Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 71 vs. Tech Boston, 66 – Final – Attleboro used an 8-0 surge at the end of the third quarter to take the lead back, Jason Weir hit a pair of big three pointers in the final quarter, and Bryant Ciccio went 7-for-8 at the line to help the Bombardiers secure a win over Tech Boston. Attleboro led 16-15 after one and 32-31 at halftime before Tech Boston took a lead late in the third. Justin Daniels hit a three, Tim Callahan hit two from downtown, and Qualeem Charles had five of his 17 in the third to help Attleboro take a 48-45 lead entering the fourth. Weir finished with 12 points and Ciccio had a game-high 25 points, going 9-for-10 from the line overall, hitting four three-pointers in the first quarter.
Canton, 54 @ Bishop Feehan, 59 – Final – Canton rallied to get within striking distance in the fourth quarter but Bishop Feehan iced the game at the free throw line to get the win in the Bulldogs’ season finale. After a close first quarter (9-8), the Shamrocks created a nine-point advantage (24-15) at halftime, a lead they carried into the fourth (38-29). Nick Cushman (12 points) hit a pair of threes in the fourth while Eric Mischler (17 points), Will Keefe, and Matt Giglio each hit one, and Robbie Gallery added four of his 12 in the final frame, but the Shamrocks made just enough of their chances from the line to get the win.
Foxboro, 82 vs. Holliston, 40 – Final – Foxboro’s offense poured in 28 points in the first quarter and never looked back in a big win over Holliston. The Warriors built a 46-11 halftime lead with 10 players getting into the scoring column over the first 16 minutes. Senior Brandon Borde scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the opening quarter while Donald Rogers had nine of his 11 points in the same frame. Freshman Alex Penders added a career-high nine points and sophomore Dylan Gordon had eight points. Foxboro will play Randolph in the tournament final on Tuesday at 4:30.
King Philip, 80 @ Somerset-Berkley, 60 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – King Philip closed the first half on a 12-0 run to create the separation it needed to get the win and punch its ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2015. Senior Alex Fritz (five assists) scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the second while Andrew McKinney (eight rebounds) had a big second half, netting 11 of his 16 points. Tommy Donahue added 12 points and nine rebounds and Robert Jarest finished with 11 points and four rebounds for KP, who will play Hanover in the tournament final on Wednesday at 6:30.
Milford, 67 vs. Tantasqua, 56 – Final – Milford senior Colby Pires poured in a career-high 41 points to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a win at home over Tantasqua. Pires got off to a hot start, hitting three three-pointers in the first, finishing with 14 points in the frame. He added eight more in the second and then went back to the three-point line in the third, hitting a trio of three-pointers again. He closed strong with 10 points in the fourth. Jordan Darling added seven of his nine points in the fourth to help the Hawks close the win out.
Sharon, 47 vs. Dedham, 59 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Sharon got within eight in the second half but couldn’t overcome a slow first half against Dedham in the final game of the season. The Eagles were limited to eight points in the first and five in the second, going into halftime down 29-13. A strong start to the third capped by a bucket from Aidan Kane (nine points, five rebounds) made it 33-25 but Dedham finished the quarter with a 7-3 burst to push the lead back to double-digits. Andrew Burton led the Eagles with 11 points and four rebounds while Sam Cohen chipped in with eight points.
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 73 vs. Cathedral, 56 – Final – Franklin closed out a perfect regular season with its second straight 17-point win against a highly-ranked opponent at the Comcast Classic. Ali Brigham scored 16 of her game-high 22 points in the second half, but she also got plenty of help, as Franklin got another strong team effort in the win. Megan O’Connell scored 16 points and Olivia Quinn had a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Canton, 66 vs. Nauset, 50 – Final – The Bulldogs earned an impressive win against a potential playoff opponent and split the season series with the Warriors. Canton led 17-10 after one quarter, extended the lead to 13 by halftime, and by 16 heading into the fourth. Kiara Cerruti paced the offense with 16 points, while Fay and Sydney Gallery each scored 14 points. Fay added six assists and eight rebounds. Kayla Albert had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds and Samya DaSilva finished with eight points and 10 boards.
Foxboro, 60 vs. Scituate, 48 – Final – Foxboro won the opening game of the Warrior Classic to advance to tomorrow’s championship. Katelyn Mollica knocked down six three-pointers and scored 24 to lead the Warriors. Yara Fawaz had 10 points, Shakirah Ketant had nine, and Lizzy Davis added eight in the win.
Mansfield, 47 vs. Bishop Feehan, 44 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Mansfield rallied from eight points down heading into the fourth, outscoring Feehan 18-7 over the final eight minutes to grab the win in the semifinal of the Roundball Classic. Kayla Vine scored nine of her 11 points in the fourth, including 7-of-8 at the line, and had what turned out to be the game-winning free throw. Ashley Santos had a game-high 17 points, including six in the fourth quarter, and Kelly Doherty knocked down a pair of clutch free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win. Feehan jumped out to a 15-10 lead after one, but the Hornets held the visitors to only four points in the seconds. A last second bucket put Feehan up by one at half and the Shamrocks came out of the break with 18 points in the third to extend the lead to eight. Santos scored four points in the third to try and keep Mansfield close and Allison Prentis knocked down a clutch three. Sarah Dooling added six points and seven rebounds in the win.
Taunton, 65 @ Durfee, 47 – Final – The Tigers went on the road and picked up their fifth win of the season. Youth was served for Taunton, with freshman Kameron St. Pierre and eighth grader Sam Lincoln continuing their impressive rookie campaigns on varsity by leading the team with 16 points apiece. Junior Jaelyn Fernandez also got into double digits with 11 points. Taunton closes out its season at home against New Bedford on Wednesday.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Boston Latin, 2 – Final
Foxboro, 3 vs. East Bridgewater, 0 – Final
King Philip, 3 vs. Norwood, 3 – Final – King Philip erased a 2-1 deficit to take a third period lead but the Mustangs of Norwood scored with less than a minute left to steal a point from the Warriors. Nolan Feyler gave the Warriors a 1-0 first period lead before Norwood responded with a pair of second half goals to seize a 2-1 advantage. Aidan Boulger made it 2-2 with just under two minutes to go in the second and Feyler netted his second just under six minutes into the third to put KP ahead 3-2. With the goalie pulled, Norwood tied the game with 17 seconds left to make it 3-3.
Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Westwood, 3 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ Auburn, 6 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Barnstable, 0 – Final – Olivia Maffeo, Lizzie Tassinari, and Payton McDonough each scored as the Bulldogs skated to a win over Barnstable. Freshman Carolyn Durand recorded her 12th shutout of the season in net.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 48 @ Milford, 68 – Final – Milford used a strong second half to pull away from Canton to get the win, clinching a share of the Davenport division title along with Foxboro and Stoughton. Milford held a 34-30 lead at halftime and pushed that advantage to nine, up 49-38, heading into the fourth. The Scarlet Hawks poured in 20 points in the final quarter to secure the win. Ben Blanchard hit four threes and went 6-for-7 from the free throw line for 18 points while senior Colby Pires had a pair of threes and was 8-for-8 from the line to also record 18 points for the Hawks. Ralph Franklin Jr. chipped in with 13 points in the win. Canton’s Nick Cushman scored a team-high 14 points while Robbie Gallery added 10 points.
King Philip, 62 @ Oliver Ames, 74 – Final – Oliver Ames’ offense was hot from the start, scoring 19 or more in each of the first three quarters, building a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter. After 19 points in the first, the Tigers dropped 20 points in the second to take a double-digit halftime lead (39-25) and scored 19 more in the third to seize a 58-38 edge. Senior Jay Spillane scored 11 of his team-high 18 points in the second while Adam Cann sank two of his three triples in the frame to help OA build its lead. Amari Brown added 10 of his 16 points in the third while Evan Craig scored half of his 16 points in the fourth. Ryan Burkett added 12 points for OA, scoring in each quarter. King Philip’s Alex Fritz scored a game-high 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter.
Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – A close game throughout, Stoughton made the plays down the stretch to pull out the win and clinch a share of the Davenport division title along with Foxboro and Milford. Tied at 48-48 with 3:33 to go, the Black Knights used a 7-0 surge over two and a half minutes to close out the win. Obinna Ugwuakazi (10 points) hit two of three free throws, Donte Tyler drained a three, his first bucket of the game, and Myles Grigalunas-Powell (17 points) drove to the basket for two to give Stoughton a 55-48 lead with just under a minute to go. Tahkwan Gates Brown added 14 points for Stoughton, which led 14-12 after one, 29-25 at half, and 42-38 going into the final quarter. Andrew Burton scored a team-high 14 points for Sharon, Matt Baskin added 12 points, and Aidan Kane chipped in with 10 points.
Mansfield, 75 @ Taunton, 69 – Final (OT) – Mansfield used a three-point play to tie the game and got a stop on the final play of regulation, and then used a 6-0 surge in overtime to grab a win over the Tigers. Taunton had a 63-60 lead but couldn’t pad the lead with free throws and Mansfield junior TJ Guy (10 points) came down the other end and completed a three-point play to tie it 63-63. The Tigers had a chance with 12 seconds let but the Hornets defense locked in prevented Taunton from getting a look. Taunton’s Josh Lopes put the hosts ahead early in the overtime but Sam Stevens (23 points) brought the visitors level. After a Tiger miss, junior Matt Boen (28 points) sank two free throws, came up with a steal, and sank two more free throws to push the lead to 72-68. Taunton made it a one possession game but Stevens iced the game from the line. Taunton sophomore Trent Santos had a team-high 23 points while Tyler Stewart added 17 points for the Tigers, who trailed at the end of the first (11-7) and halftime (30-27), but took a 50-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
Girls Basketball
Milford, 33 @ Canton, 54 – Final
North Attleboro, 55 @ Foxboro, 73 – Final – Foxboro completed its league campaign with an eighth straight win, and its second win in as many nights. Lizzy Davis scored 24 points, a season-high, to lead the Warriors to the victory. Katelyn Mollica also had a big night, finishing with 23, and Yara Fawaz got into double digits with 12. The Rocketeers cut a 16-point halftime lead down to eight going into the fourth quarter, but the Warriors exploded for 24 points in the final eight minutes to pull out the win. “I told the girls at halftime we need to come out strong make a quick few baskets and get them to call a timeout,” said North coach Nikki Correia. “We did that and locked down on the defensive end but we just couldn’t sustain it.” Regan Fein led North with 12 points and Olivia Forbes scored 11 in the loss. Ava McKeon and Amanda Kaiser both scored nine for the visitors. North Attleboro goes into the final game of the regular season against Attleboro with both teams needing a win to qualify for the tournament.
Oliver Ames, 50 @ King Philip, 65 – Final – King Philip split the season series with Oliver Ames and won its third game in four days to close out the regular season. Brianna James scored 21 to power the Warriors to the win. Faye Veilleux added 10 points, Faith Roy scored nine, and Emma Glaser had a great all-around game with six points, eight rebounds, six steals, and six assists. Tori Harney led OA with 10 points while Caroline Flynn and Anna Murphy each chipped in with nine.
Taunton, 36 @ Mansfield, 45 – Final – Becca Hottleman scored a career-high 16 points to celebrate her senior night with a win. Ashley Santos chipped in with eight for the Hornets, who trailed 8-7 after one quarter but jumped in front by three by halftime. A 14-8 third quarter, thanks in part to a trio of three-pointers from Hottleman, extended the Mansfield lead to nine and that was how the game finished. Sonya Fernandez was the top scorer for the Tigers with 13, while Sam Lincoln added 10 and Kameron St. Pierre had eight.
With a 58-55 advantage with 9.7 seconds to go, the Bulldogs fouled as Sharon crossed half court, “well before the Eagles had a chance to think about launching a tying three-pointer.
It worked as the Eagles came up empty on the first shot and had a violation on the second. Canton couldn’t quite put the game away, missing their chances at the free throw line but immediately fouled on the defensive rebound.
Again, the Eagles came up empty from the line and a defensive rebound and free throw from Dillon Nguyen pushed Canton’s lead to 59-55 with 2.1 seconds left, a scoreline that held through the final buzzer.
“We have rules about when to follow under a certain amount of seconds,” Gordy said. “We were up three and we figured if we fouled, they can’t make a three and they can’t tie the game. As long as we know to get the foul at the right time, then fundamental box outs on the free throws, I feel like it’s the right decision every time.
“We had to do it twice because we didn’t get our free throws but finally on the third time, we got it to four and then we don’t foul.”
The Bulldogs had to hold on at the end because of a second half comeback from the hosts. Canton pushed its lead to 14 early in the second half but the Eagles got a boost from an unexpected source.
After Sharon managed just one free throw total in the second quarter, the Bulldogs outscoring the hosts 10-1, head coach Andrew Ferguson went deep into his bench, putting junior Owen Conway and sophomores Ryan Zunenshine and Sam Cohen — who had each played three quarters of the JV came — into the lineup to start the second half.
On Sharon’s very first offensive possession of the second, Cohen splashed an open three and on the next trip down, drained a contested look from downtown, as the Eagle faithful exploded in the stands, an atmosphere usually reserved for the postseason.
Conway took a feed from sophomore John Baez (five points, six rebounds) and converted through the foul. Despite missing the free throw, Zunenshine battled for the offensive board and putback, swinging momentum in favor of the hosts.
Cohen sank another triple and Baez sliced through the Canton zone for two, getting the Eagles within five at 39-34.
“Execution aside, our effort wasn’t good [in the second quarter],” Ferguson said. “I thought waking up the rest of the roster by playing the swing guys there in the third. Sam Cohen did what he’s been doing at the JV level, what he did the year before at the freshman level…he can shoot the basketball. It was good to see that and it woke the rest of the guys up.
“It woke them up and the first unit played their butts off. I told them if they played with that kind of effort in the first and second quarter, we win that game.”
Canton senior Robbie Gallery (16 points, eight rebounds) used a nice move in the post to convert at the time and then found junior Matt Giglio (nine points, seven rebounds) in the same spot for another two in the final moments of the third quarter to stem the momentum some, giving the Bulldogs a 43-34 lead heading into the fourth.
Sharon’s first unit responded to the wake-up call as Matt Baskin (10 points) hit an early three and Baez added one of his own to get the Eagles within one possession.
Gallery came up with a clutch offensive rebound and putback for a traditional three-point play only for Baskin to answer with a similar play. Kiran Chandrasekaran tied the game with a pair of free throws with 3:41 to play but Giglio knocked down a three on the other end to keep Canton ahead, 51-48, with 3:17 to play.
“Hats off to Sharon on senior night, that crowd brought it tonight,” Gordy said. “I think the most impressive part was [Eric] Mischler’s foul trouble and being able to play that game without our best player. He’s been our best player all year, he’s in the top 15 in scoring [in the Hockomock], and I think he played a total of six minutes, if he played that much. To be able to get a win without him was an awesome experience for our guys, guys that have been practicing and working really hard and tonight they got opportunities, and a lot of guys capitalized.”
Mischler, who averaged a team-high 13.8 points per game entering the game and had a career-high 36 point performance three games prior, finished with three points in those limited minutes.
Gallery again scored for Canton and sophomore Lanse Dorcelus (nine points, three rebounds) sank a free throw for a 54-50 lead but Caleb Gayle hit his second straight shot to halve the deficit and Baskin came up with a strong take for a three-point play and a 55-54 lead with 40.1 to go.
On Canton’s next possession, it appeared Andrew Burton (19 points, 10 rebounds) read a handoff but was called for a foul instead of a jump ball. Gallery hit both for a 56-55 lead and the Eagles lost the handle on the other end, leading to two free throws from Dorcelus to push the lead to 58-55, setting up the fouls at the end.
“We didn’t show up for the first half,” Ferguson said. “Mentally and physically, we just didn’t play well. We didn’t share the basketball, we didn’t set screens and that bled into our defense and we started losing guys, stopped communicating like we had talked about. I was glad to see the sophomores get a run there in the third quarter and kind of wake up that first group that needed it.
“In this league, you can’t play for 16 minutes, you have to play for 32 minutes. Against any team in this league, doesn’t matter what their record is, if you don’t play for 32 minutes, you’re going to get beat and that’s what happened to us.”
The Bulldogs had a strong start to the game, shooting 9-for-13 over the first eight minutes of the game. While Mischler and Gallery dealt with early foul trouble, senior Nick Cushman (14 points, six rebounds) gave the Bulldogs a boost with six points in the opening quarter. Six players scored in the first for Canton.
”Cushman has been our unsung hero this year,” Gordy said. “He was slated behind Kyle Fitzgerald and when Kyle got hurt, he went into a starting role and he ran with it. He’s been one of our top guys this year, and he did some good things tonight before he fouled out. Robbie did some good things for us too, he did what a senior captain should do.”
Canton put up 23 points in the first quarter and would have had a big lead if not for a brilliant start for Burton. He scored 15 of Sharon’s 17 points in the opening quarter to keep the Eagles close before Sharon went cold in the second.
Canton boys basketball (2-12 Hockomock, 5-14 overall) is back home on Tuesday against North Attleboro. Sharon (1-13, 1-15) travels to Foxboro on the same day.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 43 @ Southeastern, 53 – Final – Southeastern connected on four three-pointers in a 22-point second quarter, turning a deficit into a lead that it never relinquished against Canton. The Bulldogs had a strong first quarter, seizing a 13-6 lead before the Hawks got hot and jumped ahead 28-18 at halftime. Junior Eric Mischler scored a team-high 18 points for the Bulldogs while Robbie Gallery chipped in with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 63 @ Durfee, 35 – Final – Attleboro was slow out of the gates on Monday afternoon, trailing 12-0 in the opening quarter, but then outscored the Hilltoppers 63-23 over the remainder of the game. Lillian Froio and Meghan Gordon sparked the run that put the Bombardiers in front to stay and then Nyah Thomas scored 13 of her 17 points in the second quarter to put the visitors up 36-16 at halftime. Froio finished with a career-high 22 points to lead the way for the Bombardiers. Attleboro coach Marty Crowley said, “Great team defense and a huge lift from Lilly were the keys.”
Boys Hockey
Canton, 5 @ Newburyport, 2 – Final
Stoughton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – Stoughton took a 1-0 lead in the first period but Foxboro scored twice in each the second and third periods to get the win. Cade O’Connell scored for Stoughton while Ryan Spano had 32 saves in net.
Mansfield, 3 @ Boston Latin, 7 – Final
North Attleboro, 1 @ Wellesley, 4 – Final
Taunton, 7 @ Durfee, 0 – Final
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 1 @ Austin Prep, 3 – Final
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 0 – Final
King Philip, 3 @ Norwood, 2 – Final
Boys Swimming
Foxboro, 75 @ North Attleboro, 68 – Final
Foxboro results: 200 Medley: 2. Foxboro (Dimitrios Davis, TJ Perry Jr., Jared Roke, Kris Andersen) – 2:15 200 Free: 3. Anthony Amico, Fox – 2:40 | 4. Josh Sitte, Fox – 2:58 | 5. Marek Stone, Fox – 3:05 200 IM: 1. D. Davis, Fox – 2:54 50 Free: 1. T. Perry Jr., Fox – 27.41 | 2. A. Amico, Fox – 31.78 100 Fly: 2. J. Roke, Fox – 1:22 100 Free: 1. K. Andersen, Fox – 1:12 | 2. A. Amico, Fox – 1:14 | 4. Joseph St. Pierre, Fox – 1:20 500 Free: 2. J. Sitte, Fox – 8:28 200 Relay: 1. Foxboro (D. Davis, K. Andersen, T. Perry Jr., J. Roke) – 2:06 100 Backstroke: 2. D. Davis, Fox – 1:19 | 3. J. St. Pierre, Fox – 1:50 100 Breaststroke: 1. T. Perry Jr., Fox | 2. K. Andersen, Fox – 1:24 400 Relay: 2. Foxboro (Sam Belanger, M. Stone, A. Amico, J. St. Pierre) – 5:29
Swimming
Foxboro, 82 @ North Attleboro, 85 – Final
Foxboro results: 200 Medley: 1. Foxboro (Alyssa Cloherty, Abby Gallagher, MS. Egan Lathrop, Gina Ouellette) – 2:13 | 3. Foxboro (Shannon Egan, Annika Bridges, Francia Ligorria, Peyton Feldman) – 2:26 | 5. Foxboro (Jacqueline Brandt, Sarah Howard, Grace Preston, Lilli Jones) 200 Free: 1. G. Ouellette, Fox – 2:23 | 5. Samantha Conley, Fox – 2:51 | 6. Emily Jaillet, Fox – 3:15 200 IM: 1. M. Lathrop, Fox – 2:32 | 4. F. Ligorria, Fox – 3:15 50 Free: 1. A. Cloherty, Fox – 28.97 | 3. S. Egan, Fox – 30.26 | 4. P. Feldman, Fox -30.95 100 Fly: 1. G. Ouellette, Fox – 1:12 100 Free: 1. M. Lathrop, Fox – 1:01 | 4. S. Egan, Fox – 1:10 | 6. G. Preston, Fox – 1:24 500 Free: 1. A. Gallagher, Fox – 5:48 | 5. S. Conley, Fox – 7:36 200 Relay: 1. Foxboro (G. Ouellette, A. Cloherty, A. Gallagher, M. Lathrop) – 1:55 | 3. Foxboro (S. Egan, P. Feldman, F. Ligorria, G. Preston) – 2:07 | 5. Foxboro (Kristina Brightman, E. Jaillet, S. Howard, Juliana Pettigrew) – 2:22 100 Backstroke: 1. A. Gallagher, Fox – 1:12 | 4. A. Cloherty, Fox – 1:23 | 6. J. Brandt, Fox – 1:29 100 Breaststroke: 2. A. Bridges, Fox – 1:31 | 4. E. Jaillet, Fox – 1:38 400 Relay: 3. Foxboro (J. Brandt, P. Feldman, F. Ligorria, G. Preston) – 5:14 | 4. Foxboro (Juliana Preston, S. Howard, L. Jones, S. Conley) – 5:39
Girls Gymnastics
Franklin, 133.60 @ Attleboro, 124.50 – Final
King Philip @ Sharon, 1:00
Taunton @ Sharon, 1:00
Boys Basketball
Canton, 38 vs. Bishop Feehan, 62 – Final – The Bulldogs stayed within striking distance for a half but scored just 13 points in the second half as Bishop Feehan pulled away for the win. Robbie Gallery scored nine of his team-high 13 points in the first half and Eric Mischler had six of his nine points in the opening two quarters as Canton trailing 38-25at halftime. Gallery and Mischler were the lone Bulldogs to score in the third as the Shamrocks pulled away 51-32 heading into the fourth.
Foxboro, 47 @ Westwood, 54 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Foxboro erased an early 18-point deficit, taking a one-point lead into the final quarter but ran out of gas in the fourth as Westwood picked up the win. The Wolverines raced out to a 10-0 lead and pushed it all the way to 20-2 late in the first. Foxboro clawed its way back with a strong second quarter to go into halftime down 31-24, and then won the third quarter to go up 38-37. Brandon Borde (10 points, seven rebounds) scored to put the Warriors up 40-39 but the Wolverines responded with a 9-0 run, with Foxboro going 0-for-7 in the stretch. Borde and Donald Rogers (eight rebounds) brought Foxboro within four, down 48-44, but the Wolverines hit their free throws down the stretch to pull away. Kevin Gallagher had a team-high 13 points, Liam Devlin added six points, and Dylan Barreira had a strong all around game for Foxboro.
King Philip, 71 @ Xaverian, 69 – Final (OT) – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – King Philip senior Alex Fritz scored half of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, hitting key free throws down the stretch, to help the Warriors pull out a win over Xaverian. Fritz (10 rebounds, four assists) netted seven points in the fourth and added eight more in overtime, hitting two free throws with 25 seconds left to break the tie and adding one more in the final seconds. Senior Tommy Donahue scored all 13 of his points in the second half for KP, who overcame an eight-point fourth quarter deficit. Robert Jarest (six points, four rebounds), Andrew McKinney (12 points, five rebounds, three assists), and Chris Roy all had key points down the stretch in the fourth quarter to help KP force the extra period.
North Attleboro, 46 @ Lincoln-Sudbury, 59 – Final – North Attleboro faced an 18-point deficit at halftime but clamped down defensively out of the break, limiting L-S to just three third quarter points to make a four-point game heading into the fourth, but the Warriors controlled the final quarter to get the win. Trailing 18-8 after one and 36-18 at half, the Rocketeers outscored the hosts 17-3 in the third to make it 39-35 entering the final quarter. Senior Josh Porter scored eight of his career-high 17 points in the third and Brody Rosenberg (12 points) hit a big three in the third to bring North back into the contest. Junior George Ladd finished with 11 points.
Oliver Ames, 77 @ Barnstable, 55 – Final – Oliver Ames Ryan Burkett and the Tigers dominated from start to finish, pouring in 50 first-half points and rolling to their second win over Barnstable this season. Burkett scored a career-high 28 points on 12 two-point field goals to pace the Tigers. Burkett scored 13 points in the first half, added eight more in the third quarter, and added seven more in the fourth quarter. Junior Amari Brown scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half and senior Jay Spillane added 14 points in the win.
Stoughton, 66 @ Randolph, 67 – Final – Stoughton erased a 16-point deficit but fell just short in the championship game of the Blue Devils Holiday Classic against host Randolph. Senior Obinna Ugwuakazi scored a career-high 34 points to pace the Black Knights.
Taunton, 73 @ New Bedford, 67 – Final – Taunton let a seven-point lead slip in the fourth quarter but the Tigers controlled the overtime period to earn their fifth straight win. Tied 18-18 after one and trailing 28-27 at halftime, Taunton dropped 22 points in the third quarter to take a 49-42 advantage but the Whalers scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Junior Tyler Stewart dominated the second half for Taunton, finishing with a career-high 28 points including six points in overtime. Sophomore Tristan Herry added three of his 13 points in the extra period and sophomore Faisal Mass added a free throw to help Taunton pick up the win. Sophomore Trent Santos added 15 points for the Tigers.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 45 @ Cumberland (R.I.), 35 – Final – The Bombardiers turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and got clutch baskets down the stretch to grab an out-of-state win. Attleboro held Cumberland’s leading scorer Madi Zancan to just two baskets after halftime, following a 16-point first half. After the hosts cut the lead down to just three points late in the game, Emma Reilly and Hailey Perry knocked down big shots to extend the lead. Nyah Thomas was once again the top scorer for the Bombardiers, continuing her impressive start to the season with 21 points.
Canton, 47 @ Nauset, 54 – Final
King Philip, 64 @ Bishop Feehan, 70 – Final
Stoughton, 40 vs. Hanover, 39 – Final – Stoughton picked up an important win in the consolation game of the Rockland Holiday Tournament, edging out Hanover. Shyanne Trinh led the charge for the Black Knights with 22 points and four steals while Aliyah Wright added 16 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Kyla Sheedy-Goff gave Stoughton a big boost with six blocks and eight boards.
Taunton, 51 @ New Bedford, 79 – Final – Kameron St. Pierre scored 21 points, her second straight game with 20-plus, to pace the Tigers in a tough road loss. Jaelyn Fernandez added nine points for Taunton.
Girls Hockey
Franklin @ Methuen – Postponed to Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 11:00.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 1 vs. Algonquin, 5 – Final – MOA freshman Reese Pereira scored the lone goal for the Warriors, burying a rebound on a shot from Melissa Shanteler.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 47 @ Norwood, 46 – Final – Canton erased a double-digit halftime deficit and sophomore Lanse Dorcelus hit a pair of huge three-pointers later to help the Bulldogs knock off previously unbeaten Norwood. The Bulldogs trailed 26-16 at halftime but outscored the Mustangs 18-7 in the third to make it a one-point game going into the fourth. Trailing 42-38, Dorcelus’ three-pointers helped Canton take a 46-44 lead. Robbie Gallery (eight points) added a key free throw and Canton got a stop on the final possession to secure the win. Dorcelus finished with a team-high 12 points while Kyle Fitzgerald and Eric Mischler each added eight points in the win.
Stoughton, 91 vs. Boston English, 83 – Final – Stoughton scored 20 or more points in each quarter, picking up the separation it needed by holding Boston English to 14 points in the third quarter to pick up a win in the first round of the Blue Devils Holiday Classic at Randolph High. Senior Myles Grigalunas-Powell scored 11 of his 18 points in the opening quarter as the Black Knights trailed by just one, 25-24, at the first break. Tied 44-44 at halftime, Stoughton poured in 25 points in the third quarter with Ahmad Jahed scoring half of his 16 points in the fame and Obinna Ugwuakazi scoring eight of his team-high 27 points. Senior Tahkwan Gates Brown added eight of his career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to help the Black Knights seal the win. Stoughton will play host Randolph in the tournament final on Monday at 6:30.
Taunton, 71 @ Durfee, 44 – Final – Taunton pushed its win streak to four with its third straight double-digit victory, earning the Skip Karam championship title. The Tigers built a double-digit lead in the first quarter, putting up 22 points, and never looked back. Six players entered the score sheet in the opening period led by eight points from sophomore Trent Santos, who finished with 13 points. Junior Tyler Stewart scored six of his team-high 15 points in the second quarter to help Taunton build a 40-19 lead by halftime. Sophomore Faisal Mass added 13 points in the win while sophomore Tristan Herry, junior Josh Lopes, and junior Nigel Choate each added eight points in the win.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 65 vs. Concord-Carlisle, 21 – Final – The Warriors tossed a shutout in the first quarter, essentially putting the game away with a 27-0 lead after eight minutes. Katelyn Mollica led all scorers with 20 points and Shakirah Ketant added 12. Nine Warriors got on the score sheet.
Mansfield, 48 vs. Fontbonne, 52 – Final – Fontbonne used a big third quarter to build a sizable lead, which grew to as many as 16 points in the fourth, but the Hornets went on a 20-6 run to get back within two points (50-48) with 30 seconds remaining. Fontbonne hit a pair of free throws with 14 seconds to play to seal the win in the consolation game of the holiday tournament. Kayla Vine scored 13 points to pace the Hornets. Ashley Santos scored nine and was named to the all-tournament team and Ally Prentis chipped in with seven points in the loss.
Milford, 40 vs. Greater Lawrence, 26 – Final – Junior Emma Lawrence scored a team-high 14 points as the Scarlet Hawks knocked off Greater Lawrence in the opening round of the Edmund Murphy Winter Tournament. Jillian Michaelson added 12 points in the win while Carly Ferreira had a strong game on the boards with 12 rebounds. Milford will take on host Dracut in the championship game on Sunday at 7:00.
Oliver Ames, 69 vs. Brockton, 38 – Final – Oliver Ames bounced back from its first loss of the season with a dominanting performance in the consolation of the Sue Rivard Holiday Classic, knocking off Brockton, 69-38. Caroline Flynn led the charge for the Tigers, going 15-for-17 from the free throw line to finish with a team-high 23 points. Caroline Peper added 11 points and Hailey Bourne chipped in with 10 points.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 7 @ Westwood, 0 – Final
Franklin, 0 @ Mount St. Charles, 2 – Final – Franklin goalie Ray Ivers made 28 saves to keep the Panthers in the contest, which was a one-goal game until the final minute until Mount St. Charles tacked on an empty net goal with 18.6 seconds left. Franklin will take on Fairfield Prep out of Connecticut on Sunday at 4:00.
King Philip, 1 vs. North Quincy, 3 – Final – King Philip tied the game in the first period but entered the final period down a goal. The Warriors dominated the third period but couldn’t find an equalizer and the Raiders tacked on an insurance goal with just under two minutes to play. Joe Boselli’s first period goal was assisted by Nolan Feyler.
North Attleboro, 4 vs. Cumberland (R.I.), 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Stoughton, 2 vs. Boston Latin/Fontbonne, 4 – Final – Morgan Lessa scored the first for the Black Knights, assisted by Jillian Parker, and Haley Nelson had Stoughton’s second.
King Philip, 1 vs. Norwell, 4 – Final
Wrestling
Lowell Tournament (Canton, Franklin, Stoughton, Taunton), 9:00
Marshfield Tournament (Mansfield, North Attleboro, Oliver Ames, Sharon), 10:00
Foxboro boys basketball senior Donald Rogers drives to the basket in the first half against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – When it comes to vacation games, you never know what you’re going to get. Add in a noon tipoff on a Friday and it could make for a long afternoon.
But with a senior-laden team, Foxboro had no problems with the early start. The Warriors’ 21-point first quarter was its best offensive frame of the game, one in which it built a double-digit advantage that it never surrendered in a 58-39 conquest of division foe Canton.
The Warriors had six players register in the scoring column over the first eight minutes, connecting on eight field goals on over 60% shooting from the field, with half of the makes from downtown. And Foxboro got it done defensively too, holding the visitors to just three makes with three turnovers.
“It was a big part of what we talked about before the game, being a noontime vacation game,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We talked about the team being more awake and ready to play would have a huge advantage in terms of winning the game. And I thought we really did a good job with that. I thought we came out with a ton of energy and a ton of fire.
Foxboro’s defense only improved over the next two quarters, holding the Bulldogs to nine points (no made threes) in the second quarter and just six points (on 20% shooting) in the third quarter.
“We set the tone with our defense, holding them to 10 points in the first quarter,” Gibbs said. “Even a lot of the shots they got were contested shots, tough shots. So our defensive energy that we brought in the first half was huge even though our offense was a little out of sync.”
Dylan Barreira’s (seven rebounds, five assists) offense rebound and free throw gave the hosts early momentum while Ryan Hughes (seven points, five rebounds), Brandon Borde (nine points, seven rebounds, four assists), and Donald Rogers (16 points, five rebounds) followed with consecutive baskets for a quick 7-0 lead.
Foxboro added to its offensive attack with a trio of three-pointers as junior Kevin Gallagher (17 points, four rebounds) sandwiched a pair of triples around one from Borde to extend the hosts’ lead to 16-6. Senior Liam Devlin made Foxboro’s fourth three of the opening quarter on a feed from Barreira while Borde finished off after a team offensive rebound to push the lead to 21-7.
Canton’s Nick Cushman sank a three off a feed from Steve Burbank just before the buzzer to make it 21-10 at the end of a quarter.
Both defenses clamped down early in the second with each time scoring just once in the first three minutes but Rogers sank a big three off a feed from Michael Devlin. Another three minutes passed before Borde scored a tough jumper. Kyle Fitzgerald (six points) and Burbank each scored late in the quarter, and Robbie Gallery had six points and three rebounds in the first half, to keep Canton in shouting distance at halftime.
“Foxboro’s a good team and one of the better defensive teams in our league and the area, so if you get down early and dig yourself a hole, it’s really hard to come back on them with the way that they guard,” said Canton head coach Ryan Gordy. “We couldn’t string things together, they had an answer…if we did a few good things on defense, we couldn’t get it going on offense. If we did a few good things on offense, we couldn’t string together a few stops on defense. We have to be more consistent.”
Foxboro quickly extended its lead early in the second half as Gallagher opened up the third quarter with a triple, Rogers lowered his shoulder and drove hard to the basket for two. Canton sophomore Lanse Dorcelus (nine points) sank a three and the Bulldogs got back-to-back stops but couldn’t get any closer before Rogers answered with another strong take.
Dorcelus sank another three and Eric Mischler came up with a steal but Canton’s next trip came up empty and Hughes was left alone down low for an easy two and a 40-25 lead. Gallagher scored on a baseline take and Rogers beat the buzzer with a three as Foxboro closed the quarter on a 7-0 burst to take a 45-25 lead into the fourth.
“We talk a lot about handling and responding to advertising because in a league this tough, you’re not going to have any games where it goes your way for the entire 32 minutes,” Gibbs said. “There’s always going to be those runs and tough stretches from the other teams so we talk a lot about that and how to handle those moments.
“And the other part of that is having a veteran team full of experienced players that have been there before. They’ve been in that situation so many times so they don’t get rattled or panic because Canton made a big shot. I thought that was key for us in both of our wins this season that when the other team made a run, we were able to punch right back.”
The teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of the final quarter, keeping the lead around the 20-point mark until the reserves were put into the game. Gallagher scored Foxboro’s first five points while Dorcelus sank another triple for Canton.
Foxboro pushed the lead to 53-30 before Canton junior Colton Mirliani (nine points) came in and hit his first of three triples. Foxboro freshman Alex Penders scored his first basket with a three-pointer in the final minute.
Foxboro boys basketball (1-1 Hockomock, 2-1 overall) will take on a strong Needham team in the Westwood tournament on Sunday while Canton (0-3, 1-3) has a quick turnaround, traveling to Norwood on Saturday at 12:30.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 63 @ Canton, 55 – Final – After trailing at the end of the first and second quarters, Attleboro limited the host Bulldogs to just seven points in the third to jump ahead and went on to pick up its first win of the season. Canton led 15-6 after eight minutes and took a 28-27 advantage into halftime as senior Robbie Gallery scored 13 of his career-high 22 points in the opening half. Senior Bryant Ciccio scored 13 of his team-best 22 points after the break while Justin Daniels dropped eight points in the second quarter to help the Bombardiers get back in the game. Qualeem Charles scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half for the Bombardiers.
Franklin, 56 @ Milford, 34 – Final – Franklin raced out to a 35-11 lead by halftime and never looked back in a win on the road over Milford. The Panthers’ held the Scarlet Hawks to eight points in the opening quarter and just one field goal in the second quarter to take a commanding lead. Senior Chris Edgehill scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead the way. Edgehill, Steve Karayan (two), and Brayden Sullivan each hit hit from downtown in the second to help Franklin pull away.
King Philip, 86 @ Sharon, 84 – Final – After letting a 21-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter, King Philip saved the win when senior Alex Fritz nailed a baseline jumper at the buzzer, capping an incredible 36-point effort. The Warriors held a 66-45 advantage after three quarters but the Eagles mounted a comeback, pouring in 39 points in the fourth quarter, even taking the lead inside the final minute. Sharon senior Andrew Burton scored 11 of his career-high 26 points in the final frame, connecting on a shot in the lane to put Sharon up 84-83 with under a minute to play. Fritz answered with a free throw to tie the game and the Warriors forced a turnover to get the ball back. With 5.2 seconds left, Fritz took the ball the length of the court and pulled up for the baseline shot, sinking it as time expired to give KP the win. Fritz scored 10 points in each of the first three quarters, finishing with 11 two-point field goals made. Senior Andrew McKinney added a career-high 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter while Sharon senior Aidan Kane scored a career-high 24 points.
Taunton, 55 @ North Attleboro, 57 – Final – North Attleboro junior Edan Kelley drained the go-ahead three with less than 30 seconds to play and the Rocketeers got a final defensive stop to complete a comeback win over visiting Taunton. After trailing for three quarters, North Attleboro battled back to take a fourth quarter lead but Taunton junior Tyler Stewart (career-high 20 points) scored with just under two minutes to play to go ahead 55-54. After the teams traded empty possessions, North junior George Ladd (team-high 14 points) hauled in a big defensive rebound with 27 seconds left to give the hosts possession. Sophomore Brady Rosenberg, who scored half of his career-best 10 points in the final quarter, found Kelley (13 points) open for a three with just under 10 seconds left to put North ahead 57-54. North’s strategic fouling in the final seconds helped prevent Taunton from getting a good look at the end to secure the win. Taunton junior Josh Lopes had a career-high 18 points.
Foxboro, 65 @ Mansfield, 34 – Final – Katelyn Mollica scored 25 points to lead the Warriors to a season-opening road win. Shakirah Ketant added 12 for Foxboro, which jumped out to an 18-point lead by halftime and led by 26 going into the fourth. Ashley Santos was the top scorer for the Hornets with eight and freshman Ally Wager scored six on her varsity debut.
Milford, 25 @ Franklin, 81 – Final – All 12 Panthers scored, as they started their title defense with a convincing win. Ali Brigham led the way with 25 points and Olivia Quinn added 17. Emma Lawrence paced the Hawks with eight.
Sharon, 33 @ King Philip, 62 – Final – KP hit 13 threes as a team, including eight from junior Courtney Keswick to earn a big win in head coach Dan Nagle’s debut. The Warriors were also tough on defense, forcing a number of turnovers to get the break started. Faye Veilleux added 15 points for KP. Telishya Herbert scored a dozen points in the loss and Leah Fandel added nine for the Eagles.
North Attleboro, 36 @ Taunton, 42 – Final – Freshman Kameron St. Pierre scored a team-high 12 points in her first varsity game to help Amy Siggens earn a win on her Taunton coaching debut. Kelsey White added 10 points, while Jaelyn Fernandez chipped in with eight and Sonya Fernandez added seven for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 23 @ Oliver Ames, 71 – Final – Oliver Ames scored 40 points in the opening half to build a big lead and never looked back to pick up a win at home. Sophomore Carline Peper poured in a game-high 24 points to lead the way for the Tigers. Tate Hadges and Caroline Flynn (15 rebounds) each added 11 points in the win. Stoughton’s Shyanne Trinh had a team-high nine points.
Boys Swimming
Canton, 75 @ Sharon, 92 – Final
Girls Swimming
Canton, 101 @ Sharon, 69 – Final
Boys Indoor Track
King Philip vs. Attleboro, 7:30
Canton, 47 vs. Sharon, 52 – Final – Sharon took first place in seven of the 12 events, and earned key points by taking first and second in the 55M hurdles to earn a close win over Canton. Senior Isaiah Stessman won the 55M hurdles in 8.31 and junior Patrick McManus took second for the Eagles in 8.40. The Eagles also picked up wins from Mark Starovoytov (600M, 1:30.64), Jordan Saks (1 Mile, 4:53.18), Ike Ogbonnanze (shot put, 41-00.50), McManus (high jump, 5-08.00) and its two relay teams. Canton’s Jonathan Chery won the 55M dash, setting a new school record in 6.68. Other winners for the Bulldogs included Zachary Goldstein (300M, 37.74), Elias Jabbour (1000M, 2:59.75 – a 15-second PR), Kyle Downing (2 Mile , 10:56.02), and Junior Sainvil (long jump, 20-07.00).
Milford, 55 vs. Foxboro, 44 – Final – Milford swept both relay races and won five more individual events to earn a win over Foxboro. The Hawks earned big points by taking first and second in the 55M dash, the 600M, and the 1 Mile race. Junior Keithley Sutton (6.93) and senior Anthony Ghalbouni (6.99) took the top two spots in the 55M dash, Ghalbouni (1:32.30) and senior Samuel Vilt (1:35.10) had the top two spots in the 600M, and senior Max Manor (4:59.30) and sophomore James Comisky (5:11.14) finished first and second in the 1 Mile. Milford senior Lucas Rosa added on a pair of wins, taking first in the shot put (36-10.00) and the long jump (18-07.50). Foxboro picked up first place finishes from junior Adam Connolly (300M, 39.12), senior Joe Cusack (1000M, 2:58.57), senior Ryan Proulx (2 Mile, 10:12.91), senior Ali Nasri (55M hurdles, 8.82), and senior Tyler Hagan (5-02.00).
Franklin vs. Taunton, 7:30
North Attleboro vs. Stoughton, 7:30
Mansfield, 63 vs. Oliver Ames, 37 – Final – Mansfield earned a sweep in the 600M race and took first and second in the high jump to pick up key points in a win over Oliver Ames. Junior Caden Riley crossed first in the 600M in 1:32.20 with classmate Jack Taylor (1:32.68) right behind for second. Senior Cam Eddy was third in 1:33.61. Senior Andrew Williams had a meet-best jump of 6-04.00 (PR) to take first in the high jump and Ethan Thevenot was second at 5-08.00. Williams also set a PR in the long jump (21’1) while Owen Mullahy added a meet-best time of 10:10.68 in the 2 Mile. Oliver Ames junior Kyle Sarney was the top runner in the entire meet in the 1 Mile at 4:37.22 while senior Rory McLaughlin was second overall in 4:37.27.
Girls Indoor Track
King Philip, 64.5 vs. Attleboro, 35.5 – Final – King Philip swept both the high jump and the 600M to earn a win over Attleboro in the season opener. Paige Berdos won the high jump at 4-10.00 while Grace Mattaliano (4-06.00) and Isabelle Watson (4-04.00) took second and third, respectively. Senior Brianna Quirke was the first to cross in the 600M at 1:52:00, junior Charlotte Majer was right behind at 1:52.08, and senior Liliana Rolfe took third overall in 1:53.53. In her first season doing winter track, Attleboro junior Cassondra Stuger won the 300M (44.73) and the long jump (13-10.25), and took second in the 55M dash (7.90). Other winners for the Bombardiers included junior Kelly Neuendorf (1 Mile, 5:45.22), junior Kimberly Esteban (2 Mile, 12:59.42), and junior Kamsi Igbobi (shot put, 31-04.00).
Canton, 35 vs. Sharon, 64 – Final – The Eagles opened the season in style, taking first place in 10 of the 12 events to knock off Canton. Senior Jada Johnson won a pair of individual events, taking first in the 55M hurdles in 8.89 and earning the top spot in the high jump in 5-04.00. Sharon sophomore Simone Dunbar also had a pair of wins, recording a first-place jump of 15-05.75 in the long jump and taking first in the 55M dash in 7.94. Canton’s Bronwyn Mahoney took first in the shot put, with a personal-best and a meet-best throw of 33-03.25. The Bulldogs’ 4×200 relay team of Rosana Cho, Leah Murphy, Gabby Herivaux, and Kiley Hanlon won in 2:01.63.
Milford, 66 vs. Foxboro, 33 – Final – Milford senior Sara Comisky and junior Kerry O’Connor each won a pair of individual events to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a big win. Comisky won both the 1 Mile (6:03.47) and the 2 Mile (13:31.51) while O’Connor took first in the 300M in 42.58 (meet-best) and recorded a jump of 15-08.00 in the long jump. The Hawks also swept the 55M hurdles with junior Catherine Madden (9.82), senior Bella Gonzalez (10.22), and junior Emma Kingkade (10.24) went 1-2-3 in the event. Foxboro junior Meaghan Christie won the shot put (25-03.25) and junior Emma Dahl crossed first in the 1000M (3:31.92).
2018-2019 Record: 18-5 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round Coach: Mark Houle
Attleboro fulfilled high expectations last year with a terrific regular season but had its postseason run cut short in the opening round of the tournament. With an experienced, battle-tested, and deep group of seniors, the Bombardiers are hoping to take the next step during the 2019-2020 season.
The Bombardiers have seven seniors on the roster with six having plenty of valuable minutes at the varsity level. It all starts with a pair of four-year varsity players and captains Bryant Ciccio and Qualeem Charles. Both have played over 60 games for head coach Mark Houle and earned HockomockSports.com First Team honors a year ago. Ciccio (14.7 ppg, 3.2 apg) is like a coach on the floor and Charles (13.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg) is a matchup nightmare and one of the most dominant post players in recent years.
But there is much more to the Bombardiers, such as senior captain Tim Callahan. Callahan had a strong junior season with 7.7 points per game and can change a game with his outside shooting. He will also be relied upon to anchor the defense. Guard Nick McMahon and forward Lorenzo Wilson provided a spark off the bench last season and will be key pieces this season. And senior Jason Weir is back in the mix after missing last year due to injury. Weir showed flashes during his sophomore season, a versatile player that can play in the post or step outside and knock down a three.
Attleboro has a variety of weapons on the offensive end and that will make them difficult to defend. They have a couple of good weapons that can score down low and then a handful of shooters, so the inside-out game will be a big part of the game plan. Charles gives the Bombardiers protection around the rim while all five players are the court will have to contribute on the boards to eliminate second-chance points.
“We will rely on a battle-tested group of seniors, but we will need our underclassman to continue to develop and be ready to step in and play important roles on the team,” said head coach Mark Houle. “We have a hard-working group of players who compete and challenge each other every day in practice.”
2018-2019 Record: 14-10 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round Coach: Ryan Gordy
After winning back-to-back Davenport division titles, the Bulldogs know it will be a grind to try and get a third with a big target on their backs.
Gone is the program’s all-time leading scorer and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Devin Foster, who was one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league over the past two seasons. That means there is going to be a lot of opportunities for new players to step up for the Bulldogs. Canton head coach Ryan Gordy said this year’s team will be a “much more space and paced” orientated team. Gordy is expecting a more spread out opportunistic approach that will feature contributions from anyone who checks in.
While Foster graduated, the Bulldogs do have a handful of talented and experienced players back on the roster. Senior Kyle Fitzgerald is the top returning scorer from a year ago, netting double figures in six contests. He is also a workhorse on defense and will be one of the leaders on the court. Robbie Gallery, Matt Giglio, and Eric Mischler were all starters at some point during the 2018-2019 season so Gordy will have some veterans to lean on during the year. Gallery, Giglio, and Mischler all showed the ability to come up with a big shot at any time and will help space the floor.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are looking at their versatility and depth to give them flexibility. Gordy believes he has a strong mix of players that will allow him to switch things up and adjust each and every game. Sophomore Lanse Dorcelus earned minutes for the final month of last season and could be a key piece this season.
“We feel like our program is healthy and players have made a commitment to growth,” Gordy said. “This season we are going to focus on the process and maximizing the strengths of our players. Our culture and direction has been a bright spot as we focus on the player person and team development each practice and game. We’re excited to see where we are and where we can get too.”
2018-2019 Record: 14-9 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round Coach: Jon Gibbs
There is good news and bad news when it comes to the Foxboro boys basketball team this season. The good news is that the Warriors expect to once again be one of the toughest defensive teams in the league. The bad news is for the rest of the Hockomock League as Foxboro boasts an improved offense, and combined with their traditional tough defense, has the Warriors in position for a Davenport division title.
With four of their five top scorers back this season, including senior Brandon Borde (team-high 15.3 ppg) and junior Kevin Gallagher (12.9 ppg), the Warriors are looking to ride a balanced approach on offense to improve their scoring after finishing 10th in scoring in the Hockomock League last season (54.4 points per game). Borde is one of the most experienced players back in the league and has the ability to create his own looks as well as lead the team as the floor general. Gallagher had a breakout sophomore season and can really fill up the scoring column, especially from deep.
Borde and Gallagher will also get help from senior Will Morrison, who can catch fire from deep, and senior Ryan Hughes, who can give opponents trouble in the paint. All four players are returning starters from a season ago, so that gives Foxboro an advantage, especially defensively. Head coach Jon Gibbs called the defense the “foundation” of the team. Foxboro has consistently been very fundamentally sound and disciplined on the defensive end.
Seniors Dylan Barreira, Michael Devlin, Liam Devlin, and Donald Rogers all played important minutes last season and will provide a lot of depth for Foxboro.
“We have been making progress each day,” Gibbs said. “Practices have been very competitive so far as guys work hard to carve out a role for themselves by earning the trust of their teammates and coaches. If we stay hungry, humble, and unselfish, it has the potential to be a very successful season.”
2018-2019 Record: 17-6 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 Central Quarterfinal Coach: CJ Neely
Ever since the Hockomock League split into two divisions, Franklin has entered each season as one of the top teams in the Kelley-Rex and that looks to be the case yet again this year.
As it does each and every season, defense comes first for the Panthers. Franklin was the best defensive team in the Hockomock League last year, allowing just 48.9 points per game. Not only did the Panthers lead the league in that category, they were the lone team to keep opponents under 50 points on average. It’s the second straight year they’ve had the best defense in the division and third straight year they are in the top three. There are a lot of talented individual defenders on the team but year in and year out, Franklin’s team defense gives them a chance to win.
Offensively, the Panthers boast the top returning scorer in the league in three-year starter Chris Edgehill. Edgehill, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark last season, is an absolute handful to deal with on the offensive end of the court. He can score in a variety of ways, and on top of that, he is very good at getting teammates involved (four assists per game last year). Seniors Jack Rudolph and Steve Karayan are also back after playing valuable minutes last season and will be relied upon on both ends of the floor.
“We have a lot of guys who worked really hard in the offseason to improve and are excited to get on the court,” said head coach CJ Neely. “It’s a great group of people who have a lot of fun together. We need to stay aggressive and share the ball. We hope that strong team defense will continue to be something that defines our program.”
2018-2019 Record: 7-13 2018-2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Dave DeStefano
With a solid group of players returning from last season, second-year head coach Dave DeStefano is hoping to guide his Warriors back to the state tournament for the first time since 2015.
The Warriors showed flashes throughout last year, including an upset win of Kelley-Rex champions Mansfield on the road. But they were also on the wrong end of a handful of close games, losing five games by five or fewer points. With a year of experience in DeStefano’s system, and for a lot of players their first year of varsity under their belts, King Philip is hoping to turn those close games into wins.
KP boasts two returning starters in Alex Fritz and Andrew McKinney, both standing at 6’3. Fritz had a breakout junior campaign and was the fourth-highest scorer in the Hockomock League with 15.5 points per game. He was able to score in a variety of ways, including through contact at the rim, and will be a vital piece this year. McKinney was fifth on the team in scoring last year, scoring in double-figures in five contests, including a career-high 19 points at Stoughton. Senior Tommy Donahue looks to give the Warriors a strong presence in the post while classmates Owen Conlin and Chris Roy look to be in the mix. Seniors Robbie Jarest and Tom Weir are back in the mix after a year away from the program.
Defensively, King Philip will be relying on its size and physicality. While Donahue (6’5) will be the main rim protector, having long guards and forwards will help KP make life difficult for opponents. The Warriors will need to improve on the defensive end after surrendering a division-high 63.7 points per game last year. DeStefano is looking to get some contributions from junior juniors Donte Barros, Cole Breen, Joe Cullen, Evan Stephens, Will Kinney, and Jake Silveria while sophomores Charlie Grant and Braeden Sottile will likely be in the mix too.
“The boys have really worked hard this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The practices have been really competitive and physical. For us to be successful we will need to make a big commitment 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.”
2018-2019 Record: 22-5 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Final Coach: Mike Vaughan
The Hockomock League continues to run through Mansfield.
The Hornets have won the Kelley-Rex division title in eight of its nine years, and it looks like Mansfield will be the team to beat again this year. Three players that burst onto the scene last year – Sam Stevens, TJ Guy, Matt Boen – are now three of the top players in the Hock heading into this season. Mansfield certainly graduated a lot of talent in Tommy Dooling, Damani Scott, and Khristian Conner, but with those three starters back plus seniors Drew Rooney and Makhi Baskin, as well as a handful of newcomers ready to make an impact, Mansfield is poised for another deep tournament run.
Stevens (11.2 ppg) will be one of the toughest players to stop with his ability to finish around the rim as well as deadly three-point shooting, Guy (10.9 ppg) is very good in the post on both ends of the floor, and Boen (9.5 ppg) can score in a variety of ways. All three are capable of filling up the stat sheet on any given night. Baskin provides a lot of energy and can change the game with his effort while Rooney showed last year that he can matchup with some of the top players in the league on the defensive end.
Juniors Brian and Jason See are both strong shooters that work tirelessly on both ends of the floor and should be in the mix for the Hornets this year. Juniors Jack Colby and Brendan Foley will be looking to bring a spark off the bench while sophomore Matt Hyland and freshman Chris Hill are promising young players that could contribute right away.
“I think our depth and ability to play different styles will be a strength of this team,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. “I’m excited to see where this team can get to as they continue to work hard in practice and mix their individual talents to form our team identity. Transition play, scoring inside and out will be strength on offense. Playing solid man to man and uptempo defense with our depth could create some issues for our opponents.”
2018-2019 Record: 9-12 2018-2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Paul Seaver
After a season of ups and downs, the Milford Scarlet Hawks are hoping last year’s growing pains transition into a playoff berth this season.
With a large group of returnees, the Hawks will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport division title. While head coach Paul Seaver returns the majority of his team, he will need some of the those players to step up on the offensive end the fill the void left by graduation. The Hawks graduated its top three scorers, including the second-highest scorer in the league in Brendan White (18.2 ppg). That means there will be a lot of opportunities for new players to step up and contribute.
Junior Jordan Darling (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and senior Colby Pires (6.1 ppg) are the top two point producers back this year while junior Dom Schofield also returns after starting as a sophomore. Darling started 19 games this year and was selected to the HockomockSports.com All Underclassman team after a strong season on both ends of the court. Pires is a leader both on and off the court and plays well in all aspects of the game, and Schofield gives Milford a strong post presence on the defensive end, recording a team-high 38 charges taken last season.
Ralph Franklin Jr., Matty Varteresian, Tyler Whetherbee, and Ben Blanchard all saw time throughout last season and could all be in line for bigger roles this season.
“Our depth will matter, our balance will matter, our chemistry is this group’s most important attribute,” said Milford head coach Paul Seaver. “We were the youngest team in the league last season and this group has a lot of players back who are attacking this year with a chip on their shoulder. This group defines what Milford basketball is and that’s a testament to who these kids are hard workers and higher character individuals. I could not be any more excited to coach and work with these kids on a daily basis.”
2018-2019 Record: 9-11 2018-2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
There are going to be a lot of new faces dawning the Big Red uniform this winter. After losing nine seniors to graduation, head coach Sean Mulkerrins has just three players back from last year’s nine-win squad.
With a large amount of new players comes a large amount of opportunities. The Rocketeers graduated its two top scorers but bring back senior Ethan Friberg (7.0 ppg) and junior George Ladd (7.4 ppg) to lead the charge offensively this year. Friberg, standing at 6’5, can cause problems in the paint but also van step out and play along the perimeter. Ladd had a breakout sophomore season and was named to the HockomockSports.com All Underclassman team. He is a little of a throwback player that is very fundamentally sound on the offensive end. Senior Josh Porter, the third returner, saw an expanded role at the end of last season and played well.
Defensively, the Rocketeers will be focusing on limiting opponents to one shot per possession. With some size in the frontcourt, North will try to make it difficult to finish at the rim, and with all five players committed to rebounding, try and minimize second-chance points.
“There will be a lot of new faces with opportunities to make an impact on this year’s team,” Mulkerrins said. “There will definitely be some growing pains and the sooner the new faces adjust to the rigors of varsity basketball, the better we will be.”
2018-2019 Record: 10-12 2018-2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Don Byron
Last season, Oliver Ames came up just one game shy of the state tournament. Goal number one for the 2019-2020 season is to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
With a strong mix of experienced players and hungry new additions, Oliver Ames is ready for the grind that is the Kelley-Rex division and the Hockomock League.
“The expectation is to always get [to the tournament], that’s our first goal,” said Oliver Ames head coach Don Byron. “We’re pretty optimistic but we know it’s going to be a grind, you have to show up every night, you can’t take a night off.”
Byron has been impressed with his guard play so far this preseason, and that will likely mean featuring three guards in the lineup for the majority of the time. Senior Jay Spillane is a returning starter while classmate Owen Friel and junior Amari Brown were top options off the bench a season ago. Spillane can score in bunches, especially from the outside, while Friel combines a solid shooting game with a hard-nosed defensive approach. Friel’s ability to guard a variety of position makes him a valuable piece in the lineup while Brown is a crafty player that does a nice job getting teammates involved.
Senior center Evan Craig (6’5) will be joined by classmate Ryan Burkett (6’2) in the frontcourt. Both picked up valuable minutes at the varsity level last year and Byron is hoping that will help with their expanded roles this year. Senior guard Adam Cann and junior forwards Trey Buggs and Drew Nickla will provide depth for the Tigers.
“It takes some time to get accustomed to the varsity speed and what we expect at this level,” Byron said. “All of these kids gained experience with us last year, and that year of experience is invaluable.”
2018-2019 Record: 3-17 2018-2019 Finish: Missed playoffs Coach: Andrew Ferguson
After a couple of down seasons, the Eagles will be making a strong push to get back into the state tournament for the first time since 2016.
Sharon boasts a number of players who gained varsity experience that will be looking to help the program bounce back. The first being senior Aidan Kane, the team’s leading scorer last season with 11.5 points per game. When he’s on from keep, Kane is one of the top three-point shooters in the league. He has the ability to change a game very quickly if he gets hot from deep. Senior Andrew Burton emerged as one of the Eagles’ top players last year and could be poised to have a breakout year. Sophomore John Baez will start at the point after joining the varsity team for the final month and a half last season.
The Eagles will be relying heavily on its frontcourt to step up on both ends of the court. Senior Caleb Gayle is a traditional post player that will compete hard on both ends of the court, senior Cam Baker is fundamentally sound and a reliable option and junior Hank Ward picked up valuable minutes as a sophomore and will be an important part of the rebound game as well as defensively. Senior Aaron Karten will be in the mix as well, giving the Eagles an athletic frontcourt.
Junior Jordan Barboza should give the Eagles a spark off the bench this year and head coach Andrew Ferguson will look for him as an important defensive piece. Kiran Chandrasekaran had flashes of the strong play off the bench last year and should see an expanded role this year, while junior transfer Matt Baskin could provide a needed scoring punch.
“This group has worked tremendously hard in the offseason and the preseason and is looking to translate that into success throughout the regular season,” Ferguson said. “Many of the players have gained valuable experience at the varsity level over the past two years and our senior class are tremendous leaders who provide a great example for our younger players.”
2018-2019 Record: 10-11 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D2 South Preliminary Round Coach: John Gallivan
Stoughton ended its playoff drought last season and with a good amount of those players back again this year, the Davenport division title and a deep playoff run could be in the forecast this season.
The Black Knights have their leading scorer back in 6’5 senior forward Obinna Ugwuakazi, who averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game with nine double-doubles last year. His athleticism and ability to finish through contact made him a tough matchup for opponents, and he will be at the forefront of the Stoughton offense again this year. Fellow senior Tahkwan Gates Brown, who also stands at 6’5, is also back and we could see the duo play together at times which will certainly make life tough for opponents.
Senior Myles Grigalunas-Powell is back for his third year on varsity. After improving each of the past two seasons, the 2019-2020 season could be a breakout year for Grigalunas-Powell, who can score from three-point range but is also a crafty finisher attacking the rim. Ahmad Jahed had flashes of strong play last year and will be back in the mix again this year, and the same goes for Tommy Sanda. Juniors Brett Pendenza and Jake Queeney are also back after earning some minutes last year.
“We feel like we can score this year both from downtown and from down low,” said Stoughton head coach John Gallivan. “And with our size in the paint, we hope to make it difficult for opponents to score consistently.”
2018-2019 Record: 15-9 2018-2019 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal Coach: Charlie Dacey
After a strong regular season, the Taunton boys basketball team flipped a switch in the tournament and made a run to the D1 South Semis, nearly knocking off powerhouse Mansfield. With a taste of postseason success, the Tigers are hoping to replicate that success this year with another impressive playoff stretch.
The Tigers boast speed, skill, and depth this season and will be in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division title this season. While Taunton lost a lot of production from last year (Lou Vendrell, Mike Quinn, John Martins, Wesner Charles), there are a handful of players battling to earn their chance at minutes in the Tigers’ lineup. One constant in that lineup over the past couple of years is senior Dante Law, who enters his fourth year with the varsity group. Law was Taunton’s leading scorer a year ago with 14.1 points per game but none of the other returners were over five points a game, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up.
Seniors Fabio Goncalves (6’6) and Aiden Pelot, as well as junior Tyler Stewart (6’6) make up the frontcourt for the Tigers. All three played at the varsity level last year and will be key pieces at helping the Tigers defend and win the battle on the boards. Law will be joined by junior Josh Lopes, who showed flashes during his sophomore season, DaeDae Kenion, and sophomore transfer Tristan Herry as key pieces of the offense.
The Tigers are also excited about the depth on the team this year. Junior Danny MacDougall earned starting minutes last year and is a reliable option in a variety of roles while Trent Santos, Logan Lawrence, and Jonathan Torres will all be in the mix for Taunton.
“With this team, press and run should be ‘Plan A’ although there are skills available to play at a slower pace,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.
Below are the official 2019 Hockomock League Football All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Kelley-Rex
Vinnie Holmes, Mansfield
Davenport
Kyle Fitzgerald, Canton
Hockomock League All Stars
Kelley-Rex Division
Qualeem Charles, Attleboro
Michael Strachan, Attleboro
Jason Weir, Attleboro
Austin Jordan, Franklin
Thomas Gasbarro, Franklin
Evan Wertz, Franklin
Jack Nally, Franklin
Jake Davis, Franklin
Sean Piller, King Philip
Ryan Halliday, King Philip
Robert Jarest, King Philip
Terence Guy, Mansfield
Vincent Holmes, Mansfield
Michael Debolt, Mansfield
Nicholas Marciano, Mansfield
Cincere Gill, Mansfield
Jason Comeau, Mansfield
Nathan Cabral, Oliver Ames
Daniel MacDougall, Taunton
Davenport Division
Jack Connolly, Canton
Kyle Fitzgerald, Canton
John Hagan, Canton
James Murphy, Canton
Robert Gallery, Canton
Aidan Dow, Foxboro
Shayne Kerrigan, Foxboro
Anton George, Foxboro
Michael Sheehan, Foxboro
Luke Rosa, Milford
Colby Pires, Milford
John Kummer, North Attleboro
Ethan Mottinger, North Attleboro
Ethan Friberg, North Attleboro
John Saab, Sharon
Carlvin Laguerre, Stoughton
Anthony Pizzano, Stoughton
Chris Ais, Stoughton
Christin Ais, Stoughton
