Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ Durfee, 58 – Final – Attleboro only trailed by four at halftime but the Bombardiers couldn’t quite get the offense in gear as the Hilltoppers pulled away in the second half. Jaiden Outland led the visitors with eight points while sophomore Dante Monestime and freshman Connor Houle each had seven points.
Canton, 47 vs. Wakefield, 48 – Final – Canton tightened up defensively to build a lead going into the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs’ offense went cold and a late three from Wakefield proved to be the difference. Canton trailed after one quarter, rallied to to it by halftime, and then held the visitors to just six points in the third to stake a 38-29 lead going into the fourth. Junior Lucas Massih sank four three-pointers for the Bulldogs, including three in the third to finish with a team-high 12 points. Jeremiah Predin and Kareem Porter each had 11 points for the shorthanded Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 56 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 33 – Final – Foxboro exploded for 40 points in the first half and used suffocating defense to deny Dighton-Rehoboth in the first round of the Warrior Classic. Senior Alex Penders scored eight of his 12 points in the opening quarter and both Ryan LeClair and Sam Golub had five points as the Warriors staked an 18-3 lead after eight minutes. Ryan Kelley hit two threes and had eight of his team-high 13 points in the second while Ryan Cotter drained three triples and had 11 of his points in the second to give Foxboro a 40-10 lead at halftime.
King Philip, 64 vs. Hanover, 72 – Final – King Philip had a great start with 26 points in the first quarter but Hanover rallied to take the lead going into the fourth and finished off the win. Five different Warriors contributed to the strong start as Will Laplante had 11 of his 20 points in the fame, Tommy McLeish hit two three-poitners, and Grant Kinney, Tommy Martorano, and Tommy Kilroy all had field goals as KP staked a 26-20 lead. Martorano, McLeish, and Laplante all had a three in the second as the lead settled at 42-37 at halftime. Hanover used a strong third quarter to take the lead and then scored 21 points in the fourth to finish it off. Kinney and McLeish each added 10 points while Martorano had nine points.
Mansfield, 71 vs. Hingham, 55 – Final – Hingham battled back to make it a game at halftime but Mansfield dominated the third quarter and never looked back in a big win over the visiting Harbormen. Mansfield opened the second quarter on 9-2 run to build a double-digit lead but Hingham closed the half out strong to get within 33-24. An 11-3 surge to start the second half restored Mansfield’s big lead and the Hornets rattled off a 10-3 run right after. The Hornets had seven players score in the pivotal third quarter as Caden Colby (12 points, five rebounds, four assists) drilled a pair of threes, Chris Hill (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals) added five points, JT Veiking (15 points) had four points, Davon Sanders and Eddie McCoy (12 points, five rebound, three assists) each had a three, and Brandon Jackman and Trevor Foley (10 points, seven rebounds, two steals) each had two points.
Milford vs. Hampden Charter West – Milford wins via forfeit.
North Attleboro, 49 @ Weymouth, 58 – Final – North Attleboro got off to another strong start with a 22-point first quarter and had a double-digit lead on playoff-bound Weymouth but the host Wildcats clawed their way back into the game and won the fourth quarter to win the game. Senior Givany Carney hit a trio of threes and led the Rocketeers with a team-high 17 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski hit four three-pointers on his way to a career-high 16 points.
Sharon, 84 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Sharon junior Jacob McLoughlin caught fire early as he sank four three-pointers in the opening quarter and Matt Baur (19 points) and Tyler Goodman (10 points) each added one more as the Eagles staked a 21-15 lead after the first. The first was a sign of things to come as the Eagles continued to find success on the offensive end, claiming a 39-29 lead at halftime. McLoughlin got it going in the third with 10 more on his way to a career-high 29 points. Dante James and Goodman each had a pair if buckets while Nate Katznelson scored five of his 13 points to keep Sharon ahead, 64-45, going into the fourth.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 62 vs. Durfee, 31 – Final – Attleboro lost the first meeting with the Hilltoppers by 20, but put together a complete performance at home on Monday and doubled up Durfee. The visitors led 10-9 after one and Attleboro went into the locker room up just 23-18, but the Bombardiers outscored the visitors 39-13 in the second half to earn the big win over another D1 playoff contender. Kayla Goldrick and Vanessa Ellis each scored 17 points to lead the hosts. Goldrick scored nine in the first half and then eight during the big third quarter run. Ellis scored six in the second and seven more in the third to put Attleboro well in front. Liy Routhier added 14 points, including 13 in the second half. Avery James chipped in with seven points.
Canton, 18 @ Westwood, 49 – Final
Foxboro, 56 vs. Tewksbury, 36 – Final – Foxboro put in a strong defensive performance and pulled away late to advance to the final of the Warrior Classic. Addie Ruter led the way for the Warriors with 18 points, while Camryn Collins and Kailey Sullivan finished with 15 points apiece. Foxboro will face Brookline in the regular season finale on Tuesday afternoon.
Mansfield, 57 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Abby Wager scored 30 points for the second time in the last week and the Hornets held Westford to just 16 points in the second half to book a place in the final of the Roundball Classic. Wager was on fire from the opening tip, burying a pair of threes and scoring 14 points in the first to lead Mansfield to a 21-14 advantage. She added another five points in the second and Hallie Popat drilled a three to make it 35-25 going into the locker room. The visitors would cut one point off the lead in the third, as Mansfield was held to just eight points, including five from Wager and another three from Popat. The Hornets would double up Westford in the fourth (14-7) to seal the win. Wager scored six more to cap off her night and Ella Palanza added all five of her points in the fourth. Bridget Hanley added seven point for the Hornets, who will face Bridgewater-Raynham (which is in the top 10 in the D1 power rankings) on Wednesday.
King Philip, 48 vs. Quincy, 62 – Final – KP closed the gap to just three points heading to the fourth quarter, but Quincy would outscore the Warriors 22-11 in the final frame to secure a win in the Norwell Invitational. Emily Sawyer would lead KP with 16 points, including 10 in the second half. Jackie Bonner and Kaelyn Clancy each knocked down three from beyond the arc. Bonner finished with 12 points overall and Clancy had nine, including six points in KP’s third quarter rally. Maddie Paschke added six in the loss. KP will face Newton North in the consolation round on Wednesday.
Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Malden Catholic, 41 – Final – With a big fourth quarter to break the game open, OA clinched the title at the Spartan Classic. The Tigers led 14-10 after one and extended the lead to seven at the break. The third quarter was even, but then OA exploded for 19 points in the final eight minutes to put the game out of reach against one of the top 10 teams in the D4 power rankings. Katherine Farley scored six points, Kaydance Derba had five, and Maeve Horsman added four in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Farley would finish with a career-high 13, including nine in the second half. Avery Gamble added a dozen points and Kamryn Derba and Horsman each finished with nine. Maddie Homer scored eight and Kaydance Derba seven in the victory. OA heads into the state tournament having won six of its final eight games.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 5 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 4 – Final (OT) – After going back-and-forth for three periods, Franklin’s Logan Marchand deposited a quick wrist shot on a breakaway bid in overtime to hand the Panthers an impressive 5-4 win over St. John’s Shrewsbury, who was ranked #10 in Division 1 in the latest rankings. Anthony Lampasona scored less than a minute into the second to tie the game 1-1, and then scored again on the power play for a 2-1 lead. After SJS tied it, Ben Paterson redirected a shot from Liam O’Rielly to go back in front. The Pioneers regained the lead just over six minutes into the third but this time it was Carter Balducci that found the equalizer at 7:18 of the third.
King Philip, 5 vs. Mansfield, 4 – Final (OT)
North Attleboro, 1 @ Walpole, 7 – Final
Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Westwood, 4 – Final
Taunton, 1 @ Somerset Berkley, 6 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final
King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 38 vs. Walpole, 52 – Final
Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Dartmouth, 51 – Final – The game was tied at 39 apiece after three quarters but Avery Gamble came through with a pair of threes and 12 of her team-high 25 points in the final frame to lift the Tigers to a win in the opening round of the St. Mary’s tournament. With the win, OA has clinched a return to the postseason. On a quick turnaround from Friday night’s game against Foxboro, the Tigers got off to a strong start on Saturday, winning the first quarter 16-11. Gamble had a quick six points and Kamryn and Kaydance Derba combined for nine in the opening eight minutes. The Tigers tacked another point onto their lead in the second, as Kamryn Derba and Maddie Homer scored four apiece to make it 30-24 at the break. In the third quarter, Dartmouth’s star sophomore Kat Cheesbro caught fire, burying a pair of threes and scoring 11 of her team’s 15 points to help the Indians tie things up. Cheesbro would finish with a game-high 27. In the fourth, it was Gamble’s turn to respond. The freshman hit a pair from beyond and three shots from inside the arc. Kaydance Derba chipped in with three more and Katherine Farley and Annie Reilly each added a bucket to help the Tigers pull out a crucial win. Kamryn Derba scored 10 in the game, while Kaydance added seven. Maddie Homer and Farley each finished with six points. OA will face Malden Catholic in the tournament finale on Monday at 5:15.
Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Bellingham, 1 – Final – Locked in a 1-1 tie, Attleboro erupted for three goals in the third period earn a win over Bellingham. The hosts took a lead less than two minutes into the game but Attleboro pulled level on a goal from Colin Flynn (from Bryan Capone) at 11:40 of the second period. Eighth grader Cameron Harrison provided a highlight reel goal to put the Bombardiers ahead, carrying the puck from his own end past the defense and flipped one short side on the goalie to make it 2-1. Michael Lachance added a goal four minutes later and Beckett Stone buried an insurance goal with just over six minutes to play. Sophomore Austin Bessette and eighth grader Drew Bessette both had strong performances in the win. Julien Horton had the win in net for Attleboro.
Franklin, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored early in the third period to tie the game and eventually force overtime but Canton senior Griffin Hughes delivered the game-winner in overtime as the Bulldogs and Panthers split the season series one win apiece. Junior Colin Blake gave the Bulldogs the lead, burying a rebound in the first period but Franklin junior Anthony Lampasona finished off a pass from classmate Ben Paterson just a minute into the third period to tie it.
King Philip, 3 @ Walpole, 3 – Final
Mansfield, 5 vs. North Attleboro, 6 – Final – North Attleboro used a big third period to skate past Hock rival Mansfield in a non-league clash at Rodman Arena. Mark Ayvazyan, Kaden Burns, and Joe Quinn each scored a pair of goals to pace the offense. Ayvazyan also registered a pair of assists for a four-point performance, Brody Gaulin and Jake Santucci also had two helpers apiece, and Jack Julio and Jacob Conley each have one assist. Nate Kelly made 26 saves in the win. For Mansfield, Thomas Gormley scored twice and James Warren, Ryan DiGirolamo, and Cody Gordon each scored once.
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Plymouth South, 2 – Final – Dan Paul, Jack Perron, and Matt Lawson each scored as Oliver Ames picked up an impressive win over Plymouth South, a top 10 ranked team in Division 2. Sean Kearns notched a pair of assists while Brendan Teehan, Bryce Deibel, and Perron each had one.
Stoughton/Brockton, 3 vs. Middleboro, 4 – Final (OT) – Anthony DeSousa, Charlie Caputo and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights but Middleboro prevailed in overtime.
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 4 @ Braintree, 3 – Final – King Philip went on the road and scored a key 4-3 win over Braintree, who entered the game five spots ahead of the Warriors in the latest MIAA rankings. Kelly Holmes paced the offense with a pair of goals and one assists while Mara Boldy and Katie McGann each found the back of the net once. Ella Morgan added an assist while Mallory Johnston turned aside 23 shots in the win.
Foxboro junior Camryn Collins rises up for a first half jumper in the regular season finale against Oliver Ames. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – For the second time this season, Oliver Ames went into a game against Davenport division champion Foxboro without a pair of its usual starters. In the first meeting, three weeks ago, the Warriors cruised to a 40-point win. On Friday night, things went very differently.
Foxboro jumped out to a 13-point lead at halftime, but rather than let the game get away OA rallied to get as close as two points late in the fourth quarter. It was a rare test for the Warriors, who won 14 of their first 17 games by at least 23 points, but they showed resolve to make enough plays down the stretch and pull out the 58-52 victory.
With the win, Foxboro completed a perfect 16-0 Hockomock League campaign. It was the first time in her 12 years as coach that Lisa Downs had a team run the table in league play.
“I knew we had a lot of potential, but I honestly wasn’t thinking undefeated Hockomock season because each team gets better every time they step on the court and by the time you face a team the second time around, they’re going to have improved,” Downs said. “This group of girls that I have this season, their team chemistry is ridiculously good. They all just want each other to do well.”
OA dropped back to .500 on the season with two games to go, but it was a sign of the progress that a young roster was making under first-year coach Brittany Engle.
“I think it just shows a lot of growth that they were committed to executing the game plan,” Engle explained. “I thought the girls were committed to just playing loose, playing as a team, playing hard, and just everybody being aggressive. I think it was a good team effort.”
Sarah Hilliard was out injured and Kaydance Derba wasn’t able to start for the Tigers, so OA leaned on its bench at the start of the game and they provided a spark of energy that got the visitors off to an 11-4 start.
Annie Reilly and Kamryn Derba both drilled threes and Avery Gamble got out on the break to score two of her five first-quarter points. OA couldn’t have asked for a better start, but the league champs stormed right back.
Foxboro went on an 11-0 run to close out the first and grab the lead. Camryn Collins (20 points and four steals) got the comeback started with a short fall-away jumper and Erin Foley knocked down a jumper after an Ava Hill steal and assist. Collins scored on the break, two of her nine points in the first, and Hill took a nice dish from Kailey Sullivan (14 points) for a layup.
“It’s nice to be able to rely on that,” Downs said about Collins’ production, “and she’s just so athletic that defensively I can put her on whoever got hot that night. She’s just Miss Reliable.”
Momentum carried over to the second, as Foxboro would score 22 points and open up a double-digit advantage. Six Warriors scored in the quarter to help push the lead.
Kamryn Derba (18 points and six rebounds) hit a deep three and Reilly (14 points and six rebounds) drove to the basket to cut the Foxboro lead to 26-22, but the Warriors would go on an 11-2 run to close the half. Collins got that run started with a straightaway three. Addie Ruter (eight points and six rebounds) got a pair of scores in the paint and Foley got a layup after a Collins steal.
Sullivan added a transition bucket to close out the half for Foxboro. Derba would make a late free throw to cut the lead to 13 at halftime, but it looked like the Warriors were on the brink of putting the game away, Instead, OA came storming back in the third.
“We talked about mental toughness,” Engle said. “Especially with a young team, a couple mistakes in a row or a couple calls that don’t go your way and that starts getting in their heads and momentum swings. We’re always talking about next play, next play, next play and chipping away. I thought that was their best job at bouncing back.”
The Tigers put together a 16-6 run. Maddie Homer (seven points) drained a corner three that got the visiting bench going and Reilly continued to make plays on both ends of the floor. She scored on a put-back and took a nice pass from Katherine Farley for a layup in traffic. Homer hit another jumper and Derba knocked down a deep three and it was suddenly 43-40.
“Annie Reilly was huge tonight,” Engle said. “She really looked to attack. She always does the little things. She has great instincts, she hustles, and she makes all those right plays, but she doesn’t usually look for her offense. I’m so proud of Annie, she was huge tonight.”
As they had all night, the Warriors closed the quarter well. Hill continued to make big plays, as she sliced through the lane to finish, plus the foul, to stem the OA tide. She finished with seven points, five rebounds, and three steals off the Foxboro bench. Isabelle Chamberlin chipped in on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds, as the Warriors got big contributions from role players.
OA trailed 48-40 going into the fourth and once again, the Tigers rallied. Derba hit a short, pull-up jumper in transition then Homer made a baseline drive and nice dish to Maeve Horsman, who was cutting down the lane. After another Derba pull-up on the break, OA cut the lead to just two.
Engle said of Derba, “She’s just such a competitor that at the end of the day she wants to win. We need to find the best shot and if it’s a rhythm three then it’s a three or if she can beat her player off the dribble and take the floater then that’s the best shot. Her shot selection is getting better and she’s being aggressive and that makes our team better.”
Sullivan was able to get loose for a layup, but then Homer slipped behind the Foxboro press to answer right back for two. After Sullivan hit a pair at the line with 4:06 to go, Chamberlin banked in a rare jumper to push the lead back to six. OA kept battling and Kaydance Derba hit two-of-three at the line to make it 56-52.
The Tigers got a big stop at the other end, but Sullivan, who had a rough shooting night, read the outlet pass, picking it off and then making the tough finish over Derba at the basket to effectively seal the victory.
“That was huge,” Downs said. “I always have to remind myself that she’s a sophomore. I always picture her as a senior because I feel like I’ve had her forever. She wants the ball in the end-of-game situation like that. It’s pretty rare for a sophomore to have ice in her veins like that.”
She added, “Our defensive rotation wasn’t working well and we made some adjustments and they did what they needed to do. We did enough to get by and beat a team that gave us a much harder game than the first time around.”
Foxboro (17-1) will close out the regular season with the Warriors Classic, starting with Tewksbury on Monday. On Saturday, Oliver Ames (9-9) heads to St. Mary’s (Lynn) to face Dartmouth in the opener of that end-of-season tournament.
Freshman Avery Gamble drives to the basket for two of her team-high 17 points in OA’s win over visiting Sharon. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – On the first possession of the game, freshman Avery Gamble swung the ball around to classmate Kamryn Derba, who drilled a deep three. More than five minutes later, those were the only three points on the board for Oliver Ames in Friday night’s visit of Sharon to the Nixon Gym.
The Tigers would finish the opening quarter with just seven points, been outscored by Sharon star junior forward Jasmine Davis on her own, and trailed by four points.
As has so often been the case down the years, OA looked to the other end of the floor to get its spark on offense. The Tigers turned to a full-court press, ratcheted up the pressure on Sharon’s backcourt to limit touches for Davis, and started to play with greater pace and urgency.
OA went on to score 25 points in the second, took a double-digit lead and was off and running towards a 68-36 victory that got the young Tigers back to .500 in league play.
“Once we started pressing, we started finding more of a rhythm on offense, things started opening up,” first-year OA coach Brittany Engle explained. “We want to start with more defensive intensity anyway, sometimes it’s easier said than done. Changing things up defensively gave them the spark that they needed.”
Following Derba’s game-opening three, Sharon went on a 9-0 run. Carmen Leonardi (eight points and four rebounds) tied the game with a triple and then Davis started to get space in the post. The team’s leading scorer, Davis got started with a nice drive to the left hand, knocked down a baseline jumper, and then a nice move on the left block.
The hosts finally settled down and got a few good possessions, with Katherine Farley providing a nice burst of energy off the bench. The junior forward grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Maddie Homer (seven steals and nine rebounds) for a short jumper. Davis kept momentum with Sharon, grabbing an offensive rebound and going up strong to make it 11-7.
OA would take control of the game in the second. Gamble (team-high 17 points) took a feed from Derba and buried a three that tied the game and Homer followed with a triple from the corner to put the Tigers ahead 16-13. It was a lead that they would never relinquish.
Gamble caught fire in the quarter, finding seams to drive through the lane and get to the rim for left-handed finishes. She had nine points in the second. Kaydance Derba (nine points and two blocks) also found the range from deep, burying a pair from beyond the arc to stretch the defense.
“They’re very good in transition,” Sharon coach Matt DellaBarba said. “They always have been and we wanted to get them out of that. I thought we did a good job in the first half, they made that second quarter run, but overall I thought we did a good job getting our guards back and taking easy baskets away from them. Second half, it got away from us a little bit.”
Davis tried to keep the Eagles in the game, scoring six more in the second. Despite facing constant double and triple teams, she scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. DellaBarba said, “We’re really missing Rachael Hager. She really frees up Jasmine.”
He continued, “They were playing 2-3 zone and just sticking their bottom three on Jasmine and we were getting some looks from the outside but none of them were really falling. We’ve got to do more on our end to help her out a little bit.”
Once the Tigers got in front, they never let off the gas. Gamble added another six points in the third, including a layup off another Homer steal, and the Derba sisters combined for a trio of three-pointers, as OA did a better job of drawing the defense and getting in-rhythm perimeter looks. Kamryn finished the game with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Eva Poulton (four points and nine rebounds) got a bucket, as did Tess Letendre and Olivia Landstein, but the Eagles were having a hard time getting the ball into the post to Davis. OA extended its lead to 50-29 after three.
“Our goal was to pressure the guards, make the post-entry pass difficult, deny her so they can’t see her numbers, and then double down in the post if she gets it,” Engle said about the game plan on Davis. “We weren’t aggressive enough denying her, but in the second half we were.”
Freshman Maeve Horsman added six points for OA in the fourth and Brianna Monteiro (four points and six rebounds) turned a steal into a fast-break bucket. Davis got a pair of looks in the paint for the Eagles, but she had only six points in the second half as OA sent multiple defenders at her on every possession.
After a tough start to the season, against a tough schedule that included top ranked teams from Div. 1-3, the defending D2 state champions have won three in a row. Engle saw signs of a turnaround in the loss to Attleboro.
“We executed the game plan better and they bought in,” she said. “We grew in the games that we lost, but it’s kind of demoralizing to not have the end result be what they want it to be. For them to see their growth and now see the results match that growth, I think that’s been really beneficial.”
Oliver Ames (4-6) will try to make it four straight wins with a trip to Taunton on Tuesday, before next week’s showdown with league-leading Foxboro. Sharon (2-10) will try to bounce back with a tough trip to Attleboro.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Baseball
Canton, 12 @ Cardinal Spellman, 5 – Final – Trailing by 5-2 after four innings, Canton plated three runs in the fifth inning to tie it and then exploded for seven runs in the sixth to pull away for a win on the road in Brockton. Jack Digirolamo and Matt Hart each had an RBI double, and Nick Gillis followed with an RBI single to center in the top of the fifth inning to bring the Bulldogs level at 5-5. The Bulldogs (17 hits overall) had a hit parade in the top of the seventh: Matt Chafin drove in a run with a single to center, Digirolamo brought a run home with a single to left, Hayden Rose smacked an RBI double to left, Gillis added an RBI double, Sean Sullivan and Matt Quan had back-to-back RBI singles to center, and Matt Lesser singled in Canton’s 12th run with a ground ball up the left side. Quan got the win in relief, tossing three innings with one run allowed on three hits and one walk, striking out four. Andy Butler added two scoreless innings out of the bullpen with two hits and four strikeouts.
Softball
Attleboro, 8 @ Natick, 3 – Final – Attleboro scored three runs in the fifth inning to break open a tie game and added key insurance runs in the final two innings to secure a win over Natick at the Maple Street Fields on the campus of Framingham State. Arianna Amaral had a big day for the Bombardiers with a pair of hits and three RBI while both Lily Routhier and Lauren Eby had two hits and two RBI apiece. Routhier (3IP, 1H, 2K) and Lindsey Perry (4IP, 6H, 2K) shared pitched duties for Attleboro.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Coventry (RI), 13 – Final
Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Abington, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Maddie Homer reached base three times but the Tigers were unable to push a run across in a shutout loss to Abington, who is ranked in the top 10 in D4 in the latest MIAA rankings. Katie Melendy, Paige Taylor, and Katherine Farley each had a hit for the Tigers while Melendy pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run with four strikeouts.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 7 @ Hanover, 16 – Final
Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 10 @ Bishop Guertin (NH), 12 – Final – Franklin went up to the Granite State and challenged one of the best teams in the region but fell just short against powerhouse Bishop Guertin. Kate O’Rourke (for draw controls) and Kaitlyn Carney (seven draw controls) each had four goals while Jackie O’Neil added one goal and one assist. Brigid Earley made 10 saves in net for the Panthers.
Baseball
Canton, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Attleboro took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second but Canton surged ahead with a three-run fourth, tacking on an insurance run in the fifth to take a 4-1 verdict on the road. Owen Taber had a leadoff double in the bottom of the second, moved to third on a groundout from Matt Harvie, and scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0. Canton jumped ahead on a two-run home run from Hayden Rose and Matt Lesser added a two-out RBI double in the same inning as the Bulldogs took a 3-1 edge. Matt Hart added a two-out RBI double to push across an insurance run in the fifth. Rose got the win on the mound, allowing just the one run (unearned) on three hits and two talks, striking out three in a complete game effort.
Foxboro, 1 @ Taunton, 7 – Final – Foxboro pushed across the first run of the game to stake a 1-0 lead through four innings of play but Taunton grabbed the lead away with two runs in the fifth and put the game away with a five-run sixth inning. Louis Carangelo doubled home Ryan LeClair to give the visiting Warriors a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth but a solo home run from Ryan MacDougall and an RBI single from Colby DeCouta in the bottom of the fifth had the hosts ahead. MacDougall added an RBI double to start the fifth, AJ Lewis brought in two runs with a single to left, and DeCouta recorded two more RBI with a base hit to left. Evan Cali earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, striking out three in four innings of work. Shawn Cali pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.
North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 6 – Final (9 inn.) – North Attleboro rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to keep the game going, and then used aggressive base running in the ninth inning to score the winning run in a close game against King Philip. North pushed across a single run in each the second and third, but KP answered with two runs in the bottom half each time for a 4-2 lead. Rudy Gately had an RBI ground out in the bottom of the fifth as KP extended its lead to 5-2, which lasted until the final inning. North loaded the bases to start the seventh as Dillon Harding and Gavin Wells each singled and Aidan Conrad with hit by a pitch. Tyler Bannon drew a bases loaded walk and an infield error allowed Derek Maceda to reach and Wells to score to make it a one-run game at 5-4. A fielder’s choice allowed the tying run to come home and Danny Curran put the Rocketeers ahead with a sac fly. Shawn Legere walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh for KP, stole second, and scored after an error to force extra innings.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield senior Jimmy Gilleran capped a big comeback from the Hornets with a walk-off home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Oliver Ames jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just a half an inning but Gilleran, who also started on the bump, settled in and pitched six scoreless innings after that. The Hornets cut the lead in half with two runs in the third and then pushed two more acrsos in the fifth to tie the game, setting up Gilleran’s heroics in the final inning. Patrick Finnerty brought in two runs after reaching on an error, Joe Cicchetti drew a bases-loaded walk for another run, and Lucas Riley had an infield hit for an RBI to make it 4-0. Both Conner Zukowski (single) and Anthony Sacchetti (walk) came around to score on a pair of passed balls in the third to make it 4-2, and Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak had back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth to tie the game. Gilleran got the win, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks, striking out nine in a complete game effort.
Stoughton, 0 @ Milford, 6 – Final – Milford took the lead with two runs in the first inning and that was enough for junior Evan Cornelius, who tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a 6-0 win over Stoughton. Cornelius scattered five hits and two talks, striking out eight to get the win. Alex McColl put the hosts ahead with a two-run, two-out double in the bottom of the first, and that 2-0 lead lasted until the fifth inning. Damien Carter extended the advantage with an RBI single and Keith Lee added a two-out RBI double to make it 4-0 in favor of the hosts. Mason Baldic tacked on two key insurance runs with a two-run single in the sixth inning.
Softball
Attleboro, 12 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Riding the combination of timely hitting and good defense early, Attleboro picked up a 12-3 win on the road at Canton. The Bombardiers had 12 hits as a team and the first seven hitters in the lineup came around to score in a big first inning for the visitors. Attleboro tacked on four more runs in the fourth and one more in the seventh. Lauren Eby made her return to the lineup with a splash, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Sarah Maher (two RBI), Kayla Goldrick (two RBI), and Emily Eby (RBI) each added two hits in the win and Lindsey Perry had one hit, two walks, and two RBI in the win. Lily Routhier picked up her fifth win of the season in the circle, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts for the win.
Taunton, 15 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final (6 inn.) – Taunton got off to a great start with six runs in the top of the first inning and then tacked on nine runs over the final three innings to take down Foxboro. Angie Lynch (five RBI, two runs, home run) and Kylie Thorpe (one RBI, three runs) paced the Tigers offense with three hits apiece, and Hayley Krockta had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI and two runs scored in the win. Liv Mendonca (3.1 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) and Cate Larson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) combined for the win on the mound for the Tigers.
King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Kelly Colleran set a new school record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game with 19, but the Warriors were able to get the one run of the game to sweep the season series with North. KP pushed across the lone run of the game in the top of the third as Maddie Paschke reached on an error to start the inning. Courtesy runner Liv Ali stole second and moved to third on a bunt single from Ava Lanza, who accounted for half of KP’s six hits on the day. Meg Sherwood then reached on a bunt single to bring in the lone run of the game. The Rocketeers had a chance to tie the game in the seventh with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs but a bang-bang play at first ended things. For KP, sophomore Jordan Bennett tossed a complete game shutout, scattering six hit and a pair of walks while striking out nine. For North, Grace Simmons had a pair of hits and reached base three time, while Ally Levine, Mandi Hanewich, Shaelyn Burns, and Colleran each had one hit.
Mansfield, 12 @ Oliver Ames, 11 – Final – Mansfield pounded out 16 hits as a team and held off a furious OA rally in the final two innings to get the bounce back win on the road. The Hornets took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Callie Lake (five hits) singled and came in to score on a Cat Kipp groundout. Casey Moussette plated two more with a single. OA wasted no time getting back into the game, scoring six runs in their half of the first and making it 6-3. Mansfield closed within one with a pair of two-out runs in the third. Jill Koppy started the rally with a double and scored on a Julia Kelly base hit. Following singles by Olivia DeTrolio and Lake, Alanna Conley would make it 6-5 with a bases loaded walk. The game was tied in the fourth, Conley coming home on a deep sac fly by Molly Kucharski. The Hornets jumped back in front in the fifth. DeTrolio, Lake, and Kipp all reached and Liv Madeira drove in a run with a sac fly and Mansfield added two more to make it 9-6. The lead doubled in the sixth. Koppy (three hits) doubled in a run, Lake singled to score one, and Kipp’s base hit made it 12-6. OA nearly pulled off the comeback, scoring three times in the sixth (RBI double from Katherine Farley and a single from Maddie Homer [3-for-5, two RBI] plated two) and adding two more in the seventh (RBI single from Lexi Galsband and a sac fly from Emily Martin) but Mansfield was able to survive, stranding the tying run at second to take the victory. Katie Melendy had four hits, an RBI and two runs scored for OA.
Milford, 0 @ Stoughton, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Junior Kerry Driscoll tossed a five-inning no hitter for the Black Knights, striking out three to get the win. The defense backed Driscoll up in the circle as just the Hawks had just four base runners on the day. Offensively, Alyssa Edwards got the hosts off to a good start with a two-run home run and Stoughton scored in each of the next four innings. Driscoll and Maddie Hinds each had a pair of hits an an RBI while Sydney Menz (three walks, one HBP) scored three runs for the Knights. Camryn Whitman (triple), Julie Powers (double) and Melody Casna each chipped in with a hit.
Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 12 vs. Hopkinton, 1 – Final – Foxboro had eight players find the back of the net in a balanced scoring attack that led to a dominant win over Hopkinton. Lincoln Moore had a team-high thre goals, Conor Noone scored twice with three assists, and Tommy Sharkey had a multi-point effort with two goals and an assist. Finn Stapleton, Sully Kenneally, Ryan Cotter, Tony Sulham, John Sacchetti all added one goal for the Warriors.
North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 8 – Final
Oliver Ames, 11 @ Middleboro, 6 – Final – Junior Ben Reardon recorded seven points to lead Oliver Ames to a big non-league win on the road at Middleboro. Reardon scored a hat trick and added four assists to pace the offense while Wyatt Fritchman scored four goals and Ryan Jaco scored twice in the win. Noah Isleib made 13 saves in net while defenders Kyle Szumylo, Cam Tower and Adams Becerra had strong games.
Girls Lacrosse
Canton @ Quincy – Postponed to TBD.
Foxboro, 11 @ Hopkinton, 8 – Final – Foxboro went on the road and picked up an impressive victory over Hopkinton as both Mya Waryas (two assists) and Paige Curran each scored three goals apiece. Val Beigel added two goals and two assists in the win while Mary Collins (two assists), Grace Riley, and Kate Collins each scored once. Audrey Campbell made seven saves in net for the Warriors.
King Philip, 19 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Emily Campbell and Haley Bright combined to make six saves in net as King Philip rolled on the road at North Attleboro. Morgan Cunningham orchestrated the offense with six assists, scoring once as well, while Julia Marsden (two goals three assists) had five points and Julia Marsden added four goals.
Oliver Ames vs. Middleboro, 3:45
Sharon, 3 @ Holliston, 20 – Final – Bailey Garte continued her solid scoring form with a pair of goals for the Eagles and Anna Hertzel added the other. Sharon coach Shara Ginthwaine highlighted the effort of her defense, Serena Bien-Aime, Ava Jacobson, Keira Lydeard, and Lauren McLaughlin, for battling against the Panthers for the full 50 minutes.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Attleboro sophomore Tyler Rocchio overcame a one-set deficit to win two straight, clinching the third point to give Attleboro a 3-2 win over Canton. Rocchio grabbed a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch the victory at third singles. Luke Hinton and Brady Rosen added a 6-2, 6-1 first singles win and the Bombardiers also won in straight sets at second doubles. Max Kupferman (first singles) and Suraj Ramanathan (second singles) continued to roll, both winning in straight sets.
Taunton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final
King Philip, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – Behind a pair of wins in singles action and one more in doubles, North Attleboro defended home court with a 3-2 win over King Philip. Senior Will Folan captured a 6-1, 6-2 win at first singles and junior Brody Carter secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles for the Big Red. Juniors Griffin Rodden and Brody Gaulin added a 6-2, 6-1 win to clinch the win for the hosts. Freshman Jackson Hom won 7-6 (15), 6-2 at third singles for KP and the team of Adam Gousie and Arjun Kollu earned a 6-3, 7-6 (1) win at second doubles.
Milford @ Stoughton, 3:45
Girls Tennis
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro continued to have strong performances in doubles action and added another key win from third singles to knock off visiting Canton. Seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf continued to impress at first singles, overcoming a one-set deficit to earn a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory while the sophomore tandem of Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller secured a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles. Attleboro junior Zoe Stanley added a 6-4, 6-2 win at third singles to give the Bombardiers the edge. Canton’s Camila Cutter won 6-2, 6-4 at first singles while senior Laura Correal added a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 win at second singles.
Foxboro @ Taunton, 3:45
North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip junior Ahunna James prevailed from a highly contested first singles match that went on for over two hours to help the Warriors claim a 3-2 win over North Attleboro. “Not many unforced errors by both players and the level of intensity was incredibly high,” said longtime KP tennis coach Bob Goldberg. “It was very high level tennis by both players.” James earned a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win for the point. KP also swept doubles play as senior Resha Ajoy and junior Lauren Casper used strong net play to secure a 6-3, 6-3 win at first doubles, and juniors Carlie Burns and Sammie Taylor played a consistent match for a 6-3, 6-1 verdict at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – OA senior Elizabeth O’Brien won a third-set tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets to get the win and complete the sweep on the road for the Tigers. O’Brien prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 while Hannah Farber added a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles and Mia Corradini secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles. Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory at first doubles, and the team of Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles for OA.
Stoughton @ Milford, 3:45
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Agawam, 0 – Final
Taunton @ Durfee, 5:15
Baseball
Attleboro, 12 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro raced out to a lead with five runs over the first three innings, but Attleboro’s offense roared to life with 10 runs in a three-inning span to secure a win on the road. The Warriors sandwiched a pair of one-running innings around a three-run third to stake a 5-2 advantage. The Bombardiers responded with three in the fourth, five in the fifth, and two more in the sixth, before holding off a four-run bottom of the seventh from the hosts to get the win. Jamie Bloch, Owen Taber (RBI), and Peter DelPozzo each had one hit and scored three runs while Cooper Johnson drove in four runs on the day and scored once himself. Matt Harvie added two hits and two RBI for the Bombardiers. Freshman Tyler Dunlea tossed three shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out six to get the win. For Foxboro, Ryan LeClair had a pair of hits, including a double, with three RBI and two runs scored, junior Sean O’Leary drove in two runs, and freshman Ryan O’Leary had a hit and an RBI. Junior Kenny Mello blasted a solo home run and had two RBI on the day.
Taunton, 8 @ Canton, 0 – Final
Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg blasted a second inning grand slam and classmate Tyler Bannon had a strong showing on the mound as the Rocketeers knocked off visiting Franklin. Danny Curran had a lead off single, Bannon followed with a single, and Christian Bates walked to load the bases for Rosenberg’s home run. North added three more in the bottom of the fifth as Dillon Harding and Derek Maceda singled, and pinch runner Kyle Conroy scored on an RBI double from Tyler DeMattio. Maceda came home to score on a wild pitch and DeMattio eventually scored on a double steal to make it 7-0. Franklin plated four runs in the top, including a pair of two-out singles. Bannon finished with 6.1 innings pitched, striking out six with two hits allowed, retiring the side in order in the first three innings. Chris Goode had two hits and an RBI for the Panthers, Evan Raider added a hit, a walk, and an RBI, and Jack Marino chipped in with an RBI and a run scored.
Sharon, 2 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (6 Inn.) – King Philip moved to 4-0 on the season, scoring in double figures for the third time this season in a win over Sharon. The Warriors didn’t waste any time getting the bats going with five runs in the first inning. Shawn Legere knocked Travis Crawford (single) in with a base hit, Matt Kelley (single) scored on a wild pitch, and both Rudy Gately and Brendan Sencaj scored on a throwing error. Matt DiFiore brought in the fifth run with an RBI single to score Nick Viscusi. In the second, Gately had an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Gately drove in Legere with a RBI base hit, and Kelley came in to score on a wild pitch for the second time in the game. Luke Nixon and Will Astorino each drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Brendan Weddleton had a two-run single to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. Viscusi got the win in the mound, tossing six innings with two earned runs while striking out eight.
Stoughton, 6 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Mansfield scored two insurance runs in the top of the seventh that proved pivotal as the Hornets had to hold off a furious rally by the Black Knights in the bottom of the seventh. Mansfield scored two runs in each the first and third, and a single run in the fifth to carry a 5-1 lead into the final inning. Two runs in the top of the seventh ended up being the difference as Stoughton sent five runs home in the bottom half before Mansfield got the final out for the win. Anthony Sacchetti had three hits and scored three runs while sophomore Matt DeShiro had three hits, including two doubles and two stolen bases, and drove in three runs to pace the Hornets’ offense. Conner Zukowski added two hits (both doubles) and a run scored, Jimmy Gilleran had a pair of hits and two RBI, and Connor Curtis added two doubles. Gilleran tossed six innings on the mound, allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and two walks, striking out six.
Softball
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 14 – Final – Attleboro’s Lily Routhier got her third win of the season in the circle while the Bombardiers belted out 14 hits for 14 runs in a win over visiting Foxboro. Routhier tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six. Offensively, Lindsey Perry had a pair of doubles with three runs scored, adding a pair of walks. Lauren Eby collected four hits with three runs scored and Routhier helped her own cause with a pair of hits and three runs scored. Peyton Feldman had a pair of hits for Foxboro with two runs scored while Emma Callahan had six strikeouts in five innings of work.
Canton, 1 @ Taunton, 21 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton exploded for 14 runs in the second inning and scored more than 20 runs in a game for the second time this week. Ava Venturelli paced the Tigers offense, going 4-for-4 with two homers, a triple, and a double. She drove in six runs and scored four times. The top five hitters in the Taunton lineup combined for 15 hits and 14 RBI. Kyleah Plumb was 2-for-5 with two RBI, Kaysie DeMoura was 3-for-4 with two RBI, Brooke Aldrich was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Hayley Krockta went 4-for-4 with two RBI. Liv Mendonca and Cate Larson combined on a four-hitter. Taylor Reynolds, Anna Lehan, Jess Wright, and Chloe Guershony each had hits for the Bulldogs.
North Attleboro, 10 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – North’s bats came alive to back up a stellar performance in the circle from Zoey McDonough. The Rocketeers totaled 16 hits including four from Kelly Colleran, who blasted a pair of homers and drove in seven of North’s 10 runs. McDonough was lights out, striking out 14 and holding Franklin to five hits. Ally Levine had three hits for North, which also got two hits apiece from Mandi Hanewich (two runs scored), McDonough, and Emma Hanwell. Maryellen Charette had a hit and an RBI and Grace Simmons made a nice catch in right and assisted on an out at second.
Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip pushed across eight runs in the first and nine more in the second while Emma Sheehan and Taylor Regan combined to toss a one-hitter in a win over Sharon. Sarah Cullen had a big day for the Warriors from the leadoff spot, collecting four hits, two RBI and four runs scored. Meg Sherwood (homerun) added three hits, five RBI and three runs, and Maddie Paschke (homerun) had four RBI on two hits with three runs scored. Sheehan (2IP) and Regan (3IP) each had five strikeouts.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 2 – Final (8 Inn.) – Oliver Ames pushed across three runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on as the Scarlet Hawks had the tying run at the plate in the bottom half. Milford took the lead in the bottom of the second after a bunt from Jianna Fernandes was thrown away, allowing Sarah Wengal (walk) to score. OA struck back in the top of the fifth in similar fashion as Katherine Farley (dropped third strike) scored after a throwing error after a bunt from Madison Monteiro. OA took its first lead in the top of the seventh when Farley (single) scored on a double from Caitlin Miller to make it 2-1. Sophomore Grace Bonina hit a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, moved to second on a sacrifice, and came to score on an effor to make it 2-2, sending it to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, freshman Emily Martin led off with a double and moved to third on a grounder from Lexi Galsband (two hits). Junior Katie Melendy, who also tossed an eight inning complete game for the Tigers, smacked a single up the middle to take the lead. Freshman Devon Morris followed with a single, and both Melendy and Morris scored on a single from Farley. Melendy worked around back-to-back one-out walks to get the win. Maeve Driscoll had 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work for the Hawks.
Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final – Brady Daylor found the back of the net eight times to lead Sharon to a win on the road over Attleboro. Along with Daylor’s eight goals, Ben Shocket (23-for-28 faceoffs) and Sam Rothbaum each added a pair of goals while Jacob Kaufman and Jordan Weizmann each scored once in the win. Matt Powers made 10 saves in net for the Eagles.
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 14 @ Sharon, 6 – Final – Bailey Garte had a hat trick for the Eagles, who also got goals from Anna Hertzel, Keira Lydeard, and Serena Bien-Aime.
Boys Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro’s Bo Canfield didn’t drop a game at second singles and the Warriors won four matches in straight sets to get a victory over Attleboro. Canfield won 6-0, 6-0 while Garrett Spillane added a first singles win (6-2, 6-1) and Raj Jetty secured a win at third singles (6-2, 6-0). Foxboro added a win from Nate Cote and Luca Meyer at second doubles (6-1, 7-5). Attleboro’s Tyler Rocchio and Kyle Neuendorf continued their strong season with a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles.
Canton, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Canton won all three singles matches in straight sets and added a fourth point with a win at second doubles to secure a victory on the road at Taunton. Max Kupferman, Suraj Ramanathan and Justin Ngan all won in straight sets in singles for Canton in singles action, and the team of seniors Kevin Moltenbrey and Luke Romano took the win at second doubles. Taunton’s Andrew Letourneau and Derek Desseault took the first doubles for Taunton in straight sets.
Sharon, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final
Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield took all five matches in straight sets to defend home court against visiting Stoughton. Freshman Neema Khosravani and sophomore Kailash Elumelai both won 6-1, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami grabbed a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles. Junior Benson Delaney teamed with senior Jonah Fine for a 6-1, 6-0 first doubles win while sophomore Nikhil Nain and senior Pratham Tallam grabbed a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Nick Westerbeke didn’t drop a set at first singles while seniors Kylash Gannesh and Raphael Vache both won in straight sets as the Tigers took a 5-0 win on the road at Milford. Westerbeke won 6-0, 6-0, Gannesh grabbed a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles, and Vache earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. OA’s first doubles team of freshmen Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at first doubles while junior Ben Dias and sophomore Alex Vasiliou emerged with a 4-6, 7-5, 12-10 win at second doubles in a great match with Milford senior Pedro DeSouza and freshman Todd Ostertog. Both coaches praised the effort of the second doubles players, with the both sides hitting great shots and earning key points.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, Franklin senior Thomas Broyles won a 10-point tiebreaker to complete the sweep for the Panthers. Broyles ended with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 win at second singles, Vashnav Malhotra added a 6-0, 6-1 first singles victory, and senior Drew Mahoney won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of senior Tim O’Keefe and sophomore Jay Gorgas notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles, and senior Sameen Shaik and sophomore Ahan Shetty won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – A sweep in singles action plus one doubles win gave Foxboro a 4-1 win over visiting Attleboro. Athena Li (6-0, 6-0), Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1), and Analise Jia (6-0, 6-3) won at first, second, and third singles, respectively, while Abby Costa and Juliana Preston added a 6-2, 6-2 first doubles win. Attleboro’s Allison Rebelo and Presley Biller added a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – A pair of wins from singles action plus two more in doubles play gave Canton a win at home over visiting Taunton. Camila Cutter battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles while Laura Correal secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers emerged with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win at first doubles and Canton’s second doubles team of Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win. Taunton’s Ava Alves notched a 7-5, 6-2 win at third singles.
King Philip, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – After two very tight battles in singles action, and a three-set doubles battle, Sharon took home a 5-0 decision over visiting King Philip. Navya Shukla and Hannah Faberman both emerged from hard-fought matches with identical 7-6, 6-4 wins at first and second singles, respectively, while freshman Judy Song added a 6-1, 6-1 third singles win. Junior Sophia Oh and senior Sasha Fein grabbed a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles while Sharon’s second doubles tandem of juniors Ellie Zhao and Wenxin Lu prevailed with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win for the Eagles.
Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final
Milford, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Both of Oliver Ames’ doubles teams won in straight sets without dropping a game to secure a 4-1 victory over Milford. The team of Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou won at first singles while Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli grabbed the win at second doubles, both matches finishing 6-0, 6-0. OA freshman Hannah Farber added a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles and Elizabeth O’Brien prevailed from third singles with a 6-0, 2-6, 10-2 win. Milford’s Paige Gaulik rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory at second singles.
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 1 vs. Millis, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Medfield, 0 – Final
Baseball
North Attleboro, 9 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – A seven-run second inning plus a masterful performance on the mound from senior David Floyd led the Rocketeers to a rivalry win over Attleboro. Floyd tossed a complete game one-hitter, striking out seven for the win. He had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings. Offensively, Christian Bates (three RBI) had a two-run double and Danny Curran (two hits) added a two-run single in North’s big second inning. Tyler Bannon also had two hits for North, including a double.
Canton, 3 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Sophomore Sean McGee had a pair of hits while junior Evan Cornelius and sophomore Anthony LaPierre got it done on the mound as Milford upended Canton. McGee had an RBI and scored a run to pace the Hawks’ offense. Cornelius scattered five hits and three walks in five innings of work, striking out six with two earned runs allowed. LaPierre allowed just one run over the final two innings, striking out three.
Foxboro @ Mansfield – Postponed to TBD.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 10 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with three runs in the bottom of the first and then tacked on four more in the second to secure a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin took advantage of an error and a walk to get RBI singles from Chris Goode (3-for-3, three RBI), Jace Lyons (3-for-3, two RBI), and Ben Jarosz to seize a 3-0 lead. Jack Muir had a hit and a run scored to help OA (seven errors) cut the deficit to one run but Franklin came right back with four runs, all with two outs, to break it open. Goode knocked in Luke Sidwell and Ryan Gerety (two hits, two runs), and a drop third strike allowed Goode and Evan Raider to score to make it 7-2. Sophomore Austin Campbell earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in three innings of work. Ethan Voellmicke tossed two scoreless innings in relief, striking out three with one hit allowed.
Sharon, 0 @ Taunton, 13 – Final (5 inn.)
Softball
North Attleboro, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Lily Routhier threw a four-hit shutout, struck out six, and scored both runs to lead Attleboro to a win over rival North Attleboro. Kelly Colleran struck out 13 batters in the loss, including striking out the side in three separate innings. She also had one of North’s three hits, an infield single in the first inning. Attleboro broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth. Routhier led off the inning by beating out a single on a slow roller to short and then took second when a pitch got to the backstop. Lauren Eby then ripped a single to center, bringing in Routhier with what turned out to be the game-winning run. With two outs in the fifth, Julia Forman lined a single to right and stole second but Routhier got a strikeout to end the inning. Lindsey Perry got to third in the bottom half of the fifth, but Colleran got a groundout to Shaelyn Burns at third to end the threat. North had the heart of the order due up in the sixth. Ally Levine drew a lead-off walk, but Colleran hit a deep fly to center for the first out. Levine tried to steal second, but Attleboro catcher Destani Miranda threw a strike to get her for the second out. Zoe McDonough followed with a ground-rule double to left but a groundout ended the rally. Routhier started the bottom of the sixth with a line drive single to right and Eby followed with one of her own. After Routhier moved to third, Sarah Maher placed a perfect bunt between Colleran and Burns for an infield single and a crucial insurance run. Perry came up with a big diving grab on a liner to start the seventh and prevent a North rally.
Milford, 7 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Highlighted by a pair of home runs, Milford exploded for six runs in the fourth inning to get a win on the road at Canton. Freshman Cae Pellegrini (two hits) smacked her first career home run and freshman Jianna Fernandes (two hits, two runs) launched a two-run home run, the first of her career. Sophomore Camille Bonina (two hits) cleared the bases with a single to right in the same inning to push the lead to 6-0. Senior Gianna Cacciola added two hits for the Scarlet Hawks. Sophomore Maeve Driscoll went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a stolen base and also pitched four innings, striking out five with four hits allowed. Senior Olivia Morelli didn’t allow an earned run in three innings of work, striking out two.
Mansfield @ Foxboro – Postponed to TBD.
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead but Franklin scored once in each the second and fourth to tie it, and then scored five runs over the fifth and six innings to get the win. Lexi Galsband brought in OA’s first run with a squeeze bunt and Katie Melendy and Katherine Farley followed with an RBI each to make it 3-1. Dana Stott had an RBI single to cut the deficit in half and and Aislinn Lavery brought in the tying run to make it 3-3. In the top of the fifth, Reece Allen smacked an RBI double and Kiera Kotwicki drove in a second run to put the Panthers ahead 5-3. In the top of the sixth, the Panthers pushed across three runs to extend the lead to 8-3. Kotwicki got the win in the circle, scattering four hits in four innings of work while Lavery tossed three scoreless innings in relief, striking out two without allowing a hit. Freshman Emily Martin had two hits and a run scored for the Tigers.
Taunton, 29 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (5 inn.) – Taunton hit four home runs as a team to bounce back from its first loss in three years. Brooke Aldrich led the way for the Tigers with five hits, a homer, four runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Hayley Krockta had four hits, four runs scored, and three RBI. Ava Venturelli was 2-for-2 with a triple, a homer, three RBI, and three runs scored, while Kaysie Demoura had three hits, a homer, five RBI, and four runs. Lead-off hitter Angie Lynch got on base three times, had three RBI, and three runs. Kylie Thorpe had three hits, Katelyn Bizarro had two hits, including a homer, and Kyleah Plumb had a pair of hits.
Girls Lacrosse
Sharon, 7 vs. Norwood, 17 – Final – Anna Hertzel had a hat trick and an assist to lead the Eagles attack. Keira Ledyard had two goals, while Athena Merck and Bailey Garte each scored once. Tess Letendre played well in goal, making 12 saves.
Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – North Attleboro swept all three singles matches and tacked on another win from doubles action to take down rival Attleboro. Senior Will Folan earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at first singles, junior Brody Carter grabbed a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles, and freshman Darren Liang emerged with a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. North Attleboro added its fourth point via the team of sophomore Caleb Cheney and senior Aashman Gupta, who battled to a 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) win at second doubles. Attleboro’s first doubles team of Tyler Rocchio and Kyle Neuendorf grabbed another win, this time 7-5, 6-1.
Milford, 0 @ Canton, 5 – Final – Freshman Justin Ngan earned the first victory of his career, highlighting Canton’s 5-0 sweep over visiting Milford. Ngan picked up the win at third singles in a well-played match against Milford freshman Cory Rattray. Canton’s Austin Lee and Jad Antoun also grabbed their first win, taking the victory at second doubles.
Mansfield, 4 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Mansfield’s strong singles play continued on Friday, this time getting a sweep of Foxboro plus another victory from doubles action to get the 4-1 win. Freshman Neema Khosravani won a hard-fought match at first singles (6-3, 6-4), junior Benson Delany moved into singles play and secured a 6-1, 6-2 win at second singles, and Nikhil Nain grabbed a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Mansfield also got a win from the doubles team of Lura Meyer and Nathan Cote (6-1, 6-2). Foxboro’s Josh Weiner and Jacob Weiner grabbed a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles.
Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Franklin won a pair of singles matches and a pair of doubles matches, all in straight sets, to get a win on the road in Easton. Senior Vayshnav Malhotra didn’t drop a set in a 6-0, 6-0 first singles victory while senior Thomas Broyles was victorious 6-3, 6-2 at second singles for the Panthers. Sameen Shaik and Tyler Fitzpatrick earned a clean 6-0, 6-0 win at first doubles, and the Panthers got a 6-2, 6-1 win from the second doubles tandem of senior Tim O’Keefe and sophomore Jay Gorgas. Oliver Ames senior Raphael Vache prevailed in a marathon third singles match, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (1).
Taunton @ Sharon, 3:45
Girls Tennis
North Attleboro, 3 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – A singles sweep proved to be enough for North Attleboro in a close battle with rival Attleboro. Sophomore Lauren Hunt grabbed a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, junior Grace Noreck secured a 6-4, 6-1 win at second singles, and senior Krithika Mood completed the singles sweep with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Attleboro’s first doubles team of seniors Tina Lam and Saharla Yusuf won 6-2, 6-2, and the tandem of sophomores Kyra Johnson and Presley Biller emerged with a 6-3, 6-4 decision.
Canton, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Canton’s Laura Correal won a third set tiebreaker at third singles to help the Bulldogs complete a 5-0 sweep on the road at Milford. Correal took a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 win, Camila Cutter secured a 6-3, 6-0 win at first singles, and Kelli Woodworth was victorious, 6-3, 6-0, at third singles. The team of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at first doubles, while the Canton second doubles tandem of Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong grabbed a 6-2, 6-1 win.
Foxboro, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Foxboro won all three singles matches in straight sets, and took another point with a third set tiebreaker in doubles play to take down Mansfield. Athena Li continued to roll with a 6-0, 6-0 win, Hailey Kornbluth secured a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles, and Makayla Peck completed the singles sweep with a 6-0, 7-5 third singles victory. Abby Costa and Juliana Preston added a 6-3, 6-0 victory at first doubles for the Warriors. The team of Jillian Hanley and Savannah Carey rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 win at second doubles for the Hornets.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anchored by a sweep of singles action, Franklin defended home court to knock off the visiting Tigers of Oliver Ames. Vedika Vinayak prevailed with a 6-4, 6-2 win at first singles, Izzy Trull added a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles, and Sarah Schiavo won 6-2, 6-2 at third singles for the Panthers. The team of Chloe Essam and Sydney Tolonen added another win for Franklin, taking the second doubles match by a score of 6-1, 6-2. Oliver Ames’ first doubles tandem of Morgan Vasiliou and Caroline Peper notched a 6-1, 6-1 win.
Sharon, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Sharon went on the road and won all five matches in straight sets to bounce back from a close loss on Thursday. Navya Shukla secured a 6-3, 6-1 win at first singles, Judy Song earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory at second singles, and Abby Vilk grabbed a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. Sharon swept both doubles matches with Olivia Landstein and Alice Zaniewski taking first doubles, 6-3, 6-2.
Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final
Taunton is coming off a state championship and a perfect season, but there will be plenty of competition for the league crown this season. Read team-by-team previews below. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021 Record: 9-7 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Mark Homer
Last spring, Attleboro was an inning away from upsetting crosstown rival Bishop Feehan and reaching the Div. 1 South quarterfinal. The Bombardiers were also the only team to score on state champ Taunton. That is a good foundation to build on coming into a new season, as Attleboro brings back a strong core of players looking to challenge the top two in the Kelley-Rex and make another state tournament push.
Senior Lindsey Perry, who can also play second base, will be in the circle for the Bombardiers to start the season and will be throwing to sophomore Rylie Camacho, who had an impressive debut campaign at the plate and in the field. Senior Hailey Perry is coming back from a knee injury but should be at shortstop early in the season. Attleboro added pitching depth this season with junior Lily Routhier transferring in from Wheelock School (R.I.). Routhier will also play center field when she’s not pitching.
Sophomore Kayla Goldrick is another player coming off a standout rookie season and she will be at third and in the middle of the order. Junior Lauren Eby will return at the other corner and junior Sarah Maher gives Attleboro versatility by being able to play multiple positions. The Bombardiers have a balanced lineup and will be able to incorporate new faces to the program and players pulled up from JV to find the right combinations.
“The team’s goal is to stay competitive for every practice and game, and qualify for states,” said Attleboro coach Mark Homer. “We must be consistent in every aspect of the game. It’s always a tall order, but this team has the potential and determination to make it happen. We’re gonna have fun doing it.”
2021 Record: 5-11 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Sandy Lombardi
Canton returns seven players from last year’s team, which went on the road to beat Cardinal Spellman in the first round of the state tournament. After Dave Bohane stepped down, Sharon girls basketball coach and former Duxbury softball coach Sandy Lombardi has taken over the Bulldogs hoping to take the mix of experience and new talent on another trip to the postseason.
The Bulldogs will have depth in the circle this season with seniors Gillian Gordon and Sophia Santos bringing experience to the position and sophomore Jess Wright adding another option. Senior Taylor Reynolds brings a strong bat to the top of the order and will play in left field. Senior Emily Ciampa will return at second base, with Wright playing mostly at first, and junior Olivia Mackwell behind the plate. Sophomore Laura Valkanas will be at shortstop.
Freshman Chloe Guerschuny is a new face at third base and classmate Klara Redquest will take over from Liz Bickett in center. Senior Jessica Vo, junior Sam Vrabel, and sophomore Anna Lehan are all newcomers on varsity who will give Canton additional options in the outfield and in the lineup.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Lombardi said, “We have a good mix of upper and underclassmen. The girls are working hard and we are looking forward to competing in a tough Hockomock League.”
2021 Record: 11-6 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Mark Maguire
With two eighth graders in the starting lineup, including one in the circle, no one was quite sure how good Foxboro could be last spring. As it turned out, the Warriors were good enough to make a run all the way to the Div. 2 South quarterfinal. With additional pitching depth and critical varsity experience, Foxboro will try to build on that momentum and make another deep tournament run.
Senior Peyton Feldman was one of the top hitters in the league last season and she will be moving to shortstop while continuing to lead off. Senior Allie Willis will add leadership from the catcher position, as she is in her third year behind the plate. Her experience is critical when working with Foxboro’s young pitching staff. Freshman Emma Callahan had a breakout season as the starter last year and she will get the chance to play some second and third base as well to make sure her bat stays in the lineup. Freshman Vittoria Cuscia and sophomore lefty Angelina Rifai will give Foxboro more options in the circle.
Foxboro will have plenty of speed in the lineup this season. Freshman Jillian Slattery and Natalia Leach are athletic outfielders and will add production from the bottom half of the order. Freshman Ava Hill is back to start at first base after a solid eighth grade season and Fiona Dunn will get the start in right field.
“We are a young team that is looking to compete for the Davenport division,” said Foxboro coach Mark Maguire. “We have some very good athletes that look to take their softball skills to the next level. They are a group of kids who are a pleasure to coach.”
2021 Record: 6-9 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Preliminary Round Coach: Katie Holbrook
Last season, Franklin showed that it could score runs in bunches, hitting double digits in five of its 15 games, but the Panthers could also allow runs in bunches with teams reaching double digits six times. With seven returning players, second-year coach Katie Holbrook is hoping that experience and depth will carry the Panthers back up the standings and into the postseason.
Franklin will have depth in the circle this season with senior Aislinn Lavery taking the bulk of the innings and junior Kiera Kotwicki able to step in when needed. Both will mix pitches and keep teams off-balance. Junior Hailey Fales will be back behind the plate, adding another layer of experience to the pitching staff. Senior Julia White battled an injury all spring in 2021 but she is back healthy and back in the middle of the infield and the order. Junior Georgia Harvey is a versatile player who can fill in at multiple positions and batted 0.426 as a sophomore.
Sophomore Carly Johnson-Pellegri had an impressive rookie season and will be moving from second to short and senior Hannah Cacciapaglia is back at first, and in the middle of the order, after recovering from an injury that kept her out all of last spring. The outfield looks strong for the Panthers this season. Senior Kelly Moussa has a strong arm in right and juniors Reece Allen and Dana Stott are two newcomers that could play big roles for the team this season.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
“We have a lot of different players who can jump in and be the spark at any given moment,” Holbrook said. “There are a lot of new players in the mix, but they are already showing signs of coming together as a team and leadership is not lacking in this group. If they can remain poised and confident and play their game, we should do well this season.”
2021 Record: 14-3 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal Coach: Kate Fallon-Comeau
King Philip lost only three games last season and all of those were to league and state champion Taunton. The Warriors bring back a lot of players from last season and that has put high expectations on one of the state’s perennial powers to get back on top not only in the Kelley-Rex division but also once the tournament kicks off.
A year of varsity experience might be most beneficial in the circle where senior Emma Sheehan and sophomore Jordan Bennett give the Warriors a lot of depth for a long season. Both saw plenty of action last year, including in the playoffs and they should be ready for the challenge of the new season. Junior Sarah Cullen will also be back behind the plate for the Warriors after an impressive debut season in which she batted nearly .500.
Infield defense was a strength for the Warriors, even after an injury to junior shortstop Libby Walsh. Senior Mia Bennett returns at second base and sophomore Maddie Paschke will be back at third base, after an impressive playoff run at the hot corner. Senior Meg Sherwood will add leadership in the outfield, while juniors Charlotte Raymond and Ava Lanza provide a spark in the lineup.
KP coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said, “We’re hoping to have a solid season, make the tournament, and see where it goes from there!”
2021 Record: 9-8 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Quarterfinal Coach: Lori Letendre
Mansfield made a surprising run to the quarterfinal of the South sectional last spring, winning at Needham and at No. 2 seed Natick before falling to perennial power Silver Lake. With seven starters returning, the Hornets will be aiming at another tournament run this year and building the confidence that they can challenge the top teams in the Kelley-Rex.
Pitching will be a question mark for Mansfield this year after graduating last year’s starter Ashlyn Conley. Senior Julia Kelly, better known for her exploits on the volleyball court, will join the team for the first time in her career and will get the chance in the circle. Junior Amanda Schwarz will also be given time in the circle, as she makes the jump up from JV.
The lineup was young and inexperienced last season, but still proved to be dynamic and most of the players who came through with big at-bats have returned. Seniors Alanna Conley, Olivia DeTrolio, and Casey Moussette are all back along with sophomores Molly Kucharski, Callie Lake, Jill Koppy, and Liv Madeira, who all had impressive rookie seasons.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
“It’s been fun to get back on the field and start working with a great group of girls and we are looking forward to the season!” said Mansfield coach Lori Letendre.
2021 Record: 0-14 2021 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Steve DiVitto
The Kelley-Rex division is loaded every year and a young Milford roster is hungry to move past a couple of tough seasons to be more competitive in a difficult league schedule. While the Hawks went winless in 2021, they lost twice to Mansfield by a combined five runs and lost by only two runs to Franklin and Sharon, so the Hawks had opportunities to come out on top. Now, with a year that is closer to normal, Milford hopes to take the next step and turn those close defeats into victories.
While the roster is almost all underclassmen, Milford does return seven players from last year. Only two of the returners are upperclassmen, senior pitcher and outfielder Olivia Morelli and senior third baseman Gianna Cacciola. Both captains are entering their third seasons on varsity and going to be expected to provide leadership for the rest of the lineup, which is almost all freshmen and sophomores.
Also returning this year are sophomores Maddie Burns (catcher and first base), Camille Bonina (first base and outfield), Grace Bonina (middle infield), Maeve Driscoll (pitcher, shortstop, and outfield), and Sarah Wengel (outfield and first base). Each player gained valuable experience as freshmen and provide a lot of versatility in how the team will line up. The Hawks will also look to a trio of freshmen for instant impact as starters or off the bench, including pitcher Cae Pellegrini, outfielder Jianna Fernandes, and shortstop Olivia Baglione.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
“With such a young crew, we will rely on our two seniors, our captains, who have four years of experience to help lead the way,” said Milford coach Steve DiVitto. “We pride ourselves on keeping strong team chemistry; something that will be an important part of this season. We’re hungry to get back on the field!”
2021 Record: 12-4 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Bill Wallace
North Attleboro has won back-to-back league titles for the first time in program history and would love to make it a three-peat before moving to the Kelley-Rex division next season. The Rocketeers graduated four starters, so there will be opportunities for underclassmen to step in and contribute right away, but North also has a strong core, particularly with two strong starting pitchers, to make a run in the Div. 2 tournament.
Juniors Zoey McDonough and Kelly Colleran are back and give North an impressive one-two punch in the circle. Both players were all-stars in their debut seasons, and both are Div. I college recruits. Since they’re also important to the lineup, McDonough will play first and Colleran will play short when they’re not pitching. Senior Mandi Hanewich is battling a hand injury at the start of the season, but the four-year varsity player will add leadership in center, while senior Ally Levine will be behind the plate working with North’s staff. Junior Grace Simmons is the fifth returning starter and the right fielder will also get the chance to produce at the plate as well.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Senior Shaelyn Burns will take over at third after being the DP for most of last season, while freshman Maryellen Charette gets the nod at short or at first, depending on who the starting pitcher will be. Junior Emma Hanwell and senior Grace Barry will both get chances in the outfield, while juniors Maddie Bailey and Julia Forman will play second and be the DP. Freshman Aryanna McDavitt provides much-needed versatility, as she can play anywhere in the infield and pitch when called on.
“Our goals don’t change – what does change is the approach to get there,” said North coach Bill Wallace. “We’re working at it, let’s see if we retain it. The girls are focused – they know what’s in front of them!”
2021 Record: 4-10 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Lindsey Allison
Despite having no seniors on the roster this season, Oliver Ames has set a goal of getting back into the state tournament picture and moving up the standings in the Davenport division. The Tigers return five players from last year’s team but there is excitement about the underclassmen who will be stepping into the lineup this year and the energy that they’re bringing to the team.
Junior Maddie Homer is the team’s top returning hitter and was also an all-star at shortstop last spring. She will provide leadership in the infield. Junior Katie Melendy has a year of varsity experience in the circle and will look to build on her four wins as a sophomore. Lexi Galsband will be at first base and fellow junior Caitlin Miller returns in center, while sophomore Katherine Farley is stepping in behind the plate.
The underclassmen will give OA important versatility to find the right spots for everyone in the lineup. Sophomores Madison Monteiro, Paige Taylor, Sammy Johnson, and freshmen Emily Martin and Devon Morris will fill out the roster this season. Although young, there is a lot of club experience that they will add to the Tigers.
“Overall, I am impressed with the attitudes, hard work, and teamwork that I have seen so far this season and I am looking forward to watching them grow together as a team,” said OA coach Lindsey Allison. “We expect to be competitive in the Hockomock League and get back to the culture of making tournament an expectation.”
2021 Record: 2-12 2021 Finish: Missed Postseason Coach: Heather Poliferno
For Sharon to move up the Davenport division standings, the Eagles are going to need to produce more runs this season. Sharon was last in the league with 31 runs scored in 14 games last year, but there is optimism around the team this spring that the combination of returning players and talented new faces is making good contact, being aggressive on the base paths, and look ready to create more opportunities to manufacture runs.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
Senior Trinity Payne will be a second-year captain for the Eagles, and she will need to produce in the circle (60 strikeouts last year) and at the plate (0.343 average in 2021). Senior catcher Ciara McAuliffe can hit for power and is an experienced battery mate for Payne, which will be a key to Sharon limiting the opposition’s base runners. Senior Savannah Gray is another power hitter in the middle of the Sharon order and a leader at first base.
Junior Ally Foulsham gives Sharon important versatility, being able to play solid defense at several positions and even jump in the circle to give Payne a breather. Foulsham, who will start at third base this spring, played third, short, and pitched last year and had a fielding percentage over 90 percent. Sophomore Maddie Hu will be the new shortstop this season and junior Natalie Kessler will start in the outfield but could see time at a few positions, including catcher.
“Our players have worked incredibly hard the last couple of weeks,” Sharon coach Heather Poliferno, “and we are all eager for them to get out on the field and show everyone what Sharon High softball is capable of.”
2021 Record: 8-7 2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Deb Parker
After a year off, Stoughton got to experience the postseason in 2021, and a playoff win, and now the Black Knights will enter a normal spring with confidence that they can build on that foundation to make another run for a state tournament spot. With depth and talent throughout the lineup, Stoughton will be hoping to be back in the mix in the Davenport division standings as well.
Senior Sydney Menz will be the anchor for the team in center and as one of the top hitters in the middle of the order. She will be joined in the outfield by classmate Kate Bulger and freshman Angie Berry, who is going to get the chance to step right into the lineup this spring. Pitching is always critical and junior Kerry Driscoll will get the nod as the starter after getting a taste of facing varsity lineups last season.
2022 Hockomock League Softball Preview
The infield will be led by senior shortstop Melody Casna. Surrounded by underclassmen, Casna will give a dash of experience and is a vocal leader. Sophomore Alyssa Edwards is back at the corners, primarily at third, after a freshman season that saw her lead the team with a 0.417 batting average.
“I have so much confidence in this team and I expect big things from them this year,” said Stoughton coach Deb Parker. “They have come together really quickly and have chemistry that I have not seen in a long time. I am excited to see what this team will accomplish together this season, they have talent, depth, and personality, and they are willing to work. They are really fun to coach!”
2021 Record: Won Div. 1 State Title Coach: Carrie Consalvi
Not every team rebuilds in the same way. After graduating five starters from last year’s state championship-winning team, including in the circle and the heart of the order, Taunton will have plenty of new faces stepping into big roles this spring, yet the expectations remain high for the Tigers to challenge for a third straight league title and make another tournament run.
Senior Kylie Thorpe will be the anchor in the middle of the infield and add strong leadership at the top of the order. Freshman Brooke Aldrich will take over for her sister Hanna at shortstop and has already shown off a strong arm and a strong bat. Junior Kaysie Demoura will give the Tigers vocal leadership from behind the plate and looks set for a breakout season at the plate, while senior Angie Lynch was one of the stars of Taunton’s playoff run as a leadoff hitter and center fielder.
Junior Ava Venturelli is back in the fold this spring and the University of Louisville-commit will bring her big bat to left field, having hit a pair of homers during the preseason jamboree at the PAL fields. It won’t be easy to fill the shoes of Kelsey White in the circle, but senior Olyvia Mendonca will get that assignment and has had a strong preseason.
“We have a great crew this year, very different team from last year,” said second-year coach Carrie Consalvi, noting her team will have plenty of personality and rely on key leaders this year.
