Our honorable mention for the HockomockSports.com 2013-2014 Top Moments Countdown is a look at all the Hockomock teams that were able to reach sectional/state finals.
Foxboro Girls Tennis In State Finals
This one is a small exception compared to the rest of the talented teams that are listed in this post. Foxboro had reached the South Sectional Finals before — more than once — in the last half decade. But the Warriors had been unable to break through.
That all changed in 2014 with unbelievable singles play. The Warriors took home a 3-2 decision over #4 Nauset in the South Sectional Finals (played in Scituate nonetheless). However, Foxboro came up just short in the Division 2 Girls Tennis Finals.
Ryan Lanigan recapped the D2 Finals for HockomockSports.com.
Foxboro girls tennis reached the Division 2 State Championship for the first time in program history but were unable to dethrone Concord-Carlisle, who earned it’s third straight D2 State Championship with a 3-2 decision over the Warriors.
The Patriots – who have just one loss in three years (57-1) – made quick work by sweeping doubles play and then after roughly a 30-minute rain delay, earned the third and clinching point at first singles for the win.
Foxboro finishes the season 19-2 overall after earning their first ever South Sectional title.
“They lived up to the school name, they are Warriors,” Foxboro first-year head coach Alan Lightbody said. “Every one of them is a Warrior. I’m just so proud of these girls, they worked so hard all year long. We gave it our best shot. We had a really good run this year and we look forward to getting started for next season already and see if we can get back here.”
There’s a lot of of sectional finalists to get to, so the best way is to go chronologically. That means starting back in the Fall, which seems like over a year ago at this point. But it wasn’t, and Canton girls volleyball probably admittedly says so.
The Bulldogs finished the season 19-3 overall but were a clear favorite in the Hockomock League. They captured the Davenport Division with a seven game margin and league MVP Avery Devoe was head and shoulders above other attacks in the league.
However, Canton’s attack was met with an equal attack and a strong defense.
For HockomockSports.com, Ryan Lanigan reported on the D2 Central Finals:
It wasn’t an unfamiliar position for Canton when they dropped the first two sets in the D2 Central Finals on Saturday, as they rallied last year in the same situation.
But this year’s rally fell short as the Bulldogs 3-1 to second-seeded Westboro to end their 2013 campaign.
“Coming in I just asked them to give it their all and leave it on the court and they did it,” Canton head coach Pat Cawley said.
The Bulldogs dropped the first set 25-15 after Westboro finished the set with a 9-2 run. In the second set, it stayed closed for the beginning but as Westboro tried to pull away late, Canton continued to rally back. Despite scoring six of the game’s last nine points, the Rangers won 25-21 after two late Canton serve errors.
But with their backs against the walls, Canton rallied in the third set. Senior captain Avery Devoe scored 6 of her 17 kills in the third set and sophomore Elizabeth Hamilton returned from a collision earlier in the set to get a kill followed by the set-winning ace.
“Avery and Elizabeth have been our two big hitters all year,” Cawley said. “Avery has lead us but Elizabeth is right on her tail Elizabeth is a very strong defensive player as well and she’s strength of character. She’s often the one rallying the troops out there. She’s only a sophomore so I look forward to two more years with her.”
The fourth set was a battle back and forth as Canton took control at 15-12 after a Devoe Kill.
“As we’ve gone on in the year, it’s something we’ve worked on, our mental toughness and the ability to come back It’s the attitude that if you have a 1% chance of winning then you have a chance.”
But the Rangers rallied off 7 straight points with a mix of kills and Canton errors to take a 19-15. Canton brought it to three at 22-19, but a defensive error and two Ranger kills ended the game 25-19 and gave Westboro the D2 Central title.
From one Canton squad to another, it was a successful year for a lot of Bulldogs. At the end of the day, Canton has to look at their hockey squad as the pride of the school. We’ll be blunt about it – with Canton losing Pat Ward, Kurt Leavitt, Bobby Mullaney and the 2012-2013 HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Brian Brooks amongst others, it looked like this season was going to be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs.
But with Brian Shuman at the helm, it was far from it – and shame of us for thinking it would be.
Shuman won his second straight HockomockSports.com Coach of the Year award but he is always quick to point of how talented his players are. We believe him – but also truly believe that those players are so good because of his guidance. Canton started #3 in our preseason poll and after a couple weeks, rocketed up to #1 and never surrendered.
Canton was the only team to post an unbeaten record in league play, clinching a Davenport title, despite having to play through a tough task. Assistant coach Corey Rocha’s wife cancer came back. It wasn’t easy for anyone associated with the program, but Shuman’s wife, Tara – who has battled cancer herself – helped lead the charge in the fight against it.
The program sold t-shirt’s that proclaimed “Fight Like A Bulldog” - a shirt that both editors Ryan Lanigan and Josh Perry have worn proudly.
In the end, Canton was the team to beat from the Hock, and proved so by advancing all the way to the D2 South Sectional Finals. But in the end, the clock struck midnight before the Bulldogs were ready.
For ESPNBoston.com, Josh Perry recapped the hectic final moments of the D2 South Final:
< blockquote> The puck sat in the crease amidst a sea of legs, sticks, and skates, but somehow no one could get enough on it to either clear the zone or put a shot on net. Instead, an agonizing final 12 seconds ticked off and Canton’s comeback attempt ended just short and Medfield could swarm onto the ice and celebrate a title.
Medfield (18-3-3) survived a late goal and a last-ditch faceoff and scramble in front of its net to win the Division 2 South sectional title 3-2 at Gallo Arena on Sunday afternoon.
In its first year in D2 and after being eliminated in the sectional semifinal three times in the last four years, Medfield reaches the state final at the TD Garden.
Canton head coach Brian Shuman said after the game that this year’s team had the most heart of any team he’s ever coached.
They showed why in the third period of the D2 South Finals but the puck wouldn’t bounce their way in the final seconds and the Bulldogs fell short, losing 3-2 to Medfield.
Trailing 3-1 in the third period, Canton pulled the goalie with 2:04 left and 30 seconds left on the power play. They weren’t able to convert with the two-man advantage but during 6 on 5 play, Medfield was unable to bury an empty netter. Sophomore John Femia took a feed from freshman Jerry Harding and burst into the offensive zone and sniped one top shelf to cut the lead to one with 21 seconds left.
Medfield iced the puck trying to score a long empty netter giving Canton an offensive zone face off with 12.4 seconds left. The Bulldogs were able to get possession and tossed the puck towards the goal, but as the puck bounced around the edge of the crease and players tangled in close proximity, no one was able to get a stick on it and the final horn sounded.
With two Canton teams mentioned, it’s only right to transition to another school with two sectional finalists.
That would be Sharon, on the same day, just hours apart.
It ended as a historic run for the Eagles, as the girls’ hoops team reached the sectional finals for the first time that anyone could recall, while the boys did the same with a late surge to upend Walpole.
It was a big day for Sharon, who was led by a trio of 1,000 point scorers this season. Brian Mukasa and Jimmy Firtzson both eclipsed the mark for the boys team – something to remember for sure – and Karlie O’Driscoll did so for the Davenport champion girls team. All three of those players will be highlighted in the countdown in the coming weeks.
Dan Libon, a contributor to HockomockSports.com, recapped the loss for Sharon girls basketball:
The game may not have gone the way the Sharon Eagles had hoped, but for the seventh seed, their appearance in the Division 2 South Sectional final was an accomplishment in itself against a strong Duxbury Dragons team.
The Eagles had their chances but the tall and athletic Dragons proved why they are undefeated in the 41-26 victory over Sharon.
“We were the seventh seed, we’re at UMass Boston. We just had some shots that didn’t fall. We held a good team to 41 points, I thought we were going to have to score 55 to beat them,” Sharon coach Kate Horsmann said.
After fighting and clawing the send the game into overtime, Sharon’s magic ran out in overtime, falling 71-69, as their last second shot from just over half court fell short.
Trailing 62-59 with 26.7 seconds left, Jimmy Fritzson missed his straightaway three-pointer, but sophomore Jordan Mello-Klein came away with the rebound, passing to Matt Lowerre who immediately skipped it over to Brian Mukasa. Mukasa’s three went long though but the offensive rebound was tracked down by senior captain Erik Kushner, who quickly dished back to Mukasa. This time the 1,000-point scorer buried a deep there with 2.8 seconds left. Milton’s long shot was off the mark to send the game into overtime.
But in overtime, trailing 71-69 with 5.3 seconds left, the Eagles were tapped just as they got over half court and Mukasa’s desperation heave fell short.
“I’m very proud of the kids,” said Sharon head coach Bruce Jackman. “We scrapped, we did everything we could. Obviously we were outgunned on the boards but that’s not an excuse because its been that way pretty much all year long. They played as hard as they possibly could. It just came down to one error at the end but you make it an error in the first period, its the same thing. It makes no difference. Our foul shooting fell apart for us which is rather surprising for us because we have such good shooters and that led to some issues for us.”
And the most recent sectional finalist goes to the D1 Softball South runners-up, North Attleboro. From the start of the season, the Rocketeers were always a threat thanks to Meg Colleran, who went on to achieve the Mass. Gatorade Player of the Year, the Hockomock League MVP and more. She’s still in contention for the HockomockSports.com Player of the Year, ESPNBoston Miss Softball and other media awards.
At the end of the day, it was North Attleboro that proved to be the top team in the Hock. They advanced to the D1 South Semifinals, joined with Bridgewater-Raynham, Hopkinton and their opponent (and of course, Hock foe) Franklin. After taking down the Panthers in a rubber match, North Attleboro advanced to their first ever softball D1 South Sectional Final.
Ryan Lanigan described the sectional final for HockomockSports.com:
Bridgewater-Raynham scored a run without getting a hit in the first inning and turned the only hit of the game into their second run in the third inning and that was all the Trojans needed, taking down North Attleboro 2-0 in the D1 South Sectional Finals.
B-R pitcher Sarah Dawson tossed a no-hitter and allowed just one walk in seven innings of work to lead the Trojans to the D1 South Sectional Title.
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