Tag: Tommy McLeish

Franklin Wins Back-to-Back Titles After Comeback at KP

Franklin Football
Franklin senior Luke Davis (6) hauls in a two-point conversion with 2:46 remaining, which lifted the Panthers to a come from behind win at rival King Philip and to a second straight Kelley-Rex title. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


WRENTHAM, Mass. – King Philip got the ball back up by seven points with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter of Thursday morning’s holiday matinee at Macktaz Field and went back to work with the ground game that had been nearly unstoppable for most of the game.

After running more than seven minutes off the clock, KP had first down from the Franklin 30 and looked like it was maybe one or two plays away from clinching the title-deciding showdown.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Rudy Gately (21 carries, 116 yards) was stopped for a loss of three by Emmett Lackey. Quarterback Tommy McLeish took the next snap and went on a sweep around the left side, but Franklin read the play and pried the ball loose. Devine Johnson pounced on it at the 34 to give the visitors a chance with 6:11 on the clock.

Mike Davide (11 carries, 40 yards) broke free for a 13-yard gain into KP territory and Jase Lyons (20-of-27, 232 yards) hit Josh Ribeiro on the sideline. Ribeiro refused to go out of bounds, cutting back infield and eventually gaining 17 to the KP 28. After back-to-back completions to Luke Davis, Lyons kept it himself, looking for contact in the secondary and being brought down at the three. Davide finished the drive to bring the Panthers within one.

Instead of lining up for a Garrett Portesi extra point and potentially playing for overtime, Franklin coach Eian Bain rolled the dice and kept the offense on the field.

“Not for a second,” Bain said later, when asked if he thought about kicking. “We were going for two and then just onside kick it if we have to. We were going for the win right there and then make them have to make a decision too, do they stick with the offense they ran the whole game?”

Lyons dropped back and looked for Davis on a quick out-route a couple yards into the end zone. Davis (nine catches, 153 yards) made the diving grab and put the Panthers up 29-28 with only 2:46 left on the clock. The Franklin defense was able to limit KP to just one first down, sealing a win and a share of its second straight Kelley-Rex division title.

“We just had a good matchup,” Bain said. “We had a play call for both sides and when they adjusted from the empty backfield, we had Luke one-on-one, which is what we wanted.”

Davis was thrilled at his coach’s decision to stick with the offense in that situation. He said, “I was hoping for him to say that. Obviously, KP is a good team and they have their drives, so just to get that extra point was huge. I had full confidence in Jase and the offense to make the play, so it was a great call. Trust coach.”

KP coach Brian Lee rued uncharacteristic turnovers from his team that led to two Franklin touchdowns, including the eventual winner, but also praised Bain for his call to go for two at the end.

“We were just about another first down away from giving (Matthew) Kelley a chance for a field goal and kudos to them,” Lee explained. “Bottom line, we’ve got to hold onto the ball. We turned it over twice. Once on an exchange – points, and down here – points.”

He added, “The guts on coach to go for two. That’s a great call. I love that stuff, going for that win here. It shows that program is in good hands.”

Franklin came into Thanksgiving an underdog against KP, which is heading back to its fifth Div. 2 Super Bowl in six seasons, but the Panthers were riding the confidence of beating the Warriors last year (ending a decade without a win in this series) and got off to a roaring start. On third and five, Lyons went deep down the sideline to Davis, who hauled in the pass then cut back towards the hash mark and raced past a pair of defenders for a 69-yard TD.

“He does everything,” Bain said about Davis. “He’s going to be impossible to replace. I don’t think the kid ever gets tired, I don’t think he ever doesn’t smile, he always goes and he does it right way too.”

Davis noted, “Being on that team last year, we got that feeling of success. We’ve been working at it all year, had KP in the back of the mind all year until it was finally Thanksgiving week. Having that success last year, helped us know what it meant and know what the feeling is to win this game.”

KP responded like it usually does, but lining up behind its big offensive line and running right at the heart of the defense. On their first drive of the day, KP marched 64 yards on nine plays, all of them runs between the tackles. Gately had five carries on the drive, including a 16-yard rush inside the Franklin 10. William Astorino (14 carries, 109 yards) punched it from the two to tie it.

Kyle Abbott and Christopher Sesay each sacked Lyons to end Franklin’s next possession. KP got the ball back and went 57 yards on eight plays, again all runs right up the middle, to take the lead. Astorino and Gately split the carries on the drive, with Astorino finding the end zone on a 12-yard run. Kelley’s extra point made it 14-7.

Franklin drove into KP territory, but David Constantine’s interception ended the drive at the Warriors 12. On third and 17, a fumbled hand-off was recovered by Jack Nutter to give the Panthers the ball at the 18. The Panthers took advantage, as Lyons recovered from being sacked twice (by Carson Meier and Astorino) to hit Davis for a six-yard score, tying the game with 46 seconds left in the half.

Coming out of the locker room, the Warriors took control. A seven-play, 65-yard drive kicked things off. Abott broke free for 16 yards into Franklin’s half of the field and then Astorino ran over defenders on a 32-yard rush down to the 13. Four plays later, Astorino got his third score of the day from two yards out.

The KP defense stepped up to stop Franklin. Gately was playing centerfield and he read a deep ball to Davis on the sideline, coming across to pick it off and return it down to the Panthers 26. On second down, McLeish went play-action and hit Astorino in the right flat. The running back did the rest, weaving his way to the end zone for a 28-14 lead.

Momentum was swinging back-and-forth and this time it was Franklin’s turn to steal it back. The Panthers went 69 yards in nine plays to get back into the game. A pass interference call got the ball to the 27. After and eight-yard pass to Derek Dubriske (five catches, 32 yards), Lyons fired a strike to Davis, who went up and over the defensive back to pull in the 19-yard score.

Killing the clock and killing off the game is usually KP’s forte, but the Panthers found a way to force the turnover and give themselves one last chance to retain the Kelley-Rex crown. When they found the end zone, there was no question of going for the tie, only for the win.

Bain said of the comeback that earned Franklin (7-3) its first back-to-back league titles since 1971, “King Philip makes you play a certain way. You’ve got to get a little grimy, you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and you’ve got to bang with them. Today we got hit in the mouth plenty, there were any number of times where we could’ve said, ‘You know what, we had a good run,’ but these guys never gave up.”

King Philip (9-2) will play Catholic Memorial in the D2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night at 8:00. It is a rematch of last year’s title game, but Lee was adamant that the upcoming final had no impact on his team’s play on Thursday.

“Up 14, that’s something where you feel like you should be able to control it and we just couldn’t,” Lee said. “No. 6 (Davis) is a dude and the quarterback gets the ball out on time and that puts you under pressure. They kept making plays, kept fighting, and kept believing and that’s a hard thing to combat.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/24/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 12 @ North Attleboro, 17 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Nathan Shultz 22-yard interception return, Austin Clemente XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Chase Frisoli 43-yard pass to Greg Berthiaume, A. Clemente XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) Austin Rivera 1-yard rush, XP no good.
4th Quarter: (NA) A. Clemente 35-yard field goal; (A) Matt Harvie 7-yard pass to Brody McKenna, Conversion failed.

Stoughton, 14 @ Canton, 28 – Final

Mansfield, 33 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 47-yard pass to Trevor Foley, Travis Hennessey XP good; (M) Brandon Jackman 77-yard interception return, T. Hennessey XP good; (M) Tommy Smith 80-yard rush, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 6-yard rush, Conversion failed.
3rd Quarter: (M) Drew Sacco 2-yard rush, T. Hennessey XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Franklin, 29 @ King Philip, 28 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (F) Jase Lyons 69-yard pass to Luke Davis, Garrett Portesi XP good; (KP) William Astorino 2-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) W. Astorino 12-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (F) J. Lyons 6-yard pass to L. Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) W. Astorino 2-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) Tommy McLeish 26-yard pass to W. Astorino, M. Kelley XP good; (F) J. Lyons 19-yard pass to L. Davis, G. Portesi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Mike Davide 3-yard rush, J. Lyons 2-point pass to L. Davis.

Milford, 38 @ Taunton, 28 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Romeo Holland 70-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good; (T) Jacob Leonard 43-yard pass to Dmitrius Shearrion, Sete Deletoille XP good; (M) Evan Cornelius 27-yard pass to Isaiah Pantalone, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 50-yard pass to Jose Touron, S. Deletoille XP good; (T) Malachi Johnson 6-yard rush, S. Deletoille XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Andrew Rivera 4-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 53-yard pass to J. Touron, S. Deletoille XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) N. Araujo 42-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: (M) E. Cornelius 30-yard pass to I. Pantalone, N. Araujo XP good; (M) E. Cornelius 63-yard pass to A. Rivera, N. Araujo XP good.

Oliver Ames, 28 @ Sharon, 20 – Final

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/11/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Division 1
#8 Methuen, 28 @ #1 Franklin, 24 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match.
1st Quarter: (M) Shane Eason 2-yard rush, 2-point conversion good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jase Lyons 35-yard pass to Luke Davis, Garrett Portesi XP good; (F) L. Davis 24-yard interception return, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) G. Portesi 30-yard field goal; (M) S. Eason 71-yard rush, XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Drew Eason 5-yard pass to S. Eason, Conversion failed; (F) J. Lyons 22-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, G. Portesi XP good; (M) D. Eason 2-yard rush, XP good.

Division 2
#8 Mansfield, 21 @ #1 Milford, 27 – Final
1st Quarter: (Ma) Drew Sacco 4-yard rush, Travis Hennessy XP good; (Mi) Evan Cornelius 5-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (Mi) Romeo Holland 42-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter (Ma) Connor Curtis 40-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good; (Mi) N. Araujo 31-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (Ma) Conner Zukowski 30-yard pass to Trevor Foley, T. Hennessy XP good; (Mi) R. Holland 6-yard rush, XP no good.

#7 Marshfield, 13 @ #2 King Philip, 17 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Anthony Molander 7-yard rush, XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Tommy McLeish 5-yard pass to Daniel Silveira, Matthew Kelley XP good; (M) A. Molander 87-yard pass to Charlie Carrell, Conversion failed; (KP) M. Kelley 40-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (KP) Rudy Gately 1-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.

Division 3
#7 Billerica, 6 @ #2 North Attleboro, 34 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Nathan Shultz rush, Austin Clemente XP good; (NA) N. Shultz rush, A. Clemente XP good; (NA) Greg Berthiaume rush, A. Clemente XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) G. Berthiaume rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (NA) N. Shultz rush, A. Clemente XP good.

Division 4
#6 Foxboro, 21 @ #3 Bedford, 14 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Mike Marcucella 13-yard pass to Tony Sulham, Sam Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) Lincoln Moore rush, S. Carpenter XP good; Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
4th Quarter: (B) Blocked punt return, 2-point conversion.

Field Hockey
Division 1
#5 Franklin, 1 @ #4 Wachusett, 2 – Final

#23 King Philip, 1 @ #2 Andover, 4 – Final – King Philip kept it close with highly-touted Andover for the majority of the game but the Golden Warriors pulled away with two goals in the final quarter for the win. Mara Boldy got KP on the board off of a Kelly Holmes shot and a Lauren Barriero insert, and the game teams finished the opening quarter tied 1-1. Andover took a 2-1 lead in the second, and it stayed that throughout the second and third quarters thanks to a tremendous effort from KP goalie Haley Bright (22 saves). Head coach Kaitlyn Wilder credited Bright for her efforts in net and all of her seniors of their efforts in the game and throughout the season.

Division 3
#5 Foxboro, 0 @ #4 Dover-Sherborn, 1 – Final

Volleyball
Division 2
#7 Westwood, 0 @ #2 King Philip, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. The Warriors controlled the match from start to finish to reach the D2 Final Four for the second straight year, winning 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-17). The front line of Sami Shore, Emily Sawyer, and Ahunna James were too much on both sides of the net. Shore and James went back-to-back on kills in the first and an ace from setter Madison Asprelli put KP up 9-4 in the first set and the Warriors never relented. James had a big hit and then on the following point had a block and the kill to make 18-12. Olivia O’Neil and Missy Canning both got points down the stretch of the first. Westwood got its first lead in the match at 4-3 in the second set, but a Shore kill off the block put KP up 7-6 and the Warriors never relinquished the lead. Sawyer was in charge both in the middle and the outside and setter Kiera Hagen dropped a push into a hole in the Wolverines defense. After a James kill, KP led 21-10. O’Neil would secure the second set with a swing off the block. Things were pretty comfortable in the third, as KP scored five straight, including a block from Canning, to make it 12-7. Again KP never let off the gas, extending the lead to as many as 12 points, with James rising up and blasting a few big kills. KP will face No. 6 Melrose in the state semifinal.

Football
Non-Playoff
Canton, 41 vs. Dennis-Yarmouth, 13 – Final
1Q: (DY) Dennis-Yarmouth pass, conversion failed.
2Q: (C) Owen Lane 6-yard pass to Hayden Rose, H. Rose XP good; (C) Godson Ofonagoro 11-yard rush, H. Rose XP good; G. Ofonagoro 60-yard rush, H. Rose XP good; (C) Josh Richards 34-yard interception return, H. Rose XP good.
3Q: (C) Charlie Cox 7-yard rush, H. Rose XP good.
4Q: (C) O. Lane 7-yard rush, Nathan Levis XP good; (DY) Dennis-Yarmouth pass, XP good.

King Philip Grinds Out Key Win Over Milford

King Philip football Kyle Abbott
King Philip senior Kyle Abbott breaks free from a group of
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 MILFORD, Mass. — King Philip senior Matt Kelley’s foot has been a major weapon for the Warriors over the past two seasons as one of the best kickers in the state.

Now he’s a weapon with his hands too.

Kelley made a terrific diving touchdown catch on a 13-yard pass from Tommy McLeish midway through the fourth quarter to help King Philip secure a 19-7 win on the road over Milford in a battle of two of the top teams in not only the Hockomock League but the entire state.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Unbelievable, that was money,” said King Philip head coach Brian Lee about the catch. “We have a lot of guys playing both ways but [Kelley’s] really stepped up to be a typical Warrior for us and I mean that as a huge compliment: it’s what we want to get out of a kid that just looks like your average Joe but he plays really tough.”

The touchdown came just plays after the Warriors’ defense forced its second turnover of the night. The Hawks were in the midst of driving into KP territory, having picked up two first downs already. But on a second down play, KP sophomore linebacker Will Astorino came flying up the middle untouched and hit Milford quarterback Evan Cornelius as he released his pass.

The pass wobbled away from the intended target and KP junior David Constantine hauled it in and raced the other way, taking it from his own 22-yard line down the sideline to the Milford 28-yard line. A personal foul tacked on 15 more yards.

After no gain on the ground on first down, McLeish targeted the end zone but couldn’t find a receiver. The Warriors went back the same direction and McLeish fired one near the pylon that Kelley laid out for and hauled in for the touchdown.

“The play right before it we ran a very similar play and I had the same route and I saw an opening,” Kelley said. “I told our coach that was open the way they were covering and he had trust in us, [McLeish] threw a great ball where only I can get it and I was able to make a play.”

It was typical King Philip football — the Warriors played tough defense all game long, holding the Hawks to 2-for-8 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. And they had a pair of takeaways, a strip sack in the first half from Kyle Abbott plus Constantine’s fourth quarter interception that turned into a key touchdown.

“It felt like KP football, that’s what I told the guys after the game,” Lee said. “We don’t win pretty, the uglier the game can be, it behooves us.

“They’re very good, they’re very talented so you’re trying to hang in there and capitalize when you can.”

While Kelley’s catch helped the Warriors ice the game, his leg gave the visitors key points early on.

After driving 79 yards on nine plays — including a 26-yard pass from McLeish to Thomas Brewster and a 36-yard completion to Daniel Silveria — the Warriors had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Kelley.

KP couldn’t cash in on Abbott’s strip sack because the Milford defense stood tall in its own half with Andrew Rivera coming up with a key third down tackle for a loss followed by a fourth down incompletion.

But the defense quickly got them the ball back and the offense moved up the field as Abbott (22 carries, 88 yards) followed a nice block from Chris Sesay, who pulled from his right tackle spot to open up a gap for 22 yards. Isaiah Pantalone made a terrific play defensively on second down and the Warriors once again turned to Kelley, who blasted a 42-yard field goal through the uprights — and then some.

Milford put together its best drive of the game to end the first. After a pair of punts, a fumble, and a blocked field goal, the Hawks marched down the field to find the end zone.

Cornelius (15-for-27, 236 yards) hit Pantalone for 16 yards then Damien Carter for 11 more yards and another first down. After an incomplete, Cornelius went back to Carter for 18 yards and Romeo Holland advanced the ball with a first down carry. On second down, Cornelius dropped a perfect pass to Pantalone in stride down the right sideline for a 32-yard touchdown. Nick Araujo’s point after put Milford ahead, 7-6, with 1:35 left in the first half.

KP’s opening drive of the second half crossed midfield but Kelley’s field goal attempt was short. A sack from Nathan Kearney on third down quickly ended Milford’s ensuing drive though.

The Warriors mainly focused on the ground game on their second drive of the second half. Abbott burst through for 15 yards, Will Astorino pushed the pile for six yards, and after a couple of short runs, McLeish connected with senior Will Laplante, who went down and made a great catch to move the sticks at the end of the third quarter.

On third and goal from the 1-yard line, Will Astorino got across the goal line for a touchdown and a 12-7 lead following a failed 2-point attempt.

Milford ran 24 plays in the second half total but their second drive ended with an interception and the next series was slowed by a big sack from Abbott, with help from Will Astorino and Carson Meier.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Week in and week out, coach Wass draws up a great game plan,” Kelley said of the defensive game plan. “They have that spread offense where they can air it out but they can power it through on the ground so it’s a tough offense to defend. We were able to control the run and force them to pass more. They’re a good team so they were able to make plays but we were able to defend it for the most part.”

“I think we have a lot of guys that can help out so when they’re getting an opportunity, they are doing some things for us,” Lee said, also noting the strong play of senior lineman Robert Casper, who had a first quarter sack. “It’s not always perfect but we don’t want to ask them to do something they can’t do. It’s a credit to the type of kids we have…when it’s their turn, they step up. Whatever it takes to play your best…whether you need to be mad at somebody, want to play for your buddy, want to play for your grandma… I don’t care, just find something that makes you play better than you did last week and I think we did.”

King Philip (3-0 Hockomock Kelley-Rex, 6-0 overall) now has a week off before it hits the road again with a trip to Community Field to take on North Attleboro. Milford (2-1, 5-1) is in action next week with a visit from Barnstable for a non-league clash.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/14/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Stoughton, 19 @ Attleboro, 42 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (S) Jared Daughtry 58-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, Tommy Silva XP good; (A) Matt Harvie 1-yard rush, Josue Salguero XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (A) Isaiah Miranda punt block recovery, J. Salguero XP good; (A) Aiden Hochwarter 15-yard punt block return, J. Salguero XP good; (A) M. Harvie 26-yard pass to Aidan Pantages, J. Salguero XP good; (S) J. Daughtry 22-yard pass to Victor Belan, XP blocked; (A) M. Harvie 46-yard pass to Cole McKenna, J. Salguero XP good.
4th Quarter: (A) M. Harvie 18-yard pass to A. Pantages, J. Salguero XP good; (S) J. Daughtry 41-yard pass to Alex Huynh, Conversion failed.

North Attleboro, 19 @ Foxboro, 14 – Final
1Q: (F) Mike Marcucella 23-yard pass to Lincoln Moore, Sam Carpenter XP good.
2Q: (NA) Chase Frisoli 5-yard pass to Jack Munley, XP good; (NA) Greg Berthiaume 18-yard rush, XP blocked.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (NA) C. Frisoli 3-yard pass to G. Berthiaume, XP failed; (F) M. Marcucella 25-yard pass to Luis Sulham, S. Carpenter XP good.

King Philip, 19 @ Milford, 7 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Matthew Kelley 25-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (KP) M. Kelley 42-yard field goal; (M) Evan Cornelius 32-yard pass to Isaiah Pantalone, Nicholas Araujo XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (KP) Will Astorino 1-yard rush, Conversion failed; (KP) Tommy McLeish 13-yard pass to M. Kelley, M. Kelley XP good.

Mansfield, 20 @ Barnstable, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Connor Curtis 6-yard rush, Travis Hennessy XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) C. Curtis 2-yard rush, T. Hennessy XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Tommy Smith 25-yard run, XP no good; (B) Targas 5-yard rush, XP no good.

Sharon, 29 vs. Fairhaven, 36 – Final
1Q: (F) Fairhaven 1-yard rush, XP good; (S) Liam Conway 34-yard pass to Jacob McLoughlin, Jace McCarron XP good.
2Q: (F) Fairhaven 21-yard rush, XP good; (S) L. Conway 9-yard pass to Jacob McLoughlin, J. McCarron XP good; (F) Fairhaven 13-yard rush, XP good.
3Q: (S) L. Conway 15-yard pass to Anthony Piron, J. McCarron XP good.
4Q: (F) Fairhaven 1-yard rush, XP good; (S) Gabe Korn 9-yard rush, G. Korn 2pt rush; (F) Fairhaven 4-yard rush, 2pt conversion.








Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Foxboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final

Taunton @ North Attleboro – Postponed to Saturday, 10/15 at 3:00.

Oliver Ames, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Casey Milliken recorded a hat trick less than 15 minutes into the game to lead the Tigers to a big win on the road. Milliken finished with five goals on the day and added one assist for OA, who staked a 4-0 lead at halftime. Mike MacAdam, Mike Morais, and Jake Williams each scored once in the win. Ryan Linhares notched two assists while Jason Zalis, Joey Carney, and Andrew Martins each had one assist.

Sharon, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Sharon senior Adam Eastman scored a beautiful goal in the second half to give the Eagles a crucial two points on the road at Canton. Rishi Shetty opened the scoring for the visitors, finishing off a service from Miguel Vasconcelos for the lone tally of the first half. Canton senior Jake McCabe buried the equalizer early in the second half but Eastman’s free kick to the upper 90 proved to be the difference. Rhys Davis anchored an outstanding defensive effort by the Eagles and senior Matt Baur had a strong outing in net.

King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin turned it up a notch in the second half and exploded for four goals after the break to take a big win on the road and stay two points clear in the Kelley-Rex division title race. Sophomore Garrett Scagliarini recorded his first assists to junior Michael Fernandez-Martin for the only goal of the opening half. After the break, Trey Lovell scored a pair of goals — the first assists by Max Tobin and the second by Scagliarini, while Fernandez-Martin grabbed an assist to Wyatt Herndon. Noah Cain (from Josh Dunlop) capped the scoring for the hosts.




Girls Soccer
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 5 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Freshman Tatum O’Brien recorded four points to lead the Bombardiers to a big win that pulls them back to .500 on the season. O’Brien opened the scoring in the first half, cutting in from the right wing and firing a left-footed shot into the top corner. A few minutes later, O’Brien doubled the lead cutting in from the opposite win. Jamie Davies made it 3-0 for the hosts before the break, running in behind the Milford defense and poking the ball past the onrushing keeper. Milford kept pressing in the second half. Serena Borges hit the bar with a free kick and Dani Atherton’s run down the right and cross into the middle picked out Ava Baglione but the freshman’s shot slammed back off the bar. The Hawks got on the board and with the same combo, Atherton from the right finding Baglione who took a touch in the six, turned, and scored. Attleboro finished the game with a flurry. O’Brien played a ball into the middle for classmate Jordyn Riley and she clipped a first-time shot over the keeper with the outside of her foot. O’Brien wrapped up her hat trick with a left-footed shot that snuck into the bottom corner.

Mansfield, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Meghan McCann scored the game’s only goal in the final three minutes of the first half and it was enough for the Hornets to split the season series with the Warriors. Alexandra Fernandes assisted on the goal. Olivia Salisbury came through with a save on a Foxboro breakaway late in the second half to preserve the win.

Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – KP had a strong first half but was unable to find a way through Franklin goalie Rachel Welch, who made a series of big saves. The Panthers were able to turn things around a little after the break and scored twice to split the season series and move three points clear of the Warriors in the division. Alli Powderly scored the opening goal for Franklin, finishing an assist from Selene Hammad. Anya Zub headed in a long free kick from Norah Anderson for what turned out to be the game-winner. KP pulled one back with five minutes to play. Mikayala Thompson scored off an assist from Rachel DeFlaminis.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – North Attleboro scored less than a minute into the second half to double its lead and tacked on two more in the final half hour of play to get a win on the road. Emma Pratt cleaned up a rebound off of a shot from Caroline McKenna to give the visitors the advantage in the 7th minute, a lead the Rocketeers carried into halftime. In the opening minute of the second half, Clara Giuliano converted a cross from Grace Norack to make it 2-0. McKenna then set up Amelia Maier in the 50th minute, and Haley Sinacola capped the scoring by heading in a cross from Sophia Bostock in the 76th minute. Cali Melo, Ava Uhl, and Juliana Matos has strong performances for the Tigers. Goalie Hayleigh Porter made 10 saves in the loss.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – After the Tigers edged the first meeting by a goal, the two teams played out a scoreless draw in the game at Muscato Stadium. The draw ended OA’s 10-game win streak that went back to the season opener at Franklin. Jenna Nelson, Molly Capace, and Sophia Byron all had strong games for the Tigers.




Field Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Norwood, 0 – Final

North Attleboro, 3 @ Dartmouth, 1 – Final – North staked a one-goal advantage in the opening quarter then scored once in each the third and fourth quarters to earn a 3-1 win on the road over Dartmouth. Sophomore Madison Folan scored off of an assist from older sister Caroline Folan on a corner midway through the first quarter, and that was the only goal from either team in the first half. Caroline Folan set up both of North’s second half strikes, first linking up with Francesca Spencer at 4:35 of the third and then with Julia Puccio at 8:31 of the fourth to make it 3-0. North’s defensive diamond of Ella Luistro, Rory McGinley, Maddie Bailey, and Ava Mckeon kept the net safe and started the Rocketeers’ runs on offense while Ava Spencer, Emily Burnham, and Kelsey Thompson played well in the midfield.

Volleyball
Foxboro, 3 @ Braintree, 1 – Final

Stoughton, 2 @ East Bridgwater, 3 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton earned its second win in as many days, this time earning a 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-18, 25-12) at home over visiting Taunton. Jess Wright had another strong outing with nine kills, 12 digs, and two aces, Kaitlin Bigham and Fatima Sidibay were strong at the net with a combined five blocks, and Zoe Scibelli ran the defense with 12 digs and three aces.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/30/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 24 – Final
1Q: (M) Romeo Holland 57-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 34-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
2Q: (M) N. Araujo 51-yard field goal good.
3Q: No scoring.
4Q: (M) Evan Cornelius 26-yard pass to Cameron Phillips, N. Araujo XP good.

Foxboro, 14 @ Hopkinton, 3 – Final

Franklin, 21 @ North Attleboro, 20 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1Q: (NA) Nathan Shultz 49-yard rush, Austin Clemente XP good; (F) Jase Lyons 24-yard pass to Derek Dubriske, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2Q: (F) J. Lyons 31-yard pass to Luke Davis, G. Portesi XP good; (F) J. Lyons 30-yard pass to Grayson Hunter, G. Portesi XP good.
3Q: (NA) Greg Berthiaume 7-yard rush, A. Clemente XP good.
4Q: (NA) Chase Frisoli 1-yard rush, Conversion failed.

Taunton, 24 @ King Philip, 26 – Final
1Q: (T) Jacob Leonard 24-yard pass to Jose Touron, XP failed; (KP) Will Astorino 64-yard rush, Matt Kelley XP good; (T) J. Leonard 70-yard pass to Dmitrius Shearrion, 2pt pass failed; (KP) Tommy McLeish 42-yard pass to Will Laplante, 2pt rush failed.
2Q: (T) Brian Batista 2-yard rush, 2pt pass failed; (KP) Kyle Abbott 3-yard rush, 2pt failed.
3Q: (KP) K. Abbott 10-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
4Q: (T) J. Leonard 40-yard pass to J. Touron, 2pt rush failed.

Oliver Ames, 32 @ Stoughton, 35 – Final
1Q: (OA) Chad Silva 2-yard rush, XP good.
2Q: (OA) C. Silva 65-yard rush, XP good; (S) Alex Huynh 13-yard rush, Tommy Silva XP good; (OA) C. Silva 43-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Jarred Daughtry 4-yard rush, T. Silva XP good.
3Q: (S) J. Daughtry 61-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, T. Silva XP good; (OA) C. Silva 3-yard rush, 2pt failed.
4Q: (S) J. Daughtry 2-yard rush, 2pt failed; (OA) C. Silva 48-yard rush, 2pt failed; (S) J. Daughtry 63-yard pass to A. Huynh, Liam Pearl 2pt rush.

Sharon, 35 @ Case, 6 – Final








Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – In a battle of the top two teams in the Kelley-Rex division, Franklin used a late-winner to take over first place in the division at the midway point of the season. The Panthers got off to a great start at home as Trey Lovell finished off an assist from Will Kryzak in the sixth minute for the early lead. Attleboro junior Alex Vecchioli converted a pass from Esvin Morales to bring the visitors level in the 15th minute. The game stayed level for the majority of the game before Kryzak finished off a great pass from Andrew O’Neill in the 77th minute to secure the win.

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – North Attleboro scored just before halftime and then doubled its lead minutes into the second half, earning a 2-0 win on the road at King Philip. The Rocketeers gained a huge momentum boost when goalie Owen Goeller denied the Warriors on a penalty kick in the first half. North capitalized on a free kick from just outside the box as sophomore Patrick Etienvre converted his shot in the 34th minute. Just moments into the second half, Griffin Rodden linked up with Kaden Burns to make it 2-0 in the 43rd minute. North head coach Mike Lacasse praised the efforts of his defense in the win.

Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Stoughton cut the deficit to one goal just before the midway point of the second half but the Hornets slammed the door shut with a late insurance goal to collect two points in a 3-1 win over the Black Knights. Mansfield found the back of the net less than 10 minutes in as Sam Oliveira took an assist from Tyler Znoj for a 1-0 advantage in the ninth minute, a lead the Hornets carried into half. Just five minutes into the second half, Dante Spivak blasted a shot in from 30 yards out (assisted by Aiden Steele) to double Mansfield’s lead to 2-0. Stoughton pulled one back in the 53rd minute but Steele recorded his second assist, this time setting up Grady Sullivan in the 73rd minute for the insurance tally. Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan praised the efforts of Dan Checkoway in the midfield as well as the defensive group of Derek McGrath, Matty Sullivan, Aidan Jones, Brendan Flynn, and Kyle Johnson.

Taunton, 0 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Milford scored a pair of goals in each half, taking a 4-0 decision over Taunton to push its win streak to four games. The Scarlet Hawks, who have scored at least three goals in each game during the winning streak, had another strong first half. Freshman Danny Da Silva set up Marcello Alves for the opener, and Eduardo Santana converted a cross from Andre Baiano to double the lead before halftime. In the second half, Nick Ribeiro’s free kick service was finished off by Kaua Pereira to make it 3-0. Alves earned his second point of the day, finding Santana for his second goal, for a 4-0 advantage.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – After a scoreless battle for 20 minutes, Oliver Ames exploded for six goals over the final 60 minutes to secure a key win over Davenport rival Sharon. Sophomore Casey Milliken scored OA’s first two goals, first finishing off a pass from classmate Andrew Martins, and then taking a feed from senior Mirray DaSilva and scoring to make it 2-0, which held until halftime. Milliken returned the favor to Martins to open the scoring half as Martins scored his first of two goals. Sophomore Luke Churchill set up Martins’ second goal to make it 4-0, and Milliken earned his fourth point of the day with an assist to senior Jason Zalis. OA junior Braeden Blass capped the scoring by finishing off a pass from junior Diego Rivera. Drew Hall recorded his fourth shutout of the season for OA.

Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored on either side of halftime to grab a 2-1 win over visiting Foxboro, snapping a three-game skid. Senior Jack Lauro put the hosts ahead with a goal just before halftime, and then just minutes into the second half, senior Drew Garrett scored to double the lead.




Girls Soccer
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Kelly O’Connor scored a pair of goals to help Franklin bounce back from its loss on Wednesday and to keep pace with KP in the league title race. It was an even first half, but the Panthers took the lead in the final five minutes, O’Connor nodding home a Bridget Leo corner. With Attleboro pushing for an equalizer, Franklin was able to strike twice more after the break. Anya Zub doubled the lead a little more than halfway through the second half, with O’Connor picking up the assist. O’Connor then secured her brace and her third point of the night with a goal with nine minutes to play. Alexis Campbell made six big saves that kept Attleboro in the game, while Rachel Welch made seven stops for the Panthers. Attleboro coach Steve Santos was proud of the way the team kept battling to the end.

Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – In an evenly played game from start to finish, Emma Cahill scored off a Mekhala Costello assist with only three minutes remaining to secure the victory. Canton coach Idris Senyonjo praised Costello for a “man of the match” performance with contributions on both ends of the field. Foxboro coach Jen Lippolis rued missed chances for her team again on Friday. Allie Sougaris had an impressive game in the Foxboro goal to help keep it scoreless into the closing minutes.

King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. KP scored a pair of second half goals to earn the win and keep pace in the division title race. Ella Pisani scored the opener with a shot from outside the box that just eluded the fingertips of North goalie Maddie Ferrin. The Warriors sealed the points when Addisyn Lamothe-Vaughn rose highest for a powerful header off a Danielle Gresham corner. While KP had the bulk of the possession and the scoring chances, North nearly equalized when Caroline Ferrin hit the bar with a shot from distance.

Mansfield, 1 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Jill Koppy followed up a shot in the final three minutes, slamming home the rebound to secure a hard-fought win for the Hornets.

Milford, 4 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Milford and Taunton split eight goals in a thrilling shootout at Aleixo Field. Milford jumped into a 2-1 lead at halftime. Paige Caldon and Dani Atherton scored in the opening half for the Hawks, while Emily Calderon got one back for the Tigers. Ava Uhl, who also had the challenge of marking Atherton on the other end of the field, scored to tie the game again in the second half. Brooke Ferreira and Atherton each had goals to put Milford in front after the break, but each time Taunton responded. Kaylee Lopes had a brace in the second half to secure a point for the Tigers. Serena Borges had an assist for the Hawks. Hayleigh Porter made 10 saves for Taunton and Milford keeper Kayleigh Tourtellot was even busier, making 15 stops. Taunton coach Dan Borges was pleased with the team’s reaction to keep fighting back after going behind and highlighted the back-and-forth battle between Uhl and Atherton, who he called one of the league’s top attackers.

Sharon, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames scored three goals in the first half and added an insurance tally in the second to get a win at home over Sharon. Taylor deVos put the Tigers ahead in the eighth minute, and Mary Cross scored off a corner from Sophia Byron at the midway point of the first half. Carly Gibson also found the back of the net before halftime to make it 3-0. Sofia Goclowski scored Sharon’s lone goal off a corner from Olivia Soby, which cut the lead to 3-1, but the Tigers tacked on a fourth from Jolie Diaz to seal the win. Sally Brouhard and Jordanna Morris both had solid games for the Eagles in defense, while Jessica Li played well up top in the loss.




Field Hockey
Franklin, 8 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Holding a 3-0 lead at halftime, Franklin pulled away with two more goals in the third quarter and three more in the fourth to finish with an 8-0 lead. Emily Carney scored a hat trick for the Panthers, scoring once in each of the first three quarters, while Payten Crandall had two goals and one assist in the win. Kaitlyn Carney (one assist), Haley Wernig, and Sydney Rogan (one assist) each scored once in the win. Devon Barry and Megan Sullivan (two saves) combined for the shutout in net.

Mansfield, 7 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – For Stoughton, Katherine Giroux, Nicole Reid, and Catarina Melo all played a great game.

Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 8 – Final

Milford, 0 @ Taunton, 4 – Final – Taunton senior Caelen O’Leary factored into all four goals, scoring twice and assisting on the other two, to help the Tigers secure a shutout win over visiting Milford. Ayla Jackson and Camryn Emond each scored once, finishing off a feed from O’Leary. Jasmine Lucier made two saves to record the shutout in net for Taunton.

Canton, 0 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Foxboro scored once in the second quarter and again in the third, and the Warriors’ defense became the first team to shut out Canton this year as the Warriors collected a vital division win. Mary Collins scored the opening goal to put the hosts ahead 1-0, an advantage they carried into halftime. In the third, Mya Waryas found the back of the net to extend Foxboro’s lead to 2-0.

Volleyball
Canton, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a lead by taking the first set but Canton rallied to win three straight for a 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-22) win on the road. Jess Wright led the way for the visitors, registering 17 kills, 14 digs, and one block while Fatima Sidibay had a big night at the net with 11 kills and a trio of blocks. Zoe Scibelli anchored the defense with 19 digs and a pair of aces while freshman Erin Bigham (two aces) distributed the ball well with 32 assists. For Foxboro, Juliana Pettigrew had 18 kills, Sami Sloan put down 12 kills and added three aces, Mallorie Meyer added four kills and 18 digs, and Alyssa Cloherty dished out 37 assists.

Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – In a key division clash, Oliver Ames notched a convincing 3-0 (25-5, 25-22, 25-9) win over rival Sharon. Sophomore Ava Barth had a big day for the Tigers with 18 digs and five aces, junior Ariel Gao added 23 service points and six aces, and sophomore Addie Smock registered 10 kills and three blocks. Maddie Homer had 21 digs and Clare Kavoulis finished with 34 assists in the win.

Franklin, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro rattled off three straight points in the final set to turn a one-point deficit into a 3-2 (14-25, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13) win over visiting Franklin, giving the Bombardiers one of their biggest wins in program history. Julia Leonardo was a monster at the net for the Bombardiers, putting down 36 kills to go along with 20 digs to pace the attack, while Sadie Whiwtmarsh had a huge showing with 23 kills. Addie Shelton added 11 kills and 12 digs in the win. Natalie Brojek orchestrated the offense for the hosts, dishing out 49 assists to go along with 15 digs and three blocks.

King Philip, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – King Philip rolled to a win, taking down North Attleboro 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 15-12). KP’s trio of captains led the way as Sami Shore had five kills and two aces, Emily Sawyer added 10 kills and 10 aces, and Ahunna James added seven kills and four digs.

Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – After falling behind 2-1, Mansfield rallied to win two in a row to claim a 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 15-9) victory over Stoughton. Keira Fitpatrick orchestrated the offense with 21 assists to go along with seven digs. Elyssa Buchanan notched 10 kills and eight digs while Lily Verheggen had a big day at the net with 12 kills.

Milford @ Taunton, 5:00

Golf
Attleboro, 175 @ Franklin, 145 – Final – Brendan Collins had a consistent day out on the links, shooting a medalist round to lead the Panthers to a win over Attleboro. Collins carded a 36 to lead the way, CJ Steel shot a 38, and both Caden Sullivan (one birdie) and Jack Hagerty (one birdie) each came in at 38. Bradley Martin led the Bombardiers with a 43.

Mansfield, 149 @ Oliver Ames, 145 – Final – Oliver Ames passed its biggest test of the season so far, landing a four-stroke win over Mansfield in a battle of the top two teams in the Davenport division. OA senior Daniel Paul and junior David Rodgers shared medalist honors with Mansfield sophomore Brendan Vokey, with all three coming in at 35 on the day at Pine Oaks. Juniors Sean Kearns and Lucas Riley rounded out OA’s scoring, carding a round of 37 and 38, respectively.

North Attleboro, 151 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 168 – Final – North Attleboro had all four of its scorers come in under 40 in a non-league win over Dighton-Rehoboth on the middle course at Heather Hill. Sophomore Tyson Laviano was the match medalist, firing a one-over round of 36 to lead the Rocketeers. Jake Gaskin and Jordan Paradis each shot a 38 and Dillon Harding chipped in with a 39 for the Rocketeers. Drew Urban carded a round of 36 for the Hornets while Nathan McClean and Will Riley each shot a 39.

KP Defense Puts the Pressure On to Stop Xaverian

King Philip Football
KP put constant pressure on Xaverian quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, holding the Hawks to just 14 points and pulling out a marquee win against one of the state’s top teams. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


WRENTHAM, Mass. – During Brian Lee’s tenure at King Philip, the Warriors have displayed a penchant for making life difficult for even the most prolific offenses. In big matchups, like Friday night’s visit of highly ranked Xaverian to Macktaz Field, KP manages to turn the game into a low-scoring, ball control, defense-oriented affair.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Against Xaverian, it was a prototypical KP performance. The Warriors had multiple players in the backfield on seemingly every play, making sure that star quarterback Henry Hasselbeck had next to no time to make plays down field. KP finished with four sacks, a forced fumble, a couple of passes batted down, a pick-six, and countless quarterback pressures.

Riding its defense’s dominant play in front of a packed house, the Warriors pulled out a 19-14 victory, solidifying its place among the state’s elite again this fall.

“Really just put a lot of pressure on him, and sustained pressure, and the back end and the secondary did their job too,” Lee said about his team’s defense. “When you’re playing an opponent who has such a reputation, it’s going to amp you up. Everybody knows what Xaverian is, how good they are, how well-coached they are, they have a culture, all the things you’re afraid to face in a program.

“We knew it was going to have to be our best, sustained effort.”

Right from the start, the Warriors were sending blitzes from every angle to make Hasselbeck uncomfortable. On Xaverian’s second possession, Carson Meier’s pressure forced an incomplete pass on first down and Kyle Abbott’s pressure caused one on second down. Will Astorino chased down Michael Oates on a screen pass for a loss of four and a three-and-out.

“Coach Wassel planned a ton of blitzes against them,” Astorino explained after the game. “We knew that if we got pressure we could disrupt them. We did that and that’s why they couldn’t get anything going offensively. That was a great defensive performance. We put on a show.”

On the next Hawks drive, Sean King came up with the big hit on Oates, forcing the ball loose. KP recovered at the Xaverian 40 and used the short field to take the lead. Astorino got the call on three straight fullback dives and then Abbott (18 carries, 66 yards) gained seven. Nathan Kearney got a first down to the 19, but KP managed only three more yards and Matthew Kelley split the uprights on a 33-yard kick.

Jonathan Monteiro almost immediately gave the visitors the momentum with a 52-yard kickoff return. After a Christopher Sesay sack, Oates had his best run of the day, gaining 21 down to the KP 19. Abbott read the sweep and dropped it for a one-yard loss. A drop on third down and a penalty made it fourth and 14 before Kearney got a big hand on a screen pass attempt, leading to a turnover on downs.

KP went into the break leading 3-0 and hadn’t allowed a point in 10 quarters to start the season. Early in the second half, the defense showed that it can score as well as keep other teams off the board. Sesay again got into the backfield, hitting Hasselbeck as he threw. The pass fell into the hands of Meier short of midfield and he went the distance to make it 10-0.

Lee said, “It was huge. We definitely struggled on offense. It was a defensive battle, everybody was having trouble moving the ball. Once we got up 10, it really felt like alright, okay, now we’ve got a little bit of breathing room here. It was just a huge, huge play for us.”

Hasselbeck (8-of-16, 148 yards) just didn’t have the time to get anything going for the Hawks. On the next drive, Abbott pressured one incompletion and on third down, Astorino chased down the quarterback for a four-yard loss.

Thomas Brewster’s good punt return set KP up with another short field, starting at the Xaverian 39. A 16-yard completion from Tommy McLeish to Connor Mello converted a third down to the 21. Aiden Astorino had a couple of carries and on third down KP took no chances with a QB sneak to set Kelley up for a 30-yard kick and a 13-0 lead.

The visitors would get the ball back in the closing seconds of the third. Aiden Astorino batted down the first pass attempt, but on the final snap of the quarter, and with multiple Warriors draped all over him, Hasselbeck was able to lay a ball out for Monteiro on the edge and he took it 77 yards for the score. It was the first points allowed by KP this year.

KP got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter, starting at its own 46. On fourth and three from the Xaverian 47, McLeish was able to draw an offsides penalty for a critical first down. Three plays later, play action fooled the Xaverian defense and McLeish hit Kelley down the right sideline for a 36-yard completion. It was KP’s longest play of the night.

“The offensive coordinator (Shawn Hill) was like I want to throw and I was like I don’t know,” Lee said about the big play call. “It’s three minutes and maybe we just eat some clock here because you could feel every second was going to count.”

Kearney got the ball on the next snap from the six and he churned for extra yards and got an extra push from the line to get into the end zone.

The conversion failed but KP restored its two-score lead with just 2:20 to play. Hasselbeck tried to get the Hawks up the field quickly to give themselves a chance. With the help of a personal foul penalty, Xaverian got to the KP 25 with a minute to go.

Luke Danson got the fourth sack of the night, dropping Hasselbeck for a loss of four, but on the next play the Xaverian QB found Monteiro in the back corner of the end zone. After a brief conversation, the officials ruled him inbounds to cut the lead down to five with 43 seconds to go.

Daniel Silveira snagged the onside kick attempt, sealing the victory for the Warriors.

Astorino, who wasn’t unable to contain his excitement after the win, said, “So proud of those guys. They gave it all that they had. We knew they were going to be a tough challenge. Probably every one of their players outweighs us by 50 pounds, but we played with some heart and some passion. That’s how KP plays.”

When asked about the significance of beating a program of Xaverian’s pedigree, Lee explained, “It’s knowing you played a good team and you were able to compete. I didn’t know really what we were. I didn’t know how mentally tough we were, I didn’t know how resilient we were, I didn’t know what we would do when we couldn’t run the ball, who would make plays in the pass game for us, and can we play that old school KP ‘D’ that has kept us in games.

“We got a lot of yeses and a lot of things to feel better about this week.”

King Philip (3-0) will open Kelley-Rex play next Friday with a visit from also unbeaten Taunton.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Football: 2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Milford and King Philip will both be contenders for the Kelley-Rex division title this season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 4-6
Coach: Jim Winters

Key/Returning Players: Matt Harvie, Jr., QB; Ethan Lako, Sr., LB; Isaiah Miranda, Sr., OL/DL; Ayden Ramirez, Sr., WR/CB; Adrian Rivera, Jr., RB; Anthony Salviati, SR.; WR/S; Spencer Sherck, Sr., S

Outlook:
In a loaded Kelley-Rex division, Attleboro has largely been on the outside of the title race and the Bombardiers enter this season with an eye to the future, as they have a relatively inexperienced roster. First-year coach Jim Winters, who came from Silver Lake to replace Mike Strachan after his move to North Attleboro, will lean on a talented crew of skill position players and an aggressive mindset to be competitive with the league’s top teams.

Offensively, the Bombardiers have a lot of depth and athleticism at receiver. Senior Anthony Salviati is a dynamic playmaker who can line up in multiple positions, whether out wide or in the backfield. He was also the team’s kicker last year. Junior Matt Harvie gets the nod at quarterback to start the season after seeing time under center as a sophomore. His strong arm and ability to read the defense will be key. Senior Ayden Ramirez will be another threat on the outside and junior Adrian Rivera will be the team’s go-to back at the start of the season. Senior center Isaiah Miranda is the team’s only returning lineman, on either side of the ball, and his leadership is going to be critical to the offense’s success.

Athleticism is going to be important on defense as well. Salviati will bring his playmaking to the secondary as a safety. Winters called Ramirez one of the best corners that he has coached, while senior linebacker Ethan Lako is a ball hawk who led the team in interceptions last season. Senior safety Spencer Sherck is recovering from a preseason injury and the Bombardiers will be hoping to have his leadership back on the field as soon as possible. The defensive line remains a question mark with young players getting their first taste of varsity action this season.

“We should be fast and aggressive at the skill positions,” Winters said. About the challenges on the line, he added, “We will be very inexperienced and do not have the size of Attleboro teams of the past.”










2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Franklin

2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Eian Bain

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Key/Returning Players: Jase Lyons, Sr., QB/S; Luke Davis, Sr., WR/CB; Grayson Hunter, Sr., TE; Ben Papa, Sr., OL; Ben Ryan, Jr., OL; Leo Meuse, Soph., OL; Jay Gulla, Sr., DL; Emmett Lackey, Sr., DL; Julian Rampino, Soph., DL; Nick Quintina, Sr., LB; Luke Sidwell, Sr., CB; Devine Johnson, Sr., CB;

Outlook:
Franklin was not only the best team in the Kelley-Rex division last year, winning its first league title since 2009, but also proved to be one of the top teams in the state. The Panthers were a win away from a spot in the Super Bowl, going toe-to-toe with Springfield Central in the state semifinal. This season, the Panthers will have to overcome the graduation of a lot of skill position players to keep the positive momentum that the program has shown over the past few seasons.

Last year’s offensive group was as good as any in the state and it showed. This season, Franklin will have a lot of new faces and a lot of versatile athletes that will be part of the game plan. Senior Jase Lyons will take over at quarterback and is a dual threat with his legs and his arm. Senior Luke Davis will be one of the primary targets out wide along with junior wideout Derek Dubriske and senior tight end Grayson Hunter. The graduation of Mack Gulla opens space for new running backs to step up. Juniors Mike Davide and Cody Howard are backs to watch out for this year. Senior Ben Papa will lead the offensive line with junior Ben Ryan and sophomore Leo Meuse adding depth and size. Senior Garrett Portesi will be back on kicking duties and gives Franklin a consistent source of points.

While the offense got a lot of attention last season, Franklin’s defense allowed fewer points than anyone else in the league. The secondary was one of the biggest strengths in 2021 and should be again this year. Senior Devine Johnson is a lockdown corner, while classmates Luke Sidwell, Bobby Padula, and Davis all are playmakers in the passing game. Junior Connor Klawson will add depth in that position. The linebacking group is led by senior Nick Quintina, who will make plays in the middle, and Howard will be a new face in that position. Senior Emmett Lackey will control the defensive line, while senior Jay Gulla is a constant threat on the edge and sophomore Julian Rampino gives another big athlete at defensive end.

“We are taking this one day at a time,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain. “Last year was a whirlwind, and culmination of many years of hard work. It is important not to lose sight of the process that got us to such great accomplishments. It remains all about the process.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

King Philip

2021 Record: 9-3
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players: Will Astorino, Sr., FB/LB; Thomas Brewster, Sr., WR/DB; Rudy Gately, Sr., RB/DB; Nathan Kearney, Sr., RB/DE; Sean King, Jr., OL/DL; Chris Sesay, Sr., OL/DL; Matt Kelley, Sr., K/WR/DB; Tommy McLeish, Jr., QB;

Outlook: Last season was another banner year for the Warriors, reaching another Division 2 state final and took second in what was one of the most talented years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Certainly, the Warriors have plenty of holes to fill in due to graduation like at quarterback (Charlie Grant), running back (Crawford Cantave), Jonathan Joseph (defensive back), and on both the offensive and defensive line. But head coach Brian Lee has to like the weapons he does have back this season.

It starts with one of the best two-way players in the state in senior Rudy Gately, who will be a workhorse in the backfield and a reliable option at linebacker. He’s been making plays for KP for two years and that’s likely to continue again this year. He’ll be joined in the backfield by Will Astorino (full back) and Nathan Kearney, and they’ll work with junior Tommy McLeish (6’3), who takes over at quarterback. McLeish has weapons in Matt Kelley, who is not only one of the best kickers around but will also line up at receiver and defensive back, as well as Thomas Brewster.

The strength of the squad likely lies where it usually does: in the trenches. The Warriors are big up front on both sides of the ball and return two of the best linemen in the state in 6’6 265-pound Chris Sesay, who holds D1 offers from Eastern Michigan and Brown among others, and 6’0, 260-pound junior Sean King.

Defensively, Astorino will be one of the key pieces at linebacker while Sesay looks to be a force to reckon with on the defensive line.

“As far as strength and weaknesses go, we lost a lot of players from all different positions so we are just in the process of still figuring out what we are, who we are, and if we have all the right guys on the field and in the right spot,” Lee said. “Despite what we’ve lost, our goal is to be prepared and focused each week so that we can be competitive.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Milford

2021 Record: 9-3
Coach: Dale Olson

Key/Returning Players: Key/Returning Players: Nicholas Araujo, Jr., LB/K; Jayden Archeval, Sr., DB; Damien Carter, Jr., WR/DB; Evan Cornelius, Sr., QB/DE; Keith Lee, Jr., G/DT; Isaiah Pantalone, Sr., WR/DB; Tyler Potter, Sr., T/DT

Outlook:
Milford has come a long way in the past couple of seasons, earning wins over its Kelley-Rex division rivals, putting in a challenge for the league title, and making a run to the Div. 2 semifinals. The Hawks will try to continue building on that momentum this fall with the hope of a talented and experienced lineup bringing home a first Kelley-Rex title.

Senior quarterback Evan Cornelius is back to run the Milford offense after a strong junior campaign. Cornelius gives the Hawks a threat with either his strong arm or his ability to make plays with his legs and he helped Milford put together one of the league’s top offensive units last year. Senior wideout Isaiah Pantalone had a breakout junior season and emerged as one of the most dangerous receivers in the Hock. Junior Damien Carter can line up in multiple positions and classmate Nicholas Araujo can make an impact at receiver or as one of the league’s top kickers. Junior Keith Lee and senior Tyler Potter will be two of the top returning lineman and the Milford line got a huge boost by the transfer of Ryan O’Connor from Lawrence Academy.

Cornelius is just as impactful on the defensive side of the ball with his speed and size at defensive end. Lee, Potter, and O’Connor add strength to the interior of the Milford line. Araujo will be one of the key returning players at linebacker. Milford’s athleticism at receiver translates into a strong secondary as well. Carter and Pantalone are both playmakers on the edge and senior Jayden Archeval emerged as one of the top one-on-one cover guys in the league last year.

“We don’t have great numbers and will have to stay healthy,” Milford coach Dale Olson explained, “but have a talented group that has worked hard to rebuild this program.”




2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

North Attleboro

2021 Record: 8-4
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Greg Berthiaume, Sr., RB/LB; Zack Gallagher, Sr., OL/DL; Nate Shultz, Sr., RB/DB; Kaden Leary, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Munley, Sr., OL/DL; Chase Frisoli, Soph., QB; Lucas Mattson, Jr., OL/DL; Nolan McLaughlin, Sr., OL/DL; Aidan Conrad, Sr., RB/DB;

Outlook: The 2022 season marks a new chapter in the very rich history of North Attleboro football. Coming off a narrow loss in the Division 3 state championship, the Rocketeers have a brand new head coach along with a slew of new faces in new positions.

Mike Strachan is now at the helm of the Big Red. Strachan, who played for the Rocketeers in high school for legendary coach Ray Beaupre, had been the head coach of rival Attleboro since 2013 before switching in his Bombardier blue back to Rocketeer red.

He’ll have the tough task of finding replacements for a very talented senior class from last year, including star Tyler DeMattio – who played a handful of positions over the past four years, including quarterback, running back, linebacker, and kicker – as well as fellow league all star Tyler Bannon. But the cupboard is far from empty for Strachan, who is looking to uphold the high standards and tradition of North Attleboro football.

Sophomore Chase Frisoli returns at quarterback after an impressive freshman season. He will have a lot of new weapons to work with this year, and Strachan is leaning heavily on a big offensive line to not only protect Frisoli but set the tone with a strong running game. The line is anchored by Zack Gallagher (6’3, 280) and North will look to run behind him as well as Kaden Leary, Lucas Mattson, Jack Munley, Nolan McLoughlin, and Danny Locke. Nate Shultz will be the primary ball carrier and brings an explosive run game to the table.

“Nate will lead the defense at free safety [too],” Strachan said. “Nate brings breakaway speed to the offense and has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. In addition, Nate is a tremendously smart player and gives us the on-field leadership required to have a great team.”

On the defensive side, the Rocketeers will turn to veteran linebacker Greg Berthiaume, who lead the D3 finalists in tackles last year. With Berthiaume in the mix, North’s strength defensively will be its linebackers, with Ryan Bannon, Aidan Conrad, and Julian House also in the mix.

2022 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Photos

Taunton

2021 Record: 5-6
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players: Ryan MacDougall, Sr., OL/LB; Nathan Laplante, Sr., OL/DL; William Guachichulca-Torres, Sr., OL; Logan Frank, Sr., OL; Jacob Leonard, Sr., QB; Bryan Batista, Sr., RB; Tanner Brannon, Sr., OLB; Dom Kessel, Sr., DL; McKyen Gonsalves, Sr., WR/DB; Jose Touron, Jr., WR/DB; Bryan Joanis, Jr., OL/DL; Ethan Harris, Jr., RB/LB;

Outlook: Taunton took a step in the right direction during the 2022 season with five wins and a trip to the state tournament, but the Tigers went without a win in league play. With an experienced and talented group back in the fold this year, head coach Brad Sidwell and his Tigers will look to make a splash in the league and continue to move the program forward.

It will all start up front for Taunton because of a big and talented group of linemen that have a lot of varsity experience. The team’s three captains are all members of the offensive line: seniors Ryan MacDougall (center), Nathan LaPlante (guard), and William Guachichulca-Torres (tackle). They’ll be joined by senior Logan Frank (guard) and junior Bryan Joanis (tackle). All five register above 6’0 and have a lot of varsity experience under their belt.

Behind them will be returning quarterback Jake Leonard, who is in his third year as the starting quarterback for the Tigers. While Leonard lost some of his top targets from last year, he has some dangerous weapons at his disposal still, including Jose Touron (fresh off an impressive sophomore campaign), seniors Mckyen Gonsalves and Braden Mullen, and speedy junior Dmitrius Shearrion. After a promising start to last year was cut short due to injury, Bryan Batista is back in the mix at running back along with Etha Harris and Malachai Johnson.

Defensively, the Tigers boast an athletic secondary, a big defensive line, and a mix of veteran and new linebackers. Laplante will be among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the league and will be joined by Frank, Joanis, and senior Dom Kessel. MacDougall had a great year at linebacker last year and will be flanked by Harris, senior Tanner Brannon, junior Ryan Keenan, and sophomore Elijah Prophete.

“We have a solid nucleus of experienced players that have worked hard during the off-season,” Sidwell said. “As always, we look to play well, improve, and gain some momentum during our non-league battles to prepare us for the highly competitive Hockomock Kelley-Rex Division.”

King Philip Falls To Milton In Division 2 State Final

King Philip baseball Brendan Weddleton
King Philip senior Brendan Weddleton catches a throw on a pickoff attempt at second base in the Division 2 state championship against Milton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WORCESTER, Mass. — King Philip’s quest for a state championship came up just short.

The Warriors’ great run in the postseason came to a close in the Division 2 state championship on Saturday, falling to top-seeded Milton, 4-2, at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

“Coming in, with their bats and their pitching, I thought we were going to have to play perfect,” said King Philip head coach Jeff Plympton. “We came up a little short but I’m proud of the way the guys played. They’re a pleasure to be around all the time.

“We stuck around, which is kind of where we wanted to be. It was alright if we weren’t ahead, but as long as we were in striking distance we thought with our bats in the lineup we could make up for it, but it just didn’t happen tonight.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Walks, errors, and aggressive base running became the difference in the game as the Warriors actually recorded more hits (five) in the game than the Wildcats (four). And Milton senior Charlie Walker, who is committed to play at Northeastern next season, was on his game with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Rudy Gately had a strong showing on the mound with four runs allowed, but none of them were earned. He scattered four hits and four walks, striking out three in 5.1 innings of work. Sophomore Tommy McLeish got the final two outs in the sixth, holding an inherited runner at third with a ground ball and a pop-up.

“I had all the confidence in the world in Rudy, he’s been a hell of a pitcher for us for the past two years and I’m excited for him to come back,” Plympton said. “And then Tommy McLeish coming in in that tough spot, and as a sophomore, that’s not easy. And he showed his composure and did a fantastic.”

An infield error (on a tough hop) allowed Milton’s leadoff man to reach in the bottom of the first, a walk pushed him to second, and a single up the middle brought the run home for an early 1-0 lead. Gately got a strikeout and an infield pop-up to strand runners at second and third.

Milton’s Ryan Kelley battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a one-out walk in the second, moved to second on a single, took third on an error, and then scored after a hard grounder got the force out at second but couldn’t be turned into a double play.

King Philip got a boost from the bottom of its lineup, starting with a one-out line drive double from the No. 9 hitting Eli Reed in the top of the third, the Warriors’ second hit of the day. Sophomore Max Robison followed with a hard-hit single to center and Reed scampered all the way home to cut the deficit in half.

Gately hit a batter with one out in the bottom half but induced a 6-4-3 double play with shortstop Shawn Legere hitting second baseman Brendan Weddleton, who fired over to first where Robison made a great scoop to hold on to end the inning.

Legere was hit by a pitch to put the leadoff runner on in the top of the fourth for the Warriors, but Walker got back-to-back strikeouts against the heart of the order, and then an infield pop-up for the third out.

“He threw a lot of curveballs and has a heck of a fastball, sitting around 90 [miles per hour],” Plympton said of Walker. “That’s probably the best curveball our guys have seen this year, it’s next level and he’s going to Northeastern so that’s what you’re going to see in Division 1 baseball, and I thought we gave him a pretty good bid.”

Meanwhile, the Wildcats proved to be dangerous with two outs. An infield error put Marcus Ollivierre on, who promptly stole second, and a second error allowed Jimmy Fallon to reach and Ollivierre to take third. A wild pitch bounced past the catcher and just like that, the Wildcats had another run without a hit.

Sean Sullivan had a one-out single in the top of the fifth and moved into scoring position after an errant pick-off attempt from the catcher, but the Warriors couldn’t push him any further as Walker got a ground out and then a pick-off.

Gately erased a leadoff walk with a pickoff and then worked around a single and a walk to keep the deficit at 3-1 through five innings, but Walker was in a groove on the mound and quickly retired the side in the top of the sixth. Milton added a key run in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single from Fallon to score Kelley, who reached on an error to start the inning.

That ended Gately’s outing and McLeish took over with a runner on third. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, McLeish induced a ground to shortstop where Legere looked the runner back before firing to first for the second out. Four pitches later, McLeish got Walker to pop up to right for the third out.

King Philip battled to the end as junior Brendan Sencaj smacked a hard-hit grounder up the first base line, and it took a friendly bounce off the wall in right as Sencaj hustled his way to a triple. A ground out to the right side from Gately brought Sencaj in, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with two outs.

But that was all the damage the Warriors would do as Walker got a strikeout and a liner to second for the final out.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The program wasn’t in a great spot a few years back and this group of seniors has led the charge with the turnaround,” Plympton said. “We had a pretty decent season last year too. They played a little bit of an underdog role all season and I couldn’t be happier where we are as a program now and the future looks bright for next year.

“They are a resilient group and they’re able to let things go. We had a bad loss to Franklin but they were back in practice the next day ready to move on like nothing happened, which is huge. Baseball is mental…so if you’re dwelling on things, it won’t be good so I definitely learned what a resilient bunch they were.”

King Philip baseball finishes the season at 16-9.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/16/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Taunton, 17 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final (5 Inn.)

North Attleboro, 5 @ Canton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro jumped in front with three runs in the third inning and tacked on two key insurance in the top of the seventh to secure a win on the road over Canton. The win clinched at least a share of the Davenport division for the Rocketeers, who would win it outright with one more win or a Foxboro loss. Jack Digirolamo drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead but North took the lead for good with three in the third. Danny Curran reached on an error that allowed Derek Maceda to score, Dillon Harding followed with an RBI sac fly, and Jordan Paradis had a one-out RBI single to give the visitors the 3-1 edge. in the top of the seventh, Maceda and Tyler DeMattio had back-to-back singles and both scored on a base hit from Curran to make it 5-1. Curran got the win on the mound as well, allowing just the one run on six hits and four walks, striking out four in 3.1 innings of work. Harding came on in relief and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings with three hits allowed and two strikeouts.

Sharon, 1 @ Foxboro, 3 – Final – Foxboro freshman Nolan Gordon had another strong outing on the mound and the Warriors’ offense came through with some timely two-out hits to secure a win at home over Sharon. Gordon scattered five hits in 6.1 innings of work, allowing one (unearned) run with one walk and six strikeouts for the win. Sean O’Leary came on for the final two outs to record the save, getting back-to-back outs against the tying run at the plate. Louis Carangelo had a leadoff walk, stole second, and put the Warriors ahead on a two-out double from Tom Marcucella in the bottom of the second. Foxboro doubled its lead an inning later when Ryan LeClair was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored on a double from O’Leary. Sharon got a run back in the top of the fourth when Will Hippler led off with a double, moved to third on a single from Dan Okstein and scored on a grounder from Dylan Labbe that was mishandled. Marcuella drew a two-out walk in the top of the sixth and scored off a triple from Kenny Mello for a key insurance run. Sophomore Luke Meixel pitched well for the Eagles in the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks, striking out three in 5.2 innings of work.

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin took the lead with a run in the first, added three in the third, and that was enough for junior Alfred Mucciarone as the Panthers prevailed from a tight contest with a win over rival Mansfield. In the bottom of the first, Chris Goode drew a two-out walk, stole second, and then scored on an RBI single up the left side by Evan Raider. The Panthers struck again with two outs in the third as sophomore Henry Digiorgio hit a base-clearing double to left to score Ryan Gerety (walk), Jack Marino (single), and Raider (single) to make it 4-0. Mucciarone tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits — a two-out single in the fourth, a one-out single in the sixth, and a two-out single in the seventh, but none advanced first — and two walks (both in the top of the third) along with 10 strikeouts.

King Philip, 11 @ Milford, 1 – Final – King Philip’s offense roared to life with 11 runs on 14 hits, taking down Milford at Fino in the Warriors’ best offensive output of the month. KP pushed across a pair of runs in the second and third, but blew the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. Max Robison (two hits, stolen base, run) had a leadoff single in the fourth and both Shawn Legere and Brendan Sencaj (3-for-4, three runs, stolen base) were hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a wild pitch brought Robison home, Rudy Gately (RBI, two runs) drove in Legere with a single to right. Matt Kelley (three RBI) followed with a RBI sac fly, Aiden Astorino (two hits, two runs, RBI) smacked a two-out double to bring in a run, and Eli Reed (two hits, three RBI) had a two-out single to make it 9-0. Nick Viscusi got the win on the mound, allowing one run (unearned) on five hits and three walks, striking out for in 4.1 innings of work. Tommy McLeish tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and Legere tossed a scoreless inning in relief as well. Evan Cornelius had a hit, two walks, and an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Oliver Ames belted out 14 hits in a balanced attack, putting up eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to secure its third straight win. Every player in the Tigers’ lineup had a hit, including two apiece from Ian Kelly (three RBI), Jake Waxman (three RBI), Jack Richardson (RBI, two runs), Nathan Carpentier (RBI), and Jack Muir (RBI, two runs). Nick Clark pitched all five innings for the Tigers, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, striking out eight. Jonah Ly had two hits for the Black Knights.








Softball
Attleboro, 6 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – Attleboro put it all together to secure arguably its biggest win as a program since joining the Hockomock League, knocking off defending state champs Taunton. The Bombardiers had it going pitching, defensively, and offensively to get the win, getting key defensive plays from Lindsey Perry at shortstop and Lauren Eby at second to deny Taunton’s comeback bid. Attleboro did all its damage on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, scoring all six of its runs. Consecutive hits from Perry, Sarah Maher, Lily Routhier, Eby, Kayla Goldrick and a double from Rylie Camacho to make it 5-0 in favor of the visitors. Emily Eby added a two-out single to bring Camacho home to make it 6-0. Routhier pitched five innings for the win, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Perry came on for the save, tossing the final two innings.

Canton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final (5 Inn.) – North clinched at least a share of its third straight Davenport division title with a shutout of Canton. It is the first time in program history that the Rocketeers have won three straight league titles. Zoey McDonough dominated in the circle, recording 14 strikeouts and allowing only a walk and an infield hit. Ally Levine and Shaelyn Burns led the offense with two hits apiece. Kelly Colleran, Maryellen Charette, Emma Hanwell, Grace Simmons, and McDonough each had a hit and scored twice. Mandi Hanewich had a hit and drive in three, while Mary Rogers had a run scored and drove in a run with a sac fly.

Foxboro, 14 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (6 Inn.) – Emma Callahan went the distance allowing only three hits and striking out four to get the shutout for Foxboro. Callahan also added a pair of hits at the plate. Peyton Feldman sparked the Foxboro offense with four hits, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. Ava Hill also chipped in with a pair of hits.

Franklin, 8 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Franklin rallied with six runs in the top of the seventh inning to come back from a run down and pick up a big road win. Freshman Sarah Boozang delivered the big hit, coming on as a pinch-hitter and smacking a double that plated the tying and the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh. Juniors Georgia Harvey (run, RBI) and Katy Liberman (two runs) each had two hits on the day while Hannah Cacciapaglia (run) and Julia White (two runs, RBI). Aislinn Lavery got the win, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks, striking out eight for the Panthers. each had a triple. After the Panthers jumped ahead 2-0 in the second, Mansfield answered back with a pair of runs in the third on a Julia Kelly single and Olivia DeTrolio homer. Jill Koppy gave the Hornets their first lead with a solo homer in the fifth, but the Panthers turned the game on its head with a six-run seventh. Callie Lake and Alanna Conley also had hits for Mansfield.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip scored in each of the five innings, including three runs in the second and five more in the third to secure a win at home over Milford. Senior Meg Sherwood (two runs, double) and sophomore Taylor Regan (two RBI, two runs) each had three hits apiece for the Warriors while Maddie Paschke had a big day at the plate with a pair of hits, including a triple, and three RBI. Senior Mia Bennett added two runs, senior Lauren Hooper had a hit and a run scored, and senior Emma Sheehan added a hit and two RBI at the plate and tossed a shutout in the circle, allowing three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Cae Pellegrini had a double and two walks for the Scarlet Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Stoughton, 5 – Final – After building a three-run lead over the first three innings, Oliver Ames broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning and secured a 12-5 win over Stoughton, sweeping the season series. Juniors Maddie Homer (3-for-5, two doubles, three runs) and Caitlin Miller (3-for-5, three runs, three RBI led the charge offensively for the Tigers. Freshman Emily Martin added two hits, a run, and an RBI, freshman Devon Morris drove in two runs and scored a run, and sophomore Madison Monteiro went 4-for-5 with an RBI, a double, and a run scored. Sydney Menz (run) and Melody Casna (two runs, RBI) each had a pair of hits for Stoughton.




Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 17 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final

Franklin, 16 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Tommy Sharkey scored half of Foxboro’s goals, while Tony Sulham, Dylan Kerrigan, and Sully Kenneally each netted one for the Warriors. Adam Addeche had a strong game in goal with 10 saves.

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 19 – Final

North Attleboro, 15 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – North dominated the draw, as Jared Vacher won 15-of-18, and got big days from a few of its attackers to clinch at least a share of its first league title since 2017. Connor Ruppert led the way in attack with six goals and a pair of assists, while Matt Antonetti scored four times and dished out six helpers. Jack Regan also stepped up offensively with four goals and a hat trick of assists. Ethan McGrath made 11 saves for the Rocketeers.

Oliver Ames, 9 @ Sharon, 13 – Final – Ben Reardon scored four goals and Wyatt Fritchman added three for the Tigers. Ryan Jaco added one for OA and freshman Shawn Teehan scored his first varsity goal. Noah Isleib did his best to keep the Tigers in the game, making 27 saves.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 14 – Final – Canton jumped out to a 9-1 lead at halftime and got hat tricks from three different players to pick up the home win. Carly Fitzgerald, Ella Yeaton, and Allie McCabe each scored three times for the Bulldogs, while Maggie McCready notched her first career goal. Elyse Broderick made five saves in the win.

Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 18 – Final – Franklin earned a big win against fellow division leader Foxboro to close in on another league title. This is the 96th consecutive league win for the Panthers (92nd in a row under head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino). Kaitlyn Carney led the way for the Panthers with six goals. Kate O’Rourke had four goals and pulled down seven draws and Katie Peterson had two goals, three assists, and five draws. Stella Regan added a hat trick, Jackie O’Neil had a pair of goals, and Lindsay Atkinson found the back of the net once for Franklin. Freshman Ella Mahoney made five saves to pick up the win in goal. Cate Noone scored twice and Paige Curran had one goal for the Warriors. Mary Collins had an assist and Audrey Campbell made a pair of saves in the loss.

King Philip, 18 @ Milford, 7 – Final – Julia Marsden scored four times, including the 100th goal of her career, to lead the Warriors to a big road win. Morgan Cunningham and Makenzie McDevitt recorded five points apiece for KP. For Milford, Aislin Bennett (assist) and Emily Croteau each scored twice, Carley Haley had one goal and one assist, Jordan Douglas and Stephanie Goulet each scored once and Fiona Jordan had one assist. Caitlyn Bangert made 10 saves in net for the Hawks.

Mansfield, 9 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final

Sharon @ Oliver Ames, 6:00




Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – It took three sets for three matches, but Attleboro won them all plus a win at second doubles to take a win on the road over Taunton. The team of Brady Rosen and Connor Coleman claimed a 6-2, 6-1 win at second doubles for Attleboro’s lone win in straight sets. Ethan Johnson prevailed with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win at second singles while Tyler Rocchio earned a 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 victory at third singles. Arnav Sodhani and Evan Sousa overcame a one-set deficit for a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 win at first doubles. Taunton’s Michael Kimmer secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at first singles.

Canton, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – A sweep of doubles play and a win at third singles handed North Attleboro a 3-2 decision over visiting Canton. Junior Griffin Rodden teamed with sophomore Quinn DiFiore for a 6-1, 6-3 first doubles victory while sophomores Arnav Raghuvanshi and Caleb Cheney teamed up for a hard-fought 7-5, 6-2 win at second doubles. Freshman Darren Liang battled to a 6-3, 6-3 win at third singles for North’s third win. Canton sophomore Max Kupferman grabbed a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and senior Suraj Ramanathan earned a 6-1, 6-0 second singles win.

Foxboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – It took a second-set tiebreaker at second doubles and a tightly contested three-set battle at first singles, but Franklin prevailed with a 3-2 win in a great match against rival Mansfield. Senior Vayshanv Malhotra split the first two sets but took care of business in the third set to win 6-7, 6-7 (1), 6-2 for the Panthers’ lone point from singles action. The team of seniors Tim O’Keefe and Thomas Broyles rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles while the team of sophomores Jay Gorgas and Ahan Shetty prevailed with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) win at second doubles to get the win for Franklin. Mansfield freshman Neema Khosravani took a 6-1, 6-2 verdict at second singles and sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles for the Hornets.

Milford, 1 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip collected wins from second and third singles, plus both doubles matches, in a 4-1 decision over visiting Milford. Jonathan Cohen (6-1, 6-0) and Connor Sachleben (6-1, 6-1) were victorious at second and third singles, respectively, for the Warriors while the team of Adam Gousie and Leo Manning earned a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles, and the duo of Arjun Kullo and Ashrith Epuri grabbed a 6-4, 6-2 win at second doubles. Milford junior Tyler Andreotti battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 win at first singles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and won all five matches, including four in straight sets, to knock off the Black Knights. Sophomore Nick Westerbeke notched his seventh win of the season with a 6-0, 6-0 verdict at first singles. Ben Dias and Alex Vasiliou were pushed to a third set tiebreaker but prevailed 10-8 to complete the sweep.

Girls Tennis
Taunton, 1 @ Attleboro, 4 – Final – Attleboro continued its strong season with a pair of wins in both singles and doubles for a 4-1 decision over visiting Taunton. Senior Ella Lynch-Bartek claimed a 6-1, 6-3 win at first singles and sophomore Maddie Fuscaldo added a 6-0, 6-0 victory at second singles for the Bombardiers. Seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf won the first set in a tiebreaker and then rolled in the second set (7-6 (3), 6-1), and seniors Ally Rebelo and Delia Barthel emerged from second doubles with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Taunton sophomore Ava Alves earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – The Rocketeers took wins from all three singles match plus one from doubles action for a 4-1 verdict on the road at Canton. Lauren Hunt (6-1, 6-1), Grace Noreck (6-2, 6-0), and Kyna Shah (6-3, 6-3) swept the singles matches for the Big Red, and the team of Ashlyn Cziria and Teresa Fan secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles. Canton’s Panayiota Michaelidis and Liv McCloskey prevailed from second doubles with a 6-4, 4-6, 11-9 win.

Sharon @ Foxboro, 3:45

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin won all five matches to defend home court against Mansfield, inching closer to a division title with the victory. Izzy Trull dropped just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 first singles win, Chloe Essum grabbed a 6-4, 6-0 win at second singles, and Sarah Schiavo prevailed 6-3, 6-4 in a hard-fought battle at third singles. The team of Allison Bagley and Vedika Vinayak won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles while Amulya Jayam teamed with Shriya Rajesh for a 6-3, 6-0 second doubles decision.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip took care of business, taking all five matches in straight sets for a win on the road at Milford. Ahunna James flexed her strong shots on her way to a 6-0, 6-0 win, Shea Mellman toughed it out at second singles to secure a 6-2, 6-2 win, and Sammie Taylor used a consistent top spin to roll to a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The team of Resha Ahoy and Lauren Casper improved as the day went on in a 6-3, 6-0 first doubles win while Palina Yakimovich teamed up with freshman Jaelyn Dang, who was making her varsity debut, for a 6-1, 6-1 win at second doubles.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames celebrated its six seniors by defending home court in a win over Stoughton. Senior Ally Brass battled to a 4-6, 6-4, 12-10 win at third singles, seniors Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 verdict at first doubles, and seniors Kate McLaughlin and Shelby Brass emerged from second doubles with a 6-4, 6-1 win. Hannah Farber added a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles for OA while Emilia Lada grabed a 4-6, 6-4, 13-11 win at second singles for Stoughton.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip vs. Norwood, 6:00

Taunton, 0 vs. North Quincy, 3 – Final