Mansfield (8-0) @ Franklin (5-3), 6:30
Overview
Mansfield and Franklin will square off in their second meeting on January 25th at the TD Garden, but their first meeting on Friday might have an even more special venue.
With Franklin’s new high school on the horizon, this is the last season the Panthers will compete in the infamous Field House. With Franklin’s move to the Central for the playoffs, there’s no chance of another playoff game at either’s home courts like we’ve had the last two years. So even though these rivals will face off on the same court some of the NBA’s best have played on later this month, the last meeting between the two in the Field House looks to be special.
Mansfield enters 8-0 while the Panthers stand at 5-3 after a double-digit win over Stoughton on Wednesday night, but with these two teams records go out the window. Take last year for example, as Mansfield headed north on 495 with a 17-1 record before falling in overtime to Franklin, who was 12-5 before the big win over their rivals.
That rivalry rekindles on Friday night when the Hornets tip-off against the Panthers at 6:30
With Franklin’s new high school on the horizon, this is the last season the Panthers will compete in the infamous Field House. With Franklin’s move to the Central for the playoffs, there’s no chance of another playoff game at either’s home courts like we’ve had the last two years. So even though these rivals will face off on the same court some of the NBA’s best have played on later this month, the last meeting between the two in the Field House looks to be special.
Mansfield enters 8-0 while the Panthers stand at 5-3 after a double-digit win over Stoughton on Wednesday night, but with these two teams records go out the window. Take last year for example, as Mansfield headed north on 495 with a 17-1 record before falling in overtime to Franklin, who was 12-5 before the big win over their rivals.
That rivalry rekindles on Friday night when the Hornets tip-off against the Panthers at 6:30
Players to Watch
Mansfield
With Mansfield this season, a lot of eyes have been on who hasn’t been playing, but it really shouldn’t overshadow some very strong play from those who are. For starters, junior Michael Boen (12 PPG, 10.6 RBG, 2.5 SPG) has tossed his name into the Player of the Year race with his play so far this year. He has really elevated his game on both ends of the court and has shown how much more of a complete player he has come. There’s no one true first option for Mansfield on offense as four of them can constantly burn you and their role players fit in nicely.
Ryan Boulter (19 PPG, 6 RPG) has been playing out of his mind on the offense end so far this year, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Described as an ‘animal’ by teammate Rocky DeAndrade after his performance against Sharon, Boulter’s consistently been a top scoring threat for the Hornets since emerging onto the scene early in his sophomore campaign. Without Brendan Hill and a fully-healthy Kevin Conner, the Hornets have needed an inside presence and Boen and Boulter have both filled that role with strong takes to the hoop.
Of course there is DeAndrade (16 PPG, 7 APG, 6 RPG), who entered the season as a top contender as Player of the Year and has the ability to control the game as his speed and style and has a knack for making a big play when needed. Beyond those three, you’re not going to find too many harder workers than Kyle Wisnieski (2.5 SPG), who has been a consistent rock on both ends of the court.
Franklin
For Franklin, it starts with senior captain Chris Rodgers. When asked about having guard Rodgers (17.4 PPG so far this season) earlier this season, Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey said that Rodgers “scared the hell out of him.” He has the ability to create his own shot and his ability – and fearless style – to take the ball to the basket keeps defenses off balance, especially because he can hurt you from outside. Junior Marcus Giese (8.5 PPG) is quietly having another solid season for the Panthers. The 6’7” big-man causes nightmare match up issues for defenses and his presence on the defensive end can be intimidating.
Sophomore Timmy Prunier (7.2 PPG) has a solid surprise – only a surprise depending on who you ask – for Franklin this season. He’s still growing into his role this season but has shown that he can carry the scoring load, as he did earlier this week against North Attleboro.
Another player who has taken a big leap this season is Quenten Harrell (8.0 PPG), who has impressed in every game we have covered this season. His quickness can cause fits for teams and he’s become a strong offensive option for Franklin. Beyond those four, captain Pat O’Reilly is a consistent player on the court and junior Dylan Reno can be a tough match up beyond the arc for any team.
With Mansfield this season, a lot of eyes have been on who hasn’t been playing, but it really shouldn’t overshadow some very strong play from those who are. For starters, junior Michael Boen (12 PPG, 10.6 RBG, 2.5 SPG) has tossed his name into the Player of the Year race with his play so far this year. He has really elevated his game on both ends of the court and has shown how much more of a complete player he has come. There’s no one true first option for Mansfield on offense as four of them can constantly burn you and their role players fit in nicely.
Ryan Boulter (19 PPG, 6 RPG) has been playing out of his mind on the offense end so far this year, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Described as an ‘animal’ by teammate Rocky DeAndrade after his performance against Sharon, Boulter’s consistently been a top scoring threat for the Hornets since emerging onto the scene early in his sophomore campaign. Without Brendan Hill and a fully-healthy Kevin Conner, the Hornets have needed an inside presence and Boen and Boulter have both filled that role with strong takes to the hoop.
Of course there is DeAndrade (16 PPG, 7 APG, 6 RPG), who entered the season as a top contender as Player of the Year and has the ability to control the game as his speed and style and has a knack for making a big play when needed. Beyond those three, you’re not going to find too many harder workers than Kyle Wisnieski (2.5 SPG), who has been a consistent rock on both ends of the court.
Franklin
For Franklin, it starts with senior captain Chris Rodgers. When asked about having guard Rodgers (17.4 PPG so far this season) earlier this season, Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey said that Rodgers “scared the hell out of him.” He has the ability to create his own shot and his ability – and fearless style – to take the ball to the basket keeps defenses off balance, especially because he can hurt you from outside. Junior Marcus Giese (8.5 PPG) is quietly having another solid season for the Panthers. The 6’7” big-man causes nightmare match up issues for defenses and his presence on the defensive end can be intimidating.
Sophomore Timmy Prunier (7.2 PPG) has a solid surprise – only a surprise depending on who you ask – for Franklin this season. He’s still growing into his role this season but has shown that he can carry the scoring load, as he did earlier this week against North Attleboro.
Another player who has taken a big leap this season is Quenten Harrell (8.0 PPG), who has impressed in every game we have covered this season. His quickness can cause fits for teams and he’s become a strong offensive option for Franklin. Beyond those four, captain Pat O’Reilly is a consistent player on the court and junior Dylan Reno can be a tough match up beyond the arc for any team.
Game of the Week - The Pick
AROUND THE LEAGUE – Boys Basketball
By Ryan Lanigan
Kelley-Rex
Taunton (4-2) @ Attleboro (6-2), 6:30
Before the season, this might not have been one you circled on the calendar, but after Franklin/Mansfield, this is easily the top game Friday night. Shaq Davis, Gerald Cortijo, Corey Green and crew will take a trip to Attleboro to take on Tim Walsh and the Attleboro Bombardiers. Taunton is going to be hungry coming off a disappointing loss to Mansfield while Attleboro is currently riding a three-game win streak. The key for Taunton will be their defense on Tim Walsh, who is the go to guy for the Bombardiers. The Tigers will have to focus on fundamentals like rebounds and turnovers, something Attleboro has used this season to find success.
North Attleboro (0-5) @ King Philip (2-4), 6:30
North Attleboro swept the season series last season and will look to start their attempt to repeat that this season as well as trying to pick up their first win. King Philip already has more wins at this point in the season than they did last year and will look to bounce back after a close loss to Attleboro. Jimmy Layman has been the main offensive option for the Warriors so far this season but will need secondary scoring from the likes of James O’Brien and Jorge Casado. North is still looking for a main scorer to emerge but have received solid offensive contributions from Tyrone Jackson, Liam O’Donnell, and Ben Gardner, amongst others.
Davenport
Canton (4-3) @ Stoughton (2-5), 6:30
The Bulldogs have dropped two straight games after a four-game win streak and will look to get back on track against a young Stoughton team. Sam Larson has had a great start to the season as expected and has tossed his name into the Player of the Year race. He’s been helped tremendously by Tristin Morris and Matt Kelley but the Bulldogs will look to play a complete game on Friday after having sloppy periods of play in their last two games. Stoughton is still searching for an identity and weren’t able to crack the Franklin defense successfully all game on Wednesday night. Dennis Rebelo has been a great addition to the offensive end and can be a solid rebounder too. The Black Knights will need a solid performance from their seniors against Canton.
Milford (4-3) @ Foxboro (3-3), 6:30
Milford has had three of their games end within ten points, two of which were just one possession games while Foxboro has been in six games that have been within ten and four of their five losses have been by six or less. Milford has received balanced scoring throughout the season from the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick, Jordan Johnson, and Chris Brown while Foxboro will likely depend on scoring from their big men Justin Zupanick and Cam Seeley. Both teams are willing to scrap for a win and it should be an interesting game.
Sharon (6-1) @ Oliver Ames (2-5), 6:30
Sharon is coming off an impressive second half comeback against Canton as well as Brian Mukasa’s 1,000th career point while Oliver Ames is coming off a three-point loss to Milford. The Eagles have two of the best scorers in the league in Mukasa and Jimmy Fritzson and have one of the better third options in sophomore Jordan Mello-Klein. It’s hard to contain all three of them but Oliver Ames will look to pull an upset by doing do. They’re going to need for Ryan Carney to start heating up while getting continuous secondary scoring from the likes of Brendan Welch, Nick Cidado and Chris Kyne.
By Ryan Lanigan
Kelley-Rex
Taunton (4-2) @ Attleboro (6-2), 6:30
Before the season, this might not have been one you circled on the calendar, but after Franklin/Mansfield, this is easily the top game Friday night. Shaq Davis, Gerald Cortijo, Corey Green and crew will take a trip to Attleboro to take on Tim Walsh and the Attleboro Bombardiers. Taunton is going to be hungry coming off a disappointing loss to Mansfield while Attleboro is currently riding a three-game win streak. The key for Taunton will be their defense on Tim Walsh, who is the go to guy for the Bombardiers. The Tigers will have to focus on fundamentals like rebounds and turnovers, something Attleboro has used this season to find success.
North Attleboro (0-5) @ King Philip (2-4), 6:30
North Attleboro swept the season series last season and will look to start their attempt to repeat that this season as well as trying to pick up their first win. King Philip already has more wins at this point in the season than they did last year and will look to bounce back after a close loss to Attleboro. Jimmy Layman has been the main offensive option for the Warriors so far this season but will need secondary scoring from the likes of James O’Brien and Jorge Casado. North is still looking for a main scorer to emerge but have received solid offensive contributions from Tyrone Jackson, Liam O’Donnell, and Ben Gardner, amongst others.
Davenport
Canton (4-3) @ Stoughton (2-5), 6:30
The Bulldogs have dropped two straight games after a four-game win streak and will look to get back on track against a young Stoughton team. Sam Larson has had a great start to the season as expected and has tossed his name into the Player of the Year race. He’s been helped tremendously by Tristin Morris and Matt Kelley but the Bulldogs will look to play a complete game on Friday after having sloppy periods of play in their last two games. Stoughton is still searching for an identity and weren’t able to crack the Franklin defense successfully all game on Wednesday night. Dennis Rebelo has been a great addition to the offensive end and can be a solid rebounder too. The Black Knights will need a solid performance from their seniors against Canton.
Milford (4-3) @ Foxboro (3-3), 6:30
Milford has had three of their games end within ten points, two of which were just one possession games while Foxboro has been in six games that have been within ten and four of their five losses have been by six or less. Milford has received balanced scoring throughout the season from the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick, Jordan Johnson, and Chris Brown while Foxboro will likely depend on scoring from their big men Justin Zupanick and Cam Seeley. Both teams are willing to scrap for a win and it should be an interesting game.
Sharon (6-1) @ Oliver Ames (2-5), 6:30
Sharon is coming off an impressive second half comeback against Canton as well as Brian Mukasa’s 1,000th career point while Oliver Ames is coming off a three-point loss to Milford. The Eagles have two of the best scorers in the league in Mukasa and Jimmy Fritzson and have one of the better third options in sophomore Jordan Mello-Klein. It’s hard to contain all three of them but Oliver Ames will look to pull an upset by doing do. They’re going to need for Ryan Carney to start heating up while getting continuous secondary scoring from the likes of Brendan Welch, Nick Cidado and Chris Kyne.
HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Picks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Michael Antonellis |
Cameron Merritt |
Jeff Pickette |
Chris McDaniel |
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Stoughton Media Access |
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Mansfield @ Franklin Friday, 6:30 |
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Taunton @ Attleboro Friday, 6:30 |
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North Attleboro @ King Philip Friday, 6:30 |
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Canton @ Stoughton Friday, 6:30 |
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Milford @ Foxboro Friday, 6:30 |
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Sharon @ Oliver Ames Friday, 6:30 |
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Total | Lanigan 0-0 |
Perry 0-0 |
Antonellis 0-0 |
Merritt 0-0 |
Pickette 0-0 |
McDaniel 0-0 |
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Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Michael Antonellis |
Cameron Merritt |
Jeff Pickette |
Chris McDaniel |
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Game of the Week Staff | ||||||||||
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Stoughton Media Access |
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Franklin @ Mansfield Friday, 6:30 |
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Attleboro @ Taunton Friday, 6:30 |
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King Philip @ North Attleboro Friday, 6:30 |
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Stoughton @ Canton Friday, 6:30 |
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Foxboro @ Milford Friday, 6:30 |
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Oliver Ames @ Sharon Friday, 6:30 |
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Total | Lanigan 0-0 |
Perry 0-0 |
Antonellis 0-0 |
Merritt 0-0 |
Pickette 0-0 |
McDaniel 0-0 |
HockomockSports.com Hockey Picks | ||||||||||
Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Michael Antonellis |
Cameron Merritt |
Jeff Pickette |
Chris McDaniel |
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Game of the Week Staff | ||||||||||
Hockomock Sports |
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Stoughton Media Access |
The Enterprise |
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Foxboro @ Attleboro Saturday, 2:00 |
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Canton @ Franklin Saturday, 8:30 |
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Milford @ Mansfield Saturday, 5:20 |
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Oliver Ames @ North Attleboro Saturday, 6:30 |
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Stoughton @ Taunton Saturday, 4:20 |
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King Philip vs. Bishop Feehan Saturday, 7:15 |
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Total | Lanigan 0-0 |
Perry 0-0 |
Antonellis 0-0 |
Merritt 0-0 |
Pickette 0-0 |
McDaniel 0-0 |