12/20/2016

Balanced Scoring Attack Lifts KP Over Canton

King Philip boys basketball — King Philip’s Kyle Layman (16 points) attempts to shoot over Canton’s Brian Albert. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. — First year King Philip head coach Mark Champagne is still in the feeling out process but it appears he’s found something that works for his Warriors.

Champagne expanded rotation resulted in 10 different players scoring, a more consistent defensive effort and a 69-53 win over visiting Canton.

Beyond Champagne’s starting five of Seth Sullivan, Justin Vine, Tom Madden, Will Weir and Kyle Layman, the Warriors got extended runs from Pharaoh Davis and Noah Goodwin as well as minutes from Brendan King and Adrian Castillo. The Warriors got 19 points from the bench.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We’re still feeling out some situations,” Champagne said. “There’s not a big difference between our six, seven, eight and nine guys – I said, why aren’t we playing more guys? I think it helped with our defensive intensity, I think we were able to maintain it longer. I thought we did a good job recovering and making them tough shots. We haven’t played that many guys in the first two games but I think it’s something we should do.”

That defensive effort limited Canton to just seven points in the first quarter as KP held a four point advantage after one. With fresh legs in the second quarter, the Warriors offensive exploded for 23 points.

Canton’s Eric Olshaker came away with a steal and Devin Foster, who scored 14 of his career-high 24 points in the second quarter, converted on the other end to bring the Bulldogs within two at 18-16. That’s when KP really created separation.

First, Layman (team-high 16 points, five rebounds) drilled a three and after an offensive rebound, Sullivan hit a three of his own. Weir added a bucket in the paint before Layman connected for another three pointer to create a 10-point lead, 29-19. Sullivan added a late three and KP took a 34-25 lead into the locker room.

Six points apiece from Vine and Layman helped carry King Philip’s offense early while Goodwin added a basket late off the bench. KP allowed just nine points in the third quarter and took a 50-34 lead after three quarters.

“I thought our inside presence was good,” Champagne said. “I thought it was good last Friday too, but we just had a bad third quarter overall. Our length helped close out on their shots too. They have a couple of pretty talented kids. We knew they’d get a certain amount of points but overall I thought we contained them pretty well.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Canton had its best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 19 points but King Philip matched it each step of the way with 19 points of their own.

“They spread it around, they had good depth and they had a lot of guys hurt us in a lot of different ways,” Canton head coach Ryan Gordy said. “Right now we need to do a better job of getting more guys involved, maybe we need to tweak some offensive sets and find ways to get more guys to contribute offensively for us. It’s not going to cut it with just two guys scoring for us.”

Beyond Layman, Vine finished with 11 points and three assists, Weir had 10 points and seven rebounds, Sullivan had six points and King added six points off the bench.

Tony Harris added 15 points and six rebounds for the Bulldogs while Danny Hartnett and Jake Verille each had six points.

Canton (0-3, 0-3) will look for its first win when they return to action after the holidays on Thursday, December 29th with a trip to Middleboro.

“It’s just about getting better and honoring that process and really focusing on one day at a time and finding ways to improve,” Gordy said.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

12/13/2016

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/13/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Canton, 55 @ Attleboro, 64 – Final – In a back and forth close matchup, Jake Dunkley and Attleboro pulled away in the fourth quarter. Dunkley finished with 20 points while classmate Berlyns Abraham had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Douglas added 12 points for the Bombardiers. Canton sophomore Devin Foster had a career-high 21 points while Tony Harris added 12 points and five rebounds and Jake Verille added eight points and three rebounds.

Foxboro, 36 @ Mansfield, 66 – Final – Mansfield limited Foxboro to just 14 second half points, turning a two point lead at the end of the first quarter into a 15-point lead at halftime and a 27 point lead at the end of three. John McCoy, Max Boen and Sam Goldberg (six rebounds) each scored 11 points apiece to lead the Hornets. Andrew Block had 11 points and seven rebounds for Foxboro.

North Attleboro, 51 @ Franklin, 72 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Milford, 60 @ King Philip, 50 – Final – Between the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter, Milford rattled off a 19-2 run that created a cushion they held for the rest of the way. With KP up 10-2, the Scarlet Hawks flipped the game with the run. Senior Anthony Arcudi netted a game-high 17 points, Shane Cosquete added 10 points, both Zach Tamagni and Nate Davila scored nine points and junior Kayden Kelley hauled in 15 rebounds to go with four rebounds. Justin Vine and Tom Madden each scored 12 points apiece while Pharaoh Davis came off the bench to score 10 points for the Warriors.

Stoughton, 47 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – After being tied after the opening quarter, Oliver Ames opened a three point lead by halftime, a four point lead after three quarters and then held that lead in the fourth quarter. Three Tigers scored in double digits, led by Dylan Mahoney’s 21 points. Junior Jack Spillane added a career-best 16 points and Carter Evin chipped in with 10 points. Stoughton senior Cam Gomes dropped a career-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds.

Sharon, 51 @ Taunton, 65 – Final – Sharon was able to hang around through three quarters but Taunton pulled ahead in the final quarter. Freshman Dante Law scored a career-high 18 points to pace the Tigers with senior Tommy MacLean adding 13 points. Jimmy Fitzhenry led Sharon with 16 points while senior Ricardo Ripley chipped in with 12 points.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 92 @ Canton, 53 – Final

Mansfield, 45 @ Foxboro, 25 – Final – Click here for a recap of the game.

Franklin, 36 @ North Attleboro, 43 – Final – The Rocketeers outscored Franklin 19-12 in the fourth quarter to pull out the win in their season opener. Ashley Ahern led the way for North with 15 points, including eight in the fourth, and sophomore Julia Feid had 10 for the Rocketeers. Franklin was led by freshman Ali Brigham who scored 18 points in her second varsity game.

King Philip, 47 @ Milford, 44 – Final – The Warriors rallied from seven points down in the fourth quarter to pull out the win in their season opener. Sophomore Shannon O’Connor was the top scorer for KP with 12 points and freshman Faith Roy chipped in with nine. Junior Hadley Zolak had six points for KP, including important baskets down the stretch. Milford was led by Kate Irwin’s 17 points.

Oliver Ames, 51 @ Stoughton, 32 – Final – OA was led by three players with 11 points apiece – senior Niyera Mitchell, junior Kayla Raymond, and freshman Meg Holleran.

Taunton, 29 @ Sharon, 46 – Final – Sharon jumped out to an early lead and never let up. Sophomore Emma Eberhardt was the top scorer for the Eagles with 18 points and added eight rebounds and six steals. Shira Stoller added six points, eight rebounds, and nine assists for Sharon.

Hockey
Mansfield, 3 @ Norwood, 3 – Final – Chad Piotti scored a pair of goals, including the game-tying goal in the third period, to earn Mansfield a point in the opener. Joey Olsen added the other goal for the Hornets.

Girls Hockey
Stoughton, 5 @ Framingham, 11 – Final

12/13/2016

Boys Basketball: Ten Players to Watch for 2016-2017

Hockomock Boys Basketball Players to Watch

Players are listed alphabetically

Cam Andrews, Junior – Stoughton

If you saw a Stoughton basketball game last year, you know there is a lot to like about Cam Andrews’ game. For part of the season, it looked like Andrews would be simply a spot shooter for the Black Knights. But as the season went on, it was apparent there was a lot more to his game. Make no doubt about it, Andrews is a tremendous shooter but he can also take defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. With a year of varsity experience under his belt, Andrews will likely take on an expanded role this season. If he’s able to continue to score the way he did a year ago, we think it could be a big year for Andrews.

Pharaoh Davis, Senior – King Philip

The Warriors have a lot of players that do different things but after what we saw from Pharaoh Davis a season ago, we’re thinking this season could be something special for the senior guard. Davis is just one of many returning players for King Philip this season. Davis now has a year of experience in the Hockomock League and that should pay off this season. He has strong ball handling skills and can act as a second point guard on the court for the Warriors. His mid-range game has definitely improved from a year ago, which will be key for KP in a very competitive Kelley-Rex division. Defensively, Davis can really make life difficult for ball handlers as well.

Brent Doherty, Senior – North Attleboro

There are only two players that were on last year’s version of this list that made it again this year and Brent Doherty is one of them. Doherty has a ton of varsity experience, playing minutes in his freshman year and starting since his sophomore year. He proved how good of a shooter he is all last season and went on to win the HockomockSports.com Three Point Contest. He’s more than just a shooter though. Despite not being the tallest guy on the court, Doherty has no fear driving to the basket and can finish despite contact. He demands a lot of attention from opposing defenses, sometimes even a double team, which opens up space for teammates. After being a top scorer in the Hockomock a year ago, expect Doherty to be among the best in that category again this year.

Jake Dunkley, Senior – Attleboro

One of the biggest surprises of last season was Attleboro’s Jake Dunkley. Now we expect Dunkley to be among the top scorers in the league for the second straight year. Dunkley averaged 18 points per game last season, second in the entire Hockomock. He can score in a variety of aways, whether it’s connecting from beyond the arc, driving to the basket or pulling up and hitting a midrange jumper. Dunkley is one of the most dangerous threats from deep but his size and ability to get to the basket makes him a tough matchup for opponents. His size allows him to match up defensively in the post and he can be a solid rebounder when need be, having a pair of double-doubles a year ago and averaging 7.0 rebounds a game.

Carter Evin, Senior – Oliver Ames

There aren’t many players in the league who have as well-rounded of a game as Oliver Ames’ Carter Evin. The senior finished last season on a tear, and it’s no surprise that is when the Tigers started to pick up wins. Evin averaged 17.4 points per game over the final 14 games. Last season, Evin eclipsed the 20-point mark on five occasions with an impressive four of those times coming in February. If Evin is able to continue to stay hot on the offensive end, the Tigers could be a dark horse in the Kelley-Rex this season. Evin is also a strong defender – his size, length and quickness make him a valuable piece because he can match up with nearly every position.

Sam Goldberg, Senior – Mansfield

Mansfield has a lot of talented players and a handful of them could have easily made this list but we went with senior Sam Golberg, who earned HockomockSports.com First Team honors a season ago. As everyone in the league knows, the list of talent for the Hornets is long with the likes of Max Boen, Tyler Boulter, Matt Ehrlich, Phil Vigeant and Christian Weber. Goldberg adds a much different element for the Hornets. He can step out and shoot, and even hits the occasional three but his strength is attacking the basket. He has the combination of size, skill and a quick first step that makes him tough to defend against. Defensively, he gives the Hornets some size in the post and he’s one of the top rebounders in the entire league.

Kayden Kelley, Junior – Milford

A lot of today’s top players are known for their three point shooting but there are still some traditional big men that can make an impact and Milford’s Kayden Kelley is one of them. Kelley is arguably the top rebounder in the entire Hockomock League, hauling in an impressive 10.3 boards per game as a sophomore. The 6’4 forward is a force down low and his size makes him a tough matchup for a lot of teams in the Hockomock League. Not only does Kelley have the size, but his athleticism is nearly unmatched. A triple jump star in the Spring, Kelley uses that athleticism to find the ball off the rim. Offensively, this could be the year Kelley becomes a big threat. After averaging 5.5 points per game this year, the Scarlet Hawks have some scoring holes to fill this year and Kelley could be an option.

Tommy MacLean, Senior – Taunton

We mentioned how only two players from last year’s version of this list made it again this year. Along with North Attleboro’s Brent Doherty, Taunton senior Tommy MacLean returns to our watch list. A couple years ago, MacLean was the only freshmen that saw valuable minutes for the Tigers. This year, MacLean will be the only senior with varsity experience and the Tigers will rely on him heavily. MacLean has been one of the top shooters from deep for a couple of years now. Last year, MacLean showed the willingness to attack the basket. When he attacked, opportunities were created for teammates — part of the reason he had 4.1 assists per game last year. The Tigers will likely try to use their speed as much as possible so expect MacLean to quarterback the offense.

Connor Peterson, Junior – Franklin

Like we said earlier, there aren’t a ton of true “big men” in the league or region, but Franklin junior Connor Peterson is definitely one of them. Standing at 6’5, Peterson is a matchup nightmare for almost every team that the Panthers play. Whether it be on offense, defense or just simply rebounding, Peterson is tough prevent from succeeding in the post. When Peterson gets going, he’s very tough to stop and he has the ability to change the momentum in a game with a dunk. He attracts a lot of attention on the inside, which can open things up for a lot for his teammates. The Panthers have had a lot of success moving the ball around and finding an open man and the attention Peterson draws is a big reason for that.

Ricardo Ripley, Senior – Sharon

Sharon doesn’t have a lot of varsity experience back this season but they do return senior Ricardo Ripley, who has been playing on varsity since his sophomore season. Ripley does a lot of the little things that not many people notice and that’s going to be very important this season. He doesn’t always look to score first, he’s more of a true point guard. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t score. The senior is able to beat opponents off the dribble and can pull up and drain a shot from deep when needed. His ability to involve teammates is a big reason why the Eagles had a balanced scoring attack last season. But maybe his best asset is his defense. In one on one situations, he can be a headache for opponents trying to get past him.

01/16/2016

Defense and Timely Shots lead Warriors Over North

By Anthony Rinaldi, HockomockSports.com Contributor
WRENTHAM, Mass. – A good defensive effort and timely shots led the King Philip boys’ basketball team over North Attleboro, 53-47, for its second win of the season on Friday night.
The Warriors started off hot in the first quarter, going on an 8-3 run in the first minutes of the game. North responded wit five straight points of its own to tie the game at but KP then went to work on the offensive end again scoring six straight points to end the quarter.
In the second quarter, North Attleboro’s defense began to play better, holding KP to 11 points. But when North junior Brent Doherty converted a crucial three-point play to cut the deficit to five, KP came back with two timely threes, the first from junior Seth Sullivan and the second coming from senior Ben Smith.
“The last two games we’ve been able to shoot the ball at a higher percentage and hit timely shots, to put not as much pressure on our defense,” King Philip head coach Matt Coute said.
“We’ve continued to have a hard time finding a shot grove early,” North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins said. “I was really proud of the other side of the court, the defense, we did a good job getting into passing lanes and turning that into transition offense.”
The third quarter began back and forth between both teams. North then went on a 10-2 run to get the KP lead down to one at 30-29. After KP junior Noah Goodwin added a pair of free throw, the Warriors again hit a timely three to get their lead up to six. North Attleboro junior Kyle McCarthy then hit a three from the corner to get the KP lead down to three. KP then again hit two foul shots to bring a five-point lead into the final quarter.
King Philip again came up big with some timely shots down the stretch in the 4th quarter. Smith came up big from downtown again for the Warriors, hitting two straight threes to help extent the lead to 13 points midway through the 4th.
After a Doherty three for North Attleboro cut it to 10. Will Weir responded with a layup for KP. North Attleboro then hit back to back threes the first from Doherty and the second from McCarthy cutting the KP lead once again. It then came down the free-throws for KP and junior Pharaoh Davis came up in the clutch going 6/6 from the line to close the game.
“This was a really, really sweet victory for us,” Coute said. “To win two straight games against tournament quality opponents is exactly what we needed to keep these kids motivated right in the middle of the season.”
For King Philip, Weir and Goodwin each had 13, Smith followed closely with 12, and Davis ended with 10. For North Attleboro, Doherty had a game high 24 points.
Both teams now have home games against non-conference opponents. North Attleboro (3-4, 3-3) looks to bounce back as they take on Falmouth this Sunday at 3:00. King Philip (2-6, 2-5) looks to extend the win streak to three when they take on Barrington at 3:00 on Monday.

01/15/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/15/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 43 @ Taunton, 65 – Final – Taunton junior Quan Roberson netted a game-high 20 points while senior Dominique Smith added a career-high 18 points for the Tigers. Tommy MacLean added 11 points and Jose Mercado had 10 points. Attleboro’s Jake Dunkley had nine points and three rebounds and Lucas Boucicaut also had nine points. Kyle Murphy pulled in 10 rebounds for the Bombardiers.

Canton, 42 @ Sharon, 47 – Final – Sophomore Malik Lorquet made a big splash in his first full varsity game with nine points and 10 rebounds. Junior Adam Banks also scored nine points for the Eagles. Woanyen Mahn and Rishi Jambunathan each scored nine points for Canton.

Foxboro, 54 @ Oliver Ames, 50 – Final – Foxboro built a seven point lead by halftime and held on in the second half. Senior Jason Procaccini led with 18 points with classmate Alex DuBrow chipping in with 17 points. Oliver Ames junior Carter Even had 17 points and seniors Shawn Cardoza and Tim Kelley each had 12 points.

Franklin, 60 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – Freshman Jay Dieterle hit a three with 1:34 left to put Franklin ahead for good. The Panthers, which led by as much as 22, had to stave off a rally from Mansfield over the third and fourth quarters. Franklin sophomore Connor Peterson scored a career-high 23 points and had seven rebounds, Tim Prunier added 15 points and five assists, sophomore Paul Mahon added eight points and six rebounds and Dieterle had six assists to go with five points. Matt Ehrlich had 16 points and five rebounds for Mansfield and Max Boen added 11 points.

North Attleboro, 47 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Juniors Will Weir and Noah Goodwin each scored 13 points for King Philip with senior Ben Smith adding 10 points and junior Pharaoh Davis netted 10 points. North Attleboro junior Brent Doherty scored a career-high 24 points for the Rocketeers.

Milford, 60 @ Stoughton, 77 – Final – Stoughton senior Brandon Teixeira logged his league-leading sixth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Black Knights enjoyed a strong shooting night from the floor. Junior Ryan Sullivan added a career-best 16 points for Stoughton. Milford junior Nate Davila scored a team-high 18 points and Dwight Anderson added 13 points.
Girls Basketball
Sharon, 41 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Meaghan Hunter led the way for the Bulldogs with 17 points and Emma Murphy added 13, including nine in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Piazza was the top scorer for Sharon with 14 points and Ashley Mukasa added 10.
Oliver Ames, 53 @ Foxboro, 38 – Final – The Tigers had the lead throughout in a key Davenport Division matchup. The Warriors got within one in the third quarter but OA answered with a three to keep the lead. Sophomore Kayla Raymond notched her first double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Hannah Carroll added 10 points and Francesca Calabraro had eight points and nine rebounds.

Mansfield, 51 @ Franklin, 48 – Final – Meg Hill was the top scorer for the Hornets with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jen Peel added 10 points (eight in the first half) and eight assists for the Hornets and Jackie Carchedi scored nine points (eight in the fourth quarter). Lauren Rudolph led the Panthers with 11 points (nine in the third quarter) and Aubrie Kutil had eight points and nine rebounds.
King Philip, 34 @ North Attleboro, 49 – Final – North Attleboro got 10 points apiece from Julia Feid and Emily Haskell. KP was led by Sam Madden and Riley Dalzell, who each scored seven points.
Stoughton, 59 @ Milford, 41 – Final – Julia Foye came off the bench to drain a trio of three pointers and finished with 11 points to spark the Black Knights. Alecia Quinones led Stoughton with a team-high 20 points and added seven steals.
Taunton, 26 @ Attleboro, 63 – Final – Sarah Deyo returned for the Bombardiers with 20 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Sam Pierce chipped in with her fourth straight double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Vlashi also had 11 boards for Attleboro.
Swimming
Canton boy, 109 @ Oliver Ames boys, 63 – Final
Canton girls, 83.5 @ Oliver Ames girls 86.5 – Final
Franklin boys, 70 @ Mansfield boys, 98 – Final
Franklin girls, 92 @ Mansfield girls, 70 – Final

01/12/2016

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/12/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Milford, 55 @ Attleboro, 70 – Final – Attleboro had three players score in double-digits, led by a career-high 24 points for junior Jake Dunkley, who also added seven rebounds. Junior Andrew Milliken had 16 points and five rebounds, sophomore Nate Douglas had 14 points and four rebounds and senior Kyle Murphy had 14 rebounds to go along with seven points. Milford’s Zack Tamagni scored a team-high 20 points for the Scarlet Hawks.

Canton, 34 @ North Attleboro, 43 – Final – North Attleboro junior Brent Doherty scored 11 of his game-high 15 points in the second half, including nine of them in the third quarter, which was the period the Rocketeers created an eight point cushion. Senior Ridge Olsen added nine points and Kyle Gaumond had six. Canton’s Tony Harris had 12 points for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 60 @ Franklin, 65 – Final (OT) – Senior Tim Prunier scored a game-high 18 points while freshman Jay Dieterle scored 13 points, senior Kevin Gill had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists and Josh Macchi had 11 points and eight rebounds. Foxboro’s Jason Procaccini scored 17 points, Robby Lowey added 12 points and six rebounds and Mark Clagg had 11 points.

Sharon, 45 @ King Philip, 52 – Final – King Philip broke into the win column, pouring in 20 points in the first quarter and never looking back. Seth Sullivan had a game-high 13 points while junior Pharaoh Davis added 11 points and junior Noah Goodwin had 10 points. Peter Banks had 10 points for Sharon, who went 2/24 from 3PT range as a team.

Oliver Ames, 63 @ Mansfield, 78 – Final – Junior Sam Goldberg netted a career-high 23 points (17 in the second half) pulled in 10 rebounds and had four assists to lead the Hornets. Matt Ehrlich added 17 points and Max Boen added 11 points. Oliver Ames’ Tim Kelley had 20 points and Connor Maroney added 15 points.

Stoughton, 53 @ Taunton, 81 – Final – Senior Jose Mercado netted 25 points and junior Quan Roberson added 22 points as Taunton’s offense scored a season-high 81 points. Stoughton sophomore Cam Andrews had 14 points to lead the Black Knights.
Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 50 @ Canton, 38 – Final – North Attleboro was led by junior guard Ashley Ahern, who finished with 18 points. For the second straight night, Hannah Jerrier recorded a double-double for Canton with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Franklin, 45 @ Foxboro, 51 – Final – Sophomore Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with 21 points while sophomore Lily Sykes chipped in with 12 points for Foxboro.

King Philip, 53 @ Sharon, 45 – Final – KP rallied from eight down in the fourth quarter behind 18 points from freshman Julia Leroux (nine in the fourth quarter alone). Sam Madden added 12 for the Warriors, who outscored the Eagles 22-7 in the final quarter. Sharon was led by Alyssa Piazza with 14 points and Charlotte Ransom with 12.

Mansfield, 48 @ Oliver Ames, 32 – Final – Caroline Maher led the way for the Hornets with 16 points in a game between the top two teams in this week’s girls basketball Hock 5. Meg Hill added eight points and nine rebounds and Jen Peel had eight points and eight assists for Mansfield.

Attleboro, 54 @ Milford, 26 – Final – The Bombardiers were without star forward Sarah Deyo but pulled out the win on the road led by 18 points and 12 rebounds from sophomore Sam Pierce. Emma Vlashi added 12 points for Attleboro in just her second game back from injury and Fatima McDonald chipped in with eight steals.

Taunton, 52 @ Stoughton, 54 – Final – Stoughton seniors Jess Greer and Alecia Quinones each scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Black Knights to a close win. Taunton senior Jordan Wade had 16 points while Lily Patneaude and Alyssa Gibson each added 12 points for the Tigers.
Hockey
Canton, 11 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Senior Matty Marcone netted his first career goal to lead the Bulldogs to a league win.
Wrestling
Taunton, 42 vs. Josiah Quincy 36 – Final – The Tigers got wins from Chris Fernandes (120), Justin Bradley (132), Brandon DeForitis (145), Alex Simon (170), Jose Anaya (182), Nuno Camara (195), and Mason Frank (220).
Swimming
Boys
Foxboro, 51 @ Oliver Ames, 103 – Final
Girls
Foxboro, 80 @ Oliver Ames, 90 – Final

12/31/2015

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/31/15

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 66 vs. Dartmouth, 63 – Final – Attleboro built a 15 point lead at halftime but had to hold off a late fourth quarter charge from Dartmouth to get the win. Jake Dunkley had a game-high 21 points, Andrew Milliken added 16 points and Lucas Boucicaut chipped in with 12 points.
King Philip, 38 @ LaSalle Academy, 41 – Final – The Warriors had a chance to tie it at the end but were unable to get the shot to fall. Junior Pharaoh Davis had nine points for King Philip.
Mansfield, 72 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 34 –Final – Sam Goldberg had 13 points and nine rebounds, Phil Vigeant had 13 points, five rebounds and three assists and Matt Ehrlich had 13 points and five rebounds. Kyle Swansburg added nine points and Nick Baskin had seven points in his first game of the season.
Wrestling
Sharon, 40 vs. Norwood, 18 – Final

12/14/2015

Boys Basketball: Kelley-Rex Division Preview 2015-16

By HockomockSports.com Staff

ATTLEBORO

2014-2015 Record: 3-19
2014-2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Houle
After winning just three games a season ago, the Bombardiers will be looking to make a push back to the postseason in 2015-2016. One big reason that Big Blue has high hopes for this season is a healthy Kyle Murphy. The 6’3 senior missed over half the season last year with an injury but looks primed to be a leader for the Bombardiers this season. When he’s on the court, Attleboro will have the rebounding advantage and he’s able to convert in the paint to help the offense.
Head coach Mark Houle will also have junior Andrew Milliken back this season, who has the ability to attack the rim and find success at the hoop. Houle said the 6’2 forward has improved his shooting range, which will help Attleboro spread the floor some. Jake Dunkley is another shooter that will help Attleboro while point guard Lucas Boucicaut is back with an improved skill set. Along with Milliken and Murphy, Houle has 6’3 forward Berlyns Abraham as another presence in the paint.
“We have been working hard and getting better everyday,” Houle said. “Our team is still developing but I really like how hard we are playing throughout each practice. Our senior leadership has been very good. I like our confidence in each other and overall team chemistry.”

FRANKLIN

2014-2015 Record: 18-6
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 Central Semifinal
Coach: CJ Neely
The Panthers were close to returning to the D1 Central Sectional Final last year but with four of the starters from that team graduated, there will be plenty of minutes to be had this season. Senior point guard Tim Prunier, who is one of the top players in the entire league, is the lone starter returning while forward Josh Macchi, who saw got some experience coming off the bench last year is also back.
But just because names like Marcus Giese, Dylan Reno, Markus Bohmiller and Shawn Hanley are gone doesn’t mean the Panthers won’t be competitive this year. In fact, Franklin will likely be in the thick of the Kelley-Rex division race. There will be plenty of new faces but they almost all have good size and can shoot the ball, two traits that will make Franklin a tough opponent. And unsurprisingly, the Panthers will likely be one of the top defensive teams.
“This is a team that only needs to focus on getting better each day,” head coach CJ Neely said. “Our goals are day to day improvement and we will let the results take care of themselves. We will pride ourselves on strong defense and tremendous effort and teamwork. Offensively, we have a lot of guys who are capable of playing well and as soon as we trust each other, make the extra pass and consistently compete together on both sides of the floor, I think we can have a good season. I have been very impressed with the team’s willingness to be coachable and get better each day. It should be a fun year.”

KING PHILIP

2014-2015 Record: 11-10
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Matt Coute
In the first year with Matt Coute at the helm, the Warriors made it back to the postseason after a two year hiatus. Now Coute will have a different looking squad with better outside shooting and a reliance on sound defense.
Senior Ben Smith and juniors Noah Goodwin and Will Weir will be the most experienced players for a young King Philip team. The Warriors know they could play the underdog role a bit more this season and that’s something they’re relishing. And while the Warriors might not have a ton of experience, there is still plenty of talent amongst the younger players.
Freshman Kyle Layman will look to make an immediate impact while sophomore transfer Pharaoh Davis and sophomore Tom Madden could see plenty of minutes this season.
“So far in the young season, I have been excited to come to practice and work with this young group everyday,” Coute said. “Despite the inexperience, they are showing signs of really coming together as a group. Our young guys are stepping up, our older guys are showing great leadership on and off the court, and our new additions will help us greatly leading forward. I feel as though the kids believe they have something to prove to people and they are coming to practice everyday with the right focus. We just need to continue to stay the course, especially with so many new pieces.”

MANSFIELD

2014-2015 Record: 23-3
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Sectional Final
Coach: Mike Vaughan
Over each of the past couple of seasons, the Hornets have had to deal with lots of turnover, including losing league MVPs, many all stars and plenty of other great players. Yet still, the Hornets have reached the D1 State Final, the D1 South Semifinal and the D1 South Finals in the last three years.
That run will be tested this year as once again Mansfield graduated a ton of talent, including Hockomock League MVP Ryan Boulter and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Michael Boen. But at the same time, head coach Mike Vaughan will be returning plenty of players that have a good amount of varsity experience.
Senior Nick Baskin and junior Math Ehrlich are both starting their third varsity season and along with seniors Kyle Swansburg and John Gouvalaris will be relied on to be the leaders for the Hornets this season.
Meanwhile, players like juniors Christian Weber, Sam Goldberg, Phil Vigeant and Max Boen all saw plenty of minutes of the past season and will try to fit into the rotation.
“Trying to replace guys like Boen and Boulter will be difficult, but I think we will do it by committee,” Vaughan said. “This is one of the deeper teams I have had where every guy can play and does things well. We will see different guys lead us each night.
“I’m expecting big things out of the three seniors who have waited for this to be their time, and Ehrlich, Goldberg, Boen, Vigeant and Weber are all underclassman with varsity experience who are ready to write their own two year chapter in the history books.”

NORTH ATTLEBORO

2014-2015 Record: 5-15
2014-2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
Expectations are high in Big Red country and for good reason. The Rocketeers have nearly everyone back from last year’s team and despite that team only winning five games, they were one of the few teams that were better than their record.
Junior Brent Doherty had a breakout campaign during his second season on varsity last year and could be one of the top players in the entire league this season. Doherty, a point guard, is mighty quick and despite only being 5’9, is able to slice through defenses to get to the rim. Sophomore Chad Peterson, a strong player who can shoot from the perimeter, will be looking to follow up on a strong rookie campaign and senior Kyle Gaumond that has good range on his shot and will be one of the Rocketeers top defenders this season.
On top of that, senior Ridge Olsen is one of the most experienced players in the league while Thomas Reynolds, Jonny Friberg and Kyle McCarthy all saw good minutes last year.
“We’re very excited about the upcoming season,” head coach Sean Mulkerrins said. “With a large amount of talented varsity players returning, we have high expectations for a tournament birth. We expect to compete each night in the Hockomock League for victories.”

TAUNTON

2014-2015 Record: 19-5
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Sectional Semifinal
Coach: Charlie Dacey
After making it to the D1 South Sectional Semifinal last season, the Tigers will be looking to make another postseason run this year. Senior Jose Mercado and junior Tommy MacLean, two of Taunton’s players last season, are back to run things for head coach Charlie Dacey this season.
The biggest question will be who fills the void left by Corey Green’s graduation. Mercado showed last season he can shoot as well as be a successful player in the post, both offensively and defensively. MacLean has improved each of the past two seasons and could make a big jump with more responsibility in his junior year.
Taunton will rely on players like Quandarius Roberson, who transferred in back from prep school, Carlos Borrero, Lens Esquil and other younger players to complement Mercado and MacLean. With the athletes that Taunton has, expect the Tigers to get out and run.
“We will be small but quick,” Dacey said. “Tempo is the buzz word this year. We have people who can play fast so that’s what we will try to do. If we can put some underclassmen around [Mercado and MacLean] we could be in the hunt again.”