Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda poured in 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and North Attleboro scored 19 in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits, but Attleboro kept the visitors at bay in the fourth to secure the win. The Bombardiers built a 29-15 lead at halftime but Maceda helped orchestrate a comeback attempt, hitting a three at the buzzer to pull the Rocketeers within 43-34 going into the fourth. Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan opened the fourth with five straight points — two free throws and a traditional three-point play — to restore the Bombardiers’ double-digit advantage and they held it the rest of the way. Jaiden Outland had a team-high 12 points, Hanrahan added 10 points, and Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points. Sophomore Chase Frisoli added 14 points for the Rocketeers.
Canton, 39 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – Mansfield and Canton were level after the first eight minutes but the Hornets went on to outscore the visitors in each of the final three quarters to run away with a 61-39 win over the Bulldogs, clinching the Davenport division title outright. After going back-and-forth, the teams were tied 14-14 after one but Mansfield had a big second quarter with JT Veiking (18 points, 5 rebounds) sinking a pair of threes and Eddie McCoy (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) adding a triple of his own to push the lead to 32-20 at half. Chris Hill added 10 points for the Hornets. Caden Mirliani had a team-high 12 points for Canton.
Foxboro, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Foxboro set the tone early with its defensive effort and had a consistent performance on the offensive end to win its final league game of the year, pulling into a tie in third place of the Davenport division with Canton. The Warriors limited OA to just six points in each of the first three quarters with disciplined defense and good rebounding. Foxboro senior Alex Penders dominated on both ends with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and four assists to lead the way for the Warriors. Rayna Kelley added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with eight points and four rebounds.
Franklin, 63 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin clicked into gear in the third quarter and then pulled away for good in the fourth against a resilient Milford squad. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first but Franklin had six players contribute to the scoring in the second and went 9-for-10 from the line in the period to stake a 27-23 halftime lead. Hansy Jacques had his best game of the year for the Panthers as the junior erupted for nine of his career-high 16 points in the third quarter and senior Geino Scaringello hit a pair of threes as Franklin extended its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth. Franklin junior Sean O’Leary finished the game strong, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth, going 7-for-10 from the line overall in the game. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera had a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior Wyatt Zagami added 11 points, and sophomore Luca Testa finished with 10 points for the Hawks.
King Philip, 57 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – It was a tale of two halves as Taunton flipped the script on visiting King Philip by erasing a double-digit deficit at the break and running away with a 71-56 win. Grant Kinney, Tommy McLeish, Tommy Kilroy, and Trevor Clyde each connected for a three in an 18-point third quarter that saw the Warriors surge ahead 33-23 at halftime. Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent flipped a switch in the second half as he scored 20 of his career-high 22 points after the break, including 11 in the third quarter to jumpstart the Tigers’ offense. Junior Troy Santos added six in the frame and had 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Al Morisseau added 10 points and Chris Volcy chipped in with nine points for Taunton, which scored 21 points in the third and 27 points in the fourth quarter, going 13-for-19 from the line. Tommy Martorano and Kilroy each had 11 points for KP while Brandon Nicastro finished with 10 points.
Sharon, 75 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final (OT) – Sharon erased a four-point deficit with under 20 seconds to go to force overtime and then outlasted the Black Knights in the four-minute extra period to secure the win on the road over an upset-minded Stoughton squad. Jayden Costa-Haywood (20 points) sank a pair of free throws to push Stoughton’s lead to 67-63 but a foul sent Matt Baur (22 points) to the line, and his two free throws cut the deficit in half with 17 seconds to go. The Eagles were able to trap with the press and pick off a pass, which led to a floater from Baur taking a kind bounce and in with two seconds left to make it 67-67. Baur opened the overtime with a triple and Jacob McLoughlin (17 points) added a free throw to push the lead to four. After Stoughton got it back to three off a free throw from Jarred Daughtry, McLoughlin had a traditional three-point play with two minutes to go to make it 74-68. Costa-Haywood answered on the other end with a three-point play of his own to cut the deficit in half. Daughtry hit two more to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 43.1 seconds to play, and Stoughton had a shot in the air to take the lead but it was off the mark and a Tyler Goodman free throw with 1.5 seconds left iced it. Nate Katznelson added 12 points for the Eagles. Matt Greenspoon scored 16 points for Stoughton while Obi Dike added 11 points and Anthony Alessi chipped in with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 65 @ North Attleboro, 36 – Final – The Bombardiers scored 20-plus points in the first and third quarters to pull away for a big bounce back win. Eight players got on the score sheet for Attleboro in the win. It was a quick start for the visitors, as Kayla Goldrick and Avery James each scored six points and Lily Routhier added four in a 20-11 quarter. Ava McKeon tried to keep North in the game with seven of her team-high 15 in the opening quarter. Attleboro scored 14 in the second, while holding North to just six. Vanessa Ellis was held scoreless for the first half, but she got things going with nine points in the third and then added another eight in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17. The Rocketeers tried battle back in the fourth with 17 points as a team, including six more from McKeon and all five of Ella McLaughlin’s points in the game. Goldrick would finish with 12 points, Routhier would have nine, and James scored eight. Sam Sweeney added 10 points for the Rocketeers.
Mansfield, 47 @ Canton, 33 – Final – Mansfield put in a strong defensive performance to secure a home win in the Hockomock finale. The Hornets didn’t allow Canton to reach double digits in the first three quarters and opened up an 18-point lead. The visitors jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one and doubled up Canton 12-6 in the second to make it a double-digit game at halftime. Abby Wager, Kara Santos, and Hallie Popat combined for 19 points in the first half. Wager would go on to score eight of Mansfield’s 10 points in the third and the Hornets held Canton to just five to break the game open. The Bulldogs had their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 11 points, including four from Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe’s second three of the night. Wager led all scorers with 14, while Santos finished with 10 and Popat added eight. Fatima Sidibay was Canton’s top scorer with seven points, while Beatty and McCabe each totaled six.
Milford, 24 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin had 13 different scorers, none with more than eight points, to close out the league campaign with a big win. The Panthers held Milford to just nine points in the first half, going into the locker room with a 24-point lead. Katie Peterson scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, as the Panthers scored 24 in the opening eight minutes. The Hawks would play even in the third, as Brooke Ferreira scored eight of Milford’s 10 points. She finished with a dozen on the night. Franklin’s depth was too much. The Panthers got contributions up and down the roster. Norah MacCallum scored seven, while Elle Bonacci and Kyra McSweeney each chipped in with six. Aliza Syed had five points for the Hawks, all in the first quarter.
Taunton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Emily Sawyer exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a career-high 34 points, powering KP to a bounce back win in the final home game of the regular season. Jackie Bonner chipped in with 14 points and four threes for the Warriors. KP grabbed the lead in the first, as Sawyer and Maddie Paschke each scored four and Bonner knocked down her first triple. The Warriors extended the lead to 25-18 at halftime, as Sawyer and Bonner had all 11 of KP’s points in the second. Cali Melo kept the Tigers close with 10 of her team-high 16 in the opening half. Sawyer and Bonner had all of KP’s points in the third quarter as well, combining for 14 to add another six points to the lead. In the fourth, the Warriors continued to feed Sawyer in the post and the 6-foot-3 center, and league’s leading scorer, had 16 of KP’s 17 points to put the game out of reach. Paschke added her fifth point of the night in the fourth. Taryn Campbell added seven points and eighth grader Raya Horton chipped in with six for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 59 – Final – Rachael Hager nailed the game-winning three, one of several big plays she made down the stretch, to lift the Eagles to a sweep of the season series. Hager finished with 16 points. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a game-high 26 points for Sharon. Kirsten McKay was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed four boards. Raina Tat continued her run of double-digit games, scoring 12 points, while Leah McCarty had eight points and four rebounds and Katrina Varnum scored seven and grabbed a dozen boards.
Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Everett/Revere, 2 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner with 40 seconds left in regulation to earn the Bulldogs a big win against another Div. 2 title contender. Audrey Koen scored Canton’s first goal before Bohane popped up with the late winner to extend the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (7-0-4).
Boys Basketball
Taunton, 58 @ Attleboro, 60 – Final – Attleboro’s Spencer Sherck made a huge defensive play and Hayden Crowley sank two free throws both with under 10 seconds left as the Bombardiers held on a late run from Taunton for the win. Attleboro led by as much as 12 points early in the fourth quarter and again at 56-44 with 2:18 left to play following a three-pointer from Michael Beverly before Taunton’s full court pressure sped the game up and got the Tigers a 9-0 run in 50 seconds of action, capped by a deep three from Troy Santos to make it 56-53. A steal and layup from Chris Volcy got the visitors within a point before Attleboro freshman Connor Houle hit a pair from the line to make it 58-55. Santos used a nice move to get to the line again and hit another two with 41.1 seconds to go. Taunton got another stop but so did Attleboro as Sherck stepped stepped in and took a charge with 7.8 seconds to go. Crowley sank two free throws to extend Attleboro’s lead and the Bombardiers were able to hold on for the win. Beverly tied a career-high with 19 points to lead the Bombardiers while Jaiden Outland added 12 points. Crowley finished with 8 points while Houle, Neo Franco, and Justin Hanahran each had 7 points. Santos dropped a game-high 22 points, half of them coming in the fourth quarter. Tyson Carter added a career-high 17 points and Chris Perault finished with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 45 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton scored the go-ahead bucket off a broken play with just seconds seconds to go and held on as OA’s attempt at a game-winner was off the mark to secure a hard-fought league win and season sweep of the Tigers. Oliver Ames staked a two-point lead after a quarter (13-11) and a four-point advantage at halftime (27-23) but the Bulldogs held the visitors to single digits in the third and pulled even (34-34) going into the fourth quarter. With just under 20 seconds to go, Oliver Ames nearly intercepted a pass but the deflection bounced to Canton sophomore Anthony Diletizia and he alertly fired a bounce pass to Jeremiah Predin and he kissed one off the glass to put Canton up 47-45 with 12.2 seconds to play. Zaza Francoeur had a big block on OA’s first look and then the Tigers launched a three at the buzzer but it was off the mark. Jamaal McConnell had a team-high 13 points for Canton, Caden Mirliani added 12 points and Predin and Francoeur each finished with 8 points. OA sophomore Cole Craffey had a game-high 16 points and freshman Soren Lolonga added 12 points in the win.
Stoughton, 59 @ Foxboro, 76 – Final – Foxboro erupted for 22 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, scoring a season sweep of Stoughton with a wire-to-wire win on Friday. Seniors Sam Golub (13 points) and Ryan LeClair (9 points) each hit a pair of threes inside the opening eight minutes while classmate Alex Penders added another and a total of eight of his game-high 28 points as the Warriors jumped ahead 22-15. Senior Andrew Finn added another triple in the second while junior Ryan Cotter and sophomore Ryan Kelley both had a pair of baskets to help Foxboro extend its lead to 39-26 at halftime. Penders kept it going with 10 more points in the third and sophomore Nolan Gordon took his turn with all seven of his points in the frame for a 56-42 lead going into the fourth. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood had a team-high 18 points while sophomore Matt Greenspoon chipped in with 12 points.
North Attleboro, 49 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin sank four of its 11 three-pointers in the opening eight minutes to stake an early lead and the Panthers never looked back in a big win over visiting North Attleboro. Andrew O’Neill hit a pair, Justin Allen had one of his four triples, and Nick Scala tossed another in to take a 16-7 lead after one, and the Panthers never surrendered that lead. Bradley Herndon got going in the second with six of his 11 points and junior Sean O’Leary had a third of his 12 points in the second as Franklin took a 31-15 lead into the locker room. Allen had a team-high 14 points, O’Neill and O’Leary finished at 12 points apiece, and Herndon had 11 points. North senior Jack Munley and sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski each had nine points.
Milford, 82 @ King Philip, 66 – Final – Milford had an offensive outburst on the road to earn its fifth straight win, pouring in 26 points in the second quarter and 27 more in the third quarter en route to beating King Philip. Senior Wyatt Zagami, who had a season-high 18 points, was a huge spark for the offense, draining a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter to jump start the Hawks’ offense. Milford built a 14-11 lead after a quarter but really turned it on in the second with Zagami and sophomore Andrew Rivera, who had a career-high 28 points, each hit three three-pointers, and sophomores Jack Buckley and Luca Testa each added points as Milford ended up with a 40-30 lead going into halftime. The break couldn’t cool the red-hot Hawks as Rivera added nine more in the third, freshman CJ Farrell got going with nine of his 18 points in the frame, and Testa, Zagami, Nick Aruajo, and Tyler Ballard all hit shots from the floor to the tune of 27 points and a 67-47 advantage going into the fourth. Senior Will Laplante led KP with 20 points, sophomore Jack Assini added 13 points, and sophomore Tommy Kilroy chipped in with 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ Taunton, 40 – Final – Attleboro stormed out of the gates, bombing away from three, and jumped out to a 43-13 lead by halftime, ensuring that the Bombardiers will head into Tuesday’s showdown with Franklin down just a game in the Kelley-Rex standings. The visitors had no problem finding the range in the Rabouin Field House, knocking down 10 three-pointers as a team. Sarah Maher got Attleboro off to a strong start with seven of her nine points coming in the first, while Kayla Goldrick added five and Vanessa Ellis and Lily Routhier (eight points) scored four apiece to open up a 26-7 lead after one. Rylie Camacho buried three from beyond the arc in the second, while Molly Moore and Goldrick both knocked down shots from the outside, as Attleboro’s lead grew to 30. Moore would hit a pair from three in the third and scored eight of her 11 points in the quarter, as Attleboro didn’t let off the gas. Moore, Goldrick, Ellis, and Camacho all finished with 11 for the Bombardiers. Eighth grader Rayah Horton scored a career-high 13 points for the Tigers, including seven in the fourth. Cali Melo also scored seven of her 13 points over the final eight minutes and Skylar McCrohan added six points for the hosts.
Foxboro, 79 @ Stoughton, 26 – Final – Kailey Sullivan continued her hot streak, scoring a game-high 25 points, including four three-pointers. It’s the third straight game that Sullivan has scored at least 23 points (with one game of 31). Camryn Collins and Addie Ruter also reached double digits, scoring 15 points apiece. Nine different Warriors got on the score sheet. Stoughton was led by Kirsten McKay with 10 points, five boards, and two steals.
Franklin, 66 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Katie Peterson scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out three assists to lead Franklin to the road win that keeps the Panthers atop the Kelley-Rex by a game heading into Tuesday’s showdown with second-place Attleboro. Peterson got the visitors off to a strong start, burying a pair of threes and scoring 10 points in the first. Bridget Leo and Chloe Fales also knocked down threes for Franklin, which took a 24-8 lead after one. Peterson hit her third three and had four points in the second to help the Panthers extend the lead by two, 35-17, going into the locker room. After scoring only 17 points total in the first meeting, North found another gear offensively in the third. Despite Peterson scoring another eight points, North cut the lead by a couple, scoring 18 in the quarter. Maryellen Charette had five points and Ava McKeon, Sam Faria, and Ella McLaughlin each drilled threes for the Rocketeers. Peterson added six more in the fourth, including a drive midway through the quarter to set her new high mark. Sam Sweeney matched Peterson with five in the final eight minutes. Caelyn Leonard scored 11 (going 6-of-7 from the line), Bridget Leo added nine points and four assists, and Chloe Fales had six (all in the first). Sweeney and Charette each scored 10 and McLaughlin had nine, while McKeon and Katie Corsetti both finished with eight points for North.
Sharon, 47 @ Mansfield, 81 – Final – Natalya Gill scored a career-high 21 points, knocking down seven three-pointers, and the Hornets set a new program-high for points in a game. This is the second time this season that Mansfield has scored 80 or more points in a game. Gill and Abby Wager each scored six points in the first to help the Hornets take a 14-8 lead. The Mansfield offense found a second gear in the second quarter, as the Hornets scored 25 points. Gill continued her hot shooting with three from beyond the arc, Wager chipped in with seven more, and Ella Palanza (eight points) scored four. The Eagles were hanging around behind Jasmine Davis, who scored 14 of her game-high 23 in the first half. The third quarter was nearly even, with the Hornets adding one point to their lead. Davis added another seven points and Rachael Hager, who missed much of the season with injury, scored five points. Mansfield ensured there would be no comeback with 25 points in the fourth quarter. Gill hit another couple of threes and Bridget Hanley scored four of her eight points to help put the game away. Hager added another five and finished with 10 for the Eagles, while Eva Poulton had six. Wager scored 20 points in the win.
Milford freshman CJ Farrell, who scored a career-high 26 points, pulls up for a three-pointer in the first half at North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Milford’s CJ Farrell might only be a freshman, but 18 games into his very young career, he’s starting to play like a seasoned veteran.
Farrell dropped a career-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds, seven steals, and four assists to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a 63-56 win on the road over North Attleboro.
The win pulls Milford’s record to an even 9-9 (8-9 for MIAA tournament purposes) with five games to go.
“There’s an adjustment for everyone when you get to the varsity level, much less a freshman and he’s come right in and asserted himself as a leader on this team both vocally and how he plays on the floor,” said Milford interim head coach Chris Trafecante, who is filling in while head coach Paul Seaver is on medical leave. Seaver is set to return in the coming week.
“[CJ’s] a special kid and he wants to win in Milford. He backs it up with how hard he works and we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Farrell came out of the gates flying, putting up 11 points in the opening quarter and his three steals helped spark an 11-0 run to close the quarter that put Milford ahead 17-11. The Scarlet Hawks never trailed the rest of the way.
Although the visitors held the lead throughout the final three quarters, the Rocketeers refused to go quietly and used a late rally to make a game of it.
The Hawks staked a 51-38 lead going into the fourth quarter but North had its best quarter of the game offensively and cut the deficit all the way down to one possession, 59-56, with a minute to go.
Sophomore Ryan Bannon hauled in an offensive board and found senior Givany Carney (career-high 21 points) for three at the midway point of the fourth to bring the hosts within single digits at 56-48. North freshman Jake Peckham (nine points, four assists) and Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera (15 points) traded free throws, North sophomore Austin Clemente sank two from the free throw line, and then Carney turned a steal at halfcourt into a layup to make it 57-54.
Milford sophomore Tyler Ballard answered seconds later off a good feed from Rivera but Peckham used a nice fake on the other end to create space for a layup to make it 59-56 with a minute to go.
“Defensively I think we were a little tighter, a little better in the fourth quarter,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins said of the fourth quarter comeback. “At halftime, we talked about how they had made some baskets but we were also breaking some of our defensive rules. That combined with some good shooting from Milford was a recipe for giving up too many points. I thought in the fourth we locked in and offensively, we saw the ball go in and felt better about ourselves.”
Sophomore Jack Buckley hit two from the line for the Hawks and then hauled in a defensive board after North was off the mark from three-point territory. Buckley added one more free throw, and after North was off the mark on two chances from deep, Rivera tacked on one more free throw to seal the win.
“When this group gets stops, they are tough to beat,” Trafecante said, “It’s the lapses defensively that kind of give us some problems. And when there are lapses defensively, there are lapses offensively as well. We were able to get some stops and rebound the ball at the end.
Chris Hanewich (nine points) and Derek Maceda had early buckets to give North an 11-6 lead but Farrell turned a steal into a traditional three-point play and then tied the game on a contested shot in close. Another Farrell steal resulted in a three from Luca Testa and then Jake Soares hauled in an offensive rebound and dished to Farrell for a three just before the buzzer to give Milford a 17-11 lead after one.
North made a push to start the second as Carney had five straight but Farrell also had five early on to cancel it out. Ayden Delaney drove to the rim for two and Chase Frisoli (eight points, five rebounds) drained a three to get North within a bucket at 27-24 but Milford closed the second strong. Soares converted a tough layup, Rivera had a steal and layup, Nick Araujo came up with a steal and found Rivera for a traditional three-point play, and Wyatt Zagami finished at the rim after another forced turnover from Farrell.
Milford forced 13 first half turnovers and five more in the third while the Rocketeers had just one turnover in the fourth quarter.
“Anytime you can get easy baskets, you’ll take them,” Trafecante said. “We just have to continue to play disciplined on the defensive end and stay in front of guys. We play a pretty quick pace and we try to speed teams up, and when you can do that you can cause teams to make mistakes.”
“Those live ball turnovers kill us,” Mulkerrins said. “It’s so hard to get back and then your defense has to be perfect. And that leaks into the offense, we tend to play a little tighter. It’s a credit to our kids that we are able to get back into these games but we just dug ourselves too big of a hole. These kids don’t quit and I’m proud of them for that.”
After a bucket from Rivera with five minutes to go in the third, Farrell scored eight straight as Milford’s lead peaked at 49-33. Peckham had a key three for North to snap the run and keep the Rocketeers within striking distance going into the fourth.
Milford boys basketball is back on the road on Friday with a trip to King Philip while North Attleboro is on the road for a pair of games to end the week, first at Bishop Feehan and then at Franklin.
Boys Basketball
Mansfield, 71 vs. Bedford, 44 – Final – JT Veiking sparked a big run to start the second quarter that allowed the Hornets to pull away from a convincing win over visiting Bedford. Veiking scored 13 of his career-high 20 points in the midst of 19-2 run from the Hornets to start the second half, turning a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter (20-13) into a large double digit advantage. Senior Chris Hill had another strong all-around performance for the Hornets with 16 points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists while Eddie McCoy chipped in with 12 points.
Milford, 90 vs. Assabet Valley, 31 – Final – Milford had nine players score, four with 13 or more points, and rolled to a win over Assabet Valley in an opening round matchup of the 2nd Annual Scarlet Hawks Holiday Invitational. Sophomore Andrew Rivera scored 12 of his team-high 20 points in the first half while classmate Luca Testa accounted for three of Milford’s 11 three-pointers and finished with a career-high 17 points. Wyatt Zagami and Tyler Ballard (14 rebounds) each chipped in with 13 points.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 59 vs. Hingham, 31 – Final – Foxboro picked up a big non-league win to continue its unbeaten start to the season. Sophomore Addie Ruter had another impressive game in the post for the Warriors, scoring a career-high 24 points to pick up the win. Camryn Collins added 18 points for the Warriors.
Mansfield, 37 vs. Carlsbad (Calif.), 46 – Final
Milford, 30 @ Westboro, 38 – Final – Milford led after the first quarter, but then was outscored 22-11 over the second and third quarters. Emily Croteau was the top scorer for the shorthanded Hawks with 12 points. She scored eight of the team’s 10 points in the first, as Milford took a 10-8 lead, and then added four in the fourth, as Milford outscored the Rangers 9-8 in an attempt to come from behind. Aliza Syed added seven for Milford, including five of the team’s six points in the third quarter.
North Attleboro, 32 vs. Bedford, 45 – Final – North’s scoring struggles continued in a rematch against Bedford. The Rocketeers scored only 11 points before the break, fell behind by double digits, and never recovered, despite playing tough defense all game long and rallying to cut the lead to 10 with a little more than a minute to play. Maryellen Charette led the Rocketeers with nine points and Sam Sweeney finished with eight.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 4 vs. Old Rochester, 6 – Final
Franklin, 7 @ Malden Catholic, 2 – Final – Franklin had six different players find the back of the net as the Panthers used an offensive explosion to take down Malden Catholic. Anthony Lampasona had a pair of goals while Carter Balducci, Dan Daley, Jack Wernig, Logan Marchand, and Ryan Sicchio each scored once in the win.
King Philip, 3 vs. Milton, 1 – Final
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Dartmouth, 2 – Final – Matt Lawson recorded a hat trick to lift Oliver Ames to a hard-fought win on the road over Dartmouth. Lawson lit the lamp in the opening period and then tacked on two more in the third, including the game-winner with a minute to go. Lawson’s third goal put OA up 3-1 before Dartmouth scored with 16 seconds left to make it a one-goal game. Brandon Burke had a strong game in net for the Tigers.
Stoughton/Brockton, 4 vs. Holliston, 2 – Final – Colby Strunk scored a pair of goals to lead Stoughton/Brockton to a win in the opening round of the Bellingham Holiday Tournament. Jake McSweeney netted his first career goal and Charlie Caputo also found the back of the net. Dmytro Yakovenko had a strong game in net to earn the win.
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 0 vs. Cape Cod, 2 – Final
Gymnastics
Taunton, 132.35 @ Franklin, 133.75 – Final – Franklin’s Emma Nelson took first both on the bars and on the beam on her way to taking first in the all-around, helping the Panthers pull off a close win over Taunton. Nelson took first on the bars with an 8.5 and on the beam with an 8.8, adding a second place score of 8.65 on the vault. Molly Chandler was Franklin’s top scorer on the vault (8.7) while Maia Keohane (8.8) was first on the floor.
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.”
Boys Basketball
Taunton, 52 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos sank a pair of free throws with 4.9 seconds left to ice the win for the Tigers. Santos scored eight of his 16 points in the final frame, hitting of half of his four three-point field goals to lead the Tigers, who trailed 14-9 after a quarter but held the hosts to two points in the second quarter to seize a 20-16 edge at the break. A three-pointer from Attleboro’s Evan Houle put the Bombardiers up 41-38 with four minutes to go but Taunton sophomore Cyrus Morrisette finished a tough take to the rim, Tristan Herry (14 points) drew an offensive foul, and a layup from from Faisal Mass put the Tigers ahead 42-41. Colin Morais (20 points) hit two free throws as Attleboro jumped ahead again but a tough floater in the lane from Herry gave Taunton the lead again, this time for good. Santos added a three with 90 seconds to go to pad Taunton’s lead. Evan Houle added 14 points for the Bombardiers, hitting four three-pointers in the second half.
North Attleboro, 38 @ Canton, 59 – Final – Canton connected on eight of its 10 three-pointers in the first half, racing out to a big lead that it never relinquished in a win over North. Nate Mei (13 points) had two of his triples in the first eight minutes and Lanse Dorcelus scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half as Canton established double-digit leads at the end of the first quarter (21-10) and at halftime (38-15). Matt Chafin and Ashton Cetoute added third quarter triples to help the Bulldogs keep a large lead (51-26) going into the final quarter. Brody Rosenberg and Givany Carney each had 12 points for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 64 @ Foxboro, 60 – Final – Locked in a close contest the entire way for the second straight game, Sharon emerged with a hard-fought victory on the road over Foxboro. The Eagles’ largest lead of the second half peaked at nine less than a minute into the second half, but it was closer than that the rest of the way. In fact, a 10-0 burst from the Warriors quickly erased that and the teams stayed within two possessions the rest of the way. Sharon carried a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter and got five points from Matt Baur (16 points), four from Jacob McLoughlin (nine points) and a bucket from John Baez (nine points) to hold on for the win. Dylan Gordon (16 points) banked in a three with just under four minutes to to cut the deficit to one, 59-58 but a strong take from McLoughlin a minute later pushed it back to three. Alex Penders (16 points) cleaned up his own miss with 2:30 to go to one again cut it to one. McLoughlin hit a floater with under a minute to go and Baur added a free throw and the Eagles ended the game without giving up a point over the final two minutes. Donyae Pierre had a big first half for the Eagles, scoring all 12 of his points then to help the Eagles establish a 38-32 halftime lead.
King Philip, 63 @ Milford, 65 – Final – Milford senior Justin Luchini grabbed an offensive rebound and kissed it off the backboard with 1.6 seconds left to give the Scarlet Hawks the win over King Philip. Milford missed on its first layup attempt but Luchini (19 points) poked the rebound free and put it back up and in for the winner. Milford held a 42-29 lead at halftime before King Philip came storming back. Senior Paul Roberts added 14 points, freshman Andrew Rivera added nine points, and junior Wyatt Zagami chipped in with eight points for Milford.
Stoughton, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 42 – Final – Anchored by senior guard Josh Rivera, Stoughton had one of its best defensive performances to secure a road win at OA and its first season sweep of the Tigers since the 2010-2011 season. Defense was the story for both teams from the get go, with OA taking an 8-7 lead after one and Stoughton carrying a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Black Knights got the offense going, closing the third on a run capped by a three from junior Rayan Sablon (career-high 26 points) at the buzzer. Sablon went on to score 10 points in the fourth for Stoughton, who pushed the lead to as much as nine before a couple of threes from OA’s Zach Tagliamonte (10 points). Rivera capped it with three free throws down the stretch. CJ Williams added a team-high 12 points for the Tigers.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 81 @ Taunton, 47 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Attleboro’s offense was clicking on all cylinders on Friday night, as the Bombardiers scored at least 19 points in each quarter to pull out the road win. Meghan Gordon scored 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Attleboro, which also got 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench from freshman Vanessa Ellis. Taunton started well on senior night, as Olivia Gannon scored all eight of her points and Abby Souza scored four of her nine in the first quarter, but Gordon was also on fire from the opening tip, matching Taunton’s total with 14 points in the first eight minutes. Attleboro extended its lead in the second with Gordon scoring seven and the Bombardiers knocking down three triples. Kameron St. Pierre (team-high 16 points) kept the Tigers close by knocking down four from deep and racking up 12 points. Attleboro stormed out of the break with a 22-point third quarter to break the game open. Gordon added another seven, while Lindsey Perry scored six and Lily Routhier added four. Kayla Goldrick scored nine points and dished out eight assists for the Bombardiers, while Routhier, Perry, and Avery Vieira had eight points apiece. Cali Melo had four points, three steals, and three assists and Jillian Doherty had four points for the Tigers.
Canton, 71 @ North Attleboro, 41 – Final – Kiara Cerruti scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to the road win. In the process, Cerruti became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,068 points, surpassing the 1,057 points of Eileen Morneau. The game was tied at 7-7 after one, but then Canton went on a run, outscoring North 21-5 in the second to take control. Both teams found a rhythm on offense in the third, as they combined for 36 points, but a 24-12 fourth quarter put the game away for the Bulldogs. Fay Gallery added 13 points, five rebounds, and seven assists and Erin Beatty had eight points and six boards for Canton. Maia Mahoney added six points and Han Hong had four assists in the win. Summer Doherty was North’s top scorer, finishing with 15 points (all in the second half) and Taylor McMath had seven.
Foxboro, 72 @ Sharon, 52 – Final – Foxboro bounced back with a big win on the road and clinched its place in the state tournament. The Warriors were led by its underclassman backcourt, as freshman Kailey Sullivan scored a career-high 26 points and sophomore Camryn Collins finished with 24. Jasmine Davis scored 19 points to lead the Eagles and Rachael Hager added 17.
Franklin, 65 @ Mansfield, 34 – Final
Milford, 29 @ King Philip, 35 – Final – The Warriors outscored Milford 11-5 in the fourth quarter to pull out a defensive struggle. The first quarter was a struggle for both teams on the offensive end and finished 5-4. In the second, KP found the range to score 13 points and extend the lead to eight at the break. Maddie Paschke and Leah Santoro each scored four points in the quarter to help KP build its lead. Both would finish with six on the night. The Hawks stormed back in the third, coming out of halftime with a 14-6 quarter to tie things up heading to the fourth. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored six of her game-high 11 points in the third and Emily Croteau added all four of her points in the frame. KP got baskets from five different players in the fourth and held Milford to two made baskets to seal the win. Emily Sawyer led the way for the Warriors with eight points and Julia Marsden added five. Jill Araujo scored five for the Hawks and Khatrina Leger chipped in with four.
Oliver Ames, 70 @ Stoughton, 27 – Final – Oliver Ames built a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back in a win on the road at Stoughton. Caroline Peper and Jasmyn Cooper each scored 15 points for the Tigers, who led 31-15 at the halftime break. Anna Murphy chipped in with 10 points for the visitors. Senior Kate Bulger led all scorers for Stoughton with 11 points and sophomore Alyssa Edwards grabbed eight boards.
Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ Canton, 7 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 0 – Final – Audrey Koen scored a pair of goals and Carolyn Durand made 19 saves to earn the shutout, as Canton picked up a big non-league win. It is the fifth straight win for the Bulldogs. Tess Khoury scored one and had a pair of assists, while Payton McDonough had a goal and assist. Allie McCabe had two helpers in the win.
North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg (career-high 30 points) goes up for layup in the second quarter at Milford. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
MILFORD, Mass. – The North Attleboro boys basketball team built its lead over Milford through its full-court pressure defense, so it’s only fitting the game came down to one final stop for the Rocketeers.
North got it, and then another, surviving a pair of highly contested three-point attempts from the host Hawks to break into the win column for the first time this year with a 53-50 decision on Tuesday night.
Senior Brody Rosenberg scored a career-high 30 points, including a key three-pointer midway through the fourth, and anchored North’s full-court pressure, grabbing six steals along with six boards.
“I think our group has been pretty good defensively all year, we’ve held four of the six teams we’ve played under their average entering tonight but we just haven’t really found our footing on offense,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “But I was proud of our guys making enough plays tonight. Milford, hats off to them, they didn’t quit and if there are another two minutes in this game, I’m not sure who the winner is.
The Scarlet Hawks capitalized on a turnover from the visitors inside the final minute, getting a three-pointer from Wyatt Zagami (eight points) in the corner after breaking North’s press to make it a one-point game, 51-50, with 18 seconds to play.
North Attleboro boys basketball
North Attleboro junior Givany Carney (nine points, seven rebounds) was fouled before the ensuing inbounds pass and hit both of his free throws to push the advantage back to three. Milford got the ball up the court but a contested corner three was off the front rim, and despite a tip out from Justin Lucini (23 points, 10 rebounds), the Rocketeers surrounded the shooter and the last-second heave was off the mark.
North Attleboro surged ahead in the second quarter and led for the entire second half. The Rocketeers led by as much as eight points in the third quarter, but the offense stalled against Milford’s 2-3 zone. After being shut out over the final four minutes of the fourth, North managed just six points over the first four minutes of the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Hawks continued to chip away. A drive from freshman Jack Buckley and free throws from Lucini and freshman Luca Testa cut it to 38-35 at the end of the third quarter.
North extended its lead back to seven early in the fourth behind a steal and score from Rosenberg, and then a layup from Carney after a good defensive play from senior Casey Poirier, making it 42-35.
Milford made a game of it with a quick 8-2 surge, getting five points from Lucini, who made his sixth three of the game, and then three straight from freshman Andrew Rivera (eight points, three rebounds, three assists) made it 44-43 as the clock ticked under four minutes to play.
“I thought every single time in the late third and early fourth that we could have separated ourselves, we hurt ourselves. Either a turnover there, missed one, or we fouled. And we were in the bonus before I blinked. At that point, I think guys started looking at the scoreboard and got away from being the more aggressive team. We’re still learning how to win, we have a lot of young guys, a lot of new juniors so hopefully this helps us down the road.
Rosenberg came back down the other end and came up short on a layup attempt but Carney secured one of North’s 17 offensive rebounds. After kicking it around the perimeter, Rosenberg faked a shot to get the defender in the air, took a step into space, and sank a three — his first triple since the second quarter, and just North’s fourth three in the game.
The Rocketeers got a stop on the defensive end and Rosenberg sliced to the basket for two more and North had some breathing room at 49-44 with 2:33 to go.
A quick foul led to a free throw from Paul Roberts, and a steal on the defensive end resulted in two more from the line from Roberts, and the Hawks got the ball back down just two. But North’s pressure paid off again as Jack Munley came up with a loose ball and Rosenberg drained two from the line to extend the lead to 51-47.
“I’m really proud of him,” Mulkerrins said of Rosenberg, who accounted for over half of the team’s points. “He hasn’t filled it up like he expects to and I think he’s feeling the weight of the record, the youth and inexperience and at times, maybe pressing like all four of our seniors have. Everyone in that locker room has a lot of confidence in him and when he shoots the ball, we assume it’s going in. There’s no one else we want taking the big three in that moment so I’m proud of him for staying the course and hitting the big one.
After a back-and-forth start, Milford separated itself on Lucini’s sharpshooting. The senior hit his first two attempts from deep and Zagami added one of his own to help the Hawks overcome eight turnovers to grab a 16-9 lead.
But North’s full-court pressure continued to limit the Hawks’ offensive chances as the Rocketeers forced 10 turnovers in the second quarter. North Attleboro turned that into 15 of its 23 points in the middle frame, including a four-point play from Rosenberg and a putback from Nate Bennett. North ran a nice inside-out play with Munley finding Poirier for an open three, leading to a 31-29 halftime edge.
“Even if it wasn’t getting a turnover, I thought it was keeping our guys mentally engaged,” Mulkerrins said. “We saw in our scout that we could possibly turn them over a little bit, and even when we weren’t getting that turnover, I felt like we were speeding them up. We just thought at halftime if we were able to keep it up and then get to [Lucini] a bit better in transition, I thought it was the appropriate defensive decision.”
North Attleboro boys basketball (1-5 Hockomock, 1-6 overall) is on the road again on Friday when it visits Stoughton. Milford (0-7, 0-8) has two games to end the week, hosting Brockton on Thursday and then visiting Franklin on Friday night.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 51 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – In a game of runs, Taunton had more of them and at key moments to secure an impressive win over visiting Attleboro. The Tigers opened with a 10-0 to start the game and pulled away anytime the Bombardiers closed the game. Taunton led 19-8 after a quarter and then pushed the lead to 35-25, closing the first half on a 10-3 run. In the third, Attleboro made it a possession game at 45-40 but Trent Santos (22 points) capped a quick 7-0 burst with a four-point play to give Taunton a 52-40 advantage going into the fourth. The Tigers closed with their best offensive quarter of the game (19 points) to run away with the win. Senior Jordan Costa scored 18 of his career-high 23 points in the second half to keep the hosts ahead throughout the game. Tristan Herry chipped in 10 points while Faisal Mass had eight points, all in the first half. Seniors Evan Houle and Colin Morais each scored 12 points for the Bombardiers while sophomore Neo Franco added eight points.
Canton, 46 @ North Attleboro, 39 – Final – Canton scored 18 points in the opening quarter to establish a lead that it held onto the rest of the way in a win on the road at North Attleboro. The Rocketeers responded with 13 points in the second to make it a close game by halftime (28-23) but the Bulldogs limited the hosts to just five points in the third to push the lead to double-digits (38-28) going into the fourth. North rallied to get within a possession in the final frame but Canton secured the win with successful free throw shooting. Senior Lanse Dorcelus scored a team-high 14 points, including all nine of Canton’s second quarter points, while Matt Chafin added 12 points and Nate Mei had nine points. North senior Casey Poirier netted a career-high 22 points while Gavin Wells chipped in with seven.
Foxboro, 55 @ Sharon, 68 – Final – Sharon dropped 20 points in the opening quarter capped by a halfcourt shot at the buzzer, and then added a 22-point third quarter to create the separation it needed to record a key win over division foe Foxboro. Matt Baur scored 10 of his 17 points between the first and the third, swishing a halfcourt heave just before the buzzer in the first as the Eagles established a 20-14 lead early. Sophomore Nate Katznelson added 12 of his 16 between the first and third, and sophomore Jacob McLoughlin had all 11 points in those two periods for the Eagles, who turned a 31-24 halftime lead into a 53-39 advantage going into the final quarter. Foxboro junior Alex Penders scored 23 of his career-high 25 points in the first three quarters while senior Dylan Gordon added 11 points for the Warriors, who hit three of its their seven threes in the final quarter.
Milford, 78 @ King Philip, 85 – Final (OT) – King Philip senior Danny Clancy scored off of an inbounds pass with six seconds to go to send the game into overtime and the Warriors outscored the Hawks 8-1 in the extra period to get the win. KP exploded for 24 points in the third quarter to erase an eight-point halftime deficit, knotting the score at 55. Both squads scored 22 points in the fourth with KP going 10-for-12 from the free throw line in the fourth. KP finished the game 23-for-39 from the line while Milford was 14-for-22 for the game. Braeden Sottile scored six of his 10 points in overtime while Will Laplante had 10 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter for KP, which trailed 16-12 at the end of the first and 39-31 at halftime. Tommy Martorano finished with 20 points while Clancy had 17 points in the win. Wyatt Zagami dropped a career-high 24 points for the Hawks, hitting a trio of threes in the fourth quarter for 13 of his points. Jake Soares also hit a pair of threes in the fourth, finishing with a career-high 19 points.
Oliver Ames, 72 @ Stoughton, 79 – Final – Stoughton poured in 27 points in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead by halftime, and then held off a flurry of points in the fourth from Oliver Ames to get the win. The Black Knights turned a 12-10 lead after eight minutes into a 38-24 advantage at halftime, and pushed the lead to 20 points (61-41) going into the fourth. Junior Rayan Sablon scored a career-high 25 points, hitting a pair of threes, three two-point field goals, and went 13-for-13 at the free throw line to lead the Black Knights. Senior Connor Andrews scored seven of his 16 points in the second and freshman Matthew Greenspoon (15 points) hit three of his five three-pointers in the second to help the Knights establish their lead. Sophomore Liam Pearl added 10 points in the win. Oliver Ames’ Zach Tagliamonte scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high 36 points to lead the Tigers. Drew Baxter added 11 points and freshman Cole Craffey finished with 10 points, all in the second half.
Girls Basketball
Taunton, 44 @ Attleboro, 65 – Final – Attleboro got off to a fast start, leading by 15 at halftime, and never looked back to win for the third time this week. All three wins were by double digits. Meghan Gordon continued her torrid week with a game-high 31 points. She scored 11 of Attleboro’s 19 in the second quarter and 10 of the Bombardiers’ 15 in the third to help build the lead up to 18 points. Lindsey Perry added 14 points in the win, including a pair from downtown. Kameron St. Pierre scored a team-high 21 for Taunton, knocking down three triples and scoring eight points in the fourth quarter. Cali Melo scored eight, all in the second half, and Emily Gannon added six for the Tigers.
North Attleboro, 45 @ Canton, 80 – Final – Canton got off to a great start, leading 21-7 at the end of the first quarter and extending that lead to 27 by halftime. The Bulldogs used a strong press to force 13 turnovers in the first half and quickly converted those into points on the other end. Fay Gallery scored a career-high 27 points, knocking down seven threes. She also dished out eight assists, grabbed seven rebounds, and had six steals. Kiara Cerruti nearly matched Gallery, adding 26 points and five steals. Sydney Gallery scored 11 points and had five assists, Samya DaSilva had five points and five boards, and Emily McCabe finished with four points, five rebounds, and three steals. North improved offensively in the second half, scoring 31 points after the break. Summer Doherty scored a team-high 13 points, while Ava McKeon and freshman Sam Faria each scored eight.
Sharon, 27 @ Foxboro, 70 – Final – Ten players got on the score sheet for the Warriors as they bounced back with a big win at home. Freshman Kailey Sullivan knocked down three from beyond the arc and scored a career-high 19 points in the win. Camryn Collins added a dozen for Foxboro.
Mansfield, 33 @ Franklin, 60 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Franklin hadn’t played in nearly a month, so it took a while for the Panthers to get going, but they then went on a 22-0 run between the second and third quarters to grab hold of the game and stay perfect on the season. Olivia Quinn (four rebounds and three assists) and Stefany Padula (four steals and two blocks) each scored 14 points to lead the Panthers and combined to knock down five threes. Katie Peterson added 12 points, three assists, and a pair of blocks, while Brigid Earley scored nine points. The Hornets were shorthanded with several players out and several just making their return. Abby Wager came off the bench to score a team-high 12 points, all in the second half, and Olivia Salisbury added six points and five rebounds. Rose Maher had six points and eight boards, while Bridget Hanley scored three points but also chipped in with eight rebounds, three steals, and four assists.
King Philip, 57 @ Milford, 49 – Final – Milford led by two after one, but KP grabbed the lead in the second quarter and then extended it to double digits heading into the final eight minutes to earn its second close win of the week. Jackie Bonner led three scorers in double digits for the Warriors, finishing with 16 points on four three-pointers. Julia Marsden (15 points) and Emily Sawyer (13) also had big nights for KP. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini led all scorers with 18 and Emily Croteau added 10 points for the Hawks. Maeve Driscoll and Brooke Ferreira each chipped in with six in the loss.
Stoughton, 25 @ Oliver Ames, 66 – Final – Oliver Ames took control right from the opening tip and secured its second big win in as many days over division rivals. After a big win over Sharon on Thursday, the Tigers raced out to a 39-10 halftime advantage on Friday night against the Black Knights. Caroline Peper netted a team-high 16 points and recorded five steals, sophomore Jasmyn Cooper added 10 points and nine boards, and Hailey Bourne gave OA a big boost with nine points and four steals. Seniors Jess Maddalena and Evie Lam combined for 14 points for the Black Knights.
Boys Hockey
Taunton @ Attleboro – >Postponed to TBD.
Boys Swimming
Attleboro, 87 @ Milford, 83 – Final
Stoughton @ Canton, 3:00
Sharon @ Foxboro, 6:00
King Philip @ Mansfield, 6:00
Girls Swimming
Attleboro, 111 @ Milford, 48 – Final
Stoughton @ Canton, 3:00
Sharon @ Foxboro, 6:00
King Philip @ Mansfield, 6:00
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 49 @ Oliver Ames, 44 – Final – Attleboro went on the road and grinded out a key win over a tough Oliver Ames squad in a see-saw battle. The host Tigers got off to a strong start with a 15-7 lead after a quarter of play but the Bombardiers got back into it with their best offensive quarter of the game as five players combined for 17 points which translated into a 24-22 halftime lead. Oliver Ames answered with another strong defensive quarter and took a 35-33 edge into the final quarter. In the fourth, Attleboro went 8-for-14 from the free throw line and had five players contribute to the scoring to pull ahead. Junior Trevor White had a team-high 12 points while Alvin Harrison added 11 in the win. Zach Tagliamonte had a team-high 12 points for OA and Drew Baxter added 10 points.
Franklin, 62 @ Canton, 50 – Final – Franklin overcame a hot start and a first quarter deficit to pick up a win over Canton on the road. The Bulldogs hit five threes in the opening quarter for an 18-15 lead but the Panthers clamped down in the second to hold the hosts to six points to grab a 29-24 lead by the break. The Panthers extended their lead to eight (44-36) after 24 minutes and closed it out with a big final quarter to get the win. Sophomore Henry Digiorgio poured in a carer-high 27 points, scoring 12 in the first half and hitting three three-points in the fourth to cement the win. Sophomore Andrew O’Neill added 11 of his career-high 14 points in the second half for his varsity debut. Canton junior Matt Chafin finished with a career-high 16 points to lead Canton while Conor Hunter accounted for four of the Bulldogs’ 10 three-pointers for 12 points.
Milford, 47 @ Sharon, 60 – Final – Sharon used a 14-0 run between the first and second quarters to take a lead, erasing an early 10-point deficit, and never surrendered the lead the rest of the way. Sophomore Nate Katznelson hit a pair of threes in the second quarter and finished with a career-high 16 points, while sophomore Jacob McLoughlin and junior Jack Bates also hit from deep to help the Eagles turn a four-point deficit at the end of the quarter quarter (17-13) to a eight-point lead at halftime (31-23). Junior Matt Baur scored 15 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to help close the game out. Milford junior Wyatt Zagami hit five three-pointers and finished with a career-high 19 points in his varsity debut.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 49 @ Attleboro, 28 – Final – Oliver Ames put the clamps on defensively, holding the Bombardiers to 11 points and never looked back from there to get a win on the road. Sophomore Jasmyn Cooper had a breakout performance for the Tigers, dropping 17 points to go along with eight rebounds. Anna Murphy added 11 points and a pair of blocks and senior Caroline Peper had a solid showing with 10 points and eight boards.
Canton, 47 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin extended its win streak to 36 games with a big win in the opener. Katie Peterson was the top scorer for the hosts with 18 points and Stefany Padula had 16, including four threes. Kiara Cerruti kicked off her senior season with a game-high 21 points, including 14 in the second half, for the Bulldogs. Canton led 12-11 after the first quarter, but the Panthers turned it around with a 22-9 second to grab the lead for good. Leading by 13 going into the fourth, Franklin scored 20 points in the final eight minutes to push the lead. Bridget Leo scored 12 points and Olivia Quinn and Brigid Earley each had seven for the Panthers. Sydney Gallery scored seven, all in the second half, and Samya DaSilva added five for the Bulldogs.
North Attleboro, 31 @ Mansfield, 56 – Final – Mansfield broke the game open from the start, pushing out to a 37-14 lead by halftime and rolling to a comfortable win in the season opener. Abby Wager scored all of her game-high 12 points in the opening half for the Hornets and Olivia Salisbury added all of her six points before the break. Anna Darlington and Bridget Hanley both scored eight points in the win. Ava McKeon scored a team-high nine points, including eight in the first half, for North, who struggled to get anything going and had to play from behind right from the start. Freshman Maryellen Charette added seven points for North in her first varsity game.
Sharon, 55 @ Milford, 50 – Final (OT) – Sharon sophomore center Jasmine Davis had a remarkable debut for the Eagles. After sitting out her freshman year, Davis exploded for 32 points and 28 rebounds to lead Sharon to a season-opening, overtime victory at Milford. Despite Davis’ big night, the game was close throughout. Sharon led 20-18 at halftime and the game went into an extra period tied at 46-46. The Eagles outscored Milford 9-4 in the OT to earn the win. Rachel Hager buried four threes to finish with 12 points and Trinity Payne added six for Sharon. Milford was led by senior Maddalena Mannucci Pacini, who also made an impressive varsity debut with 19 points, knocking down four threes. Brooke Ferreira added 12 points and Jill Araujo had six for the Hawks.
Stoughton, 30 @ Taunton, 62 – Final – Kameron St. Pierre marked her return to the Tigers with 23 points to give Taunton a season-opening win. After sitting out her sophomore season, St. Pierre scored 14 points in the first half to help the Tigers jump out to a 28-11 halftime lead. She finished with four made threes on the night. Cali Melo added eight points, all in the second half, and Olivia Gannon also scored eight for the Tigers. Stoughton got 12 points on a trio of threes from Kate Bulger. Evie Lam hit a pair from downtown and had six points and Vanessa Phelimond had six as well for the Black Knights.
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 7 vs. East Bridgewater, 3 – Final
