King Philip sophomore Brandon Nicastro goes up for a layup against North Attleboro senior Givany Carney in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
WRENTHAM, Mass. — King Philip came out and landed a haymaker against North Attleboro, but the Rocketeers refused to go do without a fight.
The Warriors jumped out to a 17-point lead less than six minutes into the game but had to hold off a handful of comeback attempts from the visiting Rocketeers to eventually secure a 60-50 win on Friday night.
Senior Tommy Martorano hit a trio of three-pointers and scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the opening frame, Tommy Kilroy (10 points, nine rebounds, three assists) tossed in another three for the Warriors, and the hosts turned a quick 11-0 lead into a 19-2 advantage after a transition bucket from Trevor Clyde.
While it wasn’t much in the grand scheme of the game, North Attleboro closed the first with a quick 7-0 burst and that would be a sign of things to come as the Rocketeers continually scratched and clawed their way back into the game.
“Any good team in this league, they are going to come back,” said King Philip head coach Dave DeStefano. “It’s a game of runs and it’s about how you respond. We knew they would and they did a good job making us uncomfortable with their pressure, we struggled against it for long stretches and I thought that carried over into our defense and our intensity.
“I’m happy the boys were able to roll with the punches and find a way to get through it, and that’s what they were able to do tonight.”
The lead ballooned back to 17 in the third quarter (36-19) after Grant Kinney (12 points, six rebounds, three assists) cashed in on a North turnover with a layup and Tommy McLeish (three points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks) scored in the post. But once again, there was no quit in North Attleboro as they responded with a 15-3 run over the final five minutes of the quarter. Sophomore Chase Frisoli (career-high 16 points, four rebounds) hit a pair of threes and Jonnie Obuchowski (10 rebounds, four assists) added one after an offensive rebound from Ryan Bannon. Frisoli sank another triple after Obuchowski crashed the offensive glass and then beat the shot clock with a mid-range jumper. A free throw from Givany Carney (team-high 17 points) trimmed the once-double-digit advantage down to just five, 39-34, with under a minute to play in the third.
“That’s where the frustration stems from because it’s not our first rodeo at this point,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins about having to overcome the early deficit. “We’ve had too many instances where we aren’t ready to play or not ready to execute part of the gameplan. We put ourselves in holes, and to come back was good. I’m proud of them for that, it speaks to their character and their mental toughness, but sooner than later we have to learn it because we’re making it too difficult for ourselves.”
As the game continued to play out, the Warriors got the shot they needed to answer as Kinney buried a corner three with just seconds left for a 42-34 lead going into the fourth.
KP kept the momentum to start the fourth, landing yet another heavy punch that could have put North away. Martorano (four rebounds) sank another three and then found Clyde out in transition for two more to give the Warriors a comfortable 47-34 lead.
Jack Munley cut to the rim for two for an immediate response from the Big Red, Frisoli attacked the rim for two more, and Munley found Carney for a three on the next trip to get within two possessions at 47-41.
“I thought we were stagnant offensively, credit to KP because their defense was good,” Mulkerrins said. “They got in the paint a lot better than we might have expected and took away some of our drives. I thought the press just freed us up a little bit. We were pressing on offense because we were playing so poorly on defense. I think once they saw the ball go in, they relax a little bit and were able to play a little bit.
“And we had some guys come off the bench play well. I thought our senior captain Jack Munley came in and had the best game he’s had, not to say he hasn’t played well before but he wasn’t getting a lot of rotational minutes and tonight he was an instant spark for us.”
North nearly got closer but KP got a couple of stops and Kilroy snatched an offensive rebound and found Martorano for a much-needed three for KP. A baseline jumper from Kinney was true and once again the Warriors had a double-digit lead with just 2:33 to go.
Derek Maceda answered for North with a strong take and a KP turnover resulted in a layup for Frisoli. North Attleboro, which used a press for the majority of the game, forced another turnover and Obuchowski dished one to Carney in the corner for three, and suddenly the Rocketeers were within four — the closest they had been since the first minute of the game — with just 1:33 to play.
But before North could get established defensively, KP senior Will Laplante (11 points, seven rebounds, three assists) sprinted up the court and found a gap in the middle, dropping in a floater for two. Martorano helped force a turnover and Laplante punished the visitors with a triple with a minute to go, pushing the lead to 57-48, which proved to be the final punch the Warriors needed.
“That was a big five points that Will had in the last couple of minutes. We had some guys hit some big shots when we needed it, and that’s what makes teams great when they can respond in those situations and they did a good job of that tonight.
“We’re still learning to play with the lead. It’s a work in progress and we’re still learning but it’s only the halfway point so we’re getting there.”
North’s 7-0 surge to end the first turned into a 14-3 run overall as the Rocketeers carried some momentum into the second to make it a six-point game. But as they would do the rest of the way, the Warriors responded when they had to as Laplante, Kilroy, and Martorano scored to give KP a double-digit lead, 31-19, going into the half.
King Philip boys basketball (5-3 Hockomock, 7-4 overall) hits the road for a visit to Canton on Tuesday while North Attleboro (0-8, 0-9) will visit Foxboro.
Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 42 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Foxboro hit a three with six minutes to go to create an eight point lead but Attleboro closed out the game on 16-2 run to snag the win. Michael Beverly (nine points) hit a tough layup and Connor Houle followed with a three-pointer. Spencer Sherck’s lone field goal of the game was a big one as he sank a triple to bring the Bombardiers even at 40-40, and after another defensive stop, Beverly hit a contested elbow jumper to put Attleboro ahead. Following a Foxboro miss, Hayden Crowley used a pump fake to buy some space and rattled home a three to make it 45-40 with three minutes to go. Foxboro’s Alex Penders (22 points) turned a turnover into a layup to make it a one-possession game, but the Warriors couldn’t crack Attleboro’s defense again. Jaiden Outland (15 points) beat the shot clock with a mid-range jumper with just 20 seconds left in the game to push it to 47-42. Foxboro led 13-12 after a quarter before Attleboro rallied for a 27-22 halftime lead. The Warriors held the hosts to just two points in the third to take a 34-29 lead into the fourth.
Canton, 52 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – The Bulldogs battled hard on the road and kept pace with top-ranked Franklin but the Panthers ultimately hung on for a hard-fought win. Canton came to play from the jump, building a 14-12 lead after a quarter but Franklin fought back in the second including five points from sophomore Caden Sullivan, who was making his season debut. Junior Sean O’Leary got it going in the second half for the Panthers, scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points after the break. Carrying a 39-35 lead into the fourth, Bradley Herndon and Justin Allen hit key threes to keep Franklin ahead. Ben Harvey added 10 points for Franklin. Jamaal McConnell had a team-high 15 points for the Bulldogs, Zaza Francoeur added 13 points, and Matt Chafin finished with 10 points.
Sharon, 76 @ King Philip, 68 – Final – King Philip cut the deficit down to three in the fourth quarter but Sharon never surrendered its lead and picked up an important win on the road. KP had a lead after the first quarter (17-14) and at halftime (34-33) but the Eagles pulled ahead in the third. Dante James scored nine of his 16 points in the third and Nate Katznelson added eight of his 21 points in the frame as Sharon swapped a one-point halftime deficit into a 56-50 lead going into the fourth. Tyler Goodman scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth and the Eagles went 8-for-9 from the line (15-for-18 for the game) to keep the lead. Jacob McLoughlin added 14 points for the visitors and Matt Baur chipped in with 12 points. Will Laplante went 11-for-14 from the free throw line and finished with a team-high 19 points, Tommy Martorano added 14 points, and Grant Kinney chipped in with 13 points.
Mansfield, 71 @ Milford, 52 – Final – Mansfield set the tone with a 21-point first quarter and increased its lead throughout the next three quarters to land a road win at Milford. The Hornets created a six-point lead after one (21-15) and extended it by double digits at halftime (33-23). Mansfield finished with 13 three-pointers and had five players score in double figures. Caden Colby hit four of those threes and had a team-high 14 points along with four boards and three assists while Eddie McCoy (12 points, nine assists, three steals), Davon Sanders (11 points, four assists), Chris Hill (11 points, six rebounds) and JT Veiking (10 points) each connected on two threes.
Oliver Ames, 38 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – North Attleboro opened the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run to get within a point but a big three from OA sophomore Cole Craffey (13 points) with just over two minutes left kept the Tigers ahead for good. Givany Carney scored six of his 11 points in the fourth, Jonnie Obuchkowski hit a three, and both Ryan Bannon and Derek Maceda chipped in with two points as the Rocketeers closed a 29-17 deficit at the start of the final quarter down to 31-30. Craffey’s three restored a two-possession lead for the Tigers. Craffey hit two free throws with a minute to go to extend the lead to 36-30. Freshman Soren Lolonga led OA with 14 points.
Stoughton, 46 @ Taunton, 81 – Final – Taunton built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and then dominated the second half to run away with a 81-46 win over visiting Stoughton. After a 21-point first quarter, Taunton established a 36-25 lead at halftime. The Tigers kept the pressure on in the third with 21 more points but turned up their aggressiveness on defense, forcing five turnovers and holding the Knights to a total of seven points to extend the advantage to 57-32, ending the frame with a 9-0 surge. Freshman Jakari Innocent had a strong game on both ends, finishing with a team-high 18 pooints, 10 rebounds, six steals, three assists, and two blocks. Chris Perault (17 points), Alivensky Morriseau (13 points, five rebounds), and Chris Volcy (12 points, 15 rebounds, three steals) all finished in double-digits for Taunton while Troy Santos chipped in with nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals. Stoughton senior Jayden Costa-Haywood scored the Knights’ first 21 points and finished with a game-high 26 points.
Franklin, 47 @ Canton, 41 – Final – Franklin avoided a big upset on Tuesday and moved into a first-place tie with Attleboro ahead of Friday’s showdown. Canton jumped out to a 14-9 lead after one. Mercia Kolokithas buried a pair of threes and Emily McCabe had one in the first to help the Bulldogs grab the early advantage. The Panthers were able to cut the deficit to one before halftime, but managed only 18 points in the opening 16 minutes. Franklin would grab a one-point lead in the third. Katie Peterson scored six of Franklin’s 12 points to make it 30-29 going to the fourth. In the final eight minutes, Franklin’s offense finally clicked and the Panthers scored 17 points. Peterson added four more, finishing with a team-high 17, and Chloe Fales added five of her 10 points. Samya DaSilva scored four of her five points in the fourth to help keep Canton close. The Bulldogs finished with eight three-pointers as a team. Kolokithas made five of them and she scored a team-high 17. Emily McCabe chipped in with seven points. Bridget Leo added seven for the Panthers.
King Philip, 48 @ Sharon, 38 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 17 points for the Eagles and Eva Poulton added 10.
Milford, 30 @ Mansfield, 56 – Final – The Hornets got off to a slow start offensively, but a 16-2 second quarter helped Mansfield open up a double-digit lead at halftime. Abby Wager was the top scorer for the Hornets with 15 points, including six in the third quarter as Mansfield broke the game open. Kara Santos added 14 points, scoring six of Mansfield’s 10 in the first and six of the 13 in the fourth. Rose Maher and Bridget Hanley each chipped in with five points apiece. Milford was led by Aliza Syed, who scored 10 points and knocked down a pair of threes. Erin Michelson scored five in the loss.
North Attleboro, 32 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – OA won back-to-back games for the first time this season, scoring 20 points in the first quarter to grab a lead that it never relinquished. Kaydance Derba (eight rebounds) scored eight points in the first, with Avery Gamble (10 rebounds and five steals) and Sarah Hilliard adding six apiece for the Tigers. Leading 31-16 at the break, the Tigers came out of the locker room intent on putting the game away. OA scored 23 points in the third, with Gamble scoring 12 of her game-high 18 and fellow freshman Kamryn Derba (five assists) scoring nine of her 11 in the quarter. The Derba sisters each scored 11 points and each nailed a trio of three-pointers. Hilliard would finish up with 10 points. Annie Reilly came off the bench to give the Tigers a spark on the defensive end, grabbing six boards and four steals. North battled to the end, holding OA to only six points in the fourth. Ava McKeon (six points) returned from injury to give North a spark on both ends of the floor. Sam Sweeney added eight points for the visitors.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Taunton, 64 – Final – Attleboro cut the deficit down to four with just over a minute to play but Taunton closed the game strong for the win. The Tigers jumped out to a lead with 22 points in the opening quarter, carrying a similar advantage into halftime (39-28) and into the fourth quarter (47-39). Attleboro’s Hayden Crowley scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, Michael Beverly had seven points in the second half, and Jaiden Outland added 10 of his 16 in the second half to get the Bombardiers within four, 58-54, with 1:16 to play but Taunton closed it out. Junior Troy Santos paced Taunton with a team-high 24 points, Chris Volcy added 14 points, Tyson Carter chipped in with 13 points, and freshman Jakari Innocent finished with 11 points.
Franklin, 72 @ North Attleboro, 59 – Final – Locked in a one-point game just over a minute into the fourth quarter, Franklin ran away with a win behind a strong final six minutes. North Attleboro sophomore Jonnie Obuchkowski scored a layup with 6:20 to play, bringing the Rocketeers within a point at 55-54 but Franklin senior Justin Allen (10 points) answered with a deep three and the Panthers outscored the hosts 14-5 the rest of the way. Bradley Herndon, who scored a career-high 20 points, hit a free throw and scored off an offensive rebound and Sean O’Leary converted a putback as the Panthers pushed the lead to 63-54 with 4:43 to play. Franklin forced a pair of turnovers, including a steal from Allen, that both led to transition layups for Herndon to help pull away. O’Leary carried Franklin through the first three quarters, finishing with a game-high 28 points. North Attleboro had a balanced scoring attack, led by senior Givany Carney with 13 points. Obuchowski finished with 11 points while sophomore Chase Frisoli added 10 points.
King Philip, 61 @ Milford, 55 – Final – King Philip fell behind by double-digits going into the fourth quarter but dominated the final eight minutes to pull out a comeback win on the road at Milford. The Scarlet Hawks held a one-point lead after the first quarter (20-19) but the Warriors won the second frame by a point, sending the teams into the locker room at halftime tied 34-34. Milford’s offense continued in the third with 15 points while the Warriors went cold, netting just five points, as the Scarlet Hawks staked a 49-39 edge going into the fourth. In the fourth, KP erupted for 22 points, their best offensive quarter, while the Hawks went cold from the field. Tommy Martorano scored 10 of his 12 points in the final frame while Grant Kinney, Tommy Kilroy, and Brandon Nicastro (10 points) also contributed to the big fourth. Will Laplante also had five points in the fourth but really shined in the first half, scoring 19 of his game-high 27 points in the opening half. Luca Testa led Milford with 16 points and Gus Coutinho added 10 points.
Sharon, 64 @ Mansfield, 60 – Final – Sharon used a balanced offense and a physical defensive effort to secure one of its biggest wins in recent history, knocking off Mansfield for the first time since 2008. Jacob McLoughlin led the charge with 19 points, Nate Katznelson added 18 points, and Dante James finished with 16 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Tyler Goodman, James, and McLoughlin all hit from downtown in the second quarter to help the Eagles establish a 31-26 halftime lead. McLoughlin (9), James (3), and Katznelson (6) accounted for all of Sharon’s points in the third as the lead increased to 49-41 going into the fourth. Mansfield battled back, including a deep three from JT Veiking with 12 seconds left to make it a two-point game. Matt Baur hit two free throws for his only points of the game and the Eagles stole the ensuing inbounds pass to seal the win. Veiking and Trevor Foley each scored 13 points to lead the Hornets while Chris Hill chipped in with 12 points.
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Canton, 31 – Final – With four players in double digits and dominant second and third quarters, OA snapped a five-game losing streak and earned its second win of the season. The Tigers led 10-8 after one, but scored 20 points in each of the second and third quarters, while holding the Bulldogs to single digits in each quarter. Freshman Avery Gamble was OA’s top scorer with 16 points, as well as six rebounds and four steals. Freshman Kamryn Derba and juniors Sarah Hilliard and Kaydance Derba each finished with a dozen points for the Tigers. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 18, including all nine of Canton’s second quarter points. Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe each scored three for the Bulldogs.
Stoughton, 27 @ Foxboro, 77 – Final – Foxboro dominated for the third straight game, remaining unbeaten in league play this season and keeping hold of its lead in the Davenport division. Addie Ruter continued her strong sophomore season with a game-high 22 points. Camryn Collins added 17 and Kailey Sullivan also finished in double digits with 14. Stoughton was led by Raina Tat’s seven points, while Leah McCarty scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds.
North Attleboro, 17 @ Franklin, 64 – Final – Franklin’s defensive pressure shut down North to secure a win that keeps the Panthers within one of league leader Attleboro. The Panthers held the Rocketeers to six points in the first quarter, 15 for the half, and then clamped down even further after the break. North was held to a single basket in the second half, a fourth quarter bucket for Maryellen Charette. After doubling up the Rocketeers in the first half, 30-15, a 24-0 third quarter broke the game wide open. Katie Peterson led 11 Franklin scorers with 11 points. Chloe Fales and Bridget Leo each added nine points and Lizzie Newman chipped in with eight. Sam Faria and Katie Corsetti were North’s top scorers with six points apiece.
Milford, 32 @ King Philip, 44 – Final – KP bounced back from a tough loss to Foxboro by putting together a strong defensive performance and pulling out a win against Milford. The game was close after one quarter, with Emily Croteau scoring nine of Milford’s 12 points to keep the Hawks within two. Croteau finished with a team-high 14. Emily Sawyer added six points in the first and five in the second, on her way to a game-high 15, putting the Warriors up 29-21 at the break. Kylie Watson buried a pair of threes in the first half to help KP build its lead. The second half was all about defense. KP held Milford to only a single point in the third quarter, a free throw by Brooke Ferreira, but only managed six points of its own, half of them by Maddie Paschke (who finished with 11). The Hawks were able to score 10 points in the fourth, but only outscored the hosts by one, as KP held on for the win.
Mansfield, 68 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Mansfield came flying out of the gates, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and 38 in the opening half to build a lead it wouldn’t relinquish and secure a fourth straight victory. Abby Wager scored a team-high 22 and she combined with Kara Santos to score 13 of the team’s 21 in the first. Santos finished with nine points, as did Bridget Hanley. Mansfield also got seven points apiece from Rose Maher and Olivia Salisbury in a strong team performance. Sharon tried to rally in the second half, scoring 34 points as a team, but only cutting four points off Mansfield’s halftime advantage. Jasmine Davis continues to be one of the league’s top scorers, finishing with 27 points and also grabbing 19 boards and blocking two shots. She scored 19 in the second half and went 15-of-17 from the line. Eva Poulton added 10 points for the Eagles.
Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final
Boys Swimming
Taunton, 43 @ Attleboro, 83 – Final
Foxboro, 55 @ Sharon, 92 – Final
Franklin @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Girls Swimming
Taunton, 73 @ Attleboro, 94 – Final
Foxboro, 84 @ Sharon, 68 – Final
Franklin @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Gymnastics
Franklin, 133.65 @ King Philip, 138.00 – Final
Oliver Ames @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 33 vs. Randolph, 41 – Final – Canton made a run to start the fourth quarter but Randolph never surrendered the lead and held on to win the inaugural Derrick Snowden Memorial Holiday championship. The Blue Devils carried a 35-29 lead into the fourth quarter but buckets from Matt Chafin and Zaza Francoeur pulled the Bulldogs within two points. However, the offense went cold and Randolph added just enough insurance to get the win. Chafin finished with a team-high 10 points while Francoeur had eight points.
Milford, 71 vs. Uxbridge, 49 – Final – Milford scored 15 points or more in all four quarters, pulling away for good with a 21-point fourth quarter in the championship game of the Scarlet Hawk Holiday Invitational. Sophomore Andrew Rivera scored a season-high 22 points, hitting a trio of three-pointers, to pace the Milford offense. Luca Testa had his second straight big game offensively with 18 points and freshman CJ Farrell scored all 11 of his points in the first three quarters.
North Attleboro, 45 @ East Bridgewater, 48 – Final – North Attleboro rallied at the end of the third to build an eight-point lead but East Bridgewater closed out the final five minutes of the game with a 15-4 run to get the win. The Rocketeers trailed 26-22 in the third but rallied for a 13-1 run over the final 2:30 to flip a four point deficit to an eight-point lead. Chris Hanewich scored all nine of his points in the third, seven of which came in the run. His three started it and a layup at the buzzer ended it with Jonnie Obuchowski (12 points) adding four points and Ryan Bannon adding two more. Obuchowski and Chase Frisoli hit back-to-back threes early in the fourth to keep North ahead by eight but East Bridgewater chipped away and cashed in on a turnover with less than a minute to go for the winning three-pointer. Ayden Delaney scored a team-high 14 points for North
Taunton, 73 @ Durfee, 76 – Final – Taunton rallied multiple times throughout the game to get close to Durfee but the Tigers were never quite able to erase a first half 14-point deficit against the Hilltoppers. Durfee jumped out to a 19-9 after a quarter, led by as much as 14 points (23-9), and carried a 35-29 lead into halftime. Durfee exploded for 24 points in the third quarter and led 57-44 going into the fourth. Troy Santos scored 23 of his team-high 28 points in the second half, including five points in the final minute as the Tigers fought all the way back to get within one possession. With under a minute to go, Santos had a traditional three-point play, freshman Jakari Innoncent sank two free throws, Santos added two more free throws, and after a steal with 10 seconds left, Tyson Carter banked in a three to make it 76-73. Durfee inbounded the ball but with just 0.9 seconds left, the Tigers got the foul. Durfee missed both free throws but there wasn’t enough time to get a full court short off on the rebound. Innocent scored a career-high 16 points and senior Chris Perault added 15 points.
King Philip, 74 @ Framingham, 66 – Final – King Philip led by as much as 20 points in the second half and locked in defensively in the fourth when Framingham cut it to three, earning a win in the championship game of the Framingham Holiday Hoopla tournament. Senior Will Laplante had his second straight big game offensively, pouring in a team-high 26 points to earn tournament MVP honors. Laplante scored 11 points in the opening quarter to give KP the lead after one (18-16) while sophomore Tommy Kilroy sank half of his six three-pointers in the second quarter on his way to a career-high 21 points. Kilroy was named to the all-tournament team. Laplante added 10 more in the third, Kilroy tossed in another triple, and Tommy Martorano (15 points) had eight points in the third as KP’s lead ballooned to 20 points. The Flyers fought back to cut the deficit to three but KP forced eight fourth quarter turnovers to hold on.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 52 @ Wachusett, 61 – Final – Despite 17 points from Camryn Collins, Foxboro suffered its first defeat of the season against a Wachusett team that was in the Div. 1 Final Four last year. Ava Hill chipped in with a dozen points and Addie Ruter had eight points and 14 rebounds.
Mansfield, 58 vs. East Bridgewater, 24 – Final – Mansfield had 11 different scorers to win the consolation round of the Hearts for Hope Tournament. Abby Wager was the top scorer for the Hornets with 21 points and Kara Santos also hit double figures, with 12.
Oliver Ames, 39 vs. Bishop Fenwick, 49 – Final – Kaydance Derba scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds and freshman Kamryn Derba added nine points and six boards for the Tigers in the consolation round of the Sue Rivard Tournament. Sarah Hilliard chipped in with nine points and five rebounds, while guard Maddie Homer led the team with seven rebounds.
Taunton, 39 vs. Durfee, 49 – Final
Sharon, 40 @ Quincy, 67 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 22 points, but the Eagles fell in the final of the Quincy Holiday Tournament.
Milford, 33 @ Hopkinton, 31 – Final – Milford held off a furious Hopkinton comeback in the closing quarter to secure its first win of the season. The Hawks held Hopkinton to only 16 points through the first 24 minutes but then the Hillers exploded for 15 in the final quarter. Aliza Syed scored a team-high 10 points for the Hawks, including five of their 10 points in the fourth to hold on for the win. Freshman Katelyn Kearnan had seven points and Brooke Ferreira scored six, as well as taking a critical charge late in the game.
North Attleboro, 35 vs. Holliston, 43 – Final – Even without senior Ava McKeon, North battled throughout and trailed by only four going into the fourth quarter, but the Rocketeers only scored five points in the final eight minutes and the Panthers pulled out the win. The game was tied 22-22 late in the opening half, but Holliston finished the half on a 7-0 run to take a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. Katie Corsetti scored 10 points to pace North, while Sam Faria added nine.
King Philip, 50 vs. Shrewsbury, 35 – Final – After a tough loss last night, the Warriors bounced back with an impressive win on Thursday morning in the consolation game of the Holiday Hoopla Tournament. Maddie Paschke and Emily Sawyer each scored 14 points to help KP pick up the win. Shrewsbury held an 11-8 lead after one quarter, but KP clicked into gear in the second, outscoring the Colonials 16-6, to grab the lead. Paschke scored seven points in the second and Jackie Bonner added five. Jessi Persky, Jordan Bennett, and Bonner each knocked down threes to keep the lead at seven after three quarters. KP put the game away with a 15-7 fourth. Sawyer scored six points, Paschke got an and-one, and Kylie Watson and Kaelyn Clancy each hit from beyond the arc to seal the victory for the Warriors. KP made seven threes as a team.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro @ Dartmouth, 4:30 (@ Hetland Arena)
Oliver Ames, 5 vs. Old Rochester, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Jack Perron potted his second goal of the game with three minutes to go to break a 3-3 tie and Matt Lawson tacked on an empty net goal to give the Tigers a 5-3 win over Old Rochester in the Dartmouth Holiday Tournament championship. OA led 1-0 at the end of the first and the score stayed the game going into the third. Old Rochester battled back to tie it at 3-3 before Perron and Lawson ended it. Freshman Brendan Teehan scored his first career goal and Jack Corey also scored for OA.
King Philip, 8 vs. North Quincy, 1 – Final
Stoughton/Brockton, 7 vs. Tri-County, 2 – Final – Stoughton/Brockton exploded for seven goals to capture the Bellingham Christmas Tournament championship with a 7-2 win over Tri-County. Colby Strunk led the charge with a hat trick while Sean Farley lit the lamp twice in the win. Ryan Summers and Anthony DeSoura each added one goal while Sean McGowan had a solid performance in net for the Black Knights.
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 1 vs. Longmeadow, 4 – Final – Longmeadow added a late power play goal and an empty netter to pull away in the third period. Julia Flynn scored the lone goal for the Panthers with an end-to-end rush.
King Philip, 1 vs. Medway/Ashland, 2 – Final (OT) – Kelly Holmes scored the lone goal for KP and Mallory Johnston continued her strong play in net, making 36 saves. KP will face Natick tomorrow in the consolation round of the Medway New Year’s Classic.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 67 vs. Bishop Feehan, 65 – Final (OT) – Canton’s Matt Chafin hit a late three to help the Bulldogs force overtime and both Zaza Francoeur and Julius Hicks connected from downtown in the extra period in a win over Bishop Feehan. With the Shamrocks up by a point, Chafin (18 points) hit a corner three with under 10 seconds to go to make it 53-51. Feehan hit a layup at the buzzer to force overtime. Jamaal McConnell (18 points) opened the extra period with a traditional three-point play and then hit Francoeur (14 points) for a three on Canton’s next trip up the court. After Feehan closed the deficit down to two, Chafin drove to the layup for a bucket late in the shot clock. Hicks added a three on Canton’s next possession to push it to 64-59. Chafin added a key free throw in the final seconds to ice the win.
Foxboro, 82 @ Hopkinton, 80 – Final (OT) – Foxboro senior Sam Golub erupted for a career-high 40 points to help the Warriors topple the Hillers on the road. The Warriors staked a lead after the first quarter after connecting on five threes in the opening eight minutes, including three from Golub. But Hopkinton rallied to take the lead at halftime (33-31) and increased it to 60-52 going into the final quarter. Golub hit three more three-pointers in the third to keep the Warriors close, and Foxboro held the hosts to just 10 points in the fourth to rally back. Golub had seven more in the fourth while Ryan LeClair (11 points), Ryan Cotter (11 points), and Alex Penders (11 points) also scored to bring Foxboro back in it. In overtime, Golub stayed hot with four field goals, including one more three for a total of eight for the game, and Penders had a big block in the final seconds to preserve the win.
Oliver Ames vs. Cardinal Spellman, 6:30
Stoughton, 59 vs. Medway, 55 – Final – Trailing by two with under a minute to go, Stoughton finished off its comeback with a 7-1 run over the final 50 seconds to take down visiting Medway. Jarred Daughtry (11 points) cut the deficit to one with a free throw, and off a miss from the line, Tagh Swierzewski kept the play alive and Jayden Costa-Haywood, who scored a team-high 23 points, converted the putback for the lead. Stoughton got a stop on defense and Liam Pearl hit two from the line with 24.1 seconds to go to extend the lead to 57-54. Medway was off the mark on two free throws on their end and sophomore Matt Greenspoon iced the game with two more free throws with 1.6 seconds to go. Costa-Haywood scored 11 points in the fourth while Swierzewski, Greenspoon, and freshman Anthony Alessi each had a three in the final frame.
Taunton, 61 vs. Dartmouth, 57 – Final – After letting a halftime lead slip away in the third quarter, Taunton finished strong with 22-point fourth quarter to pick up the win and snap Dartmouth’s unbeaten start to the season. The Tigers cashed in from the free throw line in the fourth, going 9-for-13 from the line over the final eight minutes. Junior Troy Santos scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the second half while junior Tyson Carter gave Taunton a huge boost with a career-high 14 points. Chris Perault had nine points all in the first half and freshman Jakari Innocent added nine points, including five in the fourth quarter.
King Philip, 59 vs. Leominster, 51 – Final – King Philip played its best defensive game of the season to hand Leominster its first loss of the season. The Warriors held the Blue Devils to just nine points in the second quarter as KP turned a one-point deficit at the end of the first quarter into a five point halftime lead. KP kept its distance with a 40-33 lead going into the fourth and then went 9-for-12 from the line in the final eight minutes to ice the win. Senior Will Laplante hit four three-pointers and poured in a game-high 25 points to pace the KP offense while Tommy Martorano tossed in a trio of triples and finished with 14 points. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy had five points but also played outstanding defensive game for KP. King Philip will take on Framingham at 4:00 on Thursday.
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 70 vs. Carlsbad (Calif.), 54 – Final – Franklin had five players score in double figures and dominated on the glass to overcome 32 points from Carlsbad star Madison Huhn and pick up a non-league win and hand head coach John Leighton his 300th career victory. The Panthers jumped out to a quick start, scoring 21 points in the first and building an 11-point lead. Huhn, who is committed to Miami (Ohio), caught fire in the second, with 18 of her team’s 21 points to cut the lead down to five at the break. After a nearly even third quarter, the Panthers exploded for 21 points in the fourth to break things open and seal the win. Katie Peterson was the top scorer for the Panthers with 21 points, including seven in the first and eight in the third quarter. Sophomore Chloe Fales added 13 points, knocking down three from beyond the arc, including a pair of triples in the fourth to help Franklin pull away. Bridget Leo scored 11 points, six of them in the first, and Lizzie Newman and Caelyn Leonard each added 10 points.
King Philip, 34 @ Framingham, 71 – Final
Oliver Ames, 29 vs. Walpole, 49 – Final – OA was held to only four points in the second quarter and six in the fourth, as the Tigers fell in the opener of the Sue Rivard Tournament. Walpole led by three after one, but a 12-4 second quarter opened up a double digit advantage (24-13) at halftime. The Tigers had a solid start to the second half, but Walpole built the lead back to 12 after three and didn’t look back. Sarah Hilliard led OA for the second straight game, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds. Maddie Homer chipped in with six points and 10 rebounds. OA will face Bishop Fenwick in the consolation round.
Sharon, 61 vs. Silver Lake, 58 – Final – Jasmine Davis was unstoppable on Wednesday, scoring 34 points and grabbing 26 rebounds to lead the Eagles to the final of the Quincy Holiday Tournament. Davis also dished out three assists and had a pair of steals and blocks. In the closing seconds, her two free throws sealed the win for Sharon. Carmen Leonardi (six points, three boards, and two assists), Eva Poulton (six points), and Thea Caproni (five points) also gave the Eagles solid all-around performances. Sharon faces the host team in the tournament final.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Norton, 9 – Final – Attleboro scored once in the first period and once in the third but the Bombardiers weren’t able to recover from four goals in the first seven minutes by Norton. Nick Fernandes scored off of an assist from Michael Lachance with three minutes to go in the first period while sophomore Austin Bessette scored his first career goal just over three minutes into the third with assists from Colin Flynn and Owen Parker.
Canton, 4 @ Westwood, 1 – Final
Franklin, 1 vs. St. Mary’s, 2 – Final
Mansfield, 4 vs. Shrewsbury, 5 – Final
Taunton, 5 @ Middleboro, 7 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 0 @ Notre Dame Academy, 3 – Final
Hockomock Stars, 0 vs. HPNA, 7 – Final
Wrestling
Lowell Tournament (Foxboro, Franklin, Milford), 12:00
Marshfield Holiday Tournament – Taunton had one champion and two finalists and finished third as a team while Sharon had three finalists to earn fifth overall at the Marshfield Holiday Tournament. Taunton’s Ethan Harris was the top seed in the 182 bracket and used a pair of falls and one decision while Sharon’s Cormac Horlbogen, the second seed, had two decisions and one fall to each reach the final. Harris took the individual bracket with a 16-2 major decision in the final. Taunton’s Ben Mandeville (145) and Logan Frank (220) and Sharon’s Ashmith Yeruva (106) and Cam Birnbaum (126) all reached the finals. North Attleboro was 18th overall with Austin Dean (160) taking fourth, Mansfield was 22nd with Colton Johnson taking first in the 220 bracket, and Oliver Ames finished 27th with Nathan Lipski (145) finishing sixth.
Gymnastics
Mansfield, 126.25 @ Oliver Ames, 130.50 – Final
Attleboro @ Oliver Ames, 130.50 – Final
Boys Basketball
Stoughton, 60 @ Attleboro, 69 – Final – Attleboro got off to a strong start with a 21-point first quarter, build a double-digit lead at halftime, took a 21-point lead into the final quarter, and then held on after a late surge from Stoughton to secure a 69-60 win. Junior Neo Franco poured in a career-high 29 points, hitting one of Attleboro’s four first quarter three-pointers. Franco had 15 points by halftime while Michael Beverly scored all of his career-high 19 points in the first three quarters. Jaiden Outland and Hayden Crowley also had first quarter threes for Attleboro, which led 38-24 at halftime and 55-34 after three quarters. The Bombardiers limited the visitors to just five points in the second and 10 in the third to grow their big lead. Jayden Costa-Haywood dropped a career-high 25 points for the Black Knights, hitting five three-pointers, and sophomore Matt Greenspoon drained four threes and finished with 16 points.
Canton, 47 @ Taunton, 59 – Final – Taunton took the lead in the second quarter and built on it with a big third, improving to 3-0 on the season with a win over visiting Canton. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead (17-12) with a strong first but the Tigers clawed back and carried a 31-25 lead into halftime. Taunton carried that momentum into the second half, exploding for 21 points in the third quarter to push the lead to 52-37 going into the final eight minutes. Chris Perault scored six points in the second and added a three in the third, finishing with a game-high 19 points for Taunton. Tyson Carter added a three in both of the middle quarters, freshman Jakari Innocent scored 12 of his 14 points between the second and third, and Troy Santos had seven of his nine in the same stretch for the Tigers. Canton hit three threes in the opening quarter but only had two more the rest of the way. Jamaal McConnell led Canton with 13 points while Zaza Francoeur chipped in with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 50 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – King Philip caught fire in the third quarter, sinking seven three-pointers inside eight minutes to pull away from Oliver Ames for a 63-50 win. The Warriors scored 10 points in the first and 13 in the second, but Oliver Ames held a two-point lead at 25-23 at the break, thanks in part to Nick Asiaf scoring all nine of his points in the second. In the third, senior Will Laplante hit four threes and had 13 of his team-high 21 points in the third. Tommy McLeish added a pair of triples and Tommy Kilroy hit another as the Warriors exploded for 31 points in the third, flipping a two-point halftime deficit to a 54-37 advantage going into the fourth. Kilroy added another three in the fourth and Tommy Martorano finished with 14 points for KP. OA sophomore Cole Craffey scored a career-high 24 points to pace the Tigers.
Mansfield, 50 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Mansfield used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead and did enough to keep North Attleboro at arm’s length the rest of the way, grinding out a tough win. The Hornets’ defense limited the Rocketeers to single digits offensively in each of the first two quarters to stake a 27-13 lead by halftime. Caden Colby scored eight of his team-high 11 points in the second quarter, hitting a pair of threes to help the Hornets establish their lead. JT Veiking had eight of his 10 points and Eddie McCoy scored half of his 10 points in the second half to keep Mansfield ahead. Sophomore Chase Frisoli scored a team-high 11 points for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 71 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Sharon set the tone defensively early and had a strong overall showing, taking home a 71-54 win from Milford. The Eagles limited the hosts to just one field goal in the first eight minutes and the offense fed off that energy as Ryan Brown (11 points), Jacob McLoughlin (21 points), and Nate Katznelson (20 points) combined to give the Eagles and 18-2 lead. Anthony Piron and Jaden Segal added buckets in the second as Sharon established a 39-17 lead at halftime. McLoughlin added eight more in the third and both Zach Wise and Dante James contributed baskets to help the Eagles stay in front. Luca Testa scored all of his team-high 11 points in the second half while Jack Buckley and CJ Farrell each chipped in with 10 points for Milford.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 59 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Attleboro locked in defensively, allowing Stoughton just 11 points in the opening half, and then pulled away with a dominant third quarter to earn its third straight win. The Bombardiers led 13-4 after one and 26-11 at the break, but scored 21 points in the third to break the game wide open. Vanessa Ellis continued her strong start to the season with a game-high 21, including eight in the third quarter alone. Lily Routhier added 16, half of those coming in the third. Attleboro also got eight points from Avery James and seven from Kayla Goldrick. Stoughton was led again by freshman Kirsten McKay, who finished with 12 points. She had eight of those in the second half. Katrina Varnum added four points and nine rebounds, while Caleigh Clark, Raina Tat, and Avery Hobbs each scored three points for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 56 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Taunton turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, holding Canton to just seven points over the final eight minutes, and rallied from seven points down to pick up its third win in a row to start the season. The game was tied at 24-24 at the break, but Canton stepped up on offense to win the third 21-14, led by Samya DaSilva with seven points and Erin Beatty with six. Taunton responded in the fourth, staying unbeaten under new coach Gretchen Rodrigues and in a first-place tie atop the Kelley-Rex. Aaliyah Yera scored six points in the fourth, while Cali Melo added four and Jillian Doherty added four free throws. Freshman Taryn Campbell led the way for the Tigers with 13 points, including eight of Taunton’s 14 in the third. Doherty and Melo each finished with 11 and Yera had nine, all of them from beyond the arc. DaSilva was Canton’s top scorer with 14, while Beatty chipped in with eight and Emily McCabe had seven for the Bulldogs, who knocked down nine threes as a team.
Franklin, 50 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Camryn Collins scored 20 points for the second straight game and Foxboro rallied from 11 points down in the second half to end Franklin’s 44-game league win streak. The first quarter was tight, as both teams came out firing. Collins had 10 of Foxboro’s 16 and Katie Peterson had 11 of Franklin’s 15. The Panthers locked down in the second, holding Foxboro to just two points to go into the locker room leading 27-18. Foxboro rallied early in the third, cutting the lead to just two, but then Franklin put together a run to extend the lead out to as many as 11. Sasha Tracey knocked down a pair of threes for the Panthers and had all six of her points in the quarter. Down nine heading to the final eight minutes, the Warriors found another gear on both ends of the floor and pulled out a 25-11 fourth quarter to secure the victory. Kailey Sullivan caught fire and scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth, while Ava Hill added three of her seven and Collins scored seven points in the frame, including a clutch pull-up jumper to put Foxboro in front. Peterson would finish with 19 for the Panthers, 15 of them in the first half, and Lizzie Newman scored seven points.
King Philip, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final – Emily Sawyer scored a career-high 28 points and the Warriors held on down the stretch to pick up an important, early-season road win. Sawyer was dominant in the first half, scoring six in the first quarter and 10 more in the second. Jackie Bonner added a pair of threes to help KP jump out to a 26-18 lead heading into the locker rooms. OA rallied in the second half, winning the third quarter 13-10 to cut the deficit to just five (36-31). The Tigers took the lead in the fourth, but KP was able to make the plays it needed down the stretch to secure the win. Jordan Bennett scored five of her seven points in the fourth and Sawyer added six more to help the Warriors hang on late. Sarah Hilliard made her season debut for OA and scored 11 and grabbed seven boards in the loss. Avery Gamble added nine points, including seven in the fourth, and Maddie Homer (12 rebounds, including nine offensive) and Kamryn Derba each chipped in with six.
North Attleboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 72 – Final – Mansfield tied a program record with 72 points, remarkably scoring 18 in each of the four quarters, and clamped down on defense in the second half to secure its first win of the season. Abby Wager tied a season-high with 22 points, including 16 in the first half, to lead the Hornets. Kara Santos scored 17, eight of them in third, and Olivia Salisbury scored seven. Mansfield led 36-24 at halftime, but the Hornets pulled away after the break, holding North to 17 points in the second half, and started to dominate on the glass. North was led by freshman Ella McLaughlin, who hit three from beyond the arc and finished with 12 points. Ava McKeon chipped in with nine and Sam Sweeney scored eight, including a pair from outside.
Milford, 45 @ Sharon, 48 – Final – Sharon rallied from eight points down in the fourth quarter and Olivia Landstein (five points and four steals) buried a late three to secure the Eagles their first victory under first-year coach Matt DellaBarba. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a season-high 25 points and pulling down 19 rebounds. Rachael Hager had a solid all-around game for the Eagles with eight points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Boys Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 46 – Final
Sharon @ Canton, 4:30 – Sharon picked up it first the league win of the season on Tuesday. For Canton, Josh Richards took first place in the shot put and Jimmy Podgurski came in third. Luke Darling won the 600 and Dan Kraslynkov took first place in the 300 with Christian Hanlon finishing third.
Foxboro @ Stoughton, 4:30
King Philip, 30 @ Attleboro, 70 – Final
Franklin @ Milford, 4:30
Taunton @ North Attleboro, 4:30
Girls Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames, 4:30
Sharon, 37 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton got three PRs and swept the shot put, as the Bulldogs pulled out a win against Sharon. Emma Massih took first with a new personal best of 30’75”, Jess Brathwaite took second with a PR of 25’7.5”, and Taylor Kernen also set a new personal mark with a throw of 23’3” to take third. Canton also won both the 4×200 (Diana Tambi, Katie Oliver, Jayda Proffit, and Syriah McCruse) and the 4×400 (Tahlia Weaver, Lexi Piazza, Lianna Camille, and Nora Giannacopolous) relays.
Boys Basketball
Milford, 55 @ Attleboro, 63 – Final – Attleboro sank four of their nine threes in the fourth quarter to pull away from visiting Milford for their first win in their new gym. Jaiden Outland, who had a game-high 15 points, had one of those threes and scored seven points in the fourth while Hayden Crowley (nine points), Michael Beverly (14 points), and Neo Franco (10 points) also hit from downtown in the frame. Franco had a steal and a layup with just under two minutes to go to push Attleboro’s lead to 59-51 but a jumper from Andrew Rivera (at 1:26) and a layup from Luca Testa (with 45 seconds) brought the Hawks within four, at 59-55. Justin Hanrahan, Beverly, and Outland hit free throws down the stretch, and Spencer Sherck drew a charge to help the Bombardiers close out the win in the final minute. Attleboro head coach Mark Houle praised Sherck’s defensive effort against Milford, who were without two rotation players. Freshman CJ Farrell led Milford with 15 points, Ryan Franklin added 12 points, and Testa finished with 11 points.
Mansfield, 59 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – Mansfield built a 12-point lead at halftime and opened the second half with a 12-0 run to surge past Foxboro in their first showdown as division rivals. After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with a halfcourt buzzer beater from Trevor Foley (nine points, seven rebounds), Mansfield locked in defensively and limited the Warriors to just two field goals, outscoring the hosts 14-6 to build a 33-21 lead at halftime. Caden Colby (career-high 14 points) hit one of his four threes, Davon Sanders drove to the bucket for two, and Eddie McCoy (nine points) had back-to-back baskets, including a three, and Chris Hill (17 points, eight rebounds) finished a tough layup in transition as the Hornets pushed their lead to 45-21 with 4:30 to go in the third. Foxboro closed on a 13-0 run over the final three minutes to get to the final score. Alex Penders led Foxboro with 16 points while both Ryan Kelley and Sam Golub had eight points apiece.
Franklin, 58 @ King Philip, 50 – Final – Franklin finally pulled away in the fourth quarter, shaking an upset-minded King Philip squad, to grab a 58-50 win on the road. The Panthers led by two at the end of the first quarter (13-11) and halftime (24-22), and carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter (40-37). Justin Allen hit a pair of key three-pointers in the fourth, Hansy Jacques had six of his 10 points in the frame, and the Panthers got a bucket each from Bradley Herndon, Ben Harvey (13 points), and Sean O’Leary (14 points) to close out the win. After a quiet first half, King Philip senior Will Laplante scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half while Tommy Kilroy added a career-high 12 points.
North Attleboro, 51 @ Taunton, 69 – Final – Buoyed by a 20-point second quarter and a 26-point third quarter, Taunton ran away with a big win at home over visiting North Attleboro. Chris Volcy exploded in the second half, netting 18 of his career-high 20 points to help the Tigers pull away. Senior Chris Perault added a career-high 19 points, knocking down all three of Taunton’s three-pointers. The Rocketeers and Tigers were locked in at 11-11 after eight minutes but Taunton established a 31-20 lead by the break as Troy Santos scored seven of his 11 points in the second quarter. Jonnie Obuchowski and Derek Maceda each scored nine points for the Rocketeers.
Stoughton, 45 @ Oliver Ames, 50 – Final – A see-saw back and forth battle ended with Oliver Ames holding on for a 50-45 win over neighboring Stoughton. With under two minutes to play and locked in a one-possession game at 43-40, Oliver Ames got a pair of big baskets from a pair of underclassmen. Sophomore Cole Craffey drove to the basket for a layup and freshman Soren Lolonga drained a three just before the minute mark to push the Tigers’ lead to 48-40. Stoughton freshman Aiden Wideout answered with a bucket down low off a feed from Liam Pearl, but Craffey was able to work his way through the defense with 20 seconds left to make it 50-42. Matt Greenspoon knocked down a three with 5.7 seconds left to close the gap to 50-45 but OA held on for the win. Chris Elias scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the second quarter while Lolonga had all 15 of his points in the second half. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood finished with a team-high 19 points while Greenspoon added 16 points for the Black Knights, who led 19-18 at halftime.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 56 @ Milford, 35 – Final – Attleboro had three players score in double figures and jumped out to a 20-point lead by halftime to secure its second straight win. Kayla Goldrick and Lily Routhier led the Bombardiers with 13 points apiece. Goldrick helped the visitors get off to a good start with six in the first and Routhier helped build a 36-16 lead at the break with a pair of threes and nine points in the second. Vanessa Ellis scored nine of her 11 points to help break the game open early. Merry Bosh added seven in the win. Milford was led by Erin Michelson’s nine points, all coming in the second half. Aliza Syed scored eight and Olivia Baglione chipped in with six for the Hawks.
Foxboro, 67 @ Mansfield, 31 – Final – Foxboro made it two straight wins to start the season with a dominant road win over fellow division title contender Mansfield. Camryn Collins powered the Warriors on offense with 24 points. Addie Ruter had 13 to continue her strong start to the season with another double-digit scoring night. Erin Foley chipped in with 10.
King Philip, 43 @ Franklin, 54 – Final – Thanks to a strong first half, Franklin picked up a second straight home win to start the season and kept alive its league win streak to 44 games. The Panthers jumped out to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and extended it to 31-15 going into the locker room. Sophomore Chloe Fales (career-high 16 points) and Katie Peterson (14 points) combined for 15 in the opening half and Caelyn Leonard buried a pair of threes and scored all eight of her points in the first. KP picked up its offense in the second half, and cut the lead to as little as seven points, but Franklin held on to secure the victory. Emily Sawyer scored 16 points, including eight in the third. Jackie Bonner had 13 points and Maddie Paschke added 11 in the loss.
Taunton, 46 @ North Attleboro, 32 – Final – Taunton put in a strong defensive performance to make it two wins from two games under first-year coach Gretchen Rodrigues. The Tigers held North to just 10 points in the first half (building a 13-point lead at the break) and then just six in the third quarter to pull away. Jillian Doherty led the way with 14 for the Tigers, including eight of the team’s 12 points in the first. Cali Melo added nine points, while sophomore Chelsea Bousquet had eight and freshman Taryn Campbell added seven. On a tough shooting night as a team, North was led by Ava McKeon’s 15 points. She scored 12 of North’s 16 in the fourth as the hosts tried to mount a late comeback. Freshman Ella McLaughlin added eight points in the loss.
Oliver Ames, 79 @ Stoughton, 42 – Final – OA carried over momentum from the second half of its opener against Franklin and exploded for 79 points on Friday to even its record after two games. The Tigers jumped out to a 21-5 lead after one quarter, extended it to 45-17 at halftime, and added another 22 points in the third. Freshman Kamryn Derba knocked down five three-pointers and finished with a game- (and career-) high 20 points. Classmate Avery Gamble added 14 points (on 9-of-11 from the line) and the duo combined for 25 points before the break. Freshman Maeve Horsman had 12 points, Kaydance Derba scored 11, and Annie Reilly had nine for OA. Stoughton also got an impressive performance from a freshman, as Kirsten McKay scored eight of her career-high 15 points in the third. She added five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Raina Tat chipped in with 10 points and Alyssa Edwards added eight. Katrina Varnum pulled down 14 rebounds for the Black Knights.
Wrestling
Silver Lake Quad (Franklin), 4:00
Boys Swimming
Foxboro, 40 @ Milford, 69 – Final
Oliver Ames @ Mansfield, 7:00
Stoughton, 58 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 85 – Final
Girls Swimming
Foxboro, 71 @ Milford, 87 – Final
Oliver Ames @ Mansfield, 7:00
Stoughton, 32 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 84 – Final
Only one of two returning players from last year’s HockomockSports First Team, Sharon senior Matt Baur will be one of the best all-around players in the Hockomock League. Although he was the leading scorer for the team that won the Davenport division last year, his game goes well beyond scoring. That’s not to ignore his ability to drive through contact and finish at the rim, or step out and hit tough shots, but he really does it all for the Eagles. He’s a very unselfish player that is willing to make the extra pass and he doesn’t take any plays off. He’s had a huge impact on the defensive side of the ball as he’s able to guard just about every position and his willingness to dive on the floor or step in and take a charge has been contagious.
Canton surprised a lot of people with their success last season and a big reason for that was because they had a lot of first-year varsity players step up and perform at a high level. Most of them were seniors and are graduated now, but Matt Chafin is one of the few Bulldogs back after impressing last year. Chafin is committed to playing baseball at Brandies University but before hitting the diamond in the spring, he will be a key piece for second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon. He’s the top returning scorer after averaging 8.8 points per game last year; he scored in double figures in nine games last year, including a career-high 17 points against Southeastern. His ability to stretch the floor with his outside shooting will set the tone for the Bulldogs’ offense.
There was a lot of turnover for Oliver Ames this season, and the majority of its offensive production is no longer in the lineup. This biggest loss offensively was one of the league’s top scorers in Zach Tagliamonte, who averaged over 18 points per game. The Tigers also lost their next three top scorers and the lone player back from last year that averaged over 5 points per game is sophomore Cole Craffey. Named a captain as just a sophomore, Craffey will take on the responsibility as one of OA’s go-to guys on the offensive end of the floor. He showed off his range last year and has to be respected on the perimeter, but he also can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim with confidence.
Attleboro is another squad that saw the majority of its roster graduate this past spring. Longtime head coach Mark Houle will be relying on new faces to fill out this year’s rosters and he will also be leaning heavily on the few familiar faces he does have back. One of them is junior Neo Franco, who had a breakout season last year and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team. He did a little bit of everything, averaging 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 steals as a sophomore. That versatility will be key as the Bombardiers get their new names acclimated to the varsity level, which is something Franco had to do last year. He can score in a variety of ways too (almost 10 ppg in the final five games) but the intangibles really set him apart from the pack.
While a lot of the league is filling out its roster with new players, Mansfield boasts the most experienced player in the Hockomock League in senior Chris Hill. No one has played more minutes at the varsity level (now entering his fourth year on varsity) and no one has more career points (545) to start this season. He’s only one of two players with over 500 career points entering this year and the Hornets will lean heavily on his experience and guidance. He is a typical Mansfield player with the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and can finish around the rim, coming off a season in which he averaged 12.3 points (40% three-point shooting), 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 rebounds. He’s also an underrated defensive player (eight steals in one game last year) and his speed and size allow him to guard most positions.
Among returning players in the Hockomock League, there aren’t many that have scored as many points as King Philip senior Will Laplante. A 6-foot-1 guard, Laplante is fearless with the ball in his hands. He can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket but he really can fill it up from the perimeter. He’s someone that defenses have to put extra attention on and if they lose track of him, he will make them pay. He averaged 17.9 points per game last year to go along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals. It looks like he will have some more help around him this year so he won’t have to shoulder as much of the load offensively as he has had to in years past.
Franklin had a lot of new faces in their lineup and despite being a young team, had a lot of success. One of the big reasons for all of that success was the emergence of forward Sean O’Leary. A 6-foot-4 forward, O’Leary can do it all on the offensive end of the floor and enters the year as one of our preseason picks for Player of the Year. O’Leary kept improving each and every game last year, finishing with 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, and earned HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. At his size, he’s a matchup problem in the post and is really crafty finishing around the rim, but he really separates himself with his ability to score from just about anywhere on the offensive end. Defensively, he’s very sound and his length makes it very difficult for opponents.
Over each of the past two seasons, Foxboro’s Alex Penders has shown a lot of improvement and is poised for a big senior season. A double-double contender every night, Penders is a modern-day big man that can dominate in the post but also step out and shoot from the perimeter. He is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 16.3 points (on 50.5% shooting), 11.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Maybe the most underrated part of his game is his unselfishness as he led the Warriors with a team-best 3.3 assists per game. He will certainly be a focal point of Foxboro’s offense this season but with a well-rounded group of players surrounding him and his willingness to share the ball bodes well for head coach Jon Gibbs and the way he likes to run his offense. Penders, who recently committed to play at Ithaca, is only one of two returning players who made the HockomockSports First Team last year, and just one of two players in the league with over 500 career points.
Not only did Milford have one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League last season, but it was also one of the youngest squads the league has seen in a decade. They took their lumps during a 2-21 campaign but now almost all of those young players are back with plenty of experience under their belts for head coach Paul Seaver. One of the young players back in the fold this year is Andrew Rivera, who scored the most points for the Hawks last year as a freshman and averaged 7.8 points per game. Despite being just a sophomore, he’s confident with the ball and can score in a variety of ways. He can pull up from the perimeter but he can also attack the defense and get to the rim. Milford will look to take another step forward this year and having players with more experience like Rivera will be a big plus.
A common theme in the league this year is replacing the production of the senior class that graduated in the spring. The reigning Kelley-Rex division champions are right at the top of that list with Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry — a combined over 2,100 career points — no longer in the lineup. Junior Troy Santos is only returning from last year’s starting lineup and has the most varsity experience of anyone on the Tigers this season. We saw his ability to score in flashes last year and he will have a lot more opportunities this year with all of those points gone. He’s more than capable from the perimeter and if he can play with confidence, he can score at a high rate. This could be a breakout year for Santos.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
