Today’s games are listed below.
Girls Soccer
D1 South
#1 King Philip vs. #12 Needham, 3:30 (@ Whitman-Hanson)
Volleyball
D2 State Semifinal
#2 Canton (C) vs. #1 Minnechaug (W), 6:00 (@ Tantasqua)
Player of the Week: Taylor Harris, Canton Volleyball
By HockomockSports.com Staff
Canton senior Taylor Harris has been selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, for Nov. 3 through Nov. 9. Harris is the 10th player chosen as Player of the Week for the 2019-20 school year.
Harris was the star performer for Canton during its run to the Div. 2 Central title, starring in all three of the Bulldogs’ playoff games, including the Central final against Westboro at Wellesley High. With Harris showing off her all-around game, the Bulldogs reached a second straight Central final and beat the Rangers 3-1 to secure the program’s second sectional title.
“Taylor is an amazing player,” said Canton coach Pat Cawley. “She’s one of the top players I’ve ever coached. Offensively, defensively, blocking she is really a great player…Taylor is certainly in a class of her own.”
In the playoff opener against Tantasqua, Harris sparked the Canton offense with 16 kills. She was also the top hitter in the dominant win against North Middlesex in the Central semifinal, leading the team with 13 kills and adding 12 digs. Against Westboro on Saturday afternoon, Harris demonstrated her overall game to help Canton go a step further than 2018 and secure the Central title. She finished with 20 kills and nine digs in the final.
For the season, Harris led the league with 332 kills and was in the top 10 in the league with 161 digs, while helping the Bulldogs earn yet another Davenport division title. She was also recently selected as the Hockomock League MVP.
The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.
Sixth Annual HockomockSports Charity Soccer Classic
We’re excited to announce that our Sixth Annual HockomockSports.com Charity Soccer Classic will be on November 23rd at Attleboro High School. We currently run two charity events each year (soccer and basketball), and once again this year we will be raising money for Dana-Farber.
Last year, we had such a successful event that we were the top fundraising group for the Kick For Dana-Farber program. In each of the past two years, we’ve taken a Hockomock team on the field before a Revolution game, and then tickets to the game as well. The North Attleboro girls team were honored on the big screen before the game as HockomockSports.com was selected as the Revs “Hero of the Match.” We also won custom training tops that the Rocketeers received for their generous support to the fundraiser.
We are hoping to be one of the top fundraising groups again this season. Our event features a girls game and a boys game that features some of the top talent from the Hockomock League. All participants are selected strictly by our staff and do not have any connection to the official Hockomock League All Stars.
If you are interested in donating to our team, you can click this link or click on the picture above that will take you to the event page, which has a link to our fundraising page.
Please note that we will be releasing the rosters for the games over time, and each team will have 18 players.
We are returning to Attleboro High for the sixth straight season and we are very grateful for their support throughout the years. With construction for the new high school underway, we are asking all players and spectators to park at A. Irvin Studley Elementary School at 299 Rathbun Willard Drive. The entrance gate will be located on that side of the turf field.
If you have any questions, you can contact Editor Ryan Lanigan at ryanlanigan@hockomocksports.com.
Girls Soccer Photos: Canton vs. Holliston
Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/11/19
Today’s game is listed below.
Girls Soccer
D2 South
#14 Canton, 0 vs. #2 Holliston, 5 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.
MIAA EMass XC Championships: 2019 Hock Results
Below are the Hockomock results from the MIAA EMass Cross Country Championship races held on Saturday, November 9th at the Wrentham Development Center.
Boys
Division 1
Teams
1. St. John’s Prep – 61
9. Franklin – 278
16. Taunton – 417
19. Attleboro – 473
Results
1. Tyler Brogan, Franklin – 15:54.9
5. Nicholas Calitri, Franklin – 16:06.7
36. Ty Cali, Taunton – 16:44.0
60. Nolan Tavares, Taunton – 17:04.2
75. Declan Walmsley, Franklin – 17:17.1
83. Camden Harrington, Franklin – 17:22.4
85. Nathan Seybert, Attleboro – 17:24.6
92. Neil Bowie, Attleboro – 17:31.6
94. Ethan Sylvia, Attleboro – 17:32.0
102. Francis Wenner, Attleboro – 17:40.7
107. Shane Cataloni, Attleboro – 17:48.4
108. Colin Quinlan, Taunton – 17:49.0
109. Ryan Strawbridge, Taunton – 17:49.1
110. Andrew Cali, Taunton – 17:50.4
116. Zachary Martin, Attleboro – 18:00.4
117. Griffin Sieczkiewicz, Franklin – 18:00.8
122. Zachary Stromfors, Attleboro – 18:04.2
132. Joshua Anderson, Franklin – 18:14.8
153. Alex Towle, Franklin – 18:49.9
Division 2
Teams
1. Concord-Carlisle – 59
7. King Philip – 253
8. Mansfield – 266
Results
1. Mike Griffin, King Philip – 15:34.8
4. Michael Norberg, King Philip – 16:04.6
6. Owen Mullahy, Mansfield – 16:09.1
18. Mike Mullahy, Mansfield – 16:25.8
52. Dan Botte, King Philip – 17:15.0
69. Collin Stevens, Mansfield – 17:24.8
83. Jovan Joseph, King Philip – 17:41.5
84. Ben Giffen, Mansfield – 17:41.9
89. Chris Leonard, Mansfield – 17:44.9
113. Nathan Farkash, King Philip – 18:07.2
119. Ryan Andrews, King Philip – 18:13.6
128. James Schlenker, Mansfield – 18:23.7
137. Tim Corkey, Mansfield – 18:33.9
141. Brendan Weddleton, King Philip – 18:37.4
Division 3
Teams
1. Milton – 82
6. Oliver Ames – 162
10. Milford – 275
15. Sharon – 405
20. North Attleboro – 534
25. Stoughton – 738
Results
1. Robert Carew, Milton – 15:55.2
11. Kyle Sarney, Oliver Ames – 16:28.8
17. Maxwell Manor, Milford – 16:40.8
21. Owen McMorrow, Oliver Ames – 16:45.1
35. Nathan Reservitz, Oliver Ames – 17:05.9
43. Owen Nipoti, Oliver Ames – 17:11.5
48. Gabe Soares, Milford – 17:18.0
52. Rory McLaughlin, Oliver Ames – 17:22.7
62. Mark Starovoytov, Sharon – 17:32.9
65. Siddharth Reddy, Sharon – 17:34.5
67. James Comisky, Milford – 17:36.5
69. Liam Bennett, Milford – 17:37.4
72. Daniel Nobrega, North Attleboro – 17:39.3
73. Christopher Galligan, North Attleboro – 17:39.7
74. Mark Butters, Milford – 17:40.1
79. James Kong, Sharon – 17:46.2
88. Joey Looney, Oliver Ames – 17:56.8
94. Samuel Vilt, Milford – 18:02.3
97. Jacob Dubin, Sharon – 18:04.3
102. Alexander Tao, Sharon – 18:10.8
114. Andres Alverez-Romero, Milford – 18:17.9
115. Alex Ramirez, Oliver Ames – 18:19.0
122. Colin Ozturk, Stoughton – 18:23.9
123. Jordan Saks, Sharon – 18:24.1
128. Jack MacLaughlin, North Attleboro – 18:32.1
131. Griffin Gouck, North Attleboro – 18:39.0
135. Casey Poirier, North Attleboro – 18:46.6
138. William Bradley, North Attleboro – 18:49.5
145. Mark Carlson, North Attleboro – 18:55.4
151. Michael Henriques, Stoughton – 19:11.0
157. Sebastian Malek, Stoughton – 19:28.3
161. Robert Currier, Stoughton – 19:37.3
165. Aiden Castillo, Stoughton – 19:44.9
173. Bradley Weiss, Sharon – 20:07.3
175. Joshua McNamara, Stoughton – 20:40.6
Division 4
Teams
1. Newburyport – 68
19. Foxboro – 483
22. Canton – 506
Results
1. John Lucey, Newburyport – 15:57.0
10. Ryan Proulx, Foxboro – 16:58.5
51. Kyle Downing, Canton – 18:02.8
92. Jake Parkman, Foxboro – 18:54.2
98. Peter Milne, Canton – 19:01.3
99. Jack Hernon, Canton – 19:02.1
114. Alex Maddestra, Canton – 19:13.6
121. Nicolas Olson, Foxboro – 19:18.3
126. Liam Cody, Foxboro – 19:21.2
134. Jared Ciora, Foxboro – 19:30.2
137. Nate Palter, Foxboro – 19:32.7
144. Chris Rota, Canton – 19:46.3
145. Elias Jabbour, Canton – 19:49.2
158. Connor Callahan, Foxboro – 20:18.0
170. Sohil Apte, Canton – 21:17.9
Girls
Division 1
Teams
1. Lexington – 86
15. Franklin – 335
17. Attleboro – 417
20. Taunton – 516
Results
1. Lucy Jenks, Newton South – 18:14.0
36. Kelly Neuendorf, Attleboro – 20:32.7
51. Sydney Hawkins, Franklin – 20:55.6
59. Kimberley Esteban, Attleboro – 21:07.9
64. Sarah Giuliano, Franklin – 21:15.6
71. Caitlin Casey, Franklin – 21:31.4
80. Ruth Ann Mulvey, Franklin – 21:51.4
84. Angelina Perez, Franklin – 21:58.5
92. Diana Blouin, Attleboro – 22:12.2
94. Lily Valcovic, Taunton – 22:15.0
97. Liliana Duffy, Franklin – 22:20.5
99. Tatyana Mainer-Smith, Taunton – 22:21.4
105. Nia Mainer-Smith, Taunton – 22:37.7
110. Kailey Melito-Santos, Taunton – 22:43.7
116. Julianna Parsons, Attleboro – 22:57.9
125. Charlene Peng, Franklin – 23:30.0
128. Olivia Weber, Taunton – 23:36.2
131. Morgan Coleman, Attleboro – 23:40.1
135. Kiley Quinlan, Taunton – 23:52.3
141. Phylicia Dias, Taunton – 24:24.6
Division 2
Teams
1. Concord-Carlisle – 58
15. King Philip – 409
18. Mansfield – 462
Results
1. Emma Kerimo, Concord-Carlisle – 18:40.8
15. Maya Evans, King Philip – 19:40.6
23. Tessa Lancaster, Mansfield – 19:54.9
69. Meg Sherwood, King Philip – 21:03.7
98. Emma Lamson, Mansfield – 21:55.5
110. Ava Pisani, King Philip – 22:22.0
115. Jessica Alestock, Mansfield – 22:28.4
120. Dayna Aubin, King Philip – 22:44.8
121. Abigail Simmons, King Philip – 22:44.9
126. Alexis Divasta, Mansfield – 22:49.5
129. Anne Riley, Mansfield – 22:57.1
130. Devin Anderson, Mansfield – 23:03.1
133. Abigail Meader, King Philip – 23:17.6
141. Erin Regnier, King Philip – 25:00.7
Division 3
Teams
1. Milton – 68
8. Sharon – 234
14. Oliver Ames – 365
15. Milford – 389
16. North Attleboro – 401
Results
1. Olivia Jones, Hopkinton – 18:36.8
5. Daphne Theiler, Sharon – 19:27.2
13. Emma Lawrence, Milford – 20:05.1
14. Juliana Dudziak, Sharon – 20:06.2
20. Meghan Reardon, Oliver Ames – 20:22.5
25. Eliana Boxerman, Sharon – 20:35.5
33. Catherine O’Donnell, Oliver Ames – 20:45.5
43. Sara Comisky, Milford – 21:00.1
61. Melissa Sapini, North Attleboro – 21:31.3
62. Shruti Srinivasan, North Attleboro – 21:32.7
70. Rebecca Lally, Stoughton – 21:43.7
73. Julia Sarro, Oliver Ames – 21:46.5
74. Natalie Kaiser, North Attleboro – 21:46.9
76. Margaret Li, Sharon – 21:49.5
101. Emily Manning, North Attleboro – 22:15.2
103. Sydney Kalil, Milford – 22:15.8
105. Alexis Marcolini, Milford – 22:16.7
106. Olivia Forbes, North Attleboro – 22:21.0
117. Berta Faktorovich, Sharon – 22:41.5
121. Ava Lerman, Oliver Ames – 22:48.8
123. Ella Isleib, Oliver Ames – 23:09.8
124. Juiette Tao, Sharon – 23:12.5
126. Catherine Hanewich, North Attleboro – 23:28.9
127. Kiersten Chan, Oliver Ames – 23:31.6
129. Kerry O’Connor, Milford – 23:37.7
132. Kate McCormick, Oliver Ames – 23:39.3
133. Kavya Anbarasu, Sharon – 23:48.8
136. Elaine McCarty, Stoughton – 24:08.2
139. Brittany Silverman, Milford – 24:36.8
142. Julia Franey, Stoughton – 24:44.5
145. Jessica Maddalena, Stoughton – 25:13.8
147. Kathryn Watson, Milford – 25:25.0
Division 4
Teams
1. Newburyport – 76
8. Foxboro – 259
16. Canton – 374
Results
1. Isabella Pietrasiewicz, Norton – 18:55.5
3. Abby Hassman, Foxboro – 19:19.4
34. Marie Messinger, Canton – 21:25.0
56. Emily Steele, Foxboro – 21:58.8
66. Anya Doherty, Foxboro – 22:14.2
70. Emilia Lacy, Foxboro – 22:21.2
71. Johanna Bouwmeister, Canton – 22:22.2
76. Kayla Wong, Canton – 22:32.4
78. Amy Conley, Foxboro – 22:39.3
98. Erika Boone, Canton – 23:13.1
119. Jessica Hart, Canton – 23:51.3
123. Kate Kelleher, Canton – 24:08.8
127. Isabel Hallal, Foxboro – 24:16.0
140. Lauren Sullivan, Canton – 24:50.1
Volleyball Photos: Oliver Ames vs. Barnstable
Oliver Ames’ Upset Bid Of Barnstable Falls Just Short
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The Oliver Ames volleyball team was making its first-ever sectional appearance on Saturday evening, matched up with the state’s top program in Barnstable.
But just making an appearance wasn’t enough for the fourth-seeded Tigers. In fact, Oliver Ames did something that very few teams have been able to do in the South Final over the last decade: they pushed the Red Raiders to the limit.
Oliver Ames twice rallied from one-set deficits, including a late comeback in the fourth set to force a decisive winner-take-all fifth set. But second-seeded Barnstable showed why they are considered the best program in state history, grabbing an early lead in the final set and never looking back to secure a 3-2 (25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9) win and the program’s 10th straight D1 South Sectional title.
“I told them to take it one point at a time and to enjoy it because this could be it,” said Oliver Ames head coach Chelsea Cunningham. “Even though it was, this was the best they have ever played. I’m so proud of all of them. I couldn’t ask for anything more. They played so calm, they celebrated together and they picked each other up. And every set was close. After the first set, we evaluated every situation and how we wanted to approach it. The girls persevered under a lot of tough pressure. To even go to five, it was phenomenal to watch and we got to entertain the crowd.”
In their decade of dominance, Barnstable has dropped a total of just three sets in the sectional final game. New Bedford forced the Raiders to five in 2010 while Bishop Feehan grabbed one set in the 2014 final. Barnstable hadn’t dropped a set in the sectional final in the past four years.
“We’ve gone to five every match, I couldn’t believe it,” Cunningham said. “We’ve just taken it one point at a time in every match. We switched it up on the offense to makes sure everyone was an option and to just prepared that the ball was going to come back over. They were feisty, they were prepared…we were an underdog, no one expected us to go this far. And the girls just fed off that energy.”
OA showed early on they were ready to compete by keeping pace as junior Jordan Bennett placed a tip over the block for a kill, then forced a two-touch on a strong serve, and junior Caroline Flynn (10 kills) forced an error after a good hit to bring the Tigers within two, down 11-9.
Barnstable responded with a 6-2 run and ended up taking the first set 25-17.
But the Tigers responded in a big way, opening the second set with a 7-0 run, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the game. Senior Ryley McNeeley tossed a kill off the block, senior Allie Kemp (36 assists, 11 digs, two aces) landed an ace, and senior Jordyn Vella (six blocks, five kills) came up with back-to-back blocks to give the Tigers the early lead and the momentum.
The lead ballooned to 14-6 when senior Jordan Bosse (11kills, two aces) landed two kills in a three-play span, and Flynn hit above the block and to the floor for a kill, forcing Barnstable to take their second timeout early in the set.
Barnstable made it interesting early by cutting the deficit to three at 14-11 but Oliver Ames answered with a 7-3 that included two blocks and kill from Vella, another ace from Kemp, and a block kill from Bosse that denied a right-side attack from the Raiders.
Oliver Ames looked primed to even the score at one apiece when it went up 24-17 behind a net call, but the Raiders showed why they are so difficult to beat with flawless play over the next six chances. Barnstable won all seven of those points, helped along by a pair of OA errors, to get within one down 24-23 but a service error allowed OA to clinch the point and the set, making it 1-1.
“That’s a great program, Chelsea has done a great job,” said longtime Barnstable coach Tom Turco, who won his 700th game with the victory. “This is probably one of the biggest sectional championships that we’ve won.”
Barnstable built an early 8-5 lead in the third set but OA wouldn’t break, responding with a 6-2 run that featured a kill and ace from Bosse and two kills from Flynn to take an 11-10 lead. The teams traded points for a good chunk of the set, with the teams tied at 11, 12. 13, and 15. Barnstable gained the slightest advantage with a quick 5-1 run as junior Caroline Kiehnau gave the Raiders a huge boost with a handful of kills off Tiger blocks.
Oliver Ames got with three on three occasions, down 21-18 after a nice tip kill from Bennett after a big dig from Alison Barth (40 digs), down 22-19 after a kill from Flynn, and down 23-20 on a nice spot push from Flynn. The Tigers even got within two at 23-21 when Sarah Morley delivered an ace and at 24-22 behind a Bosse kill, but a nice dump by the Barnstable setter on the second touch caught OA off guard for a 25-22 win in the third set.
The fourth set played out similarly to the third, but even closer throughout. Barnstable led by two early on by an ace from Bosse, two kills from Bennett, and a kill from Flynn on a nice back set from Kemp helped OA tie it at 11-11.
OA jumped in front by two on a huge block from McNeeley on an outside attack from Barnstable and a kill from Flynn for a 13-11 advantage. OA remained a point ahead while the teams traded points but Barnstable finally earned consecutive points helped by a service error to make it 20-20 to force a timeout.
“I just told them its a game to five, and I asked who’s going to get there first? They told me that they were and that’s exactly what they did,” Cunningham said. “We committed to it as one and it was awesome.”
Barnstable took three leads, 21-20, 22-21, and 23-22 but the Tigers refused to give up. Bosse and Bennett had black to back strong swings for kills, and then Bosse got a kind roll off the top of the net, falling over into Raiders’ territory for a 25-23 win, forcing a fifth set.
The experience of Barnstable paid off as they picked up an early lead. After Vella put OA up 1-0, Barnstable won eight of the next points that featured two blocks from the Raiders and two balls that fell just out of the reach of OA defenders.
The Tigers played well after the switch with Bosse getting a kill and Bennet landing a big block and a kill, but Barnstable also played well and extended its lead to 13-6. In true fashion to how they played the entire match, OA still didn’t fold as a hitting error and a double block from Vella and Flynn got the Tigers within five, down 13-8.
But Barnstable was able to grind out two more points and secure their 10th straight sectional title.
“I think [the underclassman] are even more committed to continue persevering and making these seniors proud,” Cunningham said. “I think they are ready to work hard to fill the big shoes that are leaving this program and I think next year will be just as exciting.”
Meanwhile, the senior class leaves behind a lasting legacy that includes bringing the program to new heights. That group includes Jordan Bosse, Ryley McNeeley, Allie Kemp, Alison Barth, Jordyn Vella, and Mary Davenport.
“This is my first group to graduate as head coach,” Cunningham said. “I saw them as freshmen, I saw the potential, and I knew they were going to be something special and they didn’t let me down in that aspect. We’re going to miss them dearly and they know they left such a prominent and positive mark on this program. They should be nothing but proud of themselves.”
Oliver Ames volleyball finishes its best season in program history with an 18-5 record, its first-ever Kelley-Rex title, and the furthest the team has gone in program history.
Volleyball Photos: Canton vs. Westboro
Journey Continues, Canton Claims Central Crown
WELLESLEY, Mass. – Canton volleyball has a long history of success. The Bulldogs have won 15 league titles in the last 17 seasons and have reached nine sectional finals. But, heading into Saturday afternoon’s Div. 2 Central final against Westboro at Wellesley High, Canton had only one sectional title to its name.
Last year, the Bulldogs had a 2-1 lead against Groton-Dunstable but were unable to hold on, as the Crusaders rallied to win the five-set thriller. Only two players (one starter) were back from last year’s squad, but the Bulldogs were right back in the same spot on Saturday. Canton edged the first two sets and then the Rangers pulled out the third to stay alive.
“At the end of the third set, we looked like scared little kids compared to them,” said Canton coach Pat Cawley. “We were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I was like, come on, we’re up! We’re good and luckily in volleyball a set ends and you get to start again.”
It turns out that Cawley had nothing to worry about. The Bulldogs have been through a lot this season, including a rash of injuries that forced players to adapt to changing lineups. No one expected Canton to be back in this position, so the Bulldogs were unfazed by dropping a set.
Canton came right back in the fourth, jumped out to an early lead, and closed out a 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 18-25, 25-21) victory.
“We kept saying don’t let up, keep pushing through, and finish it,” said senior Taylor Harris. When asked what the Bulldogs learned from last year’s final, Harris explained, “We learned that if we win the first two then we can’t let up and we have to keep pushing through and we did that today.”
Cawley said, “Half of these kids were on JV last year, so no matter what happened today we were leaving this place with our heads held high. It’s been a journey and I’ve watched these girls improve. Some of these kids who are on the court right now we weren’t even sure we were keeping at tryouts, so to watch them improve so much is amazing.”
The match was even from the start, with neither team able to build a big lead in the first set. Canton’s block, led by juniors Angie Elias, Shannon Malloy, and Liz Bickett, was disrupting the Westboro attack in the early going. Elias and Malloy had back-to-back blocks to end rallies and give Canton the 8-6 lead.
Westboro grabbed its only lead of the set at 11-10, but Bickett (14 kills and 22 digs) answered with a hit from the middle. It took a little while to get her into the game, but Harris (team-high 20 kills and nine digs) came up with two straight kills to push the Canton lead to four. Westboro got the lead back down to just one at 24-23, but Harris rose up again to smash the final point of the first.
The second set was much like the first, with Canton grabbing an early lead by neither team taking full control of the match. Claire Quinn had a kill on the outside and Harris continued to be the most dynamic attacker on the floor, stretching the Canton lead to 14-11.
“Taylor is an amazing player,” said Cawley, who earned her 200th career win in the season opener. “She’s one of the top players I’ve ever coached. Offensively, defensively, blocking she is really a great player but the other kids have to do their jobs too. Taylor is certainly in a class of her own, but without the players that surround her we wouldn’t be here.”
Bickett came through with another point after a long rally and then Harris showed off her defensive ability with a block for a point. The Rangers came right back, scoring two straight and tying the set at 19-19. A Bickett kill made it 23-20 and put the Bulldogs on the brink, but Westboro got two straight before a Harris kill made it set point.
Again Westboro tied it but two errors handed Canton a two-set advantage.
Considering Canton’s history in sectional finals, a two-set lead hardly felt comfortable and the Rangers turned things around in the third to add to the pressure. A Harris kill tied the set at 17-17 and a two-touch put the Bulldogs in front, but the Rangers scored the final eight points of the third to stay alive in the match.
If a dropped set was supposed to heap pressure on Canton, the Bulldogs didn’t show it in the fourth. They jumped out to a 7-2 lead behind an ace from Stephanie Trendell, a kill by Quinn, and a block by Bickett.
“It was really good,” Harris said about the quick start in the fourth. “That let us have momentum to finish out the game.”
Setter Jackie Morrissey (35 assists) has grown into her role this year and she was spraying the ball to several different attackers and adding points from the service line. Quinn had another kill and Bickett added two more points, but a Westboro run put the Rangers ahead 15-14. Quinn sparked a rally with another hit and a Bickett ace and a Harris kill had Canton up 21-17.
Fittingly, it would be Bickett in the middle that would get the final swing, as she buried another shot that Westboro couldn’t handle and sealed a first Central title since 2012.
Cawley said, “Liz is a big softball player. I twisted her arm to play last year. That kid has only played six months of volleyball in her life. She is without a doubt the most improved player, the quickest, I’ve ever coached. She’s just amazing.”
When asked what it meant to win a second sectional title, Cawley said, “I feel really happy for the kids. They work hard and to have this result, I couldn’t be happier for them.”
Harris added, “It means so much. We went through so much this year. We lost 10 seniors from last year, so it’s a really big deal to be back. I think working hard everyday in practice, we never gave up and we wanted to prove everyone wrong who thought we couldn’t make it this year.”
Canton (20-3) will face the West champion, either top seed Minnechaug or No. 2 seed Longmeadow, in the state semifinal on Wednesday at a time and location to be determined.