Canton, 56 @ Foxboro, 58 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani drained a go-ahead three with 30 seconds to go but Foxboro senior Ryan LeClair answered with a triple of his own 10 seconds later as the Warriors secured a season sweep of the Bulldogs with another thrilling win. The Bulldogs came out of a timeout with 35 seconds left down by two (55-53) before quickly finding Mirliani in the corner for three and the lead. Foxboro’s Alex Penders penetrated to draw extra in the lane before kicking it out to LeClair for three. Canton had a pair of looks but came up short as Foxboro took the win. Canton had a dream start as they raced out to a 18-3 lead in the first quarter. Sophomore Ryan Kelley provided a big boost with eight of his nine points in the second and Penders scored six of his 14 as the Warriors battled back to cut the deficit to 30-23 at halftime. The momentum stuck with the hosts as they outscored Canton 16-7 in the third to surge ahead 39-37 going into the fourth. Ryan Cotter scored had 9 of his 11 points in the second half for Foxboro and senior Andrew Finn had a pair of threes in the third to help put the hosts ahead. Canton’s Jamaal McConnell had a game-high 15 points while Zaza Francoeur and Mirliani each had 11 points.
King Philip, 63 @ North Attleboro, 35 – Final – King Philip erupted for 23 points in the second quarter to turn a tie-game into a big win on the road over North Attleboro. The Warriors and Rocketeers each had 10 points in the opening eight minutes before KP caught fire in the second. Senior Will Laplante scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the second, senior Tommy Martorano added six of his 17 points, and sophomores Tommy Kilroy, Brandon Nicastro, and Jack Assini each added to the scoring as King Philip surged ahead 33-14 at halftime. After an even third quarter, the Warriors held the hosts to four points in the fourth to secure the win.
Mansfield, 72 @ Stoughton, 37 – Final – Mansfield built a double-digit lead in the opening quarter, doubled it by halftime, and never looked back in a bounce back win on the road over Stoughton. A strong start saw the Hornets stake a 19-9 lead after eight minutes, and that 10-point lead turned to 20 as a balanced offensive effort led to a 34-14 halftime lead. Eddie McCoy scored a team-high 18 points, Trevor Foley added 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and Davon Sanders added 13 points and 6 assists for the Hornets, who finished with 11 three-pointers.
Milford, 56 @ Taunton, 69 – Final – After a close back-and-forth opening quarter, Taunton dominated the second to build a lead that it never surrendered to earn a season sweep of the visiting Scarlet Hawks. Milford Andrew Rivera continued his strong stretch as he came out on fire with 11 of his game-high 24 points in the opening quarter, helping the Hawks stake an 18-16 edge after a quarter. Freshman Jakari Innocent drained a three with six minutes to go, sparking a 20-4 run to close out the half. Troy Santos hit one of his four three-pointers, Chris Volcy had a pair of layups, Tyson Carter added six of his 10 points, and Gerry Cardoso chipped in with two free throws to put Taunton up 36-23 at half. Innocent finished with a career-high 19 points, Santos had 10 points, and both Volcy and Carter chipped in with 10 points apiece. Rivera added seven rebounds to go along with his 24 points while freshman CJ Farrell chipped in with nine points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Sharon, 79 @ Oliver Ames, 51 – Final – Sharon couldn’t have scripted a better start, opening with a 24-0 run that gave the Eagles all of the separation they needed the rest of the way. Sharon sank four threes in the opening eight minutes and had five players register points to stake a big lead that it never surrendered. Nate Katznelson scored seven of his team-high 19 points in the first, Matt Baur added six of his 17 points, both Ryan Brown and Jack Bates hit a three and had five points in the first, and Tyler Goodman tossed in a triple of his own for the Eagles, who led 41-24 at halftime. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with 13 points, senior Chris Elias added 12 points, and freshman Soren Lolonga chipped in with 11 points.
Foxboro, 65 @ Canton, 30 – Final – Foxboro extended its win streak to 12 games and stayed unbeaten in league play heading into the Hock finale on Friday. Addie Ruter continued her impressive sophomore season with a game-high 20 points. Camryn Collins scored 15, Erin Foley had 14, and Kailey Sullivan finished with a dozen points for the Davenport division champs.
North Attleboro, 38 @ King Philip, 37 – Final – North Attleboro was able to hold off KP down the stretch to pull off the road win. North’s 2-3 zone helped limit the Warriors offensively, with Katie Corsetti and Maryellen Charette doing their best to try and slow down the league’s leading scorer Emily Sawyer in the paint. The game was tied at halftime and heading into the fourth quarter. North outscored KP by one over the final eight minutes to earn the win. Sawyer got KP off to a good start with six points in the first, but Ava McKeon’s six-point second quarter helped the Rocketeers even the score at 17 apeice going into the locker room. Sawyer had four points in the third, but Sam Faria scored six for North and it was 27-27 going into the fourth. McKeon added another four points and Faria added three more to help North do enough to get the win. Jackie Bonner drilled a three with 30 seconds left that got the Warriors back within one but they weren’t able overcome the deficit. McKeon and Faria led North with 10 points apiece, while Corsetti aded eight. Sawyer finished with a game-high 15 and Bonner added eight points on a pair of threes.
Stoughton, 33 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – Abby Wager scored 34 points, powering Mansfield to a third straight win. Wager was dominant from the opening tip, scoring 12 of Mansfield’s 14 in the first quarter and then adding 10 more in the second and another nine in the third. The Hornets led by only one after the first and extended the advantage to 35-21 at halftime. In the third, Wager had nine of the Hornets’ 11 points, but it was Mansfield’s defense that stood out, holding Stoughton to just two points to break the game wide open. Ella Palanza added seven points and Natalya Gill had six in the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with 11, including seven in the second half, while Katrina Varnum had eight and Kirsten McKay hit a pair of threes for seven points.
Taunton, 40 @ Milford, 45 – Final – Brooke Ferreira celebrated senior night by scoring a career-high 16 points and helping the Hawks rally from an early deficit to pull out the win. Taunton grabbed the lead in the first, as Cali Melo, who hit four three-pointers and finished with a game-high 21, scored seven points in the opening quarter. Milford only managed five points and one made FG in the first, but rallied with a 13-7 second quarter to tie the game at halftime. Ferreira and Emily Croteau each scored four in the quarter. Ferreira got going in the third, scoring seven of Milford’s 13 to help the Hawks open up a six-point lead. Taunton outscored the Hawks by one in the fourth, but couldn’t overcome the deficit on the road. Croteau helped Milford out with 10 points and Erin Michelson added seven. Skylar McCrohan added eight points and Chelsea Bousquet had six for the Tigers.
Oliver Ames, 65 @ Sharon, 58 – Final – Despite allowing a combined 51 points from Jasmine Davis and Rachael Hager, OA was able to sweep the season series with the Eagles and move above .500 for the first time this season. Sharon jumped out to the lead in the first, as Hager buried three from beyond the arc and sparked Sharon to a 14-11 edge. OA would come back in the second to grab a two-point edge going into the locker roon. Sara Hilliard scored six in the second and Avery Gamble added four. Davis started to heat up with seven of Sharon’s 11 in the second. Kamryn Derba caught fire for the Tigers in the second half. The freshman had nine points in the third, helping OA take the quarter 17-13 and extend the lead to six. Hager, who had her best game since her return from injury, nailed another pair of threes to keep Sharon in the game. The fourth quarter was a shootout. Derba added another six points and the Tigers went 13-of-15 from the free throw line to score 21 points. Davis was proving unstoppable on the other end, scoring 13 of her game-high 32 in the fourth, as the Eagles scored 20 as a team. Davis knocked down a pair of threes and was 9-of-11 from the line on the night, while also grabbing 24 rebounds. Derba scored 19 to lead OA. Hilliard added 15 points and six steals and Gamble had 12 points and seven boards. Hager scored 19 for the Eagles, grabbed five boards, and dished out three assists.
Boys Basketball
Taunton, 58 @ Attleboro, 60 – Final – Attleboro’s Spencer Sherck made a huge defensive play and Hayden Crowley sank two free throws both with under 10 seconds left as the Bombardiers held on a late run from Taunton for the win. Attleboro led by as much as 12 points early in the fourth quarter and again at 56-44 with 2:18 left to play following a three-pointer from Michael Beverly before Taunton’s full court pressure sped the game up and got the Tigers a 9-0 run in 50 seconds of action, capped by a deep three from Troy Santos to make it 56-53. A steal and layup from Chris Volcy got the visitors within a point before Attleboro freshman Connor Houle hit a pair from the line to make it 58-55. Santos used a nice move to get to the line again and hit another two with 41.1 seconds to go. Taunton got another stop but so did Attleboro as Sherck stepped stepped in and took a charge with 7.8 seconds to go. Crowley sank two free throws to extend Attleboro’s lead and the Bombardiers were able to hold on for the win. Beverly tied a career-high with 19 points to lead the Bombardiers while Jaiden Outland added 12 points. Crowley finished with 8 points while Houle, Neo Franco, and Justin Hanahran each had 7 points. Santos dropped a game-high 22 points, half of them coming in the fourth quarter. Tyson Carter added a career-high 17 points and Chris Perault finished with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 45 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton scored the go-ahead bucket off a broken play with just seconds seconds to go and held on as OA’s attempt at a game-winner was off the mark to secure a hard-fought league win and season sweep of the Tigers. Oliver Ames staked a two-point lead after a quarter (13-11) and a four-point advantage at halftime (27-23) but the Bulldogs held the visitors to single digits in the third and pulled even (34-34) going into the fourth quarter. With just under 20 seconds to go, Oliver Ames nearly intercepted a pass but the deflection bounced to Canton sophomore Anthony Diletizia and he alertly fired a bounce pass to Jeremiah Predin and he kissed one off the glass to put Canton up 47-45 with 12.2 seconds to play. Zaza Francoeur had a big block on OA’s first look and then the Tigers launched a three at the buzzer but it was off the mark. Jamaal McConnell had a team-high 13 points for Canton, Caden Mirliani added 12 points and Predin and Francoeur each finished with 8 points. OA sophomore Cole Craffey had a game-high 16 points and freshman Soren Lolonga added 12 points in the win.
Stoughton, 59 @ Foxboro, 76 – Final – Foxboro erupted for 22 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, scoring a season sweep of Stoughton with a wire-to-wire win on Friday. Seniors Sam Golub (13 points) and Ryan LeClair (9 points) each hit a pair of threes inside the opening eight minutes while classmate Alex Penders added another and a total of eight of his game-high 28 points as the Warriors jumped ahead 22-15. Senior Andrew Finn added another triple in the second while junior Ryan Cotter and sophomore Ryan Kelley both had a pair of baskets to help Foxboro extend its lead to 39-26 at halftime. Penders kept it going with 10 more points in the third and sophomore Nolan Gordon took his turn with all seven of his points in the frame for a 56-42 lead going into the fourth. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood had a team-high 18 points while sophomore Matt Greenspoon chipped in with 12 points.
North Attleboro, 49 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin sank four of its 11 three-pointers in the opening eight minutes to stake an early lead and the Panthers never looked back in a big win over visiting North Attleboro. Andrew O’Neill hit a pair, Justin Allen had one of his four triples, and Nick Scala tossed another in to take a 16-7 lead after one, and the Panthers never surrendered that lead. Bradley Herndon got going in the second with six of his 11 points and junior Sean O’Leary had a third of his 12 points in the second as Franklin took a 31-15 lead into the locker room. Allen had a team-high 14 points, O’Neill and O’Leary finished at 12 points apiece, and Herndon had 11 points. North senior Jack Munley and sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski each had nine points.
Milford, 82 @ King Philip, 66 – Final – Milford had an offensive outburst on the road to earn its fifth straight win, pouring in 26 points in the second quarter and 27 more in the third quarter en route to beating King Philip. Senior Wyatt Zagami, who had a season-high 18 points, was a huge spark for the offense, draining a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter to jump start the Hawks’ offense. Milford built a 14-11 lead after a quarter but really turned it on in the second with Zagami and sophomore Andrew Rivera, who had a career-high 28 points, each hit three three-pointers, and sophomores Jack Buckley and Luca Testa each added points as Milford ended up with a 40-30 lead going into halftime. The break couldn’t cool the red-hot Hawks as Rivera added nine more in the third, freshman CJ Farrell got going with nine of his 18 points in the frame, and Testa, Zagami, Nick Aruajo, and Tyler Ballard all hit shots from the floor to the tune of 27 points and a 67-47 advantage going into the fourth. Senior Will Laplante led KP with 20 points, sophomore Jack Assini added 13 points, and sophomore Tommy Kilroy chipped in with 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ Taunton, 40 – Final – Attleboro stormed out of the gates, bombing away from three, and jumped out to a 43-13 lead by halftime, ensuring that the Bombardiers will head into Tuesday’s showdown with Franklin down just a game in the Kelley-Rex standings. The visitors had no problem finding the range in the Rabouin Field House, knocking down 10 three-pointers as a team. Sarah Maher got Attleboro off to a strong start with seven of her nine points coming in the first, while Kayla Goldrick added five and Vanessa Ellis and Lily Routhier (eight points) scored four apiece to open up a 26-7 lead after one. Rylie Camacho buried three from beyond the arc in the second, while Molly Moore and Goldrick both knocked down shots from the outside, as Attleboro’s lead grew to 30. Moore would hit a pair from three in the third and scored eight of her 11 points in the quarter, as Attleboro didn’t let off the gas. Moore, Goldrick, Ellis, and Camacho all finished with 11 for the Bombardiers. Eighth grader Rayah Horton scored a career-high 13 points for the Tigers, including seven in the fourth. Cali Melo also scored seven of her 13 points over the final eight minutes and Skylar McCrohan added six points for the hosts.
Foxboro, 79 @ Stoughton, 26 – Final – Kailey Sullivan continued her hot streak, scoring a game-high 25 points, including four three-pointers. It’s the third straight game that Sullivan has scored at least 23 points (with one game of 31). Camryn Collins and Addie Ruter also reached double digits, scoring 15 points apiece. Nine different Warriors got on the score sheet. Stoughton was led by Kirsten McKay with 10 points, five boards, and two steals.
Franklin, 66 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Katie Peterson scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out three assists to lead Franklin to the road win that keeps the Panthers atop the Kelley-Rex by a game heading into Tuesday’s showdown with second-place Attleboro. Peterson got the visitors off to a strong start, burying a pair of threes and scoring 10 points in the first. Bridget Leo and Chloe Fales also knocked down threes for Franklin, which took a 24-8 lead after one. Peterson hit her third three and had four points in the second to help the Panthers extend the lead by two, 35-17, going into the locker room. After scoring only 17 points total in the first meeting, North found another gear offensively in the third. Despite Peterson scoring another eight points, North cut the lead by a couple, scoring 18 in the quarter. Maryellen Charette had five points and Ava McKeon, Sam Faria, and Ella McLaughlin each drilled threes for the Rocketeers. Peterson added six more in the fourth, including a drive midway through the quarter to set her new high mark. Sam Sweeney matched Peterson with five in the final eight minutes. Caelyn Leonard scored 11 (going 6-of-7 from the line), Bridget Leo added nine points and four assists, and Chloe Fales had six (all in the first). Sweeney and Charette each scored 10 and McLaughlin had nine, while McKeon and Katie Corsetti both finished with eight points for North.
Sharon, 47 @ Mansfield, 81 – Final – Natalya Gill scored a career-high 21 points, knocking down seven three-pointers, and the Hornets set a new program-high for points in a game. This is the second time this season that Mansfield has scored 80 or more points in a game. Gill and Abby Wager each scored six points in the first to help the Hornets take a 14-8 lead. The Mansfield offense found a second gear in the second quarter, as the Hornets scored 25 points. Gill continued her hot shooting with three from beyond the arc, Wager chipped in with seven more, and Ella Palanza (eight points) scored four. The Eagles were hanging around behind Jasmine Davis, who scored 14 of her game-high 23 in the first half. The third quarter was nearly even, with the Hornets adding one point to their lead. Davis added another seven points and Rachael Hager, who missed much of the season with injury, scored five points. Mansfield ensured there would be no comeback with 25 points in the fourth quarter. Gill hit another couple of threes and Bridget Hanley scored four of her eight points to help put the game away. Hager added another five and finished with 10 for the Eagles, while Eva Poulton had six. Wager scored 20 points in the win.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 63 @ North Attleboro, 51 – Final – Attleboro built a double-digit advantage by halftime and kept the host Rocketeers at bay throughout the second half to score a rivalry win on the road. The Bombardiers limited North to single-digit scoring in each of the first two quarters and a 16-point second quarter, highlighted by eight points from Hayden Crowley (14 points total), helped extend the lead to 30-16 after two quarters of action. The Rocketeers got their offense going with 19 points in the third as sophomore Austin Clemente caught fire from downtown, hitting four triples in the frame while classmate Jonnie Obuchowski hit another had had five in the frame to help the hosts close the gap to just seven, 42-35, going into the fourth. Crowley, Jaiden Outland (12 points), and Michael Beverly (seven of his 10 points in the fourth) each hit a triple in the final frame to keep Attleboro ahead. Junior Neo Franco had a team-high 16 points for the Bombardiers while senior Givany Carney led North with 15 points apiece.
Mansfield, 69 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Mansfield senior Chris Hill set the tone early by scoring all 12 of his points in the first eight minutes, helping the Hornets establish a big lead that they kept the rest of the way. Hill sank a trio of three-pointers in the first for a 19-6 lead after just a period of play. Davon Sanders added seven of his career-high 18 points in the second while the Hornets got baskets from Trevor Foley (13 points), Eddie McCoy, and JT Veiking to stake a 34-22 lead at halftime. Mansfield continued to outscore the Bulldogs as Foley had seven more in the third and Caden Colby added a three. Sanders, Colby, Foley, McCoy, Veiking, and senior Michael Creedon all scored in the fourth to add to the lead. Matt Chafin had a trio of threes in the second and finished with a team-high 13 points while Jamaal McConnell added 12 points for the Bulldogs.
Oliver Ames, 51 @ Foxboro, 56 – Final – Foxboro took the lead in the first quarter and never surrendered it, grinding out a hard-fought win against Oliver Ames. After a slow start from both sides saw the Warriors stake an 11-6 lead after a quarter, the Warriors had their best offensive stretch with 19 points in the second quarter. Sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon each hit a three, Ryan LeClair and Ryan Cotter each added a bucket, and senior Alex Penders had half of his team-high 14 points in the frame to give Foxboro a 30-22 advantage at the break. OA’s Nick Asiaf hit two of his six threes in the third quarter and had eight of his career-high 22 points in the game while sophomore Zach Ivanoski had five points to help the Tigers claw back into it and cut the deficit to 41-37 going into the fourth. Penders had an early three-point play to start the fourth and LeClair drained a corner three to push Foxboro’s lead to 10. Chris Elias answered for OA with four straight points but Gordon sank his second triple of the game to keep the Warriors ahead.
Milford, 46 @ Franklin, 66 – Final – Franklin played well on both sides of the ball, pouring in 36 points in the first half while limiting the visitors to just 16, and the Panthers never looked back from there. After taking a 15-6 lead through one quarter of action, Franklin really extended its advantage with 21 points in the second quarter. Andrew O’Neill had half of his 10 points in the second, Caden Sullivan added a triple, and Sean O’Leary had seven of his team-high 17 points in the game to build a 36-16 halftime lead. Geino Scaringello had two threes and finished with 10 points for Franklin, which had 11 players register points. Sophomore Andrew Rivera (five rebounds) and freshman CJ Farrell (eight rebounds) paced the Hawks with 16 points apiece.
Stoughton, 61 @ Sharon, 77 – Final – Sharon had six players contribute to a massive first quarter and the Eagles never looked back after that in a win at home over Stoughton. Matt Baur had two threes and eight of his 13 points in the first quarter, Ryan Brown and Tyler Goodman each added a triple, and Jack Bates, Jacob McLoughlin, and Nate Katznelson each had field goals as the Eagles blitzed the visiting Black Knights to stake a 25-6 lead after a quarter. Katznelson finished with a team-high 21 points and hauled in 10 boards and McLoughlin added 14 points and seven assists in the win. Obi Dike and Nathan Figaro each had career-highs, finishing with 14 points apiece while Elijah Connor chipped in with 11 points for the Black Knights.
Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 32 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – Attleboro carried over the momentum from its strong second half on Tuesday, jumping out to a 32-13 lead in the first half on Friday. Kayla Goldrick scored a career-high 21 points for the Bombardiers, 15 of them coming in the first half. Vanessa Ellis added 18, splitting her points between the two halves. Molly Moore hit a pair of threes for her six points. Katie Corsetti was North’s top scorer with seven points, all of them coming in the first half. Ella McLaughlin and Sam Sweeney each scored six in the loss. With the win, Attleboro stays just a game back of league-leading Franklin.
Canton, 34 @ Mansfield, 54 – Final – Mansfield led by four points at halftime, but broke the game wide open with a 20-5 third quarter, sealing its seventh win in the past eight games. Abby Wager sparked the rally in the third, scoring 12 of her game-high 19 points in the quarter. Kara Santos added 10 points, Bridget Hanley had eight points (all in the first half), and Rose Maher finished with seven for the Hornets. Canton was tied after one and trailed just 26-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva buried three triples and scored a team-high 17, including 10 points in the first half to keep the Bulldogs close. Freshman Deanna Kolokithas scored seven and her sister Mercia hit a first quarter three for Canton.
Foxboro, 72 @ Oliver Ames, 32 – Final – Foxboro stayed perfect in league play and moved a game closer to a Davenport title with a convincing win over the defending champs. The Warriors, who knocked down nine threes as a team, got off to a big start and never let up. Foxboro led 21-5 after one quarter and went into the break up 37-12. The Warriors kept it up in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 35-20 for its second straight win by 40-plus points. Kailey Sullivan was the game’s top scorer, burying five triples and finishing with 19 points. Camryn Collins added 17 (12 in the first half), Addie Ruter scored 14, and Erin Foley had 10 in the win. Isabelle Chamberlin gave Foxboro a lift on the boards with a game-high 14 rebounds. Freshman Avery Gamble led OA with 15, 10 coming in the second half. Fellow rookies Maeve Horsman and Kamryn Derba each scored five for the Tigers.
King Philip, 62 @ Taunton, 41 – Final – KP had nine different scorers and secured its fifth straight victory, remaining two back of Franklin in the Kelley-Rex standings. The Warriors jumped out to a 15-2 lead after one and 34-14 heading to the locker room. Jordan Bennett and Emily Sawyer combined for 23 of KP’s points in the first half to take control of the game. Sawyer finished with a game-high 21 and Bennett added 15. Jessi Persky chipped in with six in the win. Taunton got 11 points from Tarynn Campbell, seven of them in the second half as the Tigers put 27 on the board. Cali Melo scored eight (six after the break) and Lexi Haywood hit a pair from beyond the arc in the second half. Skylar McCrohan also had six for the Tigers.
Franklin, 57 @ Milford, 28 – Final – Franklin locked down on defense, holding Milford to just 10 points in the first half, and exploded for 28 second quarter points to pick up a seventh straight win, clinch a playoff berth, and hold onto its one-game lead in the division. Leading 9-4 after one, Franklin found another gear in the second. Katie Peterson had a dozen, Chloe Fales added eight, and Caelyn Leonard scored six in the second quarter. Fales (trio of three-pointers) and Peterson each finished with 16 points and Leonard had eight. Milford scored 14 in the third, cutting two points off the lead. Brooke Ferreira had five of her six points in the frame and Emily Croteau (six points) knocked down one of her two threes in the quarter. TJ Downing had four for the Hawks.
Sophomore Vanessa Ellis (32) scored 21 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead Attleboro to a win over Taunton, keeping the Bombardiers unbeaten in league play. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The first half was end-to-end. Both teams pressured full-court, ran at every opportunity, and quickly converted turnovers into points. It was a high-tempo, even game.
Attleboro came out for the second half with a different game plan. The Bombardiers dropped back into an aggressive 2-3 zone, forcing Taunton to create offense in the half-court rather than getting baskets in transition. It was a plan that worked perfectly, as Attleboro ran off 14 straight points to turn a one-point game into a comfortable lead.
Once the Bombardiers grabbed the advantage, they never allowed Taunton to get any closer than 12 and held on for the 58-45 victory. The win keeps Attleboro perfect (6-0) in league play, extended its win streak to six games since the season opener, and maintained Attleboro’s lead atop the Kelley-Rex division.
“They kept beating us,” Attleboro coach Bri Bracken said about switching out of the press. “We were a little slow with [the press], so I said let’s try our zone. Our zone has been working really well for us lately, so I said let’s stick with it. At halftime, I just said we need more heart and we’ll come out with the ‘W’ tonight.”
Avery James (11 points) got things rolling for the home team when she drilled a pull-up three from the wing to make it 32-28. Vanessa Ellis grabbed a defensive board, dribbled up the court, and then dropped off a pass to James for a layup. Ellis, a sophomore forward, then stepped back and buried a straightaway three to push the lead to double digits. After James made one of two at the line, Ellis snatched the offensive rebound and put it in plus the foul.
“Unbelievable,” Bracken said of Ellis, who filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and six steals and was able to take some of the ball-handling load off point guard Kayla Goldrick. “The kid can do everything and we’re lucky to have her. Take control of the game, dribble the ball, shoot the outside shot, she’s a huge asset to the team.”
The and-one put Attleboro up by 15. Somerset Berkley transfer Skylar McCrohan (seven points) ended the run with a put-back, but Lily Routhier (nine points, six assists, and six steals) answered with a couple of baskets. Chelsea Bousquet (11 points and five rebounds) drilled a three to keep the Tigers within a dozen after three, but Attleboro went into the fourth in control.
First-year Taunton coach Gretchen Rodrigues admitted that her team didn’t respond well to the switch in defenses and needed a few minutes to regain some rhythm on that end of the floor. “We struggle against the zone sometimes,” she said. “We have shooters but no one who is real consistent.”
Rodrigues continued, “As the game went on, I thought we did better against the zone. We had to learn to hit the middle, hit the sides, but it is what it is. That third quarter killed us. We were playing catch-up and they’re a good team.”
Bousquet and Tarynn Campbell (nine points and eight rebounds) each knocked down threes in the fourth to try and claw Taunton back into the game, but Routhier drilled one after Ellis grabbed an offensive rebound, Sarah Maher (11 rebounds) hit a short jumper, and James hit another three from the wing to keep the Tigers at arm’s length.
Even with a double digit lead, Bracken told her team to keep pushing. She explained, “Anything can happen. I tell my kids all the time, basketball is a game of runs. We go on ours and then they could go on theirs. There was a point where we kept missing shots, so I said just keep going to the basket. We don’t want them chipping away.”
The first half was frenetic, as both teams wanted to play at top speed from the opening tip. Jillian Doherty (eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) scored on a put-back and then with a steal under the basket to put Taunton ahead 7-5.
Goldrick (10 points and six rebounds) went backdoor for a layup to tie it and then Ellis started to take over. She got free on an inbound play for a layup, scored off a nice feed from Routhier in transition, and again got out on the break for a tough finish. Ellis scored nine of Attleboro’s 16 in the first.
Taunton was hanging tough. Lexi Haywood nailed a triple to go in front and Bousquet crashed the boards for a put-back that had the Tigers down just three after one.
Goldrick opened the second with a corner three, but Taunton came right back. McCrohan is a handful in the post and, following an offensive rebound by Cali Melo, she scored plus the foul. Doherty showed off her moves in the paint with a turnaround over Ellis and then made a nice block-to-block pass to McMina Clermont for an and-one. Campbell would add a three to put the Tigers up 27-25.
“We really work on our press,” Rodrigues said. “That’s our bread and butter and I thought it definitely disrupted them today. It’s hard because then team adjust and they switch up.”
Attleboro needed a little life before halftime and James got it started with a nice baseline drive and finish. Then Ellis crashed the boards in the final 20 seconds of the quarter, grabbing the rebound and scoring to give the Bombardiers the 29-28 lead heading to the locker room.
Taunton has lost some of the momentum from its great start to the season, having dropped three straight against some of the top teams in the league, but Rodrigues has the answer for how the Tigers get back on track.
“They’ve got to believe that we can win,” she said. “It’s a new system for them, we’re all learning, we’re all doing this together, and we just have to have good practices this week and come out ready to play on Tuesday.”
Attleboro (6-1) heads into a very difficult week, as the Bombardiers will travel to fellow league leader Foxboro on Tuesday and then play host to defending Kelley-Rex champ Franklin on Friday. Taunton (4-4) will try to bounce back and get over .500 when it heads to Stoughton on Tuesday.
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
Foxboro, 60 @ Barnstable, 50 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and pulled away with a strong second half to earn a win on the road at Barnstable. Senior Alex Penders anchored the big start, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 points in the opening eight minutes and Sam Golub (11 points) hit one of his three three-pointers to help the Warriors establish a 19-9 lead. After Barnstable closed the deficit to six at halftime (30-24), Penders got it going again in the third with eight more points, Ryan Cotter and Ryan LeClair each added buckets, and Golub sank another three as the Warriors established a 47-33 lead going into the fourth.
Franklin, 62 @ Xaverian, 56 – Final – Franklin cashed in from downtown against Xaverian’s zone defense, sinking 12 three-pointers on its way to a non-league win on the road. Senior Justin Allen was responsible for over half of the Panthers’ threes, hitting a total of seven for a team-high 21 points. Allen hit one in each the first, second, and fourth quarters but erupted for four of them in the third to help the Panthers build a 53-40 lead going into the fourth. Andrew O’Neill hit two more threes while Geino Scaringello, Bradley Herndon, and Sean O’Leary each connected for one. O’Leary added 20 points in the win.
Oliver Ames, 55 vs. Classical, 54 – Final (OT) – Oliver Ames forced overtime with just seconds to go and then hit the game-winning shot inside the final 10 seconds of overtime to knock off Classical. Sophomore Cole Craffey hit a free throw with three seconds to go to tie the game and force the extra period. With five seconds to go, and Oliver Ames trailing by two, freshman Soren Lolonga drilled a corner three to give the Tigers the win.
Sharon, 63 @ Holliston, 47 – Final – Sharon raced out to an early lead, pushed it to double-digits by halftime, and never looked back in a win on the road. Senior Dante James scored nine of his 16 points in the third quarter to help the Eagles stay in front in the second half despite 19 points from the hosts in the third. Jacob McLoughlin added 13 points and Tyler Goodman scored nine of his 11 points in the first half. Senior Matt Baur scored seven points in his season debut.
Stoughton, 68 vs. Bedford, 77 – Final (2OT) – Stoughton rallied to erase a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to force overtime and had a big defensive stop to force double overtime, but the Black Knights came up short against visiting Bedford. Jayden Costa-Haywood erupted for a career-high 39 points, including some key buckets late in the game and in overtime, to pace Stoughton. The comeback in regulation, which was punctuated with a 5-0 surge over the final 22 seconds, came down to the wire. Costa-Haywood sank a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game with 22 seconds to go, and then senior Tagh Swierzewski stole the inbounds pass near midcourt. That led to a layup from Costa-Haywood with four seconds to go to tie the game. Costa-Haywood came in clutch again in overtime with two free throws to tie the game with 20 seconds left and Jarred Daughtry came up with a steal at the top of the key to prevent the visitors from attempting a game-winning shot. Stoughton scored first in overtime but couldn’t get another bucket, falling 77-68.
Girls Basketball
Stoughton, 48 vs. Bedford, 52 – Final
North Attleboro, 44 @ Taunton 50 – Final (OT) – Taunton rallied from six points down in the fourth quarter (38-32 after three), using its full-court press to hold North to just five points in the final eight minutes and force overtime. In the OT period, the Tigers outscored North 7-1 to earn their second win against the Rocketeers this season. Cali Melo was the top scorer for the Tigers with 15, including nine in the first half to keep Taunton within one (24-23) at the break. Transfer Skylar McCrohan added 10 points (eight in the first half) and Jillian Doherty chipped in with seven. Katie Corsetti, who started both of the holiday tournament games due to an injury to Ava McKeon, had another big game for North, scoring a game-high 17 points. Sam Faria added 14 and Maryellen Charette had six for the Rocketeers. North coach Nikki Correia was proud of her team’s effort over the past two days and saw a lot of things for the Rocketeers to build on.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 5 vs. Wakefield, 3 – Final
North Attleboro vs. Westboro, 6:00
Taunton, 5 vs. Apponoquet, 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Pembroke, 1 – Final
Franklin, 3 vs. Dedham, 2 – Final – After Dedham battled back from two goals down to tie it, Julia Flynn popped up in the third period with her third goal of the afternoon to lift the Panthers to the non-league win. Flynn scored twice in the opening period to put Franklin in control, but Dedham rallied with a pair of tallies in the second. Lindsay Atkinson had a pair of assists for the Panthers.
King Philip, 3 vs. Natick, 0 – Final – Kelly Holmes scored once and assisted on a second goal, as KP pulled out a win over Natick in the consolation round of the Medway New Year’s Classic. Katie McGann and Katarina Precobb each scored once for the Warriors, while Mara Boldy and Grace Lehan-Allen each recorded assists. Malory Johnston made 34 saves to earn the shutout.
Wrestling
Franklin, 24 @ Ashland, 51 – Final
Framingham Tournament (King Philip), 10:00AM
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.“
