04/03/2017

2017 Hockomock Baseball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Hockomock Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 13-10
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Matt Bosh

Coming off a great run in the state tournament a year ago, the Attleboro Bombardiers will be looking for a repeat performance in 2017. This year, instead of relying on just one or two pitchers, Attleboro will trust the depth of its pitching staff to get things done on the mound.

Senior Tyler McGovern will be the anchor of the staff while classmates Matt Callahan, Dylan Maskell and Tyler Davis will also factor in on the mound. Juniors James Weir, Drew Pagano, Erik McCormick and John Candiales, along with sophomore Eoin Hammel-Kelleher could all see innings on the mound as well.

Callahan will also see time in the field at shortstop while Weir looks to be a reliable option at first base. Matt Marguerite will patrol the outfield while Steve Hamerski, Tyler Davis, Drew Pagano, Sam Larkin and Alex Whittingham are all likely candidates for spots in the outfield as well. Head coach Matt Bosh said there is a lot of internal battles for most positions.

“Every year brings new challenges and elements,” said head coach Matt Bosh. “The biggest difference from last year I think is the depth of the pitching staff. While last year we were top heavy with Nate and Tyler, this year I think we have more guys that can compete and spread the wealth in eating up innings. But we’ll see how that plays out. The Hock will be tough, like always”.

Canton

2016 Record: 11-11
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Greg Digirolamo

First year head coach Greg Digirolamo likes what he sees from his Bulldogs so far, but the challenge has been finding some grass to play on. Heading into the first week of the season, the weather has prevented the Bulldogs from getting to play outside yet.

Nonetheless, there are some experienced varsity players that will likely factor in right away for Canton. Junior outfielder Matt Casamento might be the most experienced player of the returnees but seniors Jackson Maffeo, Danny Hartnett, Kevin Monagle, Tommy Kilduff and Matt Crandall are all likely to factor in during the season.

A trio of juniors will be Digirolamo’s go-to for pitching to start out the season. Ryan White, Austin Maffie and Rob Wilkenson are all likely to see a lot of innings as the season gets underway.

“It will take the first couple weeks of the season for me to know what we have from a talent perspective,” Digirolamo said. “I will tell you, it only took a week of tryouts to find out I have a good group of kids. They work hard and they’re eager to learn. As a first year coach, that’s all I can ask for right now.”

Foxboro

2016 Record: 8-13
2016 Finish: Reached D3 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Chris Sullivan

Foxboro will be looking to get back to the postseason again this year and will rely on its starting pitching and experience to get there.

Hockomock League All Star Aaron Wentling is back on the mound while Colin Thoener – who missed nearly all of last season – is healthy and ready to produce on the mound. Steve McLaughlin, who has some varsity experience, will also get starts on the mound for the Warriors.

There aren’t many players more experienced at the varsity level than catcher Jesse Galanti, who enters his fourth year as a starter and third as captain for Foxboro. Outfielders AJ Bubencik and Cam Feldman have also played a lot of games at the varsity level and will be counted on to lead the way for the Warriors along with infielder Chad Bearce.

“This group has been through a lot of adversity both on and off the field and has shown a ton of resiliency,” said Foxboro head coach Chris Sullivan. “At this point, nothing really fazes these guys they just keep showing up ready to play every day.”

Franklin

2016 Record: 13-10
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Zach Brown

Between Franklin’s pitching staff and its lineup, there is a lot of experienced players with success at the varsity level ready to go this season.

After relying on a trio of sophomores on the mound last year, all three are back ready for strong junior campaigns. Jake Noviello and Jason Ulrickson logged a lot of innings are starting pitchers while Bryan Woelfel emerged as one of the best bullpen options in the league. Now they are poised to be one of the top starting rotations in the league.

“We are optimistic that the three of them will give us a chance to have a solid rotation this season and be competitive in every game,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “All three guys are very different but all of them are competitive.”

Offensively, Franklin brings back outfielders Ryan Hodgkins (.388) and Jake Lyons (.368) along with first baseman Josh Macchi (16 RBI) and catcher Tyler Gomes (16 RBI). While there are spots to fill left by talented seniors that graduated, having those four back is a very good sign for the Panthers.

King Philip

2016 Record: 15-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Pat Weir

It’s going to be a challenge for King Philip to replace three all-star caliber pitchers in one season, but head coach Pat Weir and his Warriors are ready to try.

Jake Cavanagh, Jack DiCenso and Jon Rolfe are all pitching at the collegiate now after helping guide the Warriors to a Kelley-Rex title a season ago. This season, Stephen Murray and Chris Wing are back as two of the more experienced arms available for Weir. Will Weir, known for his bat and defensive play at shortstop, could also emerge as an option on the mound.

Will Weir is also one of the key bats back for King Philip, along with senior centerfielder Ryan Coulter. Both had impressive seasons as juniors and will be relied to lead the way in 2017 for KP.

“I’m hopeful we can improve on yesterday and compete today, all we ask is all you got,” said head coach Pat Weir.

Mansfield

2016 Record: 9-11
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Joe Breen

After just missing out on the postseason a year ago, there is a lot of optimism for the 2017 Hornets squad. With two top pitchers and a solid lineup returning, there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

One main reason is the return of senior pitcher Nolan Dousa, who missed last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After a standout sophomore campaign, Dousa had to watch last season from the dugout. With Dousa on the self, sophomore Tyler Dalton emerged as the team’s ace, giving the Hornets a great 1-2 combination for 2017.

Offensively, the Hornets bring back shortstop Max Boen – one of the team’s top hitters a season ago – along with senior outfielder Zach Peterson, who led the team in runs last year, and senior infielder Aidan Cahill.

“We look to combine the experience of our senior class with the ambition of our underclassmen to create a competitive team for the upcoming season,” said head coach Joe Breen. “Our goal is to be the hardest working, most passionate high school baseball team in the state and let the pieces fall where they may.”

Milford

2016 Record: 8-12
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Paul Pellegrini

Milford will be looking to get off to a better start in 2017 after a slow one a year ago played a big part in the Scarlet Hawks missing out on the postseason.

The good news for head coach Paul Pellegrini is that he has the majority of his impactful players back this season. Senior Alex Macek really impressed after missing the beginning part of the season with injury and could be one of the top pitchers in the league this season. Tylor Renaud also provided quality innings a year ago.

Aidan Wilde has been one of the top players in this league for two years yet he’s only a junior this season. Not only is he very good defensively, he’s one of the toughest at-bats in the league and will certainly be a spark plug for the Hawks. Expect senior Anthony Arcudi and sophomore Alex Coady to be contributions this season as well.

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 7-13
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Paul Tobin

The Rocketeers will boast a young squad, but not one that lacks in talent. After graduating 13 seniors last year, Big Red will rely heavily on the players they do have returning this season.

The strength of the squad will be up the middle of the field, starting senior captain Kyle McCarthy in centerfield, senior captain John Brennan patrolling shortstop and junior Zach DeMattio – and his big bat – manning the catcher position. From there, each spot is open for competition according to head coach Paul Tobin. Matt Iaconis and Peter Cohen are competing for time at third while Nick Crawley, Aidan Harding, Billy Drummond, Jackson Billingkoff and Nick Sinacola are all batting for infield spots.

Nick Sinacola, Nathan Pearce, Aidan Harding and Matt Iaconis are all candidates to form Big Red’s starting rotation while Peter Cohen, Ryan Prince and Ryan Pasquel are likely to see time out of the bullpen.

“We are talented but inexperienced, so there will be some learning and growing to go through,” said head coach Paul Tobin.

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 11-11
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr

Oliver Ames has a lot of players back from a year ago and first year head coach Joe Abarr believes that should translate into a potent lineup for the Tigers.

2016 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Matt Muir will be captaining the team as a junior and will make the transition from second base to shortstop. He will likely fill the leadoff role for Oliver Ames and will also see time on the mound. Senior Sam Burr is also a team captain, will be the team’s number one starter and also man first base for the Tigers.

Sophomore third baseman Chris Pearsons is back after making some noise during his freshman year and senior Kyle Gagliardi will bring a lot of experience while he patrols center field for the Tigers. Michael Mulrean will see a lot of time on the mound again this year and sophomore catcher Jake Erlich will look to give the Tigers a boost after transferring from Xaverian this year.

“We should hit this year with lots of players with power potential,” Abarr said. “Our pitching staff is very deep with an abundance of arms available from day to day. The challenge will be writing the right lineup. We have a solid infield with underclassmen that should be able to get comfortable in their positions over the next couple of years.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 2-18
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kee Arguimbau

The Eagles had a lot of young pieces a year ago and will be looking to take the next step in 2017. Leading the way will be two three-year varsity players in captains Jake Marglous and Aiden Arnold.

Marglous will be back behind the plate for another season while Arnold, one of the top power hitters in the league, will be back at first and also be an option to come in to pitch in relief situations. Other returning Eagles with varsity experience include Jake Teven, Danny Emerman, Jason Hertz, Ben Schwartz, Drew Naisuler, Ben Stamm, Brad Zongetti and Spencer Singer.

Max Tarlin had a very strong season as a sophomore a year ago and will be at the top of the rotation as a junior this season. Sophomore Noah Kamens also picked up some valuable varsity time a year ago and will be a top option for Sharon this season.

“Our strength will be in the experience we have in our pitching staff,” said head coach Kee Arguimbau. “We’re looking forward to the season behind the leadership of our captains, Jake Marglous and Aiden Arnold.

Stoughton

2016 Record: 16-7
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinals
Coach: Mike Armour

There aren’t many teams in the area that have the luxury of returning their top three pitchers, but the Black Knights of Stoughton do.

Justin Hutchinson, Ryan Sullivan and Nico Parmeggiani are all back after stellar junior seasons on the mound, putting Stoughton is a good position to start the season. Luke Johnson will also see time on the mound, adding another experienced arm for the Black Knights.

Jack Connelly is back at first base after a breakout junior season, Ruben Gonzalez will shift over to take over at shortstop while Matt Hadley and Michael Batte will both see time in the infield as well. Both Hutchinson and Sullivan will see time in the outfield when they aren’t pitching while Pat Hagerty and Nick Hardy are back as well. Johnson and sophomore Evan Gibb will battle for the starting catcher spot.

“We have a lot of experience returning, with 10 seniors on the roster, and look forward to competing in the always tough Hockomock League,” said head coach Mike Armour.

Taunton

2016 Record: 14-7
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Blair Bourque

While there is a new coach in the dugout for the Tigers, there will be a lot of the same faces on the field for Taunton in 2017.

Blair Bourque takes over the reigns for the Tigers, who also lost league MVP Luke Figueira to graduation. However, Matt Machado and Joe Manchester are back in the outfield, Jacob Crawford is back in the middle infield, Jimmy Hoye is back and ready to take over as starting catcher, and Danny Keogh and Jack Moynihan return as two experienced pitchers.

With the battle for the number one pitcher open, Keogh and Moynihan will be the main two options to begin the season.

“Both of these guys saw success last year pitching at the varsity level and we are looking to continue and build on that success,” Bourque said.

Machado, one of the top defensive players in the league, had a breakout junior season at the plate and will look to be one of the top offensive producers again this season. Manchester shined in his sophomore season and will give the Tigers some power in the middle of the lineup. Crawford is easily one of the best defensive infielders in the league and Hoye will look to prove he’s one of the top catchers.

10/29/2016

King Philip Runs Over Attleboro and Into Semifinal

King Philip football — John DeLuca rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns as KP scored 51 points to knock out Attleboro and advance to the D1A South semifinal. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – King Philip prides itself on being able to dominate the line of scrimmage and grind down teams with the running game. In the first meeting with Attleboro, the Warriors took a while to get going on the ground and head coach Brian Lee let his offensive line know that it would have to do better.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Just two weeks later the Warriors had the opportunity to show that they had received their coach’s message when unbeaten and top seeded KP hosted the Bombardiers in the first round of the Div. 1A South tournament. KP amassed nearly 400 yards rushing on Friday night at Macktaz Field and rolled to a 51-21 victory to advance to the sectional semifinal.

“I was very upset with the linemen the last time we played that we didn’t control the line and made a lot of mistakes,” said Lee after the game. “In the end, when we needed to run the ball and kill the clock we were able to, so I’m always happy when that happens.”

Shane Frommer led the way for the Warriors with 173 yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Senior John DeLuca also had a big night with 130 yards on 10 carries and three touchdowns. Both runners had 100 yards by halftime.

It started well for the hosts, who took their first drive 71 yards in six plays for the opening score. Frommer had all but 14 of those yards and finished the possession with an 11-yard run on a toss to the left.

In the first meeting, Attleboro had no first downs in the first half, but on Friday the Bombardiers came out with a short passing game to try and counter KP’s pass rush and stay away from the run defense. For the most part, it was effective.

Attleboro answered right back with an 80-yard drive of its own. Tyler McGovern (24-37, 268 yards) went 5-6 on the drive and Elvin Sam came up with the big play to tie the game, coming down with a 28-yard pass between a pair of KP corners. Sam had three catches on that drive and would finish the game with 10 receptions for 140 yards.

“We had a game plan that was to throw the ball,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan, “and I think we were pretty effective. We knew we had to get it out quick, the fact is that we lost it up front. They do a good job; they wear you down.”

“Our first drive we went down and scored, feeling good,” said Lee, “and they come down and score and I’m like, oh crap it’s going to be a war.”

The score stayed the same until 4:46 left in the half when KP took back the lead. DeLuca took over at quarterback in a ‘wildcat’ set and he faked a handoff to Frommer to carry over the right tackle. The senior broke free and raced 85 yards for the go-ahead score that turned momentum back to the Warriors.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Lee said, “This time it looked like, uh-oh, if we don’t score then we could fall behind and then we’re forced to do some stuff we don’t want to do. Overall, just pleased to make enough plays on offense and defense to get it done.”

DeLuca capped off an 11-play, 76-yard drive with just 13 seconds before halftime. Again on a keeper, he went straight up the middle for a nine-yard score. The big play on the drive was a 29-yard completion from Brendan Lydon (3-8, 47 yards) to Tyler Jenesky on the near sideline to get the ball inside the Attleboro 10-yard-line.

Unlike the meeting two weeks ago, Attleboro did not let those late scores demoralize them and came out of halftime looking to make plays. Sam jumped a route and picked off Lydon to start the third quarter and bring energy back for the visitors.

Strachan said of Sam, “He’s the best athlete on our field and I thought tonight he was one of the best athletes out there period.”

McGovern hit Cam Furtado for 13 yards and the pair followed that up with a 35-yard connection for a touchdown that got Attleboro back into the game, temporarily. Frommer returned the ensuing kick 49 yards down to the Bombardiers 20. Four plays later and DeLuca got his third score of the night, this one from six yards, to push the lead back to 14.

Attleboro turned the ball over on downs at midfield on its next possession and KP took advantage with Giovanni Fernandez finishing off a 49-yard drive with a three-yard burst up the middle.

The Bombardiers did their best to stay in the game. McGovern tossed his third touchdown of the night on a great play-action pass to Steve Hamerski from five yards out with just 22 seconds left in the third. But, again KP had the answer with Frommer notching his second score on a three-yard carry.

“Nine (Sam) is a dude, 14 (Furtado) is a dude, the quarterback (McGovern) is a dude,” said Lee of Attleboro. “You play them two weeks [ago] and they learned from that, another reason why the playoff system sucks, but you have to get ready to go and play them. That is a good team.”

 Fernandez added two points for KP with a sack of McGovern in the end zone on the next Attleboro possession and then Andrew Gelsomini broke a 46-yard touchdown to cap the scoring.

“We’re a young team and we’re cutting our teeth and learning our lessons,” said Strachan. “The future is bright.”

When asked if he was concerned that Attleboro may have found a strategy for attacking the KP defense, Lee said, “The competition is only going to get stronger and that’s obviously something we have to work on and I think for them to play us a couple weeks ago really helped. We’ll see what happens next week and how people attack us.”

Mansfield (8-0, 5-0) will host No. 5 seed Marshfield in the D1A South semifinal, after the Rams knocked Mansfield out of the tournament for the third straight season. It will be a rematch of the 2014 sectional final, which Marshfield won at Macktaz Field on its way to a state championship.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/28/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/28/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Playoffs
Division 1 South
#8 Franklin, 0 @ #1 Xaverian, 42 – Final

Division 1A South
#8 Attleboro, 21 @ #1 King Philip, 51 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Shane Frommer 25-yard rush, Cole Baker XP good; (A) Tyler McGovern 28-yard pass to Elvin Sam, Paul DeLuca XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) John DeLuca 85-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (KP) J. DeLuca 9-yard rush, C. Baker XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) T. McGovern 35-yard pass to Cam Furtado, P. DeLuca XP good; (KP) J. DeLuca 6-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (KP) Giovanni Fernandez 3-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (A) T. McGovern 5-yard pass to Steve Hamerski, P. DeLuca XP good.
4th Quarter: (KP) S. Frommer 3-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (KP) G. Fernandez Safety; (KP) Andrew Gelsomini 46-yard rush, C. Baker XP good.

#4 Mansfield, 35 vs. #5 Marshfield, 45 – Final
1st Quarter: (Marsh) Jack McNeil 54 yard rush, XP missed; (Marsh) Jackson Phinney 4 yard pass from J. McNeil, 2pt failed.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (Mans) Anthony DeGirolamo 28 yard pass to Hunter Ferreira, Diogo DeSousa XP good; (Marsh) J. McNeil 62 tard rush, J. Phinney 2pt pass to Brendan Ward); (Mans) Nick Graham 4 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good; (Marsh) Neil Parry 70 yard pass to Mike Catanoso, J. McNeil 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: (Mans) A. DeGirolamo 32 yard pass to Kristian Conner, D. DeSousa XP good; (Marsh) J. Phinney 6 yard rush, J. Phinney XP good; (Marsh) Neil Parry 65 yard interception return, 2pt failed; (Mans) A. DeGirolamo 15 yard pass to H. Ferreira, D. DeSousa XP good; (Mans) N. Graham 6 yard rush, D. DeSousa XP good.

D2 South
#3 North Attleboro, 33 vs. #6 Whitman-Hanson, 8 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Chad Peterson 5 yard rush, Geoff Wilson XP good; (NA) Bobby Mylod 41 yard rush, G. Wilson XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Nick Rajotte 25 yard rush, XP failed; (NA) C. Peterson 25 yard pass to B. Mylod, G. Wilson XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) C. Peterson 27 yard pass to Mario Bresko, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (WH) Ethan Phelps 31 yard pass to Ryan Kenndey, 2pt pass conversion.

#5 Milford, 0 @ #4 Stoughton, 34 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Ryan Sullivan 4 yard rush, R. Sullivan 2pt rush; (S) Izon Swain-Price punt block, fumble recovery in the end zone, XP missed; (S) Jason Joseph 60 yard fumble return, Josh Cocchi XP good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Justin Ly 3 yard rush, J. Cocchi XP.
3rd Quarter: (S) Evan Gibb 1 yard rush, XP missed.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Non-Playoffs
Canton, 27 @ North Quincy, 13 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Dan Dillon 37 yard rush, Thomas Monagle XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NQ) Rush touchdown, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (C) Joe Mulkay 4 yard rush, XP missed; (NQ) Rush touchdown, XP good.
4th Quarter: (C) D. Dillon 34 yard rush, T. Monagle XP good; (C) D. Dillon 28 yard pass to Tony Harris, T. Monagle XP good.

Foxboro @ Cardinal Spellman – Postponed to 10/29 at 1:00.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Hopkinton, 22 – Final

Taunton, 27 vs. Brookline, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 1 yard rush, John Teixeira XP good; (T) TJ Mendes 4 yard rush, J. Teixeira XP good.
3rd Quarter: (T) T. Mendes 1 yard rush, J. Teixeira XP good.
4th Quarter: (T) Brevan Walker 2 yard rush, XP failed.

Boys Soccer
Canton, 1 vs. Mansfield, 0 – Final – Griffin Roach scored midway through the second half to lift Canton to a win at Gillette Stadium. With the win, Canton qualified for the state tournament.

Foxboro, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip scored a pair of second half goals to finish the regular season with a win. Mike Rowe scored the game-winner, pouncing on a loose ball inside the area. Tyler Mann doubled the lead, taking a pass from Jason Florio and finishing alone against the keeper.

Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 0 vs. Canton, 0 – Final – With a point, Mansfield clinched a share of the Kelley-Rex division title along with Oliver Ames. This marks Mansfield’s first ever Hockomock League title for girls soccer.

Milford, 3 @ Sharon, 3 – Final

Volleyball
Canton, 3 vs. Duxbury, 2 – Final – Canton rallied from a two deficit to pick up one of its most impressive wins of the season, 19-25, 17-25, 26-24, 25-22, 15-13. “After falling behind two sets to none, we came out giving it everything we had and battled for the next three sets,” Canton head coach Pat Cawley said. Cawley said Nicole Poole was the team’s glue, dishing out 37 assists and picking up 18 digs and two kills. Casey Shea and Emma Murphy were strong in the middle with 12 and 11 kills respectively – each with two blocks. Erika Lum was outstanding with 13 kills and 21 digs. Julia Panico was great in defense with 27 digs.

Mansfield, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North picked up the non-league sweep 25-23, 25-22, 27-25. For Mansfield, Meg Hill had 10 kills and eight service points. Chloe Peters had seven service points and 25 assists and Jess Haradon had 20 digs and eight service points.

Sharon, 1 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Val Whalen led the offense for the Black Knights with 13 kills.

Taunton vs. New Bedford, 5:15

Field Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Dover Sherborn, 3 – Final

Foxboro @ Monomoy – Postponed to 10/30 at 9:30AM.

Milford, 1 @ Ashland, 2 – Final

Sharon, 0 @ Norwell, 2 – Final

10/08/2016

Attleboro Strikes Early, Rolls to Big Win Over OA

Attleboro football — Attleboro’s Cam Furtado runs the ball as Oliver Ames’ Michael Mulrean (left) and Kyle Gagliardi attempt to tackle him. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – It’s cliché to say, but Attleboro head coach Mike Strachan probably couldn’t have scripted a better start for his Bombardiers on Friday night against Oliver Ames.

Less than a minute into the game, Attleboro had already found the end zone twice and by the end of the first quarter, the Bombardiers had a three score lead as the cruised to a 35-8 win over the Tigers at Muscato Stadium.

“I thought we were focused, I thought we were ready to play this week, we had a great week of practice,” Strachan said. “Our athletes took it upon themselves to do the things we practiced all week. I thought we had a pretty good game plan coming in and before the game we talked about the things we can control and I think we did that.

“I think we controlled the line of scrimmage, we gave Tyler [McGovern] some time to throw. And then the combo of Tyler and Cam [Furtado], I think that makes it hard for teams to defend us. I was very happy with the performance.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

On the second play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Tyler McGovern (7/15, 203 yards, 2 touchdowns) hit an open Elvin Sam in stride for a 63 yard touchdown, Paul DeLuca‘s extra point (5/5 XP) putting the visitors up 7-0 just 41 seconds into the game.

The Bombardiers used a set play on the ensuing kickoff, chipping a high kick short of OA’s return men. Attleboro came flying down, forcing a fumble, Josh Therrien recovering it at the Tigers’ 36 yard line. On the first play, just the third play from scrimmage of the game, McGovern once again hooked up with Sam, the senior hitting the wide open junior in the end zone for a 36 yard touchdown.

Attleboro led 14-0 just 56 seconds into the game.

“I think we have six turnovers off that kickoff play, it’s been a good thing for us,” Strachan said. “We spend a lot of time on special teams, we practice it a lot.”

Oliver Ames’ first drive of the game totaled 11 plays as the Tigers moved in Attleboro territory. But Attleboro’s defense held up as OA couldn’t convert a fourth down at the Bombardier 28-yard line.

Attleboro took its next drive 72 yards, this time using eight plays to go the distance. McGovern connected with James Weir for a 30 yard gain and then Cam Furtado for a 21 yard completion. Two plays after Furtado’s reception, McGovern used a sneak for a 1 yard score and a 21-0 lead with 24 seconds left in the first quarter.

“I think you can see Elvin Sam is coming along and Cam is working hard out there and then Tyler is throwing the ball well,” Strachan said. “I think our young kids are starting to play, which is a good thing because we’re really young. Tonight was a really positive night for us.”

Oliver Ames’ had its best drive of the first half when they marched 60 yards on eight plays, highlighted by 43 yard completion on a reverse throw from Travis Campbell to Leandro Moro. On fourth down on Attleboro’s 29-yard line, OA quarterback Kyle Gagliardi‘s pass was just out of the reach of a diving Noah Fitzgerald in the end zone.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

McGovern and the Bombardiers cashed in once more before the halftime break. The senior quarterback connected with Steve Hamerski twice for a total of 38 yards and Nathan Barboza burst up the middle for a 20 yard gain. Five plays later, Furtado (13 carries, 91 yards) took a toss to the left and got around the edge for an 8 yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead at halftime.

“We made too many mental mistakes, too many physical mistakes early and we spotted them 14 points,” Oliver Ames head coach Mike Holland said. “We had to play catch up and they’re a good team. It’s hard enough to win when you’re even but if you spot them some points, it’s tough. Attleboro played well tonight, they’re a good team.”

Attleboro’s defense held strong in the second half, forcing a turnover on downs at midfield to start the second half and then Furtado coming away with an interception on OA’s second drive of the third quarter.

“If you look inside, I think it all stemmed from the defensive line,” Strachan said of his defense. “Chris Dam is a little fireplug in there, and then Andrew [Gingras] comes to play, and Nick Evans is really starting to play well for us. We have a lot of young kids on the defensive side and they are starting to understand it a bit more.”

The Bombardiers’ final touchdown came on their second drive of the third quarter with Furtado taking over at quarterback. Attleboro used nine plays to cover 72 yards, Furtado capping the drive with a 3 yard keeper.

Oliver Ames marched 76 yards on 10 plays in its lone drive of the fourth quarter. Liston Funai (14 carries, 65 yards) carried three straight times for gains of 12, 17 and 18 yards. Gagliardi hit Brandon Timulty on the sideline for a 13 yard gain on third down to keep the drive alive. Four plays later, Funai went up the middle for a 5 yard touchdown. The Tigers used a fake field goal, with the holder, Campbell, hitting Michael Mulrean on a shuffle pass for the two point conversion.

Attleboro football improves to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Kelley-Rex division. Oliver Ames falls to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in league play. While the Tigers will travel to Aleixo Stadium next week to take on Taunton, Attleboro will welcome the division leading Warriors of King Philip to Tozier-Cassidy Field.

“King Philip, they’re a physical team, they’re a great football team,” Strachan said. “Coach Lee does a phenomenal job with those guys and they’ve got it going on right now. We’ve got to play our best game next week, no doubt.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/01/2016

Furtado Carries Attleboro to Win Over Taunton

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Last year, then sophomore Cam Furtado made an instant impact when he took over the starting quarterback position. His ability to make plays with his feet gave Attleboro’s offense a different dynamic. With senior Tyler McGovern back as the starter this season, Furtado is being used in a variety of ways, but regardless of which position he lines up at the Bombardiers are trying to get the ball in his hands.

On Friday night, in the wind and rain at Tozier-Cassidy Field, Furtado carried the ball 17 times for 209 yards (148 in the first half alone), caught two passes for 17 yards, returned a punt for 40 yards, and scored a pair of touchdowns.

Behind Furtado’s all-around game, the Attleboro offense clicked into gear and the Bombardiers earned a 37-20 victory over Taunton to record their first league win of the season.

“I think they complement each other,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan of McGovern and Furtado. “We’re starting to get into a rhythm with two quarterbacks, but [Cam’s] a special athlete and he can do a lot.

“We need to build off this. It was nice coming back after the last two weeks against Dartmouth and Mansfield.”

Taunton running back T.J. Mendes (25 carries, 67 yards) was stopped on fourth and one by Andrew Gingras and sophomore Nick Evans. Attleboro took advantage of the big defensive stand. Furtado broke a 44-yard sweep down the near sideline, but stepped out at the two. One play later, he had his first touchdown and the Bombardiers had the lead.

The Tigers responded right away, marching 63 yards on nine plays to tie the game. The drive was helped by an Attleboro pass interference call, but was finished when sophomore Noah Leonard hit Adam McLaughlin for a 17-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Lining up at quarterback, Furtado took the first play of Attleboro’s next drive for 12 yards. The following play went for 51 all the way down to the Taunton 10. On first and goal, Marc Dieu broke an inside hand-off to the left and scored to regain the lead.

Again the Tigers responded and again it was the combination of Leonard and McLaughlin that got Taunton on the scoreboard. Leonard threw a perfect strike over the defensive back to the sideline and McLaughlin pulled it in, stayed in bounds and raced for a 70-yard touchdown to cut the lead to one score heading into halftime.

“Adam’s really played even better than I thought,” said first-year Taunton coach Brad Sidwell about his senior receiver. “He’s a competitor.”

The game changed on the opening kickoff of the second half. The ball was dropped by the Tigers and Joshua Therrien came up with the recovery for the Bombardiers at the Taunton 28. Three plays later, McGovern walked in with an 11-yard keeper to build the lead to 28-14.

Sidwell said, “We did some dumb things on special teams, which we worked on, but we’ve obviously didn’t work on them hard enough and we’ve got to find a way to make it all better.”

The Attleboro defense continued to make big plays, stopping Taunton twice on fourth down. Steve Hamerski, Matthew Potter, James Weir, and Evans all making plays to bottle up the Tigers offense. Again special teams came back to haunt Taunton, as a holding call took away a decent punt and when the Tigers lined up to kick it again the snap flew out the back of the end zone for a safety.

Mendes scored a two-yard touchdown to cap off a drive that was highlighted by Leonard hitting Mike Fernandez for 26 yards down the seam. The two-point conversion was incomplete and the Tigers trailed 30-20 with 4:32 left.

Furtado essentially ended the game after the onside kick bounced out of play. He bounced to the outside on a toss right and seemed to cross the goal line but was marked down at the one. McGovern (5-11, 37 yards) finished it with a play action pass to Hamerski.

After two tough losses in a row, Strachan credited his team for dominating the line of scrimmage to get back on track. He said, “Tonight, I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage. We worked on those things this week in practice, the kids really worked hard, and we’ve got to build off this now.”

Both coaches threw a number of underclassmen on the field, many of whom are spending their first seasons on varsity. While both Strachan and Sidwell admitted their were mistakes that need to be ironed out, both also recognized that the programs are in good positions to build for the future.

“We’re not talking about next year or anything like that, but there’s a good core of young players and hopefully we can develop,” said Sidwell. “At some point it’s going to pop for us. They’re working hard and they’re good kids and we’ve just got to keep coaching them better.”

Strachan added, “You look at the number of sophomores we played tonight and it’s good but we’re still making too many mental mistakes that we need to clean up.”

Attleboro (2-2, 1-1) will travel to Muscato Stadium to face Oliver Ames next week. Taunton (1-3, 0-2) will host Mansfield at Aleixo Stadium.