to them, they didn’t quit and if there are another two minutes in this game, I’m not sure who the winner is.

The Scarlet Hawks capitalized on a turnover from the visitors inside the final minute, getting a three-pointer from Wyatt Zagami (eight points) in the corner after breaking North’s press to make it a one-point game, 51-50, with 18 seconds to play.

North Attleboro boys basketball

North Attleboro junior Givany Carney (nine points, seven rebounds) was fouled before the ensuing inbounds pass and hit both of his free throws to push the advantage back to three. Milford got the ball up the court but a contested corner three was off the front rim, and despite a tip out from Justin Lucini (23 points, 10 rebounds), the Rocketeers surrounded the shooter and the last-second heave was off the mark.

North Attleboro surged ahead in the second quarter and led for the entire second half. The Rocketeers led by as much as eight points in the third quarter, but the offense stalled against Milford’s 2-3 zone. After being shut out over the final four minutes of the fourth, North managed just six points over the first four minutes of the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Hawks continued to chip away. A drive from freshman Jack Buckley and free throws from Lucini and freshman Luca Testa cut it to 38-35 at the end of the third quarter.

North extended its lead back to seven early in the fourth behind a steal and score from Rosenberg, and then a layup from Carney after a good defensive play from senior Casey Poirier, making it 42-35.

Milford made a game of it with a quick 8-2 surge, getting five points from Lucini, who made his sixth three of the game, and then three straight from freshman Andrew Rivera (eight points, three rebounds, three assists) made it 44-43 as the clock ticked under four minutes to play.

“I thought every single time in the late third and early fourth that we could have separated ourselves, we hurt ourselves. Either a turnover there, missed one, or we fouled. And we were in the bonus before I blinked. At that point, I think guys started looking at the scoreboard and got away from being the more aggressive team. We’re still learning how to win, we have a lot of young guys, a lot of new juniors so hopefully this helps us down the road.

Rosenberg came back down the other end and came up short on a layup attempt but Carney secured one of North’s 17 offensive rebounds. After kicking it around the perimeter, Rosenberg faked a shot to get the defender in the air, took a step into space, and sank a three — his first triple since the second quarter, and just North’s fourth three in the game.

The Rocketeers got a stop on the defensive end and Rosenberg sliced to the basket for two more and North had some breathing room at 49-44 with 2:33 to go.

A quick foul led to a free throw from Paul Roberts, and a steal on the defensive end resulted in two more from the line from Roberts, and the Hawks got the ball back down just two. But North’s pressure paid off again as Jack Munley came up with a loose ball and Rosenberg drained two from the line to extend the lead to 51-47.

“I’m really proud of him,” Mulkerrins said of Rosenberg, who accounted for over half of the team’s points. “He hasn’t filled it up like he expects to and I think he’s feeling the weight of the record, the youth and inexperience and at times, maybe pressing like all four of our seniors have. Everyone in that locker room has a lot of confidence in him and when he shoots the ball, we assume it’s going in. There’s no one else we want taking the big three in that moment so I’m proud of him for staying the course and hitting the big one.

After a back-and-forth start, Milford separated itself on Lucini’s sharpshooting. The senior hit his first two attempts from deep and Zagami added one of his own to help the Hawks overcome eight turnovers to grab a 16-9 lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But North’s full-court pressure continued to limit the Hawks’ offensive chances as the Rocketeers forced 10 turnovers in the second quarter. North Attleboro turned that into 15 of its 23 points in the middle frame, including a four-point play from Rosenberg and a putback from Nate Bennett. North ran a nice inside-out play with Munley finding Poirier for an open three, leading to a 31-29 halftime edge.

“Even if it wasn’t getting a turnover, I thought it was keeping our guys mentally engaged,” Mulkerrins said. “We saw in our scout that we could possibly turn them over a little bit, and even when we weren’t getting that turnover, I felt like we were speeding them up. We just thought at halftime if we were able to keep it up and then get to [Lucini] a bit better in transition, I thought it was the appropriate defensive decision.”

North Attleboro boys basketball (1-5 Hockomock, 1-6 overall) is on the road again on Friday when it visits Stoughton. Milford (0-7, 0-8) has two games to end the week, hosting Brockton on Thursday and then visiting Franklin on Friday night.

12/13/202112/13/2021

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 10-6
Coach: Mark Houle

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

After trotting out an entirely new lineup during the shortened COVID season a year ago, Attleboro is looking to build upon the foundation it built and contend for a Kelley-Rex title in a very deep division.

Senior Evan Houle and junior Trevor White are the two returning starters from a year ago but the Bombardiers have a lot of players back that saw valuable minutes off the bench as well. Houle and White both averaged 10 points per game a year ago and will be two of the main options on the offensive end of the court. Alvin Harrison and Joe Francois both played solid minutes last year and give the Bombardiers some size in the paint. Jake Struminski, Christian Dame, and Michael Beverly all played throughout last season and should be in the mix again this year.

The Bombardiers are getting a big boost in the backcourt with the addition of senior Colin Morais, who transferred in after playing in Rhode Island last year. Morais can score in a variety of ways and can really catch fire from three-point range so he will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Sophomore Neo Franco could see an expanded role right away and help provide additional defensive intensity and some scoring punch. Seniors Hayden Hagerty, senior Nathan Hunter-Evans, and junior Jaiden Outland give the Bombardiers some quality depth on the roster.

“I have been very impressed with our work ethic and how our players have set high standards in practice every day,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I credit our recent graduates for the past several years who set the high expectations for our teams to work hard, be good teammates, and earn our success in practice. We’re looking forward to the always challenging Hockomock League schedule. We must be prepared and be ready to compete at a high level every game.”

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Eric MacKinnon

A new chapter begins for the Bulldogs with Eric MacKinnon taking over as head coach after Ryan Gordy stepped down to take an athletics administrative position with Canton. MacKinnon, a former Hockomock League All-Star for Oliver Ames, has experience coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels and will try to guide a relatively inexperienced group through a tough league schedule.

Canton graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that accounted for nearly 90% of the team’s points scored last year. But with that loss comes a lot of new opportunities for new players to fit into the lineup and rotation. Senior Lanse Dorcelus possesses the most experience of anyone on the roster after getting pulled up to varsity his freshmen year and seeing an expanded role in each of the past two seasons. He could be primed for a breakout year with his ability to attack the rim, and he can score in bunches when he gets going.

Dorcelus is joined by Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Nate Mei as returners from last year. All three of those players know what it’s like to play at the varsity level in the Hockomock League so MacKinnon will be leaning on their experience as the Bulldogs try to navigate through a very challenging schedule. MacKinnon is hoping to have the Dogs playing with pace in the halfcourt and will be looking to have a balanced attack on offense with a presence in the post but also a roster that can hit from outside.

“We have a mix of guys who have had varsity experience along with some juniors who weren’t able to swing last year because of covid protocols,” MacKinnon said. “We know we’ll need to be efficient offensively and be sound on the other end to compete every night in this league. We’ve made progress in our early practices and I’ve been impressed by our senior leadership.”

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 2-9
Coach: Jon Gibbs

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

There were a lot of growing pains for the Warriors last season, resulting in a 2-9 record during the shortened COVID season. But with its entire starting lineup back plus some added depth, Foxboro could be looking at a worst-to-first type turnaround in 2022.

Senior Dylan Gordon, fresh off an incredible football season for the Warriors, had a breakout season a year ago and was one of the leading scorers in the Hock at 16 points per game. He’s joined by junior Alex Penders, who had some dominant moments at times last year in the paint and averaged 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and juniors Ryan LeClair, Sam Golub (6.4 PPG), and Sean O’Leary. Juniors Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira both played solid minutes at points last year so the Warriors boast eight veteran players now, which is a vast difference from last year when everyone on the roster was making their varsity debut.

The Warriors will look to boast a balanced offensive attack and have the weapons to do so. Whether it’s Penders down low in the post, Gordon slashing to the basket, or Golub lighting it up from deep, Foxboro has options all over the court. Head coach Jon Gibbs is hoping the experience and chemistry the group gained last year will provide a strong foundation for this season. Defensively, the Warriors have some size and length that will allow them to protect the paint, contest shots, and rebound at a high level.

“We have a deep team this year,” Gibbs said. “Guys are pushing each other hard in practice every day as they work to carve out roles for themselves. If we can defend and rebound at a championship level, we have the potential for a very successful season.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 6-5
Coach: CJ Neely

Last season marked the second straight year that the Panthers graduated a large senior class and that means there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to step into the starting lineup and expanded roles this year around.

While the Panthers will have an entirely new starting lineup, Franklin will most certainly be right in the mix in a Kelley-Rex division that is jammed-pack with talent. Gone are leading scorer Declan Walmsley (17.5 points per game) along with the next two leading scorers on last year’s roster in Andrew Byfield (10.2) and Jake O’Brien (9.9). Key depth pieces like Zach Harvey (4.5) and Alex Newman (3.6) also graduated so head coach CJ Neely will be working with some new options this year.

Sophomore Henry Digiorgio burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago and he’s the top returning scorer at 5.4 points per game, although he did reach double figures in the scoring column three times. Sean Vinson and Ben Harvey are the other two players back in the fold that saw some minutes a season ago. But something we’ve seen Franklin do year-in and year-out is reload so there will certainly be some new names to emerge over the next couple of weeks.

While the players change, the style of Franklin basketball has been consistent for years and defense remains to be the calling card under Neely. The Panthers are always a team that puts a lot of pressure, moves the ball around on the offensive end, and incorporates a lot of motion off the ball to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

“Guys have really showed up ready to compete for jobs,” Neely said. “Obviously with five graduating starters from last year’s team there are a lot of roles up for grabs and practices have been great. We have had a very competitive preseason and it has shown that we have a lot of depth and it will be an ongoing battle all year to earn your spot and maintain your spot throughout the year.”

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 0-10
Head Coach: Dave DeStefano

With a strong mix of experienced players and new faces, King Philip is looking to make some noise in a very talented and deep Kelley-Rex division, one of the best divisions in the state.

Head coach Dave DeStefano is back after missing the COVID season due to the birth of his son and has seven seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen on the roster to work with this year. KP has a solid foundation with two returning starters back and both averaged double figures in the scoring column. Junior Will Laplante had a breakout year and will be someone every opposing defense will have to keep an eye on after averaging 16.4 points per game last year. And senior Danny Clancy is one of the hardest-working players and fights for a lot of rebounds on the offensive glass; he averaged 12.2 points per game last year.

Senior Charlie Grant, fresh off leading the King Philip football team to the state final at quarterback, is confident with the ball in his hands and will be like a quarterback for the offense by setting the tempo. Seniors Sean Sullivan and Braeden Sottile will be looking to build on their minutes from a season ago and could see expanded roles this go around. Seniors Will Martorano (6’5) and Drew Danson (6’3) should give the Warriors a big, physical presence in the paint. DeStefano is also expecting juniors Tommy Martorano, Grant Kinney, and Collin Peck to be in the mix after improving a lot over the offseason.

“The boys have really committed this offseason,” said DeStefano, who is hoping a combination of athleticism and physicality lead to success this year. “The practices so far have been really competitive and physical. We know that everyone in this league can score the ball and if we want to be successful we are going to have to commit on the defensive end of the floor. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 15-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Mike Vaughan

Mansfield won another division title last season and expectations are sky high yet again this year, as the Hornets look to win their 10th straight Kelley-Rex division title and go on a deep tournament run.

While the Hornets reload every year, they have a pretty good head start this season already with senior Matt Hyland and junior Chris Hill back in the lineup. Both boast a lot of experience at the varsity level and are capable of being the best player on the court. Mansfield lost 1,000-point score Matt Boen (just the second player to reach that milestone under head coach Mike Vaughan despite all of the program’s success) to graduation so both Hyland and Hill will take on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor.

Seniors Jack Lasbury-Casey, Andrew Slaney, and Anthony Sacchetti, along with sophomore Trevor Foley, all saw minutes during last year’s shortened COVID season and could be in line for expanded roles this year. Sacchetti has impressed in the preseason so far and the Hornets have played well with him on the floor, Foley (6’5) creates a lot of matchup problems with his size and athleticism, and both Lasbury-Casey and Slaney can give the offense a boost with their outside shooting.

Caden Colby, Dante James, and JT Veiking all are coming off very successful seasons of JV and the same goes for sophomore Eddie McCoy, who had a strong year on the freshmen squad. All four players are all in the mix for minutes and give the Hornets a very deep roster. The Hornets are looking to use their size and length to their advantage, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“Overall the expectations are the same, we want to qualify for the tournament as quickly as possible by playing one game at a time, win the league title, and win multiple tournament games,” Vaughan said. “With the quality of the league and our tough non-league schedule, we have a challenge ahead of us but I think we have the pieces to be a very talented and quality basketball team on both ends of the floor.”

Milford

2020-2021 Record: 3-9
Coach: Paul Seaver

It’s not uncommon for a program to graduate its entire starting lineup, and it’s not even uncommon to see the majority of a roster turnover because of graduation. But Milford is in a unique situation in which it graduated its entire team. That’s right, Milford will boast a roster full of players without a minute of varsity experience.

Head coach Paul Seaver has four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen as the Hawks write a new ~~chapter~~ book in program history. Coaches in the Hockomock League will be checking in with their subvarsity coaches, and maybe even their metro coaches, to try and get an idea of what to expect from the Hawks this year.

While we’ll learn more about the Hawks as the season goes on, we do know one thing. Seaver will be leaning on the leadership of senior captains Nick Schuler and Paul Roberts. Both Schuler and Roberts have varsity experience in other sports so their leadership will be key for a program that will be experiencing this level for the first time.

“With a brand new crop of guys this season, we look to compete on both sides of the floor this year while working towards reestablishing the culture and environment of Milford basketball,” Seaver said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-3
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins

The Rocketeers have a roster mixed with new faces and a handful of experienced players and are hoping that combination can lead to some success in a loaded Hockomock League.

After graduating just two seniors two years ago, North lost half of its roster from last year and all five were players that saw valuable minutes for head coach Sean Mukerrins. But on the plus side, the four players back all played a lot of minutes including starters and potential league all-stars Brody Rosenberg and Casey Poirier. Rosenberg was second on the team last year in scoring with 10.4 points per game last year and will need to take on more responsibility on the offensive end this year. Poirier is a capable guard that is confident with the ball in his hands and likes to spread the rock around.

Seniors Gavin Wells (6’3) and Nate Bennett (6’3) are the other two returners for the Big Red and both improved as the season went on last year. Wells emerged as a threat from the perimeter, dropping a season-high 13 points in a road win over Foxboro last season. Bennett can play in a variety of roles and he gives North some good size on the defensive end.

North has developed a reputation for being disciplined and well-prepared on the defensive end of the court, and that will likely be the strength for the squad again this year. On the offensive end, the Rocketeers will follow the lead of Rosenberg and Poirier as an unselfish group that is always looking for the best shot.

“We are excited to get the season started and see where we stack up against the rest of the Hockomock League,” Mulkerrins said. “After graduating a tremendous 2021 class, this group is excited to step in and carve our roles that will help our team succeed.”

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 9-1 (Davenport division champions)
Coach: Oliver Vil

Oliver Ames had a terrific showing during the shortened COVID season, winning the Davenport division in its first season back after four years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Oliver Vil takes over as head coach of the program after the untimely passing of legendary and Hall of Fame coach Don Byron in June. Byron coached through his battle with cancer for the past couple of seasons, leading the Tigers to the Davenport crown with a 9-1 record last winter.

Vil and the Tigers will honor Byron this season when they play Abington; Byron coached the Green Wave to a sectional title in his final season there before coming to Oliver Ames. The Tigers will be raising funds for Coaches vs. Cancer when they host Abington on December 23rd.

Vil, who was an assistant under Byron before taking the head coaching job at Walpole, has two key pieces back from last year’s squad. Senior Drew Baxter is a crafty guard that can really get going on the offensive side of the ball and score in a variety of ways; he will spearhead the offense while Jake Grimaldi, a senior co-captain, gives the Tigers some size down low. After graduating nine seniors from last year’s roster, there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to take advantage of.

“I look forward to continuing the great tradition at OA,” Vil said. “There are big shoes to fill, but my mentor Don Byron has prepared me for this position. I’m excited for this opportunity and challenge.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Andrew Ferguson

Sharon built a solid foundation during last year’s COVID-shortened season and now expectations are high as the Eagles look to build on it and compete for the Davenport division title.

The Eagles have a good chunk of the roster back from last year, all with an important year of experience now under the belt, and an impressive group of young players that are ready to make an immediate impact at the varsity level. Senior John Baez is in his fourth year with the varsity team and will be joined by senior Ryan Zunenshine in the backcourt to give the Eagles an experienced duo spearheading the offense.

The strong senior class also features Sam Cohen, Will Hippler, Donyae Pierre, Nate Yaffe, Ryan Baker, and Brent Cham. Cohen burst onto the scene at the end of his sophomore year and can light it up from three-point range while Hippler is a versatile player that gives the Eagles defensively flexibility. Junior Matt Baur is poised for a breakout season and might be the best player on the court on both sides of the court for the Eagles.

Sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLoughlin impressed in their first year playing high school ball last year and now will make the jump to the varsity level and could make an immediate impact. Juniors Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman give Sharon quality depth at the guard position. Sharon is hoping to get all five guys on the court involved on the offensive end of the court while a revamped defense could be the spark the Eagles need.

“We are thankful to be playing another season and thank the work of the athletic directors of the league to ensure a full season,” said head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We have been working extremely hard throughout the offseason and the early season to hit the ground running. We have a tight-knit team who have been growing together over the past few years and we can’t wait to get the season started.”

Stoughton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Evan Taylor

With just one starter back from last year, second-year head coach Evan Taylor is relying on a mix of new faces and some returners to make up the nucleus of this year’s squad.

Connor Andrews is the lone starter back for the Black Knights after averaging 8.5 points a year ago. But Stoughton also has a pair of juniors in Josh Rivera and Cashmere Mathurin, along with junior Rayan Sablon, that played meaningful minutes and are in line for expanded roles for the 2021-2022 season. Andrews can do it all on the offensive end and does a lot of the little things right. Not only can he light up the scoreboard with his outside shooting, but he also sets the tone with his hustle and rebounding.

Rivera is a capable ball-handler and likes to get his teammates involved; his energy will set the tone of the defensive end. Matherin’s size and athleticism will give a lot of teams trouble this year and Stoughton is looking for him to be one of the best rim protectors in the league. Sablon will play a variety of roles for the Knights, capable of playing as both the one and the two depending on the scenario. Freshman Matt Greenspoon is a player to watch as the season goes on.

Taylor is putting a big focus on the defensive end of the floor during the preseason. The Black Knights allowed the second-most points against in the Davenport division this year so a renewed focus on defense — with an emphasis on using their speed and athleticism to cause havoc — will be something to keep an eye on.

“We are very pleased with the energy and competition level at practice and we are expecting to be very competitive in the Davenport division this season,” Taylor said.

taunton

2020-2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Charlie Dacey

Last season will always be “what if” for the Tigers, who won their first Hock title by sharing the Kelley-Rex division title with Mansfield. But the past is the past and Taunton is focused on the future, which could be another league title.

There will certainly be a bit of a new look for Taunton with the centerpiece of the offense from the past two seasons Tyler Stewart now causing problems for opponents in the Commonwealth Coast Conference as a member of the Wentworth men’s basketball team, and three-year starter Josh Lopes now suiting up for American International College.

But not all is lost as the Tigers have its three other starters from last year’s squad back in the mix and ready to challenge for another Kelley-Rex crown. Trent Santos is now a three-year starter and led the Tigers in scoring last year with 15.2 points per game and he will be one of the top players in the league again this year. Tristan Herry made a huge jump between his sophomore and junior year and is looking to continue that trend this year, the heart and soul of the defense. And Faisal Mass made a big splash last year and can hurt teams in a variety of ways.

The Tigers are getting a boost with the addition of Jordan Costa, who provides a big boost in the rebounding category and can cause some damage around the rim. He’ll be joined by junior Matt Small (6’4) to give the Tigers another option down low. Sophomores Troy Santos and Morrisette could be contributors to the lineup right away for Taunton.

“We’re looking to be aggressive defensively and dynamic offensively with varied skills being able to finish from different spots and different personnel,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

02/13/202102/13/2021

North Attleboro Edges Canton In Overtime Thriller

North Attleboro boys basketball Julius Hicks Edan Kelley — Canton’s Julius Hicks goes up for a shot with North Attleboro’s Edan Kelley defending. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – It was a tale of two halves between the Canton and North Attleboro boys basketball teams.

But the overtime period? That was completely up for grabs.

In the end, the pendulum swung in favor of the Rocketeers just once more than it did for the visiting Bulldogs as North Attleboro claimed a 52-50 win over Canton inside Kenneth Pickering Gymnasium.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The decision was split after 32 minutes of action, North Attleboro claiming a double-digit first half advantage only for Canton to completely flip the script in the second half, stifling the Rocketeers’ offense and turning stops into points, and a deficit into a lead.

“We felt good about getting to overtime because we were on our last life for what felt like forever,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “To get to overtime, we stole the momentum and their bench quieted down a bit. It was big to get points on the first possession. For us, it was just continuing what got us back into it against their zone and we had to keep playing good defense. It was a great Hockomock basketball game, felt like a playoff game almost. We made just enough plays.”

North Attleboro boys basketball

North Attleboro’s lead at halftime, 26-10, took a major hit when Canton came out swinging in the form of a 10-2 run in just over two minutes of action, putting the hosts on their heels. By the end of the third eight-minute segment, North Attleboro’s lead shrunk down to just five, 31-26, the Rocketeers getting a much-needed three from senior Tommy Onorato in the final minute.

It turned out to be a sign of things to come for Onorato, who finished with a career-high 12 points, and the Rocketeers. Canton’s comeback continued into the fourth though as a pair of free throws from Steven Burbank (12 points, six rebounds) preceded a three from Will Keefe (12 points) that gave Canton its first lead since the opening moments of the game.

Eric Mischler (11 points, eight rebounds) sliced his way to the rim for two, the Bulldogs earned back-to-back stops and Keefe tossed another triple in and Canton, on the back of a 12-1 run, suddenly had a 40-34 lead with 1:34 to play.

“It’s kind of been like that in the Davenport this year, seems like one team brings it for a half and another brings it the other half,” said Canton head coach Ryan Gordy. “It was kind of the opposite when we played them at home, we had a good first three quarters and they came back in the fourth. We talked at halftime about how we could get back into this game. Instead of quitting, the kids made a commitment and the effort to really start rebounding and playing defense, which got us back into the game.”

North Attleboro had an answer to stem the tide. With the defense collapsing on him in the paint, senior George Ladd (16 points, 15 rebounds) dished it out to Brody Rosenberg (seven points), who hit his first field goal of the game with a triple to halve the deficit.

Ryan Connerney (13 points, five assists) pushed the lead back to five when he sank a pair of free throws but North Attleboro had another answer from downtown. This time, Casey Poirier (four points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals) dished it to Onorato for a three with 41.1 left to make it 42-40.

Canton added to its lead with a free throw but once again the Rocketeers, who had just five makes from three-point range through the first three quarters, hit their third three of crunch time. Poirier was short on his attempt from the corner but followed his shot, got the rebound, and dished it to senior Edan Kelley for a three – his first make of the game – from the top of the key to tie the game with 12 seconds to go.

“Tommy Onorato, I’m really proud of him, the second half of the season he’s really stepped into a nice role for us and understood what it took to be on the court,” Mulkerrins said. “Edan, a senior co-captain, missed some time this year and still isn’t completely back but hit a big shot. He’s got that big moment in him.”

The Bulldogs’ attempt at a game-winner was off the mark, only getting a chance to chuck a shot off an inbounds play with 0.6 seconds to go.

In overtime, the momentum swings continued back and forth as North opened the scoring when Ladd converted an offensive rebound but Canton went back ahead on their third look of the possession on a Mischler three, with Dillon Nguyen’s offensive rebound the catalyst of the play.

North Attleboro boys basketball

But just seconds after Mischler gave the visitors a slight lead, Rosenberg hit his second three of the night to put the hosts ahead. The teams traded stops as the game ticked under a minute to go, North Attleboro getting its biggest stop forcing a turnover. With the shot clock shrinking, Onorato stepped up and drained another three, this one with 14 seconds to go in overtime, to give North a 51-46 lead.

Canton fought to the very end, getting two free throws from Burbank to make it a one-possession game. A trap on the inbounds led to a jump ball and Canton getting possession back. Another foul led to two free throws from Connerney, making it a one-point game, 51-50, with 7.8 seconds to go.

The Bulldogs trapped once again and got another jump ball called, but the ball stayed with the Rocketeers. Rosenberg added a free throw to make it 52-50, and North Attleboro held on as Canton’s half-court heave was just off the mark.

North Attleboro had full control of the opening half, hitting 7-of-10 field goals from two-point range to go along with four three-pointers. And on the defensive end, the Rocketeers were doing just enough to keep the streaky Bulldogs from getting going.

Tied early, North closed the final three minutes of the first with an 8-0 burst. Onorato hit his first three of the game, Poirier added a triple, and Ladd attacked the rim for two and a 14-6 lead after one.

Big Red’s run continued into the second with Jared Vacher tossing in a three, Ladd getting back-to-back baskets and Nate Bennett scoring from in close for a 17-0 run in total. Jimmy Caraballo added a three as well as North staked a 26-10 halftime lead.

“Basketball is a game of runs and there’s some psychology behind it,” Mulkerrins said. “I thought the scoreboard was deceptive at half. I thought we played good but not as good as the other night and I felt Canton missed a lot of shots that they can make. I told them at half, if they make a couple in the second half they are going to relax, and then their defense will get better, and sure enough they hit some shots right away. Then the basket on our end starts looking smaller.

“Coach Gordy did a great job adjusting, made some changes. You never know exactly what you’re going to get with him, you’ll get the kitchen sink of tricks and if you aren’t mentally ready, which we learned on Monday night, you’re going to be on the wrong side of games against them. So hats off to them, they had a great season with a lot of great seniors, we have nothing but respect for that program.”

After North found success against Canton’s 1-3-1 defense in the first half, the Bulldogs elected to shake things up defensively, going with a 2-3 zone — a defense they hadn’t utilized all season.

Despite their inexperience in the set, the defense was very effective as North’s offense came to a screeching halt, managing just five points in the third. Meanwhile, those stops turned into buckets for the Bulldogs. Connerney scored on Canton’s first possession, Keefe got going with a triple, and Mischler added one from downtown as well. Burbank got a layup to fall and Canton’s 10-2 run to open the second half turned the game around.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We haven’t practiced the 2-3 zone this season,” Gordy said. “Ladd’s a nightmare for us to match up with, Rosenberg, Poirier, and Kelley are all really good players. I didn’t think we could guard them man-to-man for an extended period of time. We had a lot of success with the 1-3-1 on Monday, they figured out some things tonight. They were getting to us on the glass so we went to the 2-3 to try and clean some things up on the rebounding which I thought helped big time in the game.

“It all flows, once you’re getting stops you can push in transition. Will Keefe got hot a little bit in the second half and a lot of those came from us getting stops, getting out, and not letting them set up in the half court.”

North Attleboro (5-2 Davenport, 5-2 overall) is back in action on Monday when it hosts Foxboro. Canton wraps up its season at 4-6 in the Davenport and 4-9 overall.

North Attleboro boys basketball

01/15/2021

Rocketeers Run Away With Win Over Black Knights

North Attleboro boys basketball — North Attleboro senior George Ladd goes up for a shot in the first half against Stoughton. Ladd finished with 21 points. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The North Attleboro boys basketball team was on the verge of running away with a win during the third period, but visiting Stoughton made enough plays to stay in striking distance.

When given a second chance to put the game to bed, the Rocketeers didn’t take their foot off the pedal and ran away with a 61-36 decision over the Black Knights.

North extended its lead to 15 points with three minutes left in the third but the Black Knights chipped away, led by some hustle plays from junior Connor Andrews. Andrews took a charge and hauled in a pair of defensive rebounds on one end, and scored five straight on the other end to keep the visitors’ hopes alive, down 36-26.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But the Rocketeers’ offense couldn’t be contained in the fourth quarter. Senior George Ladd (eight rebounds) scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the final frame, taking advantage of Stoughton turnovers and second-chance points. North ended up with 25 points in the quarter, pulling away for the win.

“In the third quarter we kind of relaxed a little and took our foot off the gas,” admitted North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins, who is in his eighth year at the helm. “In the fourth, I thought our defensive focus was better, our rebounding focus was better, and our attention to protecting the ball was better and I think that was the difference. We thought we had a better man-to-man defense scheme than we executed the first game so we worked a lot on that in practice.”

Junior Casey Poirier set the tone in the first minute, taking a charge as the Rocketeers’ defense forced back-to-back turnovers to start the quarter. On the other end, senior Edan Kelley (seven points, five assists) found Ladd cutting backdoor on an inbounds play, a lob finished plus the foul for a three-point play and the Rocketeers were off and running.

Kelley found Jared Vacher for two and Ladd hit two free throws after a Stoughton turnover. Kelley and Ladd hooked up once again with the latter using a nice scoop finish. Poirier’s hard drive drew the defense’s attention and Ladd was there to finish again. Vacher missed the front end of a one-and-one but grabbed his own miss and snuck a layup in.

Three of Stoughton’s next four possessions resulted in turnovers, the last two turning into back-to-back buckets for Ladd and Brody Rosenberg (11 points, seven rebounds), as North opened the quarter with a 17-7 run and took a 53-33 lead with just over three minutes to go.

North Attleboro boys basketball

“We’re not really a team that gets up and forces a lot of turnovers, we’re trying to play solid defense without giving up easy ones,” Mulkerrins said. “With everything going on this season, lack of practice, roster moves, I think that’s naturally going to lead to turnovers so if you can just be solid defensively, more often than not you’ll be in a good spot.”

Besides the first basket of the game from Stoughton junior KC Ugwuakazi (eight points, 11 rebounds), the Rocketeers never trailed. The response was a 14-2 run in the opening quarter. Rosenberg sliced through the defense, Ladd cleaned up a miss, Kelley confidently sank a triple, Poirier hit one from the line and Ladd scored again. Kelley scored back-to-back baskets and North stretched its lead to double digits in the opening quarter.

“When a couple of things go wrong, and it feels like we’re down a hundred then we try to make up all the points on one play instead of slowly chipping away at it,” said first-year Stoughton head coach Evan Taylor. “I think it starts with a better start at the beginning of the game.”

“I think the biggest concern is on the offensive end. We’ve been playing pretty well defensively, holding teams to reasonable scores besides tonight. But we’re just not scoring enough, we’re not being aggressive enough. I don’t think we’re being unselfish enough. We have too many guys looking for their own shot and it shows on the scoreboard. Our offense as a whole needs to play more together.”

The second was a bit better for the Black Knights, who outscored the hosts 10-9 in the frame. Both Andrews and Jake Queeney connected from three-point range to keep Stoughton close but North got some key contributions from its bench, as it did throughout the entire game.

After Queeney’s triple cut the deficit to four, Nate Bennett’s hustle led to a putback off his own miss. And Rosenberg hit a key triple late in the quarter, getting an open look after a nice off-ball screen from Jason Rodriguez.

The contributions from the bench continued into the third as Tommy Onorato knocked down a triple on one end and Rodriguez stepped in to take a charge on Stoughton’s ensuing possession.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I have all the faith in the world in every single one of these kids,” said Mulkerrins, who played his entire available roster, most in meaningful minutes. “They are here every day, working hard in practice…we’re trying to pride ourselves this year on having really competitive practices and giving guys a chance. We talk about when guys come off the bench, the energy level has to go up. We had guys do that tonight, Jason Rodriguez stepped up and his focus was there, we got the ball in his hand on offense. I was really proud of the group tonight, they really made the best of their minutes.”

Stoughton got a stop early in the third but the defensive rebound was quickly turned over and Rosenberg dished it off to Ladd for two. Two more from Rosenberg and Onorato’s three pushed North’s lead to 32-17.

North Attleboro (2-1) returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to take on Canton (3-1). Stoughton (0-4) will look for its first win when it hosts Foxboro on the same day.

North Attleboro boys basketball