Tag: Tyler Lane

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/02/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Sharon, 4 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final (8 inn.) – After seeing its two-run lead disappear, Sharon tacked on two runs in the top of the eighth to get an extra-innings win on the road over Attleboro. The Eagles had a 2-0 lead after an inning of play but the Bombardiers put up one in the third and one in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Nate Yaffe led off with a walk and Ryan Baker reached on a bunt. A sac bunt from Will Hippler moved both runners up and Dan Okstein drove in Yaffe with an RBI single. Baker then came home on a double steal to put the Eagles ahead 4-2. Sophomore Luke Meixel got the win, tossing an eight-inning complete game. He allowed just one earned run on five hits and three walks, striking out four. Sharon took the lead in the first in similar fashion to how they scored in the eighth with Yaffe walking and Baker reaching on a bunt. Hipper had an RBI single and Baker came home to score on an error. Attleboro cut the deficit in half in the third when Cooper Johnson walked and courtesy runner Evan Houle came around to steal home. In the bottom of the seventh, Billy Saltmarsh had a lead off single and pinch runner Ethan Lako stole second, and took the next two bags, each on a passed ball.

Mansfield, 10 @ Canton, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Mansfield senior Anthony Sacchetti dazzled on the mound, allowing just one hit and one walk in five shutout innings of work to lead the Hornets to their fourth straight win. The Bulldogs had a two-out walk in the second and Matt Chafin had a leadoff single in the fourth, but Sacchetti retired the side in order in the first, third, and fifth innings and finished with eight strikeouts. Offensively, the Hornets continued to get the offense going early with three runs in the first, three more in the second, and two apiece in the third and fourth innings. Conner Zukowski (two hits, run), Matt DeShiro (two hits, two runs, walk), and Connor Curtis (hit, run) each drove in two runs for the Hornets.

Milford, 1 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final (10 inn.) – Foxboro senior Liam Mulkern had a one-out single with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Warriors walked off with a win over Milford. Jack Watts led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a walk to Louis Carangelo. After a strikeout, Tom Marcucella drew a walk to load the bases and Mulkern hit a 1-1 pitch into left to bring in Watts for the win. Sean O’Leary got the win in relief, tosing 5.1 shutout innings with just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Matheiu Sullivan got the start for the Warriors, allowing one earned run on three hits and two talks, striking out three in 4.2 innings. Foxboro took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Kenny Mello tripled and then scored on a wild pitch. Milford answered in the top of the fifth when Grant Scudo walked, was sacrificed over to second by Tyler Lane, and scored on an RBI double from freshman Ian Carter. Junior Tyler Caldon was strong on the mound for the Hawks, allowing just one run in eight innings, with just five hits and two walks along with 11 strikeouts.

Franklin, 8 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Holding a 1-0 lead after four innings, Franklin scored seven runs over the final three innings to pull away for an 8-0 victory on the road at Stoughton. The Panthers had 11 hits as a team with Ryan Gerety (two RBI, run), Jack Marino (RBI, run), and Joe Tirrell each recording two apiece. Jace Lyons recorded three RBI on the day while Marino, Chris Goode, and Evan Raider each drove in one. Jacob Jette earned the win on the mound with six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts for the win. Evan Voellmicke tossed a scoreless inning in relief, walking one and striking out three.

King Philip, 9 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – King Philip scored once in the fourth, twice in the sixth, and then exploded for six runs in the seventh to secure a big win on the road at Frothingham. Senior Quin Garstka had the best start of his career, tossing a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven for the win. Matt DiFiore drew a two-out bases loaded walk to bring Brendan Sencaj home for the first run of the game in the fourth. The Warriors plated two more two-out runs in the sixth as Max Robison had an RBI double to score Rudy Gately (walk) and Robison eventually came around to score on a wild pitch after back-to-back walks to DiFiore and Eli Reed. KP loaded the bases again in the seventh and Will Astorino was hit by a pitch to bring in a run, Robison drove in a pair with another double, Reed plated two with a double of his own, and Travis Crawford had an RBI triple to left to make it 9-0.

Taunton, 10 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton junior Ryan MacDougall tossed a one-hit six inning shutout while striking out nine and the Tigers used a seven-run sixth inning to put the game away. MacDougall issued just two walks with the lone hit coming with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Offensively, Taunton took a 1-0 lead in the third on a solo home run from Braden Sullivan, and then pushed the lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs (MacDougall and Evan Cali RBI). Dawson Bryce cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the top of the sixth, Sullivan brought in two more, Colby DeCouta had an RBI, and AJ Lewis singled in the final run to make it 10-0.








Softball
Sharon, 0 @ Attleboro, 17 – Final (5 inn.)

Canton, 5 @ Mansfield, 17 – Final (5 inn.) – Mansfield erased a five-run deficit by scoring 11 runs in the fourth inning, all with two outs, to take the win over the visiting Bulldogs. Canton went up 1-0 in the third and tacked on four more in the fourth for a 5-0 lead but the Hornets’ bats came alive to surge ahead. With the bases loaded in the bottom half, Cate Kipp had an RBI single, Callie Lake and Liv Madeira drew back-to-back walks, and Casey Mousette (two hits, three RBI) had a two-run hit. After two walks loaded the bases again, Molly Kucharshi (three hits, four RBI) had a bases-clearing double for a 9-5 lead. Olivia DeTrolio added a two-run single two at-bats later for an 11-5 lead. The Hornets stayed hot in the fifth as well with Mousette, Alanna Conley, Jill Koppy (two RBI), and Kucharski all driving in runs. Amanda Schwarz and Julia Kelly shared pitching duties for the Hornets, allowing seven hits.

Foxboro, 9 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Peyton Feldman shined defensively for the Warriors, setting the tone in a 9-2 win on the road. Feldman put the end to a Milford rally with a terrific diving play up the middle, and also turned a double playe later on with a great catch on a ball destined for the outfield. Emma Callahan got the win in the circle. Milford sophomore Camille Bonina had two hits, including a double, and an RBI for the Scarlet Hawks.

Stoughton, 5 @ Franklin, 11 – Bottom 4th (Delay)

Oliver Ames, 4 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Lexi Galsband blasted a two-run homer in the top of the fourth to put the Tigers ahead 2-1 but KP responded with three runs in the bottom half and three more in the fifth and emerged with a win over a game OA squad. After Galsband’s blast, KP’s Liv Petrillo answered with a two-run double to put the hosts back ahead, and two at-bats later, Sarah Cullen followed with a two-out RBI double for a 4-2 lead. In the fifth, Meg Sherwood sent a leadoff solo shot over the fence in left and two batters later, Taylor Regan drove one just inside the foul poll for another solo shot. Charlotte Raymond singled, stole second, and scored on an RBI ground out from Mia Bennett for a 7-2 lead. OA got one back in the sixth on an RBI single from Emily Martin, and Caitlin Miller drove in a run with a two-out single in the seventh. The Tigers brought the tying run to the plate but Jordan Bennett got a ground out to second for the final out.

North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 16 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton belted out 15 hits and stole seven bases on its way to a big win over visiting North Attleboro. North took a 1-0 lead after an inning but the Tigers pushed across six run in the seven and scored multiple runs in each of the next five innings. Senior Katelyn Bizarro led the charge with a team-high four hits and scored three runs while Ava Venturelli went 3-for-4, with a home run and two doubles, driving in three and scoring three. Brooke Aldrich, Liv Mendonca, and Cate Larson all drove in a pair of runs in the win as well. Larson got the win on the circle, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks, striking out six in six innings of work. North senior Shaelyn Burns went 3-for-3 on the day, including a double, and drove in three runs.




Boys Lacrosse
Attleboro, 11 @ Sharon, 13 – Final – Sharon used a balanced attack with six different goal scorers to earn a close win over visiting Attleboro. Ben Shocket (24-for-28 on faceoffs) and Brady Daylor each had three goals to lead the charge, Sam Rothbaum, Ryan Brown, and Edward Bondar each scored twice, and Matt Harsfield added one goal in the win. Matt Powers made eight saves in net for the Eagles.

Mansfield, 6 @ Canton, 8 – Final

King Philip, 12 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – For Foxboro, Conor Noone (three assists) and Tony Sulham each had a hat trick, Lincoln Moore added two goals, and Dylan Kerrigan and Jon Sacchetti each scored once.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 24 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 2 @ Attleboro, 16 – Final – For Sharon, Bailey Garte scored both goals.

Canton, 10 @ Mansfield, 9 – Final – Canton built a four-goal lead at halftime but had a to hold off a pesky Mansfield squad for a one-goal win on the road. The Bulldogs took a 6-2 lead at the break but the Hornets continually came back, making it a one-goal game at 7-6, 8-7, 9-8, and eventually the final score of 10-9. Ella Yeaton led the offense with four goals, Fay Gallery added two goals and two assists, Emily McCabe scored a hat trick, Allie McCabe chipped in with one goal, and Devan Spinale had one helper. Elyse Broderick made five saves in net for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 9 @ King Philip, 10 – Final – King Philip built a four-goal lead at halftime and then held off second half push from Foxboro to secure a key league win. Lily Brown (one assist), Makenzie McDevitt, and Abby MacDonald each scored a pair of goals to lead KP’s balanced attack. Both McDevitt (eight draw controls) and Julia Marsden (five controls, one goal) did well on the draw while Haley Izydorczak (one goal, four assists) helped set the offense in motion. Emily Campbell had a huge game in net for the hosts, making eight saves to help KP hold on for a one-goal win. Foxboro also had a balanced attack with Mya Waryas, Paige Curran (assist), Val Beigel (two assists), and Cate Noone finding the back of the net twice apiece. Mary Collins added one goal and Audrey Campbell had five saves in net for Foxboro.

Franklin, 20 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final

Taunton, 6 @ Milford, 12 – Final – Milford’s Aislinn Bennett scored five goals as the Scarlet Hawks picked up their second straight win at home, this time over visiting Taunton. Emily Croteau added two goals in the win while Carly Haley, Jill Araujo, Jordan Douglas, Erin Michelson (three assists), and Ava Lebel (first career goal) each found the back of the net once. Caitlyn Bangert made six saves in net while junior Molly Hartman had a standout performance defensively. For Taunton, Cali Melo scored a team-high four goals while Maddison Szala and Caroline Vallarelli each scored once for the Tigers.




Boys Tennis
Sharon, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and took all five matches in straight sets to take down the Bombardiers. Matthew Lally picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win at first singles, Alex Budovalcev added a 6-3, 6-0 decision at second singles, and Jacob Slavsky secured a 6-1, 6-1 victory at third singles. In doubles action, Mitch Weiss and Ruemon Bhattacharyya continued their stellar season with a 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles while Savir Basil and Sava Kassev added a 6-2, 6-3 win at second doubles.

Canton @ Mansfield – Delayed

Foxboro @ Milford, 3:45

Stoughton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Behind two wins from singles action and two wins in doubles play, Franklin defended home court against visiting Stoughton. Vayshnav Malhotra didn’t drop a set in a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at first singles while sophomore Ahan Shetty added a 6-4, 6-0 win at third singles for the Panthers. At first doubles, the team of seniors Tim O’Keefe and Aidan Karlowicz grabbed a 6-0, 6-4 win while the team of sophomore Jay Gorgas and junior Tyler Fitzpatrick emerged with a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles. Stoughton senior Anish Sinha prevailed 6-3, 6-0 at second singles.

Oliver Ames @ King Philip, 3:45

Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – Sharon freshmen Jenny Sand and Grace Zhang rallied from a one-set deficit to secure a win at second doubles, completing the Eagles’ 5-0 sweep of Sharon. Sand and Zhang prevailed 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 while Sharon’s first doubles team of seniors Ritu Sreeram and Sasha Fein secured a 6-0, 6-1 win. Sophomore Navya Shukla earned a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 win at first singles, junior Ale Aguilar grabbed a 6-4, 6-3 win t second singles, and freshman Judy Song was victorious, 6-1, 6-1, at third singles.

Mansfield, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Mansfield took both doubles matches and added one more win in singles action to grab a 3-2 decision on the road at Canton. Jillian Hanley and Savannah Carey grabbed a 6-0, 6-2 win at first doubles for the Hornets and Alexis O’Keefe and Claire Copp added a 6-2, 6-2 victory at second doubles. Caroline Guralage was the lone Hornet to win in singles action, prevailing 6-1, 6-1 at third singles. Canton’s Camila Cutter earned a 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and Laura Correal added a win at second singles.

Milford @ Foxboro, 3:45

Franklin, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Franklin went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to take down host Stoughton. Izzy Trull (6-0, 6-1), Vedika Vinayak (6-0, 6-1), and Sarah Schiavo (6-4, 6-3) all won in singles action for the Panthers. In doubles action, the team of Chloe Essam and Shriya Rajesh picked up a 6-0, 6-1 win at first doubles while Chloe Fales teamed up with Ava Davies for a 6-0, 6-4 victory at second doubles.

King Philip, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames continued its recipe for success with a sweep of doubles play and another win at third singles to take down visiting King Philip. Seniors Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 6-2, 6-4 win at first doubles while the team of juniors Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli took a 6-2, 6-3 decision at second doubles for the Tigers. Elizabeth O’Brien was the lone OA win in singles action, taking a 6-3, 6-4 victory. KP sophomore Shea Mellman earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles. First singles did not finish due to weather.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip @ Norton, 5:00
Milford, 2 @ Natick, 3 – Final
Taunton vs. Barnstable, 5:15

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/21/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Foxboro, 11 vs. Quincy, 5 – Final – Foxboro erased a five-run deficit with a huge fifth inning to score a win over Quincy at Adams Field. The Warriors pushed across 10 runs in the fifth inning to turn a five-run deficit into a five-run cushion. Liam Mulkern (two RBI, two run) had three hits while Sean O’Leary (RBI) and Tyler Prescott (two RBI, run) each had two hits in the win. Ryan LeClair also drove in two runs while Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo each had one RBI. After the Warriors took the lead, O’Leary came in and pitched three strikeout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven.

King Philip, 7 vs. Nipmuc, 1 – Final – King Philip bounced back from its first loss of the season by taking care of business in a win over visiting Nipmuc. The Warriors plated three runs in the first, tacked on single runs in the second and fifth, and had two runs in the fourth inning. Shawn Legere and Dan Nineve (two RBI) each had singles in the first to drive take a 3-0 lead. Legere extended the lead with a second inning sac fly, and both Eli Reed and Brendan Senjac each had an RBI single in the fourth inning. Nick Viscusi had a strong outing on the mound, allowing just one run (unearned) on three hits and one walk, striking out five in five inning of work. Senior Quin Garstka tossed two shutout innings in relief, striking out four without allowing a hit or a walk.

Milford, 3 vs. Oxford, 2 – Final – Milford overcame an early two-run deficit, plating all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth in a win over visiting Oxford. Oxford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Milford sophomore starter Anthony LaPierre settled down, pitching five straight shutout innings after. He finished with four strikeouts, four walks, and two earned runs on six hits. In the fourth, Alex McColl singled, Tyler Lane walked, and Grant Scudo singled to load the bases for the Hawks. Ian Carter drew a walk to bring in the first run, and two at-bats later, Damien Carter laced a two-out, two-run single to left field to put Milford ahead.

Stoughton, 5 @ Brockton, 3 – Final – Trailing 3-0 after three innings, Stoughton rallied for two in the fourth and three more in the sixth to break into the win column by knocking off the Boxers. With two outs, Sean Farley reached on an error allowing both Jonah Ly and Anthony Tilton (walk) to come home to score to make it a one-run game. The Black Knights added three more runs with two outs in the top of the sixth. Farley again reached on an error as Brad Franey and Tilton came home to score, and three pitches later, Anthony Girlamo hit a single to score Farley for a 5-3 lead. Sophomore Hunter Malkin allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out four in 3.1 innings of work. Tilton was strong in relief, with just two hits and three walks allowed, striking out three in 3.2 scoreless innings.

Softball
Foxboro, 1 @ Silver Lake, 13 – Final

Sharon vs. Duxbury, 2:00

King Philip, 13 @ Milford, 1 – Final (5 inn.) – King Philip scored in each inning, including a five-fun fourth inning to blow it open for a win on the road over Milford. The Warriors had nine hits as a team, including a team-high three hits from Charlotte Raymond, who also had four RBI and three runs scored. KP also showed patience at the plate with eight walks on the day, two apiece from Meg Sherwood (run) and Taylor Regan (run). Sarah Cullen and Caitlyn Sencaj each added an RBI double in the win. Jordan Bennett and Emma Sheehan combined to allow just one run and strike out 11. Sophomore Maddie Burns had an RBI double for the Scarlet Hawks, scoring classmate Sarah Wengal (walk) in the second inning.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 8 @ Ashland, 3 – Final – Sam Carlino led the charge with six goals as Canton went on the road and picked up a win over Ashland. Jeffrey Chaput added two goals while Sean Connolly, Brendan Tourgee, and AJ Thomas recorded an assist. Pat Drury had a big day in net, making 17 saves in the win.

Foxboro, 12 vs. Falmouth, 8 – Final – Foxboro bounced back from a loss in the opening round of the Chowda Cup to take down Falmouth. The Warriors had a balanced attack with Tommy Sharkey (two assists) and Lincoln Moore (assist) leading the way with four goals apiece while Conor Noone scored twice and had one assist, and Jack Avery and Ian Foley both scored once. Adam Addeche made seven saves in net while Finn Stapleton and Matt Grace both played well defensively in front of the cage.

Franklin, 21 vs. Walpole, 6 – Final – After an even first quarter (2-2), Franklin dominated the second with eight goals and never looked back in a win over visiting Walpole. The Panthers will take on St. John’s on Saturday at Lexington. Jayden Consigli led the charge offensively wiht seven goals and two helpers while Jake Davis (five goals, two assists) and Tyler Sacchetti (three goals, four assists) each added seven points in the win.

Mansfield, 0 vs. Norwell, 13 – Final

North Attleboro, 17 @ Silver Lake, 16 – Final (2OT) – Silver Lake scored as time expired in regulation to force the extra period but North Attleboro recovered to get the win in double overtime. Connor Ruppert (four goals, two assists) took a pass from Clayton Billingkoff (two goals, three assists), split a double team and deposited the winner into the back of the net. Brady Backner added a hat trick, Luke Ward scored twice, and Luke Antonetti added one goal for the Rocketeers. JT Gallagher had 12 saves, including some key stops in overtime to keep North alive. Jared Vacher continued to impress from the X, winning 26 of 33 faceoffs.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ Nipmuc, 12 – Final

Girls Lacrosse
King Philip, 8 vs. Medfield, 16 – Final – King Philip trailed by just three at halftime (6-3) but Medfield had a big second half to pull away for the win. Makenzie McDevitt had four goals for the Warriors while Lily Brown added a pair of goals. Head coach Kourtnie Wilder praised the defensive effort for Margo Riley and Sammy Cloutier.

Oliver Ames, 13 vs. Nipmuc, 5 – Final

Richardson, Oliver Ames Take Down Milford

Oliver Ames baseball Jack Richardson
Oliver Ames senior Jack Richardson struck out 10 in a five-inning effort against Milford. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 NORTH EASTON, Mass. — Oliver Ames senior Jack Richardson had strike three called for the final out of the top of the fifth inning and headed to the dugout with five shutout innings under his belt.

But an umpiring mistake on the third strike, which was dropped with runners on first and third, ended up being corrected and it put the batter on first to load the bases instead of the third out.

Oliver Ames baseball

Milford cashed in when sophomore Keith Lee snuck a grounder up the middle to plate two to make it 5-2, and the tying run came to the plate. But Richardson quickly jumped ahead of the next batter and induced a fly ball to left that was hauled in by a sliding Ian Kelly to get the third out, again.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

That was the only damage done by the visiting Scarlet Hawks, as OA junior reliever Andrew Zagami pitched out of a bases-loaded threat an inning later and the Tigers secured a 5-2 win at Frothingham Park.

“We try to do one thing at a time and we focus on what we can control,” said Oliver Ames head coach Joe Abarr. “We don’t let the calls influence us, we ignore what’s going on in the stands, we just focus on the next pitch and try and be as competitive as possible. And I think Jack has bought into that completely. You see it at the plate, he’s unshakable in the box. He’s been a tremendous leader for us at the plate, on the mound, he’s been phenomenal.”

Richardson (5IP, 2R, 0ER, 4H, 2BB, 10K) worked around a leadoff walk (erased by catcher Nathan Carpentier at second) in the first, stranded runners at second and third with a big strikeout in the second, and retired the side in order in the top of the third.

OA left a runner at second in both the first and second innings but finally broke through in the bottom of the third. Nathanial Lewis reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a single from Patrick Finnerty. Lewis came in to score on a single from Ian Kelly, and both Finnerty and Kelly moved up a bag on the throw.

A walk to Jake Waxman loaded the bases and Richardson came through to help his own cause, smacking a single to bring in two runs. Two batters later, Joe Cicchetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Carpentier connected on a two-out single to bring in two more runs for a 5-0 lead.

“I think we’re getting a little more confident at the plate, we had good at-bats both yesterday (at Canton) and today,” Abarr said. “And it’s getting to be contagious too. Now we have a little bit of a gap until our next game next week so we have to keep that mindset rolling until then.”

Oliver Ames baseball

Milford sophomore Anthony LaPierre (6IP, 5ER, 7H 3BB, 4K) bounced back with a strikeout to end the inning, stranding runners at first and second.

LaPierre finished the game strong, only allowing three Tigers to reach in the final three innings. The tall righty sat the home side down in order in the fourth, erased a walk with a 6-3 double play by shortstop Damien Carter to first baseman Evan Cornelius, and ended the inning with a fly ball to center after an infield single from OA’s Jack Muir.

“I thought Anthony LaPierre did a really good job for his first varsity start as a sophomore, before and after that inning really settling down keeping them five to give us an opportunity,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “Obviously we didn’t capitalize on it, but for his first varsity start, I was impressed with that.

“I think we’re seeing some growing pains right now, when we have the opportunity to make a play, we just aren’t making. We were a play or two away from getting out of that inning with two runs instead of five, and then it’s a different game.”

After OA’s big third inning, Cornelius drew a one-out walk but Richardson got all three outs via strikeout.

“I told him that was one of the best high school pitching performances that I’ve seen,” Abarr said. “He had great stuff, he had swing and miss stuff, but he was willing to attack and get those swinging strikes. And he himself made a couple tremendous defensive plays. I give him a tremendous amount of credit and I think the rest of the guys saw what he was doing and bought into it.”

An infield error allowed Ian Carter to reach in the top of the sixth for the Hawks and a passed ball and wild pitch moved him all the way to third. After Tyler Lane drew a walk, the Tigers went to their second reliever of the day in junior Andrew Zagami.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Zagami got the second out with a pop-up to the shortstop Jack Morley but a two-out walk to Grant Scudo loaded the bases for the Hawks, with Scudo representing the tying run at first. Zagami induced a grounder to third and got the force out at the bag to escape any damage.

Zagami closed the game by retiring the side in order in the top of the seventh.

“He fills up the strike zone, that’s his thing,” Abarr said of Zagami. “He’s worked on holding runners and looked pretty good today in that regard. He loves baseball, he wants to get out and throw strikes, work with his catching staff, and he went out there and did exactly what we needed him to do today.”

Oliver Ames baseball (4-1 Hock, 4-1 overall) is off until next Wednesday when it hosts non-league foe Dighton-Rehoboth at Frothingham. Milford (2-2, 2-2) returns home for a date with Mansfield on Friday.

Oliver Ames baseball

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton returns a strong group of players looking to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 5-11
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Steve Dunlea
With a good mix of new faces and experienced veterans, Attleboro is aiming to be in the mix of a loaded Kelley-Rex division. For the Bombardiers, it will lean heavily on a deep pitching staff.

It starts with seniors Billy Saltmarsh, who is committed to UMass Dartmouth, and Cian Kelleher, who is committed to Stonehill. They’ll be joined in the rotation by junior lefty Danny Johnson while senior Jamie Bloch and junior Sean O’Hara lend strength to the relief corps. Sophomore Matt Harvie, sophomore Johnny Pagano, and freshman Tyler Dunlea will also be in the mix to see innings on the mound.

Senior captain Owen Taber (UMass Dartmouth) will be an anchor of the Bombardier defense at second base while juniors Peter DelPozzo and Cooper Johnson, along with Pagano, look to fill in at shortstop as senior captain Evan Houle works his way back from an injury from basketball season. Johnson, DelPozzo, and Dunlea are in the mix for the starting job at third while Bloch (committed to UMaine Farmington) and Christian Dame provide depth at first base.

In the outfield, senior Nate George will cover a lot of ground from his spot in centerfield, and the Bombardiers will rotate between Parket Sacket, Hayden Hagerty, Ben Hochwarter, Danny Johnson, Brody McKenna, and Harvie for the other two outfielder spots. Junior Aidan Hochwarter provides a steady presence both at the dish and behind the plate at catcher.

“The strength of this team is its chemistry,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have a great group of returning players who have really worked hard to build a team bond through the pandemic. I give a lot of credit to the captains from last year and this year. Despite the challenges they faced with COVID, they were able to rebuild the chemistry of the Attleboro baseball program that was lost when the 2020 season was canceled.”

Canton

2021 Record: 8-7
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round
Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton got off to a great start to the 2021 campaign, winning six of their first seven games but ended up with a first-round exit in the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players plus a couple of promising young players, the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the postseason again this season.

The Bulldogs certainly have some holes to fill with the loss of a talented senior class and the departure of ace Andrew Middleton. Fourth-year head coach Ben Shuffain will lean on captains Andy Butler and Matt Chafin to lead the charge this season, along with three-year players Nico Bonanno, Matt Quan, and Zach Peters. Chafin was one of the best offensive players in the league last year, finishing second with a 0.442 average.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Shuffain has a lot of options for pitching, with at least a dozen choices to fill out the rotation and relief corps. Jay Kelleher, Hayden Rose, and Owen Lane will all be in the mix for innings on the mound. Matty Lesser, James Young, Jack Digirolomo, and freshman Kyle Redquest will work the infield while the catching duties will fall to Sean Sullivan and Matt Hart.

“We are a very experienced team with a lot of guys with a lot of innings pitched from last season and wins under their belt,” Shuffain said. “With a few of last year’s backups moving into starting roles and the addition of a few younger guys and the experienced upperclassmen this team should have a good season as they will continue to work hard on the field and in the weight room.”







Foxboro

2021 Record: 5-10
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 3 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro has some of the top returning talents in the league but will look for some of its younger players to provide the depth needed to compete for a division title this season.

Junior captain Sean O’Leary is one of the top arms in the league and has a lot of varsity experience under his belt already. He will be the ace of the staff that will also feature junior Mathieu Sullivan, who made his varsity debut last season, and freshman Nolan Gordon, who has impressed during the preseason. Pitching depth will come from seniors Andrew Peterson, Tom Marcucella, Liam Mulkern, and junior Alex Stern.

Senior captain Tom Marcucella is one of the most experienced players in the league and his versatility gives head coach Derek Suess a lot of options in the infield. Marcucella can play at any of the four infield spots but will spend the majority of his time at first base. Junior Ryan LeClair is back in the mix at shortstop after a breakout season a year ago, sophomore Tyler Prescott is back for his second year with the squad, and freshman Ryan O’Leary offers a solid bat and glove. Senior Kyle Smith and junior Josh Connolly provide solid depth in the infield.

Senior captain and three-sport star Jack Watts will patrol center field for the Warriors and will be flanked by juniors Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo, all three looking to make an impact with their bats this season. When not pitching, Gordon will also be in the mix for some innings in the outfield and sophomore Shane Henri gives Suess another solid option. Mulkern is the starting catcher with freshmen Ben Angelini and Mike Marcucella in the mix as well.

“We have great leadership from our captains and upperclassmen which has set the tone for the rest of our guys,” Suess said. “The underclassmen have bought in and can contribute right away. We must embrace the daunting challenge of playing in the Hock, and compete with confidence to give ourselves the best chance to reach our goals.”

Franklin

2021 Record: 16-2
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Zach Brown
Franklin graduated some of the best players in the league after last season, but the Panthers still have a loaded lineup and a deep and talented pitching staff that could result in a very deep playoff run.

Not many teams could lose one of the best hitters in the league (Nate Cooke, 0.429) and one of the best catchers in the league (Jake Fitzgibbons, 0.353) and still boast one of the best lineups in the league but that’s how deep the Panthers are. Jack Marino, Ben Jarosz, and Chris Goode were all among the league leaders offensively a season ago, and Franklin also has sophomore Henry Digiorgio and junior Eisig Chin back after picking up a year of varsity experience. Junior Ryan Gerety, a Northeastern commit, is one of the best fielders in the region and is very dangerous at the plate.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

And after surrendering a league-low 40 runs last season, Franklin returns its entire rotation. Jacob Jette had a great junior season and will be one of the best pitchers in the Hock while junior Alfred Mucciarone will look to build upon a solid sophomore campaign. Relievers James Kuczmiec and Ethan Voellmicke dominated last season, coming in time after time and shutting opponents down.




King Philip

2021 Record: 8-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
It was a good start for head coach Jeff Plympton as the Warriors won eight games last season and went to the playoffs, bowing out to eventual state champions Xaverian.

King Philip has the majority of its lineup back and will be looking to make some noise in a very competitive Kelley-Rex division. After averaging almost five runs a game last year, the Warriors have some key bats back in the lineup this year. Senior Shawn Legere is a returning league all star that starts at shortstop and is coming off a season in which he hit 0.386 and scored a league-best 16 runs. Rudy Gately had a breakout sophomore season and will be a key bat in the lineup again this year.

Gately will also be a go-to option on the mound for Plympton after going 4-0 last season, striking out 33 in 34.1 innings of work with an impressive 1.03 ERA. Tommy Martorano also gained a lot of experience last year as a sophomore and will give the Warriors a solid 1-2 punch for its starting rotation.

“We have a lot of arms to roll out if we need them which is great,” Plympton said. “Shawn Legere provides great leadership to the team and demands hard work at practice and games. Our fielding should be strong this year but I’m looking forward to watching our offense. Last year we struggled at the plate but this year looks promising. Last season we notched our first playoff win in over a decade and we look to keep those strides moving forward this year.”

Mansfield

2021 Record: 8-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Chris Hall
With a talented and experienced pitching staff and a list of players eager to make a name for themselves at the dish, Mansfield enters the season with the goal of challenging for the Kelley-Rex division title.

The Hornets were young last spring, and a lot of players earned their first varsity starts on the mound and at-bats. Mansfield has the majority of its team back and will be looking to turn that valuable experience into a successful 2022 campaign. They certainly aren’t shying away from testing that talent with defending state champions Xaverian, Maryland powerhouse Archbishop Spalding, and other top teams on its schedule along with a loaded Hock schedule.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Seniors Anthony Sacchetti, Aaron Blinn, Jimmy Gilleran, and Colby Geddis highlight a deep and talented pitching staff for the Hornets. All of those arms got their feet wet during last year’s season and now give head coach Chris Hall a lot of flexibility with his rotation. There won’t be a drop off as the games go on with four solid options.

The big challenge for the Hornets a season ago was offense, scoring a division low 57 runs. With a strong offseason under their belts, there are a lot of names eager to step up and improve that number. Sacchetti, Gilleran, Geddis, and classmates Andrew Slaney and Jared Fraone will try to lead the way while juniors Conner Zukowski, Sam Martin, Caden Colby, Aidan Jones, and Rocco Scarpellini are all in the mix. Sophomores Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak both played varsity last year and could be impact players right away. Behind the dish, Aidan Jones and Wyatt Bolduc are battling for the starting spot at catcher after the Hornets lost senior Liam Anastasia to an injury.

“The keys to success this season rely heavily on every player doing their job,” Hall said. “The Hornets bring a well-rounded roster to the table and expect to compete all season long. Pitching and defense continue to be a strength for the Hornets. Offensively, the Hornets look to use a variety of talent to score runs and win baseball games.”

Milford

2021 Record: 5-9
2021 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Alex Dion
There were some growing pains for the Hawks a season ago with a young squad, but with just five players graduated from a year ago, the Hawks are hoping to be a contender in a deep Kelley-Rex division.

Head coach Alex Dion plans to get contributions from all four classes this season, starting with a strong group of seniors that cover the field. Tyler Lane and Grant Scudo will see time in the outfield, Justin Luchini mans first base, Alex McColl can play in a number of spots in the infield, Cole Forrest is a versatile weapon, and John Denegris is an option on the mound.

The rotation will be anchored by junior Evan Cornelius, junior Tyler Caldon, and sophomore Anthony LaPierre. Cornelius started every game for the Hawks last season and will play at first when he’s not on the mound. Caldon and LaPierre, both right-handed pitchers, are up from the JV squad and have impressed in the early going.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Offensively, sophomore Keith Lee picked up valuable experience after starting nine games as a freshman last season. He will start behind the dish and be one of the most important bats in the lineup. Sophomores Damien Carter and Sean McGee also started last season and will make up Milford’s middle infield.

“I am excited about the potential that this group has,” Dion said. “With strong senior leadership and varsity players in all four grades we have an opportunity to compete this year and for years to come. This is a great league and I have a lot of respect for the other teams in it. It starts on the mound and if we can get quality pitching out of the arms that we have here we have a chance to compete. We will have to win games in a variety of ways and I believe that we have the athletes to do that.”




North Attleboro

2021 Record: 12-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Mike Hart
After splitting the division title a season ago, the Rocketeers enter the 2022 campaign with a chance at winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in 30 years.

Replacing ace Dennis Colleran won’t be easy but North Attleboro has some solid arms on the mound including senior Danny Curran and senior David Floyd, who missed last season. Curran went 2-0 last year and struck out 22 in 23 innings of work with a 3.65 ERA. Head coach Mike Hart also has pitching options in senior Anthony Wescott, and juniors Jordan Paradis, Derek Maceda, and Ayden Delaney.

One of the big reasons the Rocketeers had such success last season was their offense, which scored a Davenport division 110 runs. Maceda was one of the best bats in the league and will patrol the outfield for the Big Red along with Curran, Paradis, and senior Christian Bates. In the infield, Floyd will be joined by classmates Brody Rosenberg, Gavin Wells, and Nik Kojoian, and senior Tyler Bannon will patrol shortstop. Junior Aidan Conrad had a breakout season starting behind the dish a year ago.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“We’re going to look to put a lot of pressure on other teams offensively,” Hart said. “We have many capable pitchers who can provide quality innings. We feel our defense will limit mistakes and not give many runs away. If we want to have a successful season we will need contributions from everybody on the roster on a daily basis. We will rely on our senior leadership and experience to guide us through the season. We need guys to excel in their role and focus on the job at hand.”

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 9-6
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr
After earning a share of the Davenport title last season, the Tigers have the pieces in place to make another run at the division crown this year.

A combination of veterans and new faces eager to make an impression gives head coach Joe Abarr a nice mix to work with. Offensively, the Tigers will look for their senior captains to lead the way. Jake Waxman will play first base and potentially some outfield and is one of the best bats in the Hockomock League while Joe Cicchetti could also see time at first as well as the outfield, and is a strong two-way player. Patrick Finnerty is back in the mix after a strong junior season.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

On the mound, OA has a pair of lefties at the top of the rotation. Nick Clark (3-0, 2.78, 32K) and Jack Richardson (2-2, 2.07, 21K) are both coming off great junior seasons and will give the Tigers a solid 1-2 punch on the mound this year. Richardson will also see time in the outfield and will be a key piece of the lineup offensively.

“We have a good mix of returners and young talented players looking for opportunities to help our team win,” Abarr said. “We are excited for a full ‘normal’ season back in the Hock.”

Sharon

2021 Record: 3-12
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Andrew Poliferno
Sharon enters the season with a roster eager to compete among the Hockomock League’s top teams, but the Eagles will have to do so all on the road this season. With the construction of the new high school currently underway where Sharon’s field was, it will be all road trips for the Eagles this season.

It will start with the 10 seniors on the team, including captains Dan Okstein and Dylan Labbe. Okstein is back after an injury limited his time a year ago and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. He will be the anchor of the outfield, playing mostly in left but could also see time in center. Labbe has a ton of varsity experience and will be the ace of the pitching staff this year. Also on the mound returns sophomore Luke Meixel, one of the league’s breakout players last year as a freshman. junior Alex Coughlin, Ryan Baker, Zach Loomis, Jack Broughton, and Okstein will also be in the mix for innings on the mound.

Offensively, Nate Yaffe is back after a great year at the dish a year ago and will take over at shortstop. Not only is Yaffe consistent with the bat, but he’s also very dangerous on the base paths. Another speedy option at the dish will be Palash Raina and the Eagles are hoping to get key contributions at the plate from Okstein and varsity newcomer Connor Blaney. Liam Conway takes over behind the dish and Will Hippler, Owen Kevorkian, Eli Greenfield, Josh Tolentino, and Jake Loomis are all in the mix for spots in the lineup as well.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“As a second-year varsity coach, I couldn’t be prouder to see how ready our players are to play their 2022 season,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Poliferno. “It is evident our players worked hard during the off-season to prepare to compete in the Hockomock. Our players are gritty, determined, and not afraid to put in the hard work that it takes to improve. In addition to their drive to succeed, the team vibe is positive and players go out of their way to encourage one another. I believe we have the makings of a very talented and passionate group of players ready to make noise for their 2022 season.”

Stoughton

2021 Record: 4-10
2021 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Kevin Carty
There will be a lot of new faces in the Stoughton lineup this season, and that goes for the dugout too as Kevin Carty takes over for Mike Armour, who was the longest-tenured coach in the Hockomock League.

Carty is going to lean heavily on his seniors, who make up over half of the Knights’ roster. There is a lot of versatility among the senior class as well with players like Joe McNulty and Jonah Ly, who could see time in the outfield, the infield, on the mound, and in McNulty’s case, even behind the dish. Brad Franey, Anthony Girolamo, Anthony Tilton, James Price, and Owen Wiesnberger are all seniors that are in the mix for infield spots.

Girolamo, Ly, and Price will be joined by sophomore Will Worsley, junior Jeriel Cuello, junior Sean Farley, junior Joe Rush, and sophomore Hunter Malkin as options on the mound for Carty.

“We have a deep group of seniors that will carry us this year,” Carty said. “These seniors are very athletic and can play anywhere on the field. They have the ability to be great leaders for the younger players. We will go as far as they carry us.”

Taunton

2021 Record: 13-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal
Coach: Blair Bourque
Replacing a league MVP is never an easy task as the Tigers have to do with Danny MacDougall, but Taunton has a lot of depth and a lot of new faces looking to make a name for themselves as they help Taunton challenge for the Kelley-Rex title.

The strength of the 2022 Tigers will be offense and defense. Taunton has already lost some pitchers to injury so it will be a group effort on the mound this season. Coming off a season in which they scored 119 runs (nearly 7 runs a game), the offense will once again be a key component. Dawson Bryce had a breakout year after hitting 0.341 and driving in 12 runs a season ago, and junior Ryan MacDougall is one of the best power hitters in the league.

Seniors Evan Cali, Colby DeCouta, Colin Botelho, and junior Braden Sullivan are all very experienced at the varsity level and head coach Blair Bourque will lean on their leadership this season.

“Unlike in years past, we don’t have any true pitchers; our pitching staff consists of position players who will need to step up and give us an opportunity to compete,” Bourque said.”Offensively, we’ll look to have productive at-bats, be patient, and take advantage of mistakes. We should have one of the more productive offenses Taunton has had in some time. Although we’ll continue to play fundamental baseball, we hope to be able to capitalize when opportunity presents itself.”

2021 HockomockSports Football Awards

2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division MVP

Mack Gulla, Franklin

Kelley-Rex Division All Stars

Chris Leonardo, Attleboro
Kaiden Murray, Attleboro
Jared Arone, Franklin
Shane Kindred, Franklin
Will Tracey, Franklin
Joe Tirrell, Franklin
Hunter Hastings, King Philip
Crawford Cantave, King Philip
Rudy Gately, King Philip
Mark DeGirolamo, Mansfield
Jephte Jean, Mansfield
Trevor Foley, Mansfield
Rocco Scarpellini, Mansfield
Tyler Lane, Milford
Marco Monteiro, Milford
Isaiah Pantalone, Milford
Trent Santos, Taunton

Davenport Division MVP

Dylan Gordon, Foxboro

Davenport Division All Stars

Bahsor Mahn, Canton
Tom Marcucella, Foxboro
Rashaad Way, Foxboro
Dylan Kerrigan, Foxboro
Aidan Hughes, Foxboro
Tom Sharkey, Foxboro
Tyler DeMattio, North Attleboro
Tyler Bannon, North Attleboro
Jared Vacher, North Attleboro
Keysun Wise, North Attleboro
Gavin Wells, North Attleboro
Collin Williamson, Oliver Ames
Jonah Ly, Stoughton
Anthony Girolamo, Stoughton
Emmett Pearl, Stoughton
Shawn Fargher, Stoughton

Honorable Mentions
Isaac Pereira, Attleboro
Colin Albert, Canton
Ryan Addeche, Foxboro
Cullen Pek, Franklin
Nick Viscusi, King Philip
Joseph Forte, Mansfield
Evan Cornelius, Milford
Greg Berthiaume, North Attleboro
Chad Silva, Oliver Ames
Konrad Rogers, Stoughton
Jose Touron, Taunton

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. 2021 Hockomock League Football All Stars

Milford Holds Off Taunton, Wins First Holiday Meeting

Milford Football
Milford senior Tyler Lane (21) break away for a first quarter touchdown, helping the Hawks earn a win in their inaugural Thanksgiving Day game against Taunton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


MILFORD, Mass. – Across the Hockomock League, there are Thanksgiving Day rivalries that stretch back decades. On Thursday morning, the two newest programs in the league squared off in the league’s newest holiday rivalry, kicking it off with a game that went right down to the wire.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Milford (9-3) pulled ahead by two scores in the fourth quarter but then had to hold on in the final minute, watching a deep pass drop incomplete to seal a 34-28 victory over Taunton (5-6) in their inaugural Thanksgiving Day game. It was Milford’s third win in three meetings between the two teams and during the trophy presentation both athletic directors spoke about their hopes that this will develop into a great end-of-season rivalry.

“A great program like Taunton, they’re going to continue to get better and better,” said Milford coach Dale Olson. “Milford had a great Thanksgiving opponent here back in the Mid-Wach days with Shrewsbury, hopefully we can turn that game into this game with Taunton.

Taunton coach Brad Sidwell added, “It’s great. If it’s anything like this one then it’s going to be a little bit of stress on Thanksgiving. It was back-and-forth, back-and-forth.”

Taunton had an extra week to prepare for the game, as the Hawks were playing a state semifinal last Friday, and the Tigers put that extra work into practice on the opening drive. Jacob Leonard ( 20-of-28, 202 yards) threw a perfect strike to Trent Santos (seven catches, 118 yards) for 19 to get to the Milford 37. Three plays later, Leonard’s sneak converted on fourth and inches and then he hooked up with Santos again for 25 yards and a touchdown.

The Hawks looked sluggish at the start, needing an emotional boost after the disappointment of the loss to King Philip. After a halfback pass went incomplete and Nathan LaPlante stuffed a play for a loss of five, Olson called timeout and gave his team a much-needed wakeup call.

“We sensed it. Only having a few days to prepare for a very good Taunton team, there’s a ton of skill on that team and the kids get after it, we knew we were going to have our hands full,” Olson explained.

Evan Cornelius (17-of-24, 154 yards) swung a pass to Tyler Lane for 17 and a first down. A 12-yard pass to Grant Scudo got the ball down to the Taunton 32 and Lane (16 carries, 108 yards) did the rest. The senior running back barreled through the line, breaking tackles, and then broke free in the secondary for a game-tying score.

After forcing a three-and-out, thanks to a sack by Cornelius (who was named Defensive MVP), the Hawks went right back to work. A completion to Jayden Agnew got the ball to the goal line, but then Taunton stuffed back-to-back runs, with Kasaan Jean-Baptiste and Ryan MacDougall combining to drop Lane at the four. On third and goal, Cornelius looked to the right and Faisal Mass tipped, picked off, and returned the pass 97 yards to put the Tigers back in front.

Milford’s offense was still moving the ball well and the Hawks marched right back down the field on the following possession. John Castillo sacked Cornelius for a loss of seven but on third and 17, Cornelius connected with Isaiah Pantalone (seven catches, 56 yards) for 18 and the first. Another third down and long pass hit Scudo for 25 to the one. This time, Cornelius was able to punch it in for the TD and tied it at 14-14.

Pantalone also provided a defensive spark, as his hit forced an Evan Perrotta fumble that was recovered by Alex McColl at the Taunton 41. Lane got an inch more than he needed on fourth and two to keep the drive moving but the Tigers were able to hold and force a field goal. Nicholas Araujo booted a 41-yard kick to make it 17-14.

“We get the deflection and the kid goes back 97 yards and changed the whole outlook on the game,” said Olson, “but I’m thankful we have a sophomore kicker who can kick the ball like that, he’s a huge weapon.”

The Tigers thought they had a chance to take the lead with a two-minute drive. Leonard scrambled for 21 yards on two plays to get to the Milford 22. On third and three from the 15, Leonard hit Jose Touron for 10 yards to the five and the Tigers scrambled to spike the ball and stop the clock with six seconds left. Sidwell was adamant the clock should’ve stopped seven seconds earlier on the first down and given Taunton two shots at the end zone. Instead, the Tigers got one and Scudo tackled Troy Santos a couple yards short as time expired.

Sidwell said, “The clock should stop on a first down, which it didn’t. I thought there were 12 seconds left, there were six. It was bad. It was awful. We had a timeout in our pocket to save. I’m very frustrated by the way that happened.”

Things went from back to worse at the start of the second half. Milford was forced to punt, but the ball appeared to bounce up off the leg of Nathan Keenan and was recovered by Eric Landry at the 32. On third and goal from the three, Cornelius was able to power into the end zone over the right side of the line for a 24-14 edge.

A three-and-out gave Milford the ball back with a chance to make things comfortable heading into the fourth quarter, but Taunton’s defense held again, stopping the Hawks at the 28. Araujo made sure that Milford got at least three points with a 45-yard field goal.

The visitors needed a break and Trent Santos gave them some momentum with a 31-yard return out to the 48. Two plays later, Santos was able to get separation on the near sideline and pulled in a 46-yard touchdown that cut the lead to six with 12 minutes to go.

Araujo was unable to hit from 51 yards, which gave Taunton the ball at its own 20. Leonard scrambled away from pressure but then attempted an underhand pass that Scudo was able to pick off and give the Hawks the ball at the 23. Pantalone followed the block of Marco Monteiro on a sweep, scoring from 10 yards out and seemingly putting the game away.

It only appeared to be over, as Taunton roared back into the game with a huge drive. Leonard moved the chains with a 13-yard scramble and then hit Santos for 16 yards to the Milford 31. On the next play, he threw a strike to Touron, who had gotten behind the secondary. Keenan’s extra point cut the lead to six.

“Our kids fight hard all the time,” Sidwell said. “It is hard on a younger quarterback when you have to throw it and they know it. He gave us a chance to win there at the end.”

The onside kick attempt was recovered at the Taunton 48 and the Tigers had one last chance. On third and two, Cornelius and Angelo Romero combined on a sack to force fourth and nine from the Taunton side of the 50. Leonard bought time in the pocket and looked deep for Santos, who beat his man, but the throw was a yard too far and Milford took home the win.

“That’s kind of been our M.O.,” said Olson. “We haven’t done anything easy over these past two seasons. We’ve played in a lot of tight games.

“When the kids needed to dig in, they dug in today. It’s been a great ride these last two years and to finish 9-3 the future is bright here in Milford.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/25/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
North Attleboro, 14 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 45-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Adrian Rivera 5-yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 8-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.

Canton, 14 @ Stoughton, 47 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (S) Jarred Daughtry 6-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, Jonah Ly XP good; Bahsor Mahn 70-yard rush, Hayden Rose XP good; (S) J. Ly 10-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Brady Clark 40-yard pass to Emmett Pearl, J. Ly XP good; (S) B. Clark 30-yard pass to E. Pearl, J. Ly XP good.; (S) Tyler Noel 2-yard fumble recovery, J. Ly XP good.; (C) Owen Lane rush, H. Rose XP good;
3rd Quarter: (S) Anthony Girolamo 12-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) E. Pearl 50-yard interception return.

Foxboro, 21 @ Mansfield, 35 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 16-yard pass to Ryan DeGirolamo, James Gilleran XP good; (F) Sam Carpenter 29-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (F) S. Carpenter 43-yard field goal; (M) Drew Sacco 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (F) Dylan Gordon 15-yard rush, D. Gordon 2-point conversion rush.
3rd Quarter: (M) Rocco Scarpellini 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Zukowski 1-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Zukowski 8-yard pass to R. DeGirolamo, J. Gilleran XP good; (F) Tom Marcucella 73-yard pass to Rashaad Way, S. Carpenter XP good.

King Philip, 20 @ Franklin, 27 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 5-yard pass to Drew Danson, Matthew Kelley XP good; (KP) C. Grant 1-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (F) Jared Arone 85-yard pass to Shane Kindred, XP blocked.
2nd Quarter: (F) J. Arone 17-yard pass to S. Kindred, Garrett Portesi XP good; (F) J. Arone 37-yard pass to S. Kindred, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Crawford Cantave 6-yard rush, 2pt pass failed; (F) Mack Gulla 5-yard rush, J. Arone 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Taunton, 28 @ Milford, 34 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (T) Jacob Leonard 25-yard pass to Trent Santos, Nathan Keenan XP good; (M) Tyler Lane 32-yard rush, Nicholas Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Faisal Mass 97-yard interception return, N. Keenan XP good; (M) Evan Cornelius 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 41-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (M) E. Cornelius 3-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 45-yard field goal; (T) J. Leonard 46-yard pass to T. Santos, N. Keenan XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Isaiah Pantalone 10-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 31-yard pass to Jose Touron, N. Keenan XP good.

Sharon, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 34 – Final

Second Half Comeback Sends KP Back to Gillette

King Philip football Rudy Gately
King Philip junior running back Rudy Gately escapes a handful fo Milford defenders in the second half at Marciano Stadium. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com
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BROCKTON, Mass. – King Philip has been in these type of games before. Despite trailing by two points going into halftime of Friday night’s Div. 2 state semifinal at Brockton’s Marciano Stadium, the Warriors remained confident that they could turn things around.

In the third quarter, KP ran 20 plays to Milford’s one. The Warriors ate up more than nine minutes off the clock on a 16-play, go-ahead drive to start the half, forced a turnover, and then ran another 10 plays and used up more than four minutes to extend the lead. Before the Hawks had a chance to find their footing after the break, KP had taken control of the game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors scored 17 unanswered in the second half, turning a two-point deficit into a 31-16 victory that sends KP to Gillette Stadium for the fourth time in the past six years (or four out of the past five seasons where a state title was up for grabs).

“We knew we weren’t getting that good of a push up front and we wanted to come out there and we wanted to set the tone for the second half,” said senior lineman Hunter Hastings about turning things around out of halftime. “We knew we had to do it on the first drive, so we came out there and we pounded the ball and we took up time and scored the ball, doesn’t get better than that.”

He added, “Coach Lee tells us what we need to do and he knows we’re going to be in these situations and he knows we’ve got to fight through the adversity and that’s what we do at KP.”

Milford came out with a hurry-up offense, trying to get the KP defense on its heels and slow down the pass rush. It worked on the opening drive, as the Hawks marched right down field, going 70 yards on 13 plays, and taking the lead. The big play was a 30-yard pass to the sideline from Evan Cornelius to Jayden Agnew to convert on third and long. Cornelius would finish off the drive with a 4-yard keeper.

“We wanted to go hurry-up early, but we just don’t have the numbers to sustain that for a whole game,” Milford coach Dale Olson said. “Tried to limit their blitz package and had a great first drive.”

The lead lasted all of 19 seconds. Although Milford is known more for the big-play offense, KP hit paydirt on its first play from scrimmage. An end around to Crawford Cantave caught the Hawks over-pursuing and the senior raced up the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown that quickly tied the game.

“You get knocked down, you’ve got to get up, you’ve got to have a response,” Lee explained. “Craw gets us right back in so we get a fresh start. I told them, let’s get through it, eventually the pace will slow, things will get down, and we’ll get back on schedule.”

Olson said, “Give them props, that’s a new formation we saw last week and they ran the double handoff. Our team’s chasing the first handoff and they give it to the kid going the other way and we haven’t seen it on film. It was a great call on their part.”

Isaiah Pantalone, who was held to one catch, broke a 54-yard return on the ensuing kick and the Hawks were back in business, starting at the KP 36. After a false start brought up first and 15 at the 30, Cornelius hit Nick Schuler for 13 yards. Tyler Lane (15 carries, 119 yards) got two to bring up fourth and one. The Hawks lined up to go for it but a false start backed them up, so the field goal unit came out. Another false start made it a 43-yard kick, which KP blocked.

On the final possession of the first quarter, KP struck again. Charlie Grant (4-of-9, 38 yards) converted a third and long with a 12-yard pass over the middle to Danny Clancy. On third and two from the Milford 49, Rudy Gately (22 carries, 134 yards) found a little seam between the right guard and tackle and burst through it, breaking away for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

Milford again got into KP territory on its next drive. Lane had the big play with a 43-yard rush down to the 32, but that’s where the possession stalled. Sean King blocked a fourth down pass to get the ball back, but the Warriors went three-and-out and punted. With the short field, Milford was able to tack on three points. A nice play by Cantave and William Astorino on third down forced the Hawks to settle for a 32-yard kick by Nicholas Araujo.

The biggest play of the half came on KP’s next possession. Milford brought a big rush to try and block Grant’s rugby-style punt. Lane got through for the block, scooped up the loose ball, and took it the distance. He appeared to be tackled at about the five, but somehow managed to stay on his feet and find the end zone. Although a low snap led to a missed extra point, Milford regained the lead going into the break, 16-14.

KP came out intent on grinding down the Milford defense. Nathan Kearney converted on third and one, then Grant hit Clancy for eight yards to convert on third and eight. Gately converted back-to-back third downs, as KP just kept pounding the ball up the middle and moving the chains.

The Hawks were able to get stops inside the 30 and force the Warriors to settle for a 38-yard Matthew Kelley field goal, but KP had used up 9:19 off the clock, ran 16 plays, regained the lead, and stolen all of the energy from the opposite sideline. Milford tried to take a shot on the first play of its first possession, but Crawford was able to go up and intercept a pass to Pantalone and get KP the ball back at the Hawks 42.

“We ran one play in the third quarter and it’s a 50-50 ball that goes through Isaiah’s hands into one of their best player’s hands,” Olson said. “Usually Isaiah makes that play and it’s a big play down the sideline, but that’s the game of football.”

Four plays later, the third quarter came to a close. Milford had run one play in 12 minutes. After Grant found Cantave in the flat to convert third and five, Gately got four straight carries down to the 10. On third and six, Grant looked for Clancy in the end zone. The pass fell incomplete but the officials called defensive holding, which gave KP another chance. Now, on third and one from the five, Gately got the call, spun out of a tackle in the backfield, and scored for the second time.

“Rudy doesn’t look like your typical pound back but he finds a way to make things happen when he gets the ball in his hands,” said Lee. “Craw was able to do it and the offensive line had a response. We made some big pass plays. We made plays.”

A short punt on Milford’s next possession meant that the Warriors got the ball back near midfield and they went right back to grinding out first downs. Facing third and nine from the 14, Gately somehow managed to keep his feet moving, breaking tackles in the backfield again, and moving the pile down to the five for a first and goal. Two plays later, Cantave punched it in from the three for a 31-16 lead.

Thomas Brewster broke up a pass play on the sideline and Jake Sullivan sacked Cornelius (8-of-20, 63 yards), not allowing Milford to put together a drive to try and cut into the lead in the final two minutes.

When asked how it feels to be heading back to a state title game, Hastings replied, “It’s never felt better. We come to play every week. We don’t care who we’re against.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Olson remarked, “I’m proud of my kids. We’re still trying to build this and for us to be in this game is huge for this program.”
This will be the fifth Div. 2 (2016 was D1A) Super Bowl in a row, and eighth in the last 11 years, that has featured either King Philip or Mansfield. Only two times in the past 11 years, 2014 and 2015, has the Hock not had at least one team reach a Super Bowl.

King Philip (9-1) will face Franklin on Thanksgiving Day to decide the Kelley-Rex division title and then will await the winner of No. 1 Catholic Memorial and No. 4 Marshfield in the Super Bow. Milford (8-3) will face Taunton in the first Thanksgiving Day matchup between the two programs.

“It feels awesome,” Lee said about heading back to Gillette. He added with a laugh, “I love that we have a humungous Thanksgiving Day game against, you know, the third best team in the state before. We can’t enjoy it for long.”

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/19/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Division 2 State Semifinal
#3 King Philip, 31 vs. #2 Milford, 16 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: (M) Evan Cornelius 4-yard rush, Nicholas Araujo XP good; (KP) Crawford Cantave 70-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good; (KP) Rudy Gately 49-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) N. Araujo 38-yard field goal; (M) Tyler Lane 33-yard block punt return, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) M. Kelley 38-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: (KP) R. Gately 5-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) C. Cantave 3-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.