Sharon senior Matt Baur, who had a career-high 28 points, goes up for a first half layup against Burlington. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
SHARON, Mass. — A year ago, Sharon’s Matt Baur was the leading scorer for the Davenport division champion Eagles.
One season later, Baur’s role has changed. The emergence of juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson paired with the addition of senior Dante James saw Baur finish fourth on the team in scoring during the regular season.
But make no mistake about it, just because the Eagles haven’t needed Baur to score as much certainly doesn’t mean he isn’t capable.
The senior captain poured in a career-high 28 points, including 20 in the first half, to lead the third-seeded Eagles to a big 75-59 win over #19 Burlington in an MIAA Division 2 Round of 16 matchup.
“It really speaks to the human being that Matt Baur is,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “After missing those first couple of games, he realized he doesn’t have to come in and score 20 points a game like we needed him to last year. He committed to being one of the best defensive players in the league and we think he did it. He took [Cedric Rodriguez] and really took him out of the game, held him to 13 points and he’s averaging over 20. That was Matt’s task tonight and then he adds the offense on top of it. Our team has a lot of talent on it and he’s been a consummate leader for us.”
A HockomockSports First Team selection last year, Baur has always led by example with his defense and willingness to sacrifice his body. Despite only scoring over 20 points twice this season, he earned all-league honors because of all of his intangibles. On Tuesday night, his offensive prowess was on display.
Baur wasted little time heating up from the floor as he hit 5-of-8 attempts from the floor in the opening quarter, scoring 11 points to help the Eagles establish an early double-digit lead at 18-8.
It didn’t stop there as he took a feed from Ryan Brown to open the scoring in the second quarter, and then a pass from Sam Letendre for another bucket. After making his third field goal of the second quarter — and eighth of the game already — he drew an offensive foul on the other end to get Sharon the ball back.
“We have a lot of offensive threats on this team, and I knew that coming into the season,” Baur said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. If that means taking a back seat with scoring, I’ll do it. I’m still confident and tonight I was hot so I kept rolling with it.”
Baur came up with a steal and found James (seven points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals) with a sweet behind the back pass for a traditional three-point play as Sharon’s lead ballooned up to 13 (29-16) midway through the second quarter. Baur added a triple, set up Katznelson (15 points, four rebounds) for one of his two threes in the game, and a late three from TTyler Goodman gave Sharon a 38-26 lead at halftime.
After a strong first half, the Eagles faced a stiffer test in the second as the Red Devils came out of the break with renewed energy. A press seemed to give Burlington some life while taking away Sharon’s rhythm. A 9-2 surge over the first four minutes saw the lead cut down the five, and the Red Devils even had a three-point attempt in the air that would have cut it down to two, but it was off the mark.
Sharon came down the other end and drained a key three by — guess who — Baur, taking a handoff from McLoughlin (15 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals) and draining a tough three.
During that run, Ferguson elected to let his team play instead of calling a timeout to try and stunt Burlington’s momentum.
“We’ve had the experience of being in similar situations, we had it against Mansfield,” Ferguson said, “I don’t call a ton of timeouts, even if my assistants are wanting me to, I want my guys to figure it out. We have three seniors and four juniors really out there and we have to trust those guys, and they reward that trust more often than not.”
After another Burlington, Brown dropped in a perfectly weighted pass over the top to Katznelson for two, and nearly as quick as it was gone, Sharon’s double-digit lead was restored.
Nothing comes easy in the postseason and the Red Devils proved that as they responded with five straight, and once again the deficit was down to five. McLoughlin got into the lane for a floater, and senior Jack Bates found Baur for two more, handing Sharon a 49-42 lead.
Sharon slammed the door shut in the fourth quarter as its seven-point advantage quickly doubled just 60 seconds into the final frame. Bates hit a tough layup, James linked up with Katznelson for three, and McLoughlin got by his defender for two at the rim.
And just 30 seconds later, Bates found James for two and Sharon had its largest lead of the game to that point, 58-44, with 6:32 to play.
Burlington inched closer to get it back to 11, but Baur answered with his fourth triple of the contest.
“We’ve been in tough situations like this all season,” Baur said. “Teams are going to going to make runs, we know that. One of our focuses coming into the season was mental toughness and facing adversity and we were able to execute that tonight. It’s a game of runs so we shouldn’t be afraid of that.
“All of the hard work we’ve been putting in the last two years, it’s really hard to put it into words and describe this to see it all paying off.”
Sharon boys basketball advances to the Elite 8 to take on #6 Nashoba, who edged North Quincy 56-53 on Tuesday night. The Eagles and the Wolves are scheduled to tip off at 6:00 on Friday in Sharon.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ King Philip, 66 – Final (OT) – Attleboro junior Neo Franco exploded for a career-high 38 points, including a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to go in overtime to help the Bombardiers return home with a hard-fought win over King Philip. A layup from KP sophomore Tommy McLeish gave the Warriors a 65-63 lead but Franco took an extra pass from freshman Connor Houle and sank a three from the corner to give Attleboro a 66-65 lead with 49.1 seconds to play. Franco and KP’s Tommy Martorano each hit a free throw before Attleboro sophomore Hayden Crowley hit two from the line with 7.5 seconds left. KP got off a look before the buzzer to tie it but it was off the mark. Franco had a quiet first quarter (two points) but got it going with a trio of triples in the second and had 15 points at half. After just one three in the third, he scored 20 points between the second half and overtime to lead Attleboro to the win. Crowley finished with 10 points and Justin Hanrahan hit three three-pointers in the third, helping Attleboro turn a 26-25 halftime deficit into a 42-39 lead going into the fourth. KP senior Will Laplante scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, Martorano finished with 15 points, and senior Grant Kinney had 12.
Stoughton, 51 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton juniors Zaza Francoeur and Jeremiah Predin combined for eight of Canton’s 11 made three-pointers and the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half for a win over neighboring Stoughton. Francoeur hit five threes on his way to a career-high 23 points while Predin had three triples and finished with 13 points. Canton staked a 34-28 lead at halftime and doubled up on the Black Knights (14-7) in the third to create a double-digit advantage. Stoughton senior Obi Dike dropped a career-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Foxboro, 64 @ Sharon, 68 – Final – Sharon senior Dante James had a key three-point play with under a minute to go and finished with a team-high 21 points to help the Eagles land another close win over Foxboro. The visiting Warriors led at each of the first two quarters, 15-12 after one and 32-28 at halftime. Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored half of his 18 points in the third, Matt Baur and James each had four, Tyler Goodman added a three, and Nate Katznelson and Sam Letendre chipped in points from the free throw line to help Sharon pull even, 50-50, going into the fourth. The Eagles were limited to just two field goals in the fourth, including James’ big one on a leak out on an inbounds play, but also went 14-for-15 from the line in the final eight minutes to ice the win. Foxboro senior Alex Penders had a team-high 20 points while Sam Golub chipped in with 12 points for the Warriors.
Franklin, 75 @ Taunton, 50 – Final – Taunton didn’t have an answer for Franklin’s Sean O’Leary as the junior erupted for a career-high 35 points to lead the Panthers to a win on the road. The win clinches the Kelley-Rex division title for Franklin, the first since 2016. O’Leary hit 16 shots from the floor — 14 from two-point range and a pair of threes — and had just one free throw to finish with 35 points. He scored nine in the first, 11 in the second, six in the third, and nine more in the fourth quarter. Franklin increased its lead throughout the game leading 11-8 after one and 32-24 at halftime. An 18-point third quarter extended the lead and Franklin closed strong with 25 points in the fourth. Justin Allen hit four threes and finished with 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and Andrew O’Neill added 11 points for the Panthers. Troy Santos led Taunton with 16 points, Chris Perault added 15 points, and Jakari Innocent finished with 11 points.
Mansfield, 74 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – The Hornets built a big lead early but needed a dominant fourth quarter to shake an upset-minded Oliver Ames squad. Mansfield opened the game on a 12-0 run and had a 28-11 advantage after a quarter, but the Tigers clawed back into it and got within five (42-37) at the break. A three-pointer from Davon Sanders late in the third quarter handed the Hornets a 59-50 lead going into the fourth and Mansfield pulled away for the win. Sanders finished with a career-high 24 points along with six rebounds, Eddie McCoy added 12 points and five assists, and Chris Hill chipped in with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. OA sophomore Cole Craffey caught fire in the second, hitting four of his seven threes in the period while Jake Willard added two more and Jacob Lok sank one, resulting in a 26-point quarter from OA. Craffey finished with a career-high 28 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 10 points.
Girls Basketball
King Philip, 48 @ Attleboro, 61 – Final – Attleboro outscored KP 15-7 in the fourth quarter, turning a five-point game into a double digit win and keeping the Bombardiers one back of Franklin in the league standings. The hosts jumped out to a 10-point lead after one. Lily Routhier scored eight of her 11 points in the opening quarter and Kayla Goldrick added five more. Maddie Paschke scored eight points in the first for KP, but the Warriors found themselves down 23-13. The Warriors closed the gap in the second with Kaelyn Clancy knocking down a pair of threes and the Warriors outscoring Attleboro 14-8. The third quarter was nearly even, as Attleboro added one point to its advantage. In the fourth, Attleboro got a spark from Rylie Camacho, who just returned from injury and scored six of her eight points in the final frame. Goldrick led all scorers with 17, while Avery James added 10 and Vanessa Ellis scored eight. Attleboro made six threes as a team. Paschke was KP’s top scorer with 13. Emily Sawyer scored 10, Clancy had a career-high 11, and Jackie Bonner had six points. KP hit seven threes as a team in the loss.
Canton, 23 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Raina Tat scored 11 points to help Stoughton pull out a defensive struggle against Canton. Tat added four rebounds and three steals for the Black Knights. Leah McCarty added eight points and four boards and Kirsten McKay had six points for Stoughton. Katrina Varnum chipped in with 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.
Sharon, 43 @ Foxboro, 72 – Final – Kailey Sullivan had another big game for the Warriors, scoring 23 points, and Foxboro remains unbeaten in league play. Camryn Collins added 17 points, Erin Foley scored 14, and Addie Ruter had 10 in another balanced attack for the Davenport division champions.
Taunton, 32 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – Caelyn Leonard scored a career-high 21 points and Franklin turned up its defensive pressure over the final three quarters to earn the big win and stay one game in front of Attleboro in the Kelley-Rex title race. The game was tied at 13 apiece after the first quarter. Leonard got off to a quick start, scoring seven points, while Cali Melo paced the Tigers with five points over the first eight minutes. Franklin broke things open in the second, outscoring Taunton 19-7. In the third, the Panthers were even tougher on defense, holding Taunton to just four points. Leonard came up big again, scoring eight of Franklin’s 16 in the quarter, as they made it a 24-point lead heading to the fourth. Lizzie Newman scored 10 points and Katie Peterson had eight for the Panthers. Melo led Taunton with eight, while Chelsea Bousquet and Tarynn Campbell each scored seven.
Oliver Ames, 45 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – The Hornets scored 32 points in the second half to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 12-point win, ending a two-game losing streak and keeping Mansfield in second place in the Davenport. Mansfield’s Abby Wager scored 18 points in the second half, on her way to a game-high 29. Wager opened the game with six points to help the Hornets take an 11-9 lead. Sarah Hilliard had five points to help OA stay within two. The Tigers cut the lead in half in the second, as Kaydance Derba buried a pair of threes and Avery Gamble added three more points. Kara Santos had seven in the frame for Mansfield and Wager had five. Wager caught fire in the third, hitting a pair of threes and scoring 10 of Mansfield’s 16 points. Wager added eight more in the fourth, half of Mansfield’s total, and Olivia Salisbury went 3-for-3 at the line to put the game away. Santos scored 16 and Ella Palanza chipped in with six. Kamryn Derba had 13 of her team-high 18 and Gamble had eight of her 11 in the second half to try and keep the Tigers close. Hilliard and Kaydance Derba each finished with seven points.
Sharon senior Matt Baur pulls up for a shot in the second half against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)FOXBORO, Mass. — Sharon knew its offense could keep them in the game, but if they wanted to complete the comeback it had to be done on the defensive end.
The Eagles got all the stops they needed, holding Foxboro scoreless for the final four minutes of regulation and forced a huge turnover with 30 seconds to go in the extra period that led to the go-ahead basket, and Sharon earned a hard-fought 74-71 overtime win over the Warriors.
Foxboro junior Ryan Cotter (15 points, six rebounds, five assists) converted his own miss to take a 71-70 lead with just under 1:30 to play and despite the Warriors getting a stop, Sharon was able to get the ball back after forcing a turnover.
The Eagles tossed it out of bounds themselves but head coach Andrew Ferguson quickly entered his defensive subs, and the move paid off.
Sophomore Sam Letendre deflected the inbounds pass and it went right to the hands of junior Ryan Brown — two players that just came in for defensive purposes — and Brown quickly laid it in for two and the lead.
Sharon kept its full-court pressure and as Foxboro tried to break it, Tyler Goodman came soaring in from his own half and intercepted a lob pass. He was fouled and sank two from the line with 22.3 seconds to go to give the Eagles a 74-71 lead.
Foxboro had one look at a three that was off the mark and out on Sharon. On the ensuing inbounds, Sharon quickly fouled to prevent another and held on for the win.
“We knew we’d have to get stops to get back into that game,” Ferguson said. “We focus so much on our core values and two of them are physical rebounding and aggressive defense. I think that’s what got us back into the game. Relentless pressure from our guards, I thought Nate Katznelson did a fantastic job down low. We felt like in the first half, bad offense bled into bad defense. We turned up the defense in the second half and I think that really helped our offense too.”
Foxboro’s Ryan LeClair (15 points, five assists) hit three and Ian Foley made a nice cut to the basket for a layup to hand the Warriors an eight-point edge at 67-59 with just over four minutes to go. The Warriors held a 10-point lead at halftime and kept the Eagles at arm’s length for the majority of the second half.
From there, the Eagles grinded out an 8-0 run over the final minutes to force the extra period.
Jack Bates split a pair of defenders for a layup, Matt Baur (13 points, three rebounds) hit a jumper, and after a two-minute scoreless stretch from both sides, the Eagles turned a steal from Baur into a layup from junior Nate Katznelson (24 points, six rebounds) on a nice feed from Jacob McLoughlin (10 points, six assists) to cut the deficit to just 67-65 with 1:30 to go in regulation.
Sharon’s defense got a stop, surviving a turnaround three in the corner and a putback bid at the shot clock. On the offensive end, McLoughlin got around his man, drew the help, and dropped one off to Goodman (12 points, five rebounds, five assists) for an easy two to make it 67-67.
Each team had a chance inside the final 20 seconds but Foxboro had a turnover and the Eagles’ three-point attempt at the buzzer was off.
“We scored 67 points in regulation, I just told the guys that has to be enough to win,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We have to be able to get big stops down the stretch and close games out with our defense. With the lead at the half, the eight-point lead going into the fourth, and being at home…we just have to get a little more consistent with our execution defensively so we can close those games out.
“The effort was there, there’s no doubt we competed hard and gave everything we had for the entire game, we just have to execute a little better on the defensive end.”
Entering the game, both teams were among the top five scoring teams in the Hockomock League and combined to feature five of the top 16 scorers in the league. Add in Sharon’s Matt Baur, a HockomockSports First Team selection from a year ago, that was playing in his first league game of the year.
So it wasn’t a big surprise when the offense was the story early on. Baur, Cotter, Sharon’s Dante James, LeClair, and Goodman all traded threes for the first five field goals of the game. There was little separation in the first eight minutes and the Eagles and Warriors finished level at 17-17.
The back-and-forth continued in the second with Alex Penders (19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Katznelson trading buckets, followed by Foxboro’s Sam Golub and Katznelson trading shots. It wasn’t until the final three minutes of the half that Foxboro found some separation.
Golub hit a jumper and then found Penders for two more. Foley found Penders with a difficult baseline feed, and Cotter capped the 8-0 run with a layup to give the Warriors a 36-26 halftime lead.
Foxboro’s lead fluctuate for the third quarter but never went away. Any time the Warriors threatened to pull away, the Eagles answered. Cotter found LeClair for two to push the lead to a dozen midway through the third only for Katznelson to answer with a triple, and then a steal and score from James. A putback from Katznelson closed the gap down to five.
The Warriors answered with an 8-0 burst capped by a three from Penders as the lead peaked at 13 points (52-39) but over the final two minutes, Sharon stayed in it by closing the quarter with a 7-2 run.
“We have a tough stretch with Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield in a row and we had some time off so we were able to mix some things in defensively,” Ferguson said. The Eagles deployed a zone at times on top of some full-court pressure. “What a job by Sam Letendre and Ryan Brown at the end, coming in and forcing that turnover and getting the bucket. Those guys know what their roles are, coming in and playing defense. I’m super proud of them for their effort.”
Sharon’s increased pressure defensively resulted in an increase in Foxboro turnovers. The Warriors had seven total at halftime but the Eagles forced seven more in each of the third and fourth quarters, and four more in overtime.
“We’ve been very good taking care of the ball but Sharon makes an effort to pressure the ball, reach and gamble for steals, and deny passing lanes,” Gibbs said. “They really look to create offense off of their defense. Certainly give credit to their defense for putting us under pressure.”
Sharon boys basketball (3-1 Hockomock, 5-1 overall) returns home to take on Kelley-Rex division-leading Franklin on Tuesday. Foxboro (1-3, 4-3) is back at home against King Philip.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
