Franklin’s Katie Peterson (12) and Chloe Fales (5) scramble to cause a tie up in the first half of the D1 Sweet Sixteen game at Bishop Feehan. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – On the road against the No. 2 seed, Franklin (18-5) went into Monday night’s Div. 1 Sweet Sixteen game wanting to prove that it can compete with one of the state’s best. To accomplish that goal, the Panthers were going to need to play some of their best basketball of the season.
In front of a packed, raucous gym, they did just that.
Franklin stormed out of the gates, building a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Bishop Feehan rallied to cut the lead to just one by halftime and grabbed a lead heading to the fourth quarter, but the Shamrocks weren’t able to put the game away until the final minute, going 13-of-18 at the line in the fourth to pull out a 69-61 victory.
“I have nothing but pride,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “I’m so happy with the way they played. I know the final score is what it is, but we went out and played our best basketball and that’s all you can ask them to do.”
The first quarter matched the energy in the gym. Both teams were flying up and down the court, and the Panthers looked equal to Feehan’s typical fast-paced, high-pressure style. Samantha Reale (20 points and nine rebounds) was the lone Shamrock that Franklin was struggling to stop. The North Attleboro native scored 11 of Feehan’s 15 points in the first, consistently getting to the rim and putting the visitors in early foul trouble.
Reale put Feehan ahead 11-6 with an and-one, but Franklin came right back. A nice skip pass found Sasha Tracey (six points, all in the first) open for a three from the wing. Katie Peterson then got into the lane and dropped off a nice pass for Lizzy Newman (eight points and five rebounds) to score, plus the foul.
Caelyn Leonard (seven points) followed with a three on a kick-out by Tracey to extend the Franklin lead to 17-12. A Reale three closed the gap back down to three points, but the Panthers scored the final six of the quarter to build an early cushion. Peterson (game-high 24 points) twice found a seam down the middle for layups and she dished out an assist to Leonard for a bucket as well.
“Across the board, I thought defensively we did some amazing things at times,” Leighton said of his team’s effort. “They’re a great shooting team, but we forced them to reverse it way more than they wanted and that’s just team defense. That’s not an individual thing, that’s a whole team thing.”
It was always going to be hard to maintain that pace against a team of Feehan’s caliber and fouls started to add up in the second to slow down Franklin’s momentum.
“Not only are they good, but they’re really quick,” Leighton said about his team getting into the double bonus early in the second. “They put us in some hard spots, rotationally, and you just have to learn to play through it. As the game went on, we did better.”
Chloe Fales (nine points) scored on a reverse to keep Franklin ahead by eight, but Charlotte Adams-Lopez drilled a deep three to slice the deficit to just two. Newman answered with a line drive three on the other end and Peterson once again got to the rim for a layup that made it 33-28.
In the closing seconds of the half, Reale rimmed out a halfcourt three, but Mary Daley hustled to secure the rebound and lay it in at the buzzer. It was her only basket of the night and made it 33-32 going into the locker room.
The play electrified the Feehan faithful and the momentum seemed to carry over into the third quarter, as Julia Webster came out and scored plus a foul to put Feehan in front. From there, Madelyn Steel took over for the hosts. With all the attention going to Reale, the North Attleboro native caught fire from deep, burying four three-pointers in the quarter.
Franklin continued to hang around. Peterson continued to find her way to the basket, Bridget Leo had a nice drive for two, and Fales drilled a big three that made it 46-44. Feehan went on an 8-1 run from there and it looked like the home team was suddenly in full control. Peterson wasn’t ready to let the game slip. She swished a halfcourt three at the buzzer to pull the Panthers within six going to the fourth.
“UMass’ gain is our loss,” Leighton said about Peterson, who is committed to play lacrosse for the Minutemen next year. “She’s done everything we’ve ever asked of her. Twenty-four points and at no point was I like wow she’s taking every shot, but it was just her shots were falling. She works so hard and the effort tonight was great.”
Feehan had only one made field goal in the fourth quarter, but the Shamrocks continued to manufacture points at the line. Peterson closed the gap back to six, taking a nice pass from Newman and finishing with a reverse, and then added a pair at the line as well. Three Feehan free throws pushed the deficit back to seven, but Newman again made a nice pass to set up Leonard for a bucket.
The Shamrocks continued to keep the visitors at arm’s length. Newman hustled to grab an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Peterson for a three that made it 67-61 in the final minute, but there wasn’t enough time for a comeback and Reale sealed the victory with two more from the line.
Leighton was full of praise for his team, regardless of the final score. He said, “It’s hard to have it end, but if it’s going to end then I’d rather have it end with a game like this against a team like that.”
Franklin sophomore Chloe Fales goes up for a layup in the second half against Newton South. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — Franklin battled against foul trouble throughout the first half and couldn’t quite shake the 18th-seeded Lions of Newton South.
But with its full complement of players back in the mix in the second half, the 15th-seeded Panthers proved to have too many weapons.
Franklin had four players score in double figures and had a big second half offensively to land a 62-50 win over the Lions, advancing to the Round of 16.
“I thought we got in bad foul trouble early in the game and didn’t rebound great,” said Franklin head coach John Leighton. “When we got Lizzy [Newman] back we were able to use our height advantage a little more and got them to spread out [defensively] and then we could score in multiple ways. Mainly I thought it was our defense that improved and that was the difference.”
Newman had two fouls in the opening quarter and was forced to the bench for the rest of the half. The Panthers had seven team fouls before the second quarter started, meaning the Lions would be in the bonus for the rest of the first half.
Franklin came close to pulling away a couple of times, a quick 9-0 run to start the game that eventually turned into a 22-14 in the second quarter as Katie Peterson (15 points, six rebounds) sandwiched a pair of buckets down low around a three from Elle Bonacci (five points, four rebounds, three assists) but South closed on a 9-2 run in the last three minutes to make it a one-point contest, 24-23, at the half.
Newman (19 points, 10 rebounds) made her presence felt immediately to start the second half, cleaning up a miss for a putback. Bridget Leo (12 points, six assists) had a nice feed to Newman for a triple, and then after coming up with a steal, found Newman again for a traditional three-point play. Peterson linked up with Newman down low for two, and Newman cleaned up her own miss for two more.
“Lizzy played a great game, having her back really opened things up, having multiple tall girls out there allowed us to move some things around,” Leighton said. “You saw Chloe drive more, Bridget started to drive more, and it really allows everyone else to do more.”
A free throw from Sasha Tracey preceded a bucket from Peterson to extend the lead to nine (42-33) but Newton South’s Maddy Genser drove to the basket for a late field goal to close the gap to seven going into the fourth.
The Lions twice cut it to five early in the fourth quarter but a putback from sophomore Chloe Fales (10 points, five rebounds) and a three from Newman (off a nice extra pass from Bonacci) moved the lead back to seven. After a brief scoreless stretch, senior Caelyn Leonard had a nice pass to set up Leo for a triple and the lead finally hit double-digits, 52-42 with just under four minutes to play.
“It’s everyone contributing in the playoffs,” Leighton said. “It’s not going to be pretty, it’s never how you draw it up so I was really proud of the girls. Playoff basketball is about winning those energy plays. I thought in the first half Norah [MacCallum] came in and gave us some really good defense and then Elle came in and gave us some points right away, and had that great assist to Katie on the back door cut.”
Franklin girls basketball (17-4) will travel to #2 Bishop Feehan (17-4) for a Division 1 Round of 16 game, which is currently scheduled for Monday at 6:30.
Franklin players celebrated on the court after their fourth quarter rally to sweep Attleboro and secure the program’s fifth straight league title. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Kayla Goldrick grabbed a tough offensive rebound and scored in traffic to put Attleboro up 47-40 early in the fourth quarter. It was the largest lead of the game for the Bombardiers and they were fired up on the visiting bench. A win would move Attleboro level with Franklin atop the Kelley-Rex division with one league game remaining. The program’s first league title seemed possible.
But, the Panthers have faced their share of tough games before. With four seniors on the floor, who had each been part of three league championship-winning seasons already, Franklin leaned on its experience down the stretch, finding a second gear that would take it to the final whistle.
Franklin put together a 16-2 run to grab control of the game, outscored the Bombardiers 21-6 in the fourth quarter, and rallied for a 61-51 victory that sealed a fifth straight outright league title. The Panthers are only the second girls basketball team to win five titles in a row, joining Oliver Ames, which won from 2009-13.
Senior point guard Bridget Leo explained, “We’re such a tight group of girls. We get along so well. Coach Leighton is awesome. We just have an amazing support system really, so it just means a lot. We worked really hard for it.”
“Our group wasn’t tight at halftime,” Franklin coach John Leighton said when asked about his team’s experience in big moments. “We knew what we wanted to do better, but no one was panicking. Bridget Leo is calm as can be and her composure helps everybody and Lizzy Newman diving and causing jump balls everywhere. Our team defense at the end was really the difference.”
The game was played with a playoff-like intensity from the opening tip. Both teams were well aware of the stakes and the level of play lived up to a showdown of the division’s top two teams. Neither team was able to build a lead larger than five points in a first half that was played at breakneck speed.
Sarah Maher scored all seven of her points for Attleboro in the first, including a deep three and a long jumper. Goldrick (12 points, five assists, and three steals) put the Bombardiers up 8-6 with a steal and tough finish, plus the foul. Vanessa Ellis (10 points and 10 rebounds) followed with a tough runner while falling away from the rim and Attleboro had the early edge.
Franklin came right back. Katie Peterson (12 points and six rebounds) got in the paint for an and-one to cut the lead down to one and, after a pair of free throws from Elle Bonacci, Sasha Tracey came off the bench to convert a steal into a layup and a 13-12 lead. Goldrick was fouled with no time on the clock and made one-of-two to tie the game after one.
The second quarter was even more frenetic, with both teams making big shot after big shot. After Caelyn Leonard (eight points and five assists) drove to the basket for a five-point lead, Avery James gave Attleboro a spark with all seven of her points in the second, including a three that cut the lead to 20-18.
Chloe Fales (11 points and five rebounds) drove to the rim for an and-one, but Goldrick answered right back with a three. Norah MacCallum got her lone bucket on a tough finish, but again Goldrick was right there to tie it with another triple. Lizzy Newman (11 points and eight rebounds) banked in a jumper and then scored off a nice feed from Leonard to put Franklin back up four, but Lily Routhier (13 points and six rebounds) fought to keep a possession alive, scoring in the paint to send Attleboro to the locker room down 32-31.
Routhier kept going in the third quarter, as she and Ellis combined for 12 of Attleboro’s 14 points in the frame. The Bombardiers were also causing problems for Franklin with their zone, holding the Panthers to just eight points in the third. Routhier tied the game at 34 apiece with a three and Ellis put Attleboro ahead 37-35 with another tough runner.
Peterson’s layup put the hosts back in front, but then a 6-0 run gave Attleboro the lead and the momentum. Routhier was on target again from long distance and Rylie Camacho got out in transition for her lone basket. In the closing seconds, Ellis grabbed a defensive board and took it coast-to-coast to give Attleboro the 45-40 lead with eight minutes to go.
Attleboro got the first basket of the fourth too, but from that point on the Panthers were in control. Leonard was finding space in the heart of the Attleboro zone and her passing was opening up shots for her teammates. Fales buried a three off a Leonard pass to start the rally.
“We were getting some looks, and I wouldn’t say we ran out of gas, but the shots weren’t falling,” Attleboro coach Bri Bracken said about the late stretch. “Maybe a little nerves come in and I was trying to tell them, relax, it’s okay. We just have to be poised because the team that’s the most poised is going to pull out the ‘W’ and we just need to relax.”
Leo (eight points), who generally focuses on playing defense and getting Franklin into its sets, then started calling her own number. The senior point guard had a nice Euro step on a drive down the middle and hit a tough baseline floater to tie the game at 49-49. She had six points in the fourth.
“At the end of the game, as the energy level was rising, I was like, I need to turn it on,” she said. “I noticed I had a lot of gaps and I wasn’t taking them at the beginning, so I definitely decided to turn it on in the fourth quarter.”
Leighton praised Leo’s impact on the other end of the floor as well. He said, “They did so much early ball-screening action and her defense to take that away, they didn’t get any first looks. That’s her and communicating on screens. No one’s coming to the game, look at them take on the screen, but it made a difference in the game. I give her all the credit.”
Leonard got a bucket off a pass from Peterson to put Franklin in front for good and then she was able to connect with Newman for a layup and a four-point lead. Another kick-out from the senior forward found Fales for her second three of the quarter and a 56-49 lead with just 1:37 to go.
“Being four seniors on the court, we’re definitely able to keep it calm, cool, and collected and Chloe, she’s just awesome,” Leo said. “She really knows how to hit that clutch shot at the end. Having that experience really helps us in general and then bench was awesome, they were so loud, the fans were so loud. It was just an awesome environment.”
Ellis tried to answer with a tough layup, but Leo matched it by finding some space on the baseline and Peterson went 3-of-4 at the line to end hopes of an Attleboro comeback.
“I just told them, keep your heads high and I’m really proud of them,” Bracken said. “At the beginning of the game I said, if you leave everything on the floor and play with your hearts, give everything in the tank then I’ll still be proud of you whether we win or lose.”
When asked about Franklin becoming just the second girls basketball team to win five straight league titles, Leighton first praised Davenport champ Foxboro for handing the Panthers their only league loss and then added, “We went through Foxboro and through Wachusett and bounced back and put it together and found out who we are. Our talent is good. Our collective talent is way better than any individual talent.”
Franklin (15-2) will close out league play on Friday at home against Milford. Attleboro (13-6) will travel to North Attleboro in the final league game of the season.
Sophomore Chloe Fales drives baseline in the second half of Franklin’s win over Mansfield. Fales scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half of the 63-55 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Even though Franklin and Mansfield are now competing in separate divisions, the rivalry remains between the two programs and the expectations remain for a tough, physical matchup. It may not be the prettiest game, but it’s guaranteed to be competitive.
On Tuesday night in Franklin, the two teams met for the only time this winter. The game was back-and-forth from the opening whistle, with eight ties and 15 lead changes. Through the first three quarters no team managed to lead by more than five points. Franklin went on an 8-0 run in the final minute of the game, extending the lead to double digits, and that was enough to hold off the Hornets for a 63-55 win.
“We tried to get them out of their sets,” Franklin coach John Leighton explained. “Obviously, they still scored a lot of points, but I think they had to grind a little bit more for them. That was the kind of game we wanted.”
Asked about the importance of being challenged like the Panthers were on Tuesday, Leighton replied, “It’s huge. This what playoff basketball feels like. We want to play way better than this when we get there, but this gets you ready for it.”
The game promised to be close not only because of the rivalry but also because both teams came in playing well. Franklin was riding a five-game win streak that allowed the Panthers to take a slim lead in the Kelley-Rex, while the Hornets were on a six-game streak to turn around a tough start that saw them win just once in their opening five games.
It was scrappy from the opening tip. The Panthers grabbed a 6-2 lead in the first quarter after Katie Peterson (17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks) hit a baseline jumper and drove to the rim.
Mansfield responded with an 8-0 run of its own. Natalya Gill (13 points and seven rebounds) hit a runner, Abby Wager (15 points and three blocks) went coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound, Ella Palanza drove through the lane for a bucket, and Bridget Hanley (seven points and three assists) swooped in for a lefty finish.
Sasha Tracey came off the bench and knocked down a three-pointer to bring Franklin within one and Peterson’s buzzer beater was halfway down but spun out, as the Hornets led 10-9 after one.
Gill was a big spark off the bench. She started the second with a three to put Mansfield up four. and Kara Santos (15 points and six rebounds) grabbed a put-back to make it 15-11. Franklin wouldn’t get too far away, as Caelyn Leonard (eight points and six boards) drilled a three to cut the lead to a point.
Wager answered with a three that would make it 23-19, but Lizzie Newman (six points, seven rebounds, and two blocks) cut through the lane for two and Peterson twice found driving lanes to put the hosts in front. Gill responded again, burying a corner three that made it 26-26.
“Franklin’s speed is tough to compete with and then they add the size with it,” Mansfield coach Heather McPherson said. “Natalya came in first shift and worked on the boards and worked defensively and then hit some shots. I think that’s what makes us dangerous is we’ve got Kara and Abby but we do a good job switching up who gives us those other points every night.”
After a couple of free throws, Franklin had one more chance. Peterson drove and kicked to Chloe Fales (14 points and six rebounds) in the corner and the sophomore beat the buzzer with a three to send the Panthers into the locker room up 29-28.
Gill got the second half started with a bucket to regain the lead but Newman answered on the other end. Wager drilled a corner three to make it 36-33 but Peterson scored in the paint and Bridget Leo (10 points and three assists) turned a steal into a layup. Fales then buried another shot from deep to put Franklin up 40-38.
Leo forced another turnover and converted it for two points, but Santos, who had six points in the third, got free on an inbounds play for an easy bucket. Again Franklin got a big three late in the quarter. This time it was Tracey, who made it 45-40.
“They were trying to frustrate us and that was the game plan, but we needed to be opportunistic and we needed to be patient enough to let it happen,” Leighton said. “The first half we forced so many early looks. Once we got better looks, we were good, just had to wait for those opportunities. That’s what I love about Sasha, when she’s open, she’s ready to take the shot.”
Any momentum was quickly stifled by the Hornets, as Gill started the fourth with a three on a kick-out by Olivia Salisbury and Wager used her reach to force a steal and finished on the other end. Peterson made sure that Franklin wouldn’t fall behind, pulling up for a contested jumper in the lane and grabbing an offensive rebound for two.
Wager hit a long two, but Franklin rattled off six straight, with Fales getting a pair of baskets, including one off a Newman steal and long outlet pass. Hanley kept Mansfield in the game, knocking one down from the corner to cut the lead to 55-50 and Santos made a nice baseline drive to get within three.
Peterson came up with maybe the biggest play of the game with 1:09 on the clock. Leonard missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Peterson was able to rise highest to snatch the rebound. Fales then made a nice pass across the lane to Leonard for a huge basket.
Franklin would add the next six points, making good stops on one end, crashing the boards, and knocking down free throws on the other. It wasn’t expected to be easy, but it was the type of game that both coaches knew would benefit their teams in the long-run.
“I thought we battled,” McPherson said. “I was really impressed with how we played and I think coming from the beginning of the season to now, we’re so much improved. We’re looking to compete.”
Franklin (9-2) will try to make it seven wins on the trot when it travels to Milford on Friday night. Mansfield (7-5) will try to get right back on track when it hosts Canton.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Boys Basketball
Stoughton, 60 @ Attleboro, 69 – Final – Attleboro got off to a strong start with a 21-point first quarter, build a double-digit lead at halftime, took a 21-point lead into the final quarter, and then held on after a late surge from Stoughton to secure a 69-60 win. Junior Neo Franco poured in a career-high 29 points, hitting one of Attleboro’s four first quarter three-pointers. Franco had 15 points by halftime while Michael Beverly scored all of his career-high 19 points in the first three quarters. Jaiden Outland and Hayden Crowley also had first quarter threes for Attleboro, which led 38-24 at halftime and 55-34 after three quarters. The Bombardiers limited the visitors to just five points in the second and 10 in the third to grow their big lead. Jayden Costa-Haywood dropped a career-high 25 points for the Black Knights, hitting five three-pointers, and sophomore Matt Greenspoon drained four threes and finished with 16 points.
Canton, 47 @ Taunton, 59 – Final – Taunton took the lead in the second quarter and built on it with a big third, improving to 3-0 on the season with a win over visiting Canton. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead (17-12) with a strong first but the Tigers clawed back and carried a 31-25 lead into halftime. Taunton carried that momentum into the second half, exploding for 21 points in the third quarter to push the lead to 52-37 going into the final eight minutes. Chris Perault scored six points in the second and added a three in the third, finishing with a game-high 19 points for Taunton. Tyson Carter added a three in both of the middle quarters, freshman Jakari Innocent scored 12 of his 14 points between the second and third, and Troy Santos had seven of his nine in the same stretch for the Tigers. Canton hit three threes in the opening quarter but only had two more the rest of the way. Jamaal McConnell led Canton with 13 points while Zaza Francoeur chipped in with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 50 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – King Philip caught fire in the third quarter, sinking seven three-pointers inside eight minutes to pull away from Oliver Ames for a 63-50 win. The Warriors scored 10 points in the first and 13 in the second, but Oliver Ames held a two-point lead at 25-23 at the break, thanks in part to Nick Asiaf scoring all nine of his points in the second. In the third, senior Will Laplante hit four threes and had 13 of his team-high 21 points in the third. Tommy McLeish added a pair of triples and Tommy Kilroy hit another as the Warriors exploded for 31 points in the third, flipping a two-point halftime deficit to a 54-37 advantage going into the fourth. Kilroy added another three in the fourth and Tommy Martorano finished with 14 points for KP. OA sophomore Cole Craffey scored a career-high 24 points to pace the Tigers.
Mansfield, 50 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Mansfield used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead and did enough to keep North Attleboro at arm’s length the rest of the way, grinding out a tough win. The Hornets’ defense limited the Rocketeers to single digits offensively in each of the first two quarters to stake a 27-13 lead by halftime. Caden Colby scored eight of his team-high 11 points in the second quarter, hitting a pair of threes to help the Hornets establish their lead. JT Veiking had eight of his 10 points and Eddie McCoy scored half of his 10 points in the second half to keep Mansfield ahead. Sophomore Chase Frisoli scored a team-high 11 points for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 71 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Sharon set the tone defensively early and had a strong overall showing, taking home a 71-54 win from Milford. The Eagles limited the hosts to just one field goal in the first eight minutes and the offense fed off that energy as Ryan Brown (11 points), Jacob McLoughlin (21 points), and Nate Katznelson (20 points) combined to give the Eagles and 18-2 lead. Anthony Piron and Jaden Segal added buckets in the second as Sharon established a 39-17 lead at halftime. McLoughlin added eight more in the third and both Zach Wise and Dante James contributed baskets to help the Eagles stay in front. Luca Testa scored all of his team-high 11 points in the second half while Jack Buckley and CJ Farrell each chipped in with 10 points for Milford.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 59 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Attleboro locked in defensively, allowing Stoughton just 11 points in the opening half, and then pulled away with a dominant third quarter to earn its third straight win. The Bombardiers led 13-4 after one and 26-11 at the break, but scored 21 points in the third to break the game wide open. Vanessa Ellis continued her strong start to the season with a game-high 21, including eight in the third quarter alone. Lily Routhier added 16, half of those coming in the third. Attleboro also got eight points from Avery James and seven from Kayla Goldrick. Stoughton was led again by freshman Kirsten McKay, who finished with 12 points. She had eight of those in the second half. Katrina Varnum added four points and nine rebounds, while Caleigh Clark, Raina Tat, and Avery Hobbs each scored three points for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 56 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Taunton turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, holding Canton to just seven points over the final eight minutes, and rallied from seven points down to pick up its third win in a row to start the season. The game was tied at 24-24 at the break, but Canton stepped up on offense to win the third 21-14, led by Samya DaSilva with seven points and Erin Beatty with six. Taunton responded in the fourth, staying unbeaten under new coach Gretchen Rodrigues and in a first-place tie atop the Kelley-Rex. Aaliyah Yera scored six points in the fourth, while Cali Melo added four and Jillian Doherty added four free throws. Freshman Taryn Campbell led the way for the Tigers with 13 points, including eight of Taunton’s 14 in the third. Doherty and Melo each finished with 11 and Yera had nine, all of them from beyond the arc. DaSilva was Canton’s top scorer with 14, while Beatty chipped in with eight and Emily McCabe had seven for the Bulldogs, who knocked down nine threes as a team.
Franklin, 50 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Camryn Collins scored 20 points for the second straight game and Foxboro rallied from 11 points down in the second half to end Franklin’s 44-game league win streak. The first quarter was tight, as both teams came out firing. Collins had 10 of Foxboro’s 16 and Katie Peterson had 11 of Franklin’s 15. The Panthers locked down in the second, holding Foxboro to just two points to go into the locker room leading 27-18. Foxboro rallied early in the third, cutting the lead to just two, but then Franklin put together a run to extend the lead out to as many as 11. Sasha Tracey knocked down a pair of threes for the Panthers and had all six of her points in the quarter. Down nine heading to the final eight minutes, the Warriors found another gear on both ends of the floor and pulled out a 25-11 fourth quarter to secure the victory. Kailey Sullivan caught fire and scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth, while Ava Hill added three of her seven and Collins scored seven points in the frame, including a clutch pull-up jumper to put Foxboro in front. Peterson would finish with 19 for the Panthers, 15 of them in the first half, and Lizzie Newman scored seven points.
King Philip, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final – Emily Sawyer scored a career-high 28 points and the Warriors held on down the stretch to pick up an important, early-season road win. Sawyer was dominant in the first half, scoring six in the first quarter and 10 more in the second. Jackie Bonner added a pair of threes to help KP jump out to a 26-18 lead heading into the locker rooms. OA rallied in the second half, winning the third quarter 13-10 to cut the deficit to just five (36-31). The Tigers took the lead in the fourth, but KP was able to make the plays it needed down the stretch to secure the win. Jordan Bennett scored five of her seven points in the fourth and Sawyer added six more to help the Warriors hang on late. Sarah Hilliard made her season debut for OA and scored 11 and grabbed seven boards in the loss. Avery Gamble added nine points, including seven in the fourth, and Maddie Homer (12 rebounds, including nine offensive) and Kamryn Derba each chipped in with six.
North Attleboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 72 – Final – Mansfield tied a program record with 72 points, remarkably scoring 18 in each of the four quarters, and clamped down on defense in the second half to secure its first win of the season. Abby Wager tied a season-high with 22 points, including 16 in the first half, to lead the Hornets. Kara Santos scored 17, eight of them in third, and Olivia Salisbury scored seven. Mansfield led 36-24 at halftime, but the Hornets pulled away after the break, holding North to 17 points in the second half, and started to dominate on the glass. North was led by freshman Ella McLaughlin, who hit three from beyond the arc and finished with 12 points. Ava McKeon chipped in with nine and Sam Sweeney scored eight, including a pair from outside.
Milford, 45 @ Sharon, 48 – Final – Sharon rallied from eight points down in the fourth quarter and Olivia Landstein (five points and four steals) buried a late three to secure the Eagles their first victory under first-year coach Matt DellaBarba. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a season-high 25 points and pulling down 19 rebounds. Rachael Hager had a solid all-around game for the Eagles with eight points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Boys Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 46 – Final
Sharon @ Canton, 4:30 – Sharon picked up it first the league win of the season on Tuesday. For Canton, Josh Richards took first place in the shot put and Jimmy Podgurski came in third. Luke Darling won the 600 and Dan Kraslynkov took first place in the 300 with Christian Hanlon finishing third.
Foxboro @ Stoughton, 4:30
King Philip, 30 @ Attleboro, 70 – Final
Franklin @ Milford, 4:30
Taunton @ North Attleboro, 4:30
Girls Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames, 4:30
Sharon, 37 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton got three PRs and swept the shot put, as the Bulldogs pulled out a win against Sharon. Emma Massih took first with a new personal best of 30’75”, Jess Brathwaite took second with a PR of 25’7.5”, and Taylor Kernen also set a new personal mark with a throw of 23’3” to take third. Canton also won both the 4×200 (Diana Tambi, Katie Oliver, Jayda Proffit, and Syriah McCruse) and the 4×400 (Tahlia Weaver, Lexi Piazza, Lianna Camille, and Nora Giannacopolous) relays.
Oliver Ames is coming off a Div. 2 state title, but the Tigers will face a tough challenge to repeat as league champ this winter. Read our full team-by-team previews below. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021-2022 Record: 16-7 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Brianna Bracken
Former Attleboro standout Bri Bracken took over the coaching duties late in the preseason a year ago, but she stepped right into her first varsity job and led the Bombardiers to a 16-win season and a return to the state tournament. The graduation of top scorer Meg Gordon will be tough to replace, but the Bombardiers have a versatile lineup and a focus on the defensive side of the ball that still makes them a tough challenge even for the top teams in the league.
Attleboro returns only two starters from last season. Junior Kayla Goldrick impressed in her first two years on varsity, playing on the wing or as the primary ball-handler. Her control on both sides of the ball will be critical this season. Senior Lily Routhier, who transferred from Wheelock last year, is a strong rebounder and can score in multiple ways around the paint. Sophomore Vanessa Ellis wasn’t a starter for most of last year, but she came through with some big games down the stretch, scoring in bunches around the rim and being a force on the glass.
An injury to junior Rylie Camacho will deprive the Bombardiers of one of their best perimeter shooters, but Bracken will be hoping that juniors Merry Bosh and Molly Moore and sophomore Avery James can step into bigger roles in the backcourt and add scoring punch. Senior Sarah Maher is going to have a bigger role on both ends this season, bringing the energy and intensity every game. This will be a different look from last year, as the Bombardiers will have different go-to players every night.
“We have a great mix of experience and youth,” Bracken said. “We are excited about what lies ahead. Practices have been intense and the girls have been working really hard.”
2021-2022 Record: 16-7 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Quarterfinal Coach: Jim Choquette
How do you move on from graduating not just one but three of the best players in program history? That will be the challenge for Canton coach Jim Choquette this season, as the Bulldogs are coming off a winter that included a rare home playoff game and a trip to the Div. 2 quarterfinals and return a group of players that have experience but will need to step into bigger roles this year.
There is a veteran core that the Bulldogs will be relying on. Senior forward Samya DaSilva can score in the paint and knock down shots from the perimeter, while classmate Erin Beatty has been a force on the boards and brings a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. Senior guards Emily McCabe, Marissa Staffiere, and Han Hong all can run the point and are strong defensive players who will be tasked with keeping the ball moving for Canton on offense to find the best shot.
In addition to those familiar faces, juniors Fatima Sidibay and Jess Wright will provide additional athleticism in the frontcourt. Junior Mercia Kolokithas can stretch defenses with her perimeter shooting and sophomore Sally Hoban will provide depth on the wing along with Ava McCoole. Deanna Kolokithas is another newcomer to watch this season, as she can give Canton a boost at point guard, allowing the veteran guards to move off the ball.
“Every season is different, even if you have similar players,” Choquette explained. “We have spoken about that this year and I’ve encouraged our team to write their own narrative, what they want, how they want to get it, and the sacrifices they’re willing to make to accomplish it. I’m so excited to see how we respond as coaches to help them and as players to achieve.”
2021-2022 Record: 14-8 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen Coach: Lisa Downs
While head coach Lisa Downs knew there would be some growing pains for a roster loaded with underclassmen, Foxboro was not only building for the future in 2021-22 but showing that it could already compete with the league’s top teams. This season, adding a year of experience to their talented core, the Warriors will be aiming to get back to the top of the Davenport division and make a run in the state tournament.
The backcourt was the key for Foxboro last winter. Sophomore Kailey Sullivan burst onto the scene and was the rare freshman that could lead a team in scoring and also look right at home running the point against the tough defenses in the Hock. Junior Camryn Collins finished just behind Sullivan in the scoring charts, but her handle, her athleticism, and her ability to read the game made her an impact player on both ends of the court. Add in junior Erin Foley’s tenacity on the defensive end and it is a backcourt that can cause any team problems from baseline to baseline.
Foxboro also got solid contributions in the front court from sophomore Ava Hill, who looked increasingly comfortable as the season wore on, and junior Isabelle Chamberlin. Sophomore Adie Ruter will be a new piece to the puzzle this season. The 6-foot-2 center gives a new dimension to the Warriors’ offense and her development in the off-season has her poised for a breakout year. Freshmen Kylie Sampson and Adrianna Porazzo continue the tradition of underclassmen jumping right onto varsity with an opportunity to contribute.
“I’m anxious to get started working with this team,” Downs said. “I really envision a pretty high ceiling once we get established. We will continue the Foxboro team culture of hard work on defense and team play on offense, so it will be pretty exciting to see what they are able to accomplish.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-2 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Quarterfinal Coach: John Leighton
Franklin has dominated the Kelley-Rex division for the past four years, which included a state title run as well, but with a lot of new faces jumping into the lineup this season, the league title race could be a lot closer this winter. The Panthers may not be able to overwhelm teams with size like they have in past few years, but an athletic core of players returns to play typically tough defense and get out and run on the break.
The focal point this season will be senior forward Katie Peterson. After a breakout junior year in which she led the team in scoring, the UMass girls lacrosse commit comes back as one of the top wings in the league. Her athleticism will be critical on both ends of the floor. Senior guard Bridget Leo is also back to run the offense and will be one of the team’s top perimeter defenders. Senior Lizzie Newman emerged last season as a solid rebounder and post defender and her outside shooting could be a major factor.
There are also several players who stepped in at times last year that will need to take on bigger roles for the Panthers this season. Junior Sasha Tracey gives Franklin good length on the wing and adds another athlete that can get out on the break and finish. Her improved outside shot will also help stretch defenses. Sophomore Chloe Fales is a newcomer to watch with her athleticism and ability to score at multiple levels.
“This team is working to find its identity and play unselfish basketball,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “I have been very impressed with the leadership of our seniors who have stepped up and provided mentorship to our younger players to speed their integration into the team.”
2021-2022 Record: 11-11 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Jeff Miszkiewicz
Only the two division winners allowed fewer points per game than King Philip last season, as the Warriors focused on strong half court defense under first-year coach Jeff Miszkiewicz. Defense will remain key for KP this season, but there is also an effort to bring more balance to an offense that struggled to keep up with some of the top teams in the Hock. With a year of experience in the new system, the Warriors will be looking to provide a challenge to Franklin and Oliver Ames in the Kelley-Rex.
Senior center Emily Sawyer has developed into a force on both ends of the floor and her presence in the paint will be a major piece of KP’s play this year. An almost automatic double-double every night, Sawyer has improved her offense every year and remains an imposing shot blocker and disruptor on defense. Fellow senior Jackie Bonner will give KP much-needed balance on offense with her ability to shoot from distance and take defenders off the dribble. KP looked like a different team when she went down with an injury last season.
While Bonner and Sawyer get a lot of the attention, KP has solid depth in both the front and backcourt. Senior guard Leah Santoro gives the Warriors a tenacious perimeter defender and junior Jordan Bennett runs the offense well at the point and showed flashes of being a threat from three-point range. Junior forward Maddie Paschke provides energy, rebounding, and finishing in the paint, and classmate Kylie Watson continues to improve on shot-making both in the paint and from the outside.
Miszkiewicz is also counting on several new faces to add to his squad this season. “They all bring something different to the court and have a chance to really impact games this year,” he said. “We can score on all three levels consistently, so we look to attack any advantages that we can get. Last year, we prided ourselves on playing tough, gritty defense. We try to make every shot difficult and hold teams to one shot.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-11 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Heather McPherson
Mansfield will play in the Davenport division for the first time this winter and, with only three players graduating from last year’s playoff team and both of its leading scorers back, there are hopes that this could be a title-winning debut for the Hornets.
Senior Abby Wager is the team’s top scorer from a year ago and the athletic wing will be the focal point for most teams defensively this year. The Southern New Hampshire-commit causes problems on both ends of the floor with her length and speed and her addition of different facets to her offensive game. If teams want to extend out to the perimeter, Mansfield can also hurt them in the paint with junior forward Kara Santos, who emerged as a consistent scorer on the block.
Experience should be no problem for the Hornets, who have a host of players that gained valuable experience last season. In the backcourt, seniors Olivia Salisbury and Bridget Hanley can run the point and step up with big scoring nights when needed. Senior Natalya Gill was instant offense off the bench for the Hornets, while classmate Rose Maher can knock down big shots from the outside. Senior Brooke Butler gives the Hornets another strong rebounder and paint presence.
“Extremely excited for the season,” said McPherson. “The level of focus and pace that we have committed to this preseason makes me extremely excited for the season with these girls!”
2021-2022 Record: 5-14 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: TJ Dolliver
Milford brings back five seniors from last year’s team, including a pair of four-year varsity players at captain, which the Hawks hope can provide the leadership for a move up the Kelley-Rex standings. After winning five games a year ago, Milford continues to set its sights on getting back into the playoff picture.
Senior forward Emily Croteau is an all-energy player at forward and will be one of the players that Milford counts on at both ends of the floor. She crashes the boards, defends, and her hustle is infectious. Classmate Brooke Ferreira is more of a calming presence in the backcourt, getting the Hawks into their sets and knocking down shots on the perimeter. Fellow seniors Molly Hartman and Aliza Syed will add experience and strength in the paint.
Junior forward Khatrina Leger could be ready for a breakout year after impressing in flashes as a sophomore. Leger used her athleticism to keep possessions alive and was able to get creative with her finishing around the rim. Classmate Erin Michelson uses her length on the wing to cause problems on the defensive side and junior Maeve Driscoll can come into the game and make some big shots on the perimeter.
“We have a lot of versatile players with different skills so our offense and defense is going to rely on execution during the games,” said Milford coach TJ Dolliver. “I have a great group of girls who are ready to compete on a daily basis. We have a lot of room to grow and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes us.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Nikki Correia
North Attleboro incorporated plenty of youth into last year’s rotation and those young players will need to be ready from the start this winter because the Rocketeers are only returning four varsity players from 2021-22 and have as many underclassmen (four) as seniors on this year’s team. It is a guard-heavy rotation, which fits into head coach Nikki Correia’s preferred up-tempo style, but there will be a learning curve for a relatively inexperienced group.
Senior Ava McKeon will be the leader on the court for North this season. A four-year varsity player, McKeon gives the Rocketeers an edge with her tenacity, toughness, and athleticism. The rest of the team can feed off the energy that she provides on both ends of the court. Sophomore guards Sam Faria and Sam Sweeney both showed as rookies that they can knock down shots from the outside, but need to be more consistent to take the North offense to the next level. Classmate Maryellen Charette also impressed at times as a freshman and could be ready for a breakout year at forward. Confidence will be important for the younger players to meet the expectations that come from being regular starters.
North has added some new faces to the roster this year to contribute off the bench and give teams different looks. Senior guard Emma Hanwell and forwards Kylie James and Kayla Dominique, as well as junior forward Katie Corsetti will make the jump up from the JV team this season. Freshman guard Ella McLaughlin is another player with the potential to make instant contributions.
“I think our strengths on offense will be our quick guard play,” Correia said. “Our offense seems to be a little more organized and the guards are able to control the tempo. I am really looking forward to the season with this group of players. We are young and have so much potential to really surprise some opponents this year.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-3 (Davenport champions) 2021-2022 Finish: Won Div. 2 state title Coach: Brittany Engle
The defending Div. 2 state champions are going to have a very different look this season. Not only did Oliver Ames lose its top two scorers (Caroline Peper to graduation and Jasmyn Cooper to transfer) but also saw the retirement of legendary coach Laney Clement-Holbrook after more than four decades in charge. OA has turned to former assistant coach Brittany Engle, who is also a 1,000-point scorer and former state champ for the Tigers, who inherits a roster with only four returning players from last season.
Junior guard Kaydance Derba is the team’s top returning scorer and is one of the best long-range shooters in the league. Her length, her passing, and her ball-handling will all be critical for a team that is going to rely on a lot of relatively inexperienced players. Classmate Sarah Hilliard might be ready for a breakout season. The junior forward showed flashes of being a dominant post player last year, coming up with huge games on both ends of the floor during OA’s tournament run and her athleticism is a tough matchup for most teams.
A pair of seniors round out the returning players. Maddie Homer, who was voted volleyball MVP this fall, missed time last year due to injury but she came back to play a role in the state title game win against Norwood. She brings a lot of intensity on the defensive end and is another solid ball-handler that can get the Tigers into their sets. Classmate Grace Dupill will bring more athleticism to the forward position and leadership for a young squad that wants to challenge Franklin for the Kelley-Rex title.
“I’m excited for the season,” Engle said. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes who work hard, and are coachable and competitive. Coming off of a state title, expectations are high, but measured. This is a different team, but one with a lot of potential.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Matt DellaBarba
Coming off a four-win season, Sharon returns four starters and nine players from last year’s roster, intent on making a move up the standings in the Davenport division. There is a change on the sidelines, with former Plymouth South coach Matt DellaBarba taking over this season and he will be hoping to utilize the experience that the Eagles have to make a run at a potential playoff spot.
Most of the focus this winter will be on junior center Jasmine Davis. After a stellar first varsity season in which she introduced herself with a 30-point, 20-rebound debut against Milford, Davis was one of the most prolific post players in the league as a sophomore. Sharon can take advantage of the attention Davis will draw to create shooting space for classmate Rachael Hager, who can force defenses to stay home with her ability to knock down shots from distance. Senior Tess Letendre and junior Eva Poulton round out the returning starters and both are solid ball-handlers and defenders in the backcourt and give the Eagles balance on both ends of the floor.
There is going to be plenty of experience coming off the bench for Sharon as well. In the backcourt, senior Clara Armon and juniors Carmen Leonardi and Natalie David will give the Eagles good energy and aggressiveness. Seniors Samantha Dunham and Emily Freeman add depth, rebounding, and solid defense in the front court. DellaBarba wants to make sure all of his players are threats to score on offense and communicate well in his team defense scheme.
“Being completely new to the Hockomock League I’m not entirely sure what to expect in my first season in the league,” DellaBarba said. “I know year in and year out the Hockomock League is one of the most competitive leagues in the state, so our focus right now is making sure we’re approaching every practice and game with energy and giving maximum effort in every opportunity that we receive.”
2021-2022 Record: 1-19 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Eric Adams
Stoughton had its struggles in 2021-22, winning just one game, but the Black Knights are in the process of rebuilding through youth. With former assistant Eric Adams taking over for Charmaine Steele Jordan this winter, Stoughton will have continuity on the sidelines despite the coaching change and that should be a boost for a lineup that features only two seniors.
While young, Stoughton does have some varsity experience to call on. Senior guards Andrea Khouzami and Anna Hobbs will provide much-needed leadership in the backcourt. Junior Maiya Merritt is a quick guard who can get into the lane and sophomore Raina Tat showed that she has the ability to stretch defenses with her range, and the confidence to not pass up an open look.
In the front court, junior Alyssa Edwards is a three-sport athlete and she uses her strength and quickness to good effect on both ends of the court. Junior Katrina Varnum gives Stoughton a rim protector and a solid rebounder to protect the paint, while she also showed increasing confidence as a finisher around the rim. Sophomore Leah McCarty returns to give more depth on the block. Stoughton also has four freshmen on the roster, guards Kristen McKay, Molly Fox, Isabel Belmonte, and Cecelia Squires, who could be stepping in and getting minutes right away.
“This team is a young team; two seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen,” Adams explained. “This year is going to be a building year and we are eager to grow as a program.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Gretchen Rodrigues
The transfer of the league’s leading scorer from last year, Kameron St. Pierre, will be a big challenge for Taunton this season. Losing more than 20 points per game, nearly half of the team’s nightly output, will obviously require more than just one or two players to step up. First-year coach Gretchen Rodrigues is counting on her team’s athleticism and focusing on the defensive end of the floor first to get the Tigers out and running this season.
Junior point guard Cali Melo will be a key player for the Tigers in this system, not only setting the pace for the team but also providing the energy on the defensive side of the floor. Melo is a tenacious defender and rebounder and will be like a coach on the floor. Junior guard Lexi Haywood provides long-distance shooting for the Tigers and is one of the players that could benefit from a few more touches on the offensive end. Sophomore Jillian Doherty gives Taunton more speed and finishing on the break and senior McMina Clermont adds more vocal leadership, defense, and rebounding.
While a lot of the focus is on the outgoing players, Taunton also got a transfer in who could be a major factor in the paint this season. Sophomore Skylar McCrohan has come from Somerset Berkley and Rodrigues will be counting on her crashing the boards and getting buckets in the post. Freshman Taryn Campbell is a quick guard and solid shooter, who will come in and contribute right away.
“We are going to push the ball, play hard all the time, play unselfish, and be in great shape,” Rodrigues said. “My style is up and down, pressure a lot, and utilize all 94 feet.“
Franklin junior goes up for an attack in the second set against Acton-Boxborough. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — When Franklin earned the final point of the match to seal a win, their traditional jubilation was replaced by a sigh of relief.
The Panthers were three points away from completing a sweep of #13 Acton-Boxborough before the visitors rattled off a late run and prolonged the match with a win in the third set.
Franklin played its best volleyball in the fourth set to create its lone double-digit lead of the match. And once again, just three points away from victory, the Revolution came charging back. Acton-Boxborough used an 8-2 run, fighting off five straight match points to get within three points. But a handling error gave Franklin the final point and the Panthers closed out a 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 25-21) win in a Division 1 Round of 16 matchup.
“I think across the board, we could have done better at pretty much everything,” said Franklin head coach Samantha Redmond. ”I think we all felt it, I think we’re all aware of the fact that we could have done better. At this point in the year, we should do better.”
There wasn’t much separation in the third set, the largest lead at any point was five points early on for the Panthers. After some back and forth, the hosts were able to get a little breathing room on a kill from senior Rachael Taylor to make it 22-19. Out of a timeout, a service error and hitting error shrunk the lead down to one, and a kill put A-B ahead.
A Franklin timeout couldn’t stop the Revolution’s momentum and they added a kill to take a 23-22 lead. Taylor (nine kills, three blocks) used a tip to bring Franklin level, but A-B closed it out with a kill and a net violation to take it 26-24.
That seemed to ignite the hosts, who turned a 6-6 fourth set into a more comfortable lead with an 8-0 burst. Junior Sasha Tracey (40 assists, four blocks) came up with a big block on an outside attack, junior Taylor Lacerda had back-to-back kills, including a perfect line shot, and senior Georgia Harvey (15 digs) dropped in an ace.
Taylor had a kill and then got another point after sending the defense scrambling on a nice tip. Freshman Makayla Kuykendall picked a nice spot deep on the court to cap the run, giving Franklin a 14-6 lead.
A good swing by Kuykendall (14 kills, 12 digs) was popped back up by the A-B defense only to be swatted right back down at the net by the freshman, junior Jennifer Soohoo followed with a strong serve that couldn’t be returned, and junior Grace Lacerda (four kills, five blocks) went up and put down a free ball with a block as Franklin pushed its lead to 20-11.
Lacerda (13 kills, 11 digs) drilled one off of the block and an A-B error presented Franklin with match point. But it was the Revolution that rallied with three kills, an ace, and a strong serve, and suddenly, with a 5-0 burst, the visitors were within three at 24-21. But Franklin snapped the run as A-B had a handling error to end it.
“It’s something that we’ve been trying to focus on, this isn’t the regular season anymore,” Redmond said. “Every team that we’re going to play, deserves to be here. You can’t coast, you need to play and finish things when you have the chance.
“I hope this lights the fire for them. I hope this is eye-opening enough for them that if they don’t want the season to end, and they want to keep playing, they have to go get it.”
Franklin volleyball (16-3) is set to take on #5 Barnstable in a Division 1 state quarterfinal matchup, with the date and time to be announced.
Volleyball Division 1
#29 Beverly, 0 @ #4 Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin dominated the first set and never looked back in a 3-0 sweep (25-8, 25-17, 25-13) over visiting Beverly in the opening round of the state tournament. Freshman Makayla Kuykendall led the offense with 11 kills while junior Taylor Lacerda had nine kills. Sasha Tracey dished out 25 assists and recorded seven digs for the Panthers, who will play the winner of Acton-Boxborough and Wachusett.
Franklin freshman Makayla Kuykendall (20 kills) attacks the ball in the second set against Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — It’s getting crowded at the top of the Kelley-Rex division standings.
Despite falling behind after an epic opening set, Franklin volleyball rallied for three straight wins to secure a 3-1 victory over Attleboro (33-35, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19), moving the Panthers into a three-way tie in first place along with the Bombardiers and King Philip, who also won on Monday.
All three teams split their respective season series and sit at 13-2 in league play with one match left, none of which are against one another.
The battle between the Panthers and Bombardiers — a clash of two top 10 teams in Division 1 in the latest MIAA rankings, and a rematch of a superb five-set thriller from earlier this season — started with a first set that neither side wanted to lose, as seen by the score.
The teams combined for 68 points in the opening set: the Panthers were a point away from taking it five times and the visitors with four chances to clinch it, all coming past the 25-point threshold.
A kill from Attleboro sophomore Julia Leonardo (29 kills, 21 digs) off of a set from junior Natalie Brojek (34 assists, seven digs, four kills) kept the Bombardiers in it down 25-24.
A perfect line shot from Franklin freshman Makayla Kuykendall (20 kills, 15 digs, three aces) off a set from junior setter Sasha Tracey (48 assists, 10 digs, six kills) denied the visitors at 26-25.
A roll shot from Attleboro sophomore Addie Shelton (seven kills, 14 digs) found a hole in the defense to tie it at 29-29.
A tip from Franklin junior Ryan Sullivan (17 kills, 27 digs, three aces) caught the defense to keep the Panthers alive two points later.
Back-and-forth they went, and not until an ace from Leonardo and then a mis-hit from the Panthers did the Bombardiers finally take the lead with a 35-33 win.
“That first set was so incredible, they worked so hard,” said Franklin head coach Samantha Redmond. “Before the second set I just kept talking to them about the passion they showed, the hard work they put in, and if they could carry that fight into the next set and beyond, they would be okay.”
Okay, indeed.
The Panthers answered with three straight wins: pulling away from the Bombardiers with a big 12-4 run in the middle of the second set, creating separation late in a back-and-forth third set, and doing the same in the fourth to secure the win and give themselves a chance to clinch at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title on Wednesday.
“We talked about what this match means, but in the sense that we lost the first time in their gym in five sets,” Redmond said. “It was a bit of a redemption story that we could play better than we did that match. It was more about that for us than any rankings or standings.
“The energy we had tonight we so much more positive and the teamwork tonight was great.”
With the Panthers trailing 8-7 in the second set, an ace from Kuykendall, a kill from Taylor Lacerda off of the block, and a perfectly placed tip from Rachael Taylor (eight kills, two blocks, two aces) around the double block put the hosts back in front.
Taylor added another kill, Taylor Lacerda landed an ace, and Kuykendall canceled out a kill from Attleboro sophomore Ellie Shelton with one of her down. Two plays later, Taylor had an ace and the Panthers pushed the lead to 19-12.
Leonardo landed another kill to give Attleboro some hope but a perfectly placed dump on the second ball from Tracey froze the defense and Kuykendall put one down to extend it to 22-14. A perfectly placed line kill from Taylor Lacerda capped the win, 25-16, to make it 1-1.
“Game one is always our toughest, we usually come out slow but we really stressed coming out strong tonight because it’s hard to do on the road, and it’s hard to do it against an amazing team like Franklin,” said Attleboro head coach Mary Katherine Runey. “They responded and were moving their feet and playing awesome. Were they gassed in game two? Absolutely. I just thought game two and three, our passing was way off. We were so excited and tired from the first game, we couldn’t bounce back.
“I always stress that no matter the score, you play the game as a team and I thought that’s what we were lacking tonight. We had difficulty on serve receive and our passing, just didn’t move our feet.”
It was more of the same in the second set, back-and-forth and through the first 32 points, the Panthers and Bombardiers were deadlocked at 16-16 following back-to-back kills from Leonardo, the latter coming off a great pass from Sadie Whitmarsh (21 digs) to keep the ball alive.
“She’s a fantastic player, there’s no doubt about it,” Redmond said of Leonardo, who has been one of the best hitters in the league this season. “After the first game we played them, we’ve practiced a lot just really picking up on spots where she likes to hit too and just focusing in on playing defense in those spots. The second ball might not be right to the spot so just be on your toes and go get it.”
Franklin quickly grabbed the momentum by winning four straight points: another perfectly placed tip around the block from right-side Grace Lacerda (eight kills, two blocks), who took the majority of her swings from the middle, a kill from Tracey, and back-to-back from Kuykendall made it 20-16.
A timeout couldn’t stunt Franklin’s run as they took two more, Kuykendall landed another swing, and after a service error, Taylor finished the set off with a kill to make it 2-1.
“The outsides get a ton of credit, and it’s well deserved, but being able to move that ball around and set the middle, set the right side, and really spread it out to everyone on the court, it keeps the defense on their toes,” Redmond said of getting strong performances from both Taylor and Grace Lacerda.
“We’ve gotten double blocked a lot of times this year so we’ve really worked on finding the open spots, if that double is coming from the outside, to find that spot. We watched it well, if they were bringing it that’s where we wanted to go, if they didn’t bring the double, swing away.”
A pair of aces from Addie Shelton, three straight kills from Leonardo, and a hitting error presented Attleboro its biggest lead of the match, 9-3, to start the fourth set. Franklin chipped away and an ace from Jennifer Soohoo made it 10-10.
An 8-2 burst gave Franklin the lead for good.
Both Kuykendall and Taylor Lacerda had kills in the run, the Bombardiers didn’t help their cause with a pair of unforced errors, and back-to-back aces from Georgia Harvey (four aces, 28 digs) had the Panthers on the verge of the win.
Attleboro showed some great resolve with a big block from Addie Shelton, a couple of attacking errors from the Panthers, and another Leonardo kill closed the deficit to just 19-17. A great dig from Harvey kept the point alive for the Panthers and they won the point, Kuykendall had a huge kill off the block, and Soohoo ended it with an ace.
“In a crazy kind of way, I’m kind of happy this happened because going into the playoffs, it’s a good learning experience for all of us,” Runey said. “Would it have been great to win? Yes, but they should be really proud. Not only was this a big game for us, but this was also a massive game for Franklin and that’s a testament to how well we’ve played and how far we’ve come.”
Franklin volleyball (13-2 Hockomock, 13-3 overall) is back home on Wednesday against Milford while Attleboro (13-2, 15-2) is on the road at North Attleboro. King Philip (13-2, 17-2) is home against Taunton. A win from any of the three teams would clinch a share, and a win from all three would be a share for all three teams.
