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CANTON, Mass. -- It was a moment frozen in time. The members of the Canton boys' lacrosse team crouched underneath the scoreboard at Memorial Field for a picture in the late afternoon of last Thursday. Even though the junior varsity game was about to begin, the scoreboard remained unchanged from the previous one. The Bulldogs had just beaten Hockomock League rival Foxborough for the first time since the 2007 season -- in double overtime, nonetheless -- and they were content to savor it.

"This is a banner win for us," head coach Bill Bendell said following the Bulldogs' momentous win, their first against the Warriors in 12 tries . "In 2008, we lost a couple of one-goal games to them, but since then it hasn't been close."

He isn't kidding, too. The memories of some of the absolute drubbings Foxborough doled out against Canton remain fresh. Canton's seniors had registered an oh-fer in six games against the Warriors entering last week. The average margin of victory in those Foxborough games was more than nine goals per. "Pretty slaughtered" was how senior attack Pat Ward described the previous encounters.

But even after a psyche-shifting victory the Bulldogs have kept rolling. After Wednesday's 10-5 win over King Philip, Canton improved to 9-0. It's the longest such unbeaten streak in program history and, as a result -- for a program which has enjoyed just one winning season in its last eight -- the Bulldogs are rapidly approaching their record for wins in a season this millennium (12, in 2011).

“We haven’t won the league or anything, and there’s a long road ahead of us," said senior Kurt Leavitt, who scored the overtime game-winner against Foxborough, "but it’s definitely something to build off.”

It's been a steady build for the Bulldogs, and it hasn't come easy.

Bendell was tasked with finding a new starting goaltender for this year. With no apparent candidates to fill the role, he turned to then sophomore attackman Ben Lodge. It happened nearly by accident. Lodge was horsing around during a summer lacrosse camp when Bendell had the inkling for a radical idea -- this kid might actually be the solution. It turned out to be a stroke of genius. Through the nine-game winning streak, Lodge and the Bulldogs defense has allowed just shy of six goals a game.

To his credit, Lodge has done it at less than 100 percent as well. After suffering a knee injury, which may require offseason surgery, he's forced to play the position with a bulky knee brace.

"He's been clutch," Bendell said. "He's been lights-out. He's been a little dinged up, but he's a tough kid."

Aside from the on-field success, Bendell talked about importance of changing the perception of the program within the school community. He pointed to senior defensive midfielder Dexter Green as a prime example. The All-League football player hardly had ever picked up a stick before some of his friends on the team persuaded the hard-hitting, physical defender to try lacrosse.

Bendell believes that converts such as Green are the key to perpetuating the success his team has experienced this season. He credited his senior core for having toughed it out during some rough stretches in recent years.

We just kept thinking that, if they stick together, stick with us and they persevere, we could get somewhere," Bendell said.

He continued, "It's part of the culture change in that kids want to play lacrosse. Hopefully, this will help us build this program long-term, in that the kids will motivated to join and want to be a part of it."

While the Bulldogs entered the season with best intentions, their early season success has even caught them by surprise. "We didn't expect that we'd be undefeated right now," Ward said following the win over Foxborough. It hasn't come without complications either, as Canton has played three overtime games, including back-to-back, double-overtime epics against Sharon and then Foxborough. Even in their historic win against the Warriors, Canton had to erase a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes of regulation to tie it.

“I think winning this can give the boys a new mentality," Ward said of the team's resiliency. "With any team that we play, any team in Division 3, if we play our game, and we’ve had a couple of close ones, but if we play our game, we can hang.”

There remains a strong possibility the Bulldogs will remain undefeated in Hockomock League play heading into their May 15 rematch with their nemesis. Then, the Bulldogs will carry a different kind of burden -- no longer the wanting of knocking off the league power from their perch, but rather defending their newfound pole position.

"We know they’re going to be ready to go again come the second game," Ward said.

MILFORD, Mass. – The gloves flying through the air and the mass celebration at home plate after the final out was made, confirmed what everyone outside the foul lines already knew – this was more than just a standard regular season Hockomock League game.

“That probably, in my career, is the team’s best regular season win. Did that ooze tournament atmosphere or what?” asked an excited North Attleborough head coach Bill Wallace after the final pitch.

North Attleborough (7-2) pushed home one run in the top of the 10th inning, only the second run allowed by Milford (10-1) in 11 games this season, and the Rocketeers threw out runners at the plate twice in extra innings to pull off a 1-0 upset over the defending Division 1 state champions. The Rocketeers’ victory ended the Scarlet Hawks win streak at 35 games going back to 2011.

“It was just a great game,” said Wallace. “That kid [Shannon Smith] is a darn good pitcher over there, but luckily I have a darn good pitcher over here too.”

With the game scoreless heading into extra innings, the International Tiebreak Rule was used, which begins the inning with a runner on second. It was the first time that either team had managed to get a runner past first base.

In the top of the tenth, Colleran dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Marissa Gifford to third. Senior catcher Meghan Wynn then smacked a grounder on a 1-2 pitch that third baseman Caroline Fairbanks knocked down with a diving stop, but Fairbanks was not able to get the throw home in time to prevent Gifford, who was running on contact, from scoring.

“I knew that in order to pull out the win that I had to be smart and make contact,” said Wynn about the last at-bat with the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home. “I know that she’s going to pitch smart and not give me anything to hit. I just have to watch the ball all the way to the bat.”

Milford had the heart of the order coming up in the bottom of the tenth and Smith, Milford’s University of Kentucky-bound senior, drew a walk to put the winning run on base with no outs. Fairbanks followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position. On the next pitch, Rachel Levine hit a hard grounder off Colleran’s glove to shortstop Jill Costello, who bobbled the ball but was still able to throw out Sam Bonvino at the plate.

Colleran, who seemed especially fired up for this game, then struck out Taylor LeBrun to close out the victory and set off the celebrations at home plate.

“It feels great; I’m so excited right now,” said Colleran, who struck out eight while allowing only two hits. “They’re a really great team, so I just knew that I had to move the ball around and fool them because I know that every kid on that team can put it over the fence.”

The game had a playoff atmosphere from the first pitch and the Hawks starter was her usual dominant self. Smith, who recorded her 1,000th career strikeout last week, started the game by striking out two batters in three of the first four innings. She finished with 17 for the game and allowed only one hit in the defeat.

After 35 consecutive wins, Milford head coach Brian Macchi was philosophical about the team’s first loss since the 2011 state semifinal against Amherst and its first loss as a Hockomock League team.

“It was two great teams going at it and in my opinion the two best pitchers and it showed. Shannon pitched great, Meg pitched great and it was fun to be a part of,” Macchi said.

He continued, “It’s been a while since we’ve lost a game and come back to work the next day. For me as a coach, you lose to a caliber team like North, we can learn from this and come back tomorrow and go to work. It’s definitely a learning experience for us and we’ll turn this into a positive.”

While Colleran was excellent in the circle, North also made several plays to get out of potential scoring situations. After a single by Smith in the first inning, North first baseman Jackie Del Bonis snared a line drive by Fairbanks to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth Costello picked a hard grounder by Bonvino to prevent the heart of the order from coming up. In the bottom of the eighth, second baseman Gifford made a perfect throw home to prevent the winning run from scoring.

Following North’s shocking loss to Attleboro last Thursday, Wallace was thrilled to see his team bounce back with a total team effort and to pull the biggest upset of the softball season.

“Wins and losses in April aren’t as important as wins and losses in June, but from a team standpoint, I think now they believe, you know what, we’re with the Milfords and the [King Philips],” said Wallace.

“We were all really bummed out,” said Colleran about the team’s attitude after the loss to the Bombardiers. “I think this is huge, especially a game when we think we are underdogs. It could kick start us and boost us through the rest of the season.”

Macchi was thrilled about the playoff atmosphere surrounding the game and noted that Division 1 South is going to be a stacked sectional from top to bottom. He is hoping that this loss will add motivation for the Hawks to keep improving.

“Today was a great test and something that we can build on,” Macchi explained. “I am looking forward to practice tomorrow with these girls and seeing how hungry they are.”

MILFORD, Mass. – The representing winners of the last three Division 1 state softball championships faced off Thursday. And, while most teams are feeling their way through the early season, a duel between Milford and King Philip always enlists a certain amount of intensity.

Reigning ESPN Boston Miss Softball award winner Shannon Smith looked near mid-season form in the circle for the Scarlet Hawks with 14 strikeouts in a complete-game, one-hitter in a 3-0 win over their new Hockomock League rival.

“You just look at this first week and playing a team like Taunton and then King Philip here, you know you were going have a test, big time,” Milford head coach Brian Macchi said. “We knew we were going to have an early indication of where we stand.

Milford (2-0, 2-0 Hockomock) churned out nine hits against Warriors starter Anna O’Neill and took an early lead in the second. Elizabeth Stallone drove in Caroline Fairbanks with a two-out single.

The Scarlet Hawks continued to produce with two outs in the fifth, when they pushed across a couple of insurance runs. Smith shot an opposite field single to the gap, scoring Sam Bonvino for a two-run cushion before Rachel Levine smacked a single to left, scoring Jenny Levine, who was running for Smith.

“In a game like this, you’re looking at one-to-nothing, as it could be the decider,” Macchi said. “But tacking on two runs … you just have that much more confidence as the game goes on.”

“She battled and found a way to get us another run, which was important.”

“She’s realizing that it’s her senior year and this is her last go-round. She’s relishing the opportunity to really leave on high note.”

“It’s a nice welcome to the league. It’ll be nice to see how the rivalries develop through time.”

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
With the addition of Milford and Taunton into the Hockomock League this year, both the Kelley-Rex and Davenport divisions have turned into an effective softball super conference.

While the defending champion Scarlet Hawks make their move from the Central sectional into the South, Macchi and his team realize how perilous the move could prove. They need look no further than their Thursday opponent, the owners of back-to-back state titles in 2010 and ’11.

The Warriors (1-1) have a new look this season, with an entirely new battery. O’Neill (10 strikeouts) takes over in the circle for Meghan Rico (George Washington) while junior Jordan Schaffer slides in behind the plate, taking over for another two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection in Olivia Godin (UMass-Amherst). KP also has a new head coach, as longtime Case bench boss Norm Beauchemin takes over for Jim Leonard.

And while the Warriors might be a team in (relative) transition, the Milford hurler still knew what the game represented.

“It means a lot to us,” Smith said. “It gives us confidence heading into the season just because it’s so early on and we’ve only played one other game. It shows us the potential we have. If we can beat a team like that this early, think of where we could be at the end of the year.”

BOURNE, Mass. – During two regular season meetings, only a single goal separated Hockomock League rivals Mansfield and Franklin. So, it was no surprise that Sunday’s Division 2 South semifinal would come right down to the wire.

A third-period goal by sophomore Alec Borkowski was the difference for Franklin, as the Panthers pulled out a 4-3 victory at Gallo Ice Arena and the two-time defending D2 South champions clinched a spot in their third straight sectional final.

Borkowski, who also assisted on the Panthers’ first goal, has been one of Franklin’s best forwards in recent weeks and head coach Chris Spillane called him the player of the game.

“He just demands ice time,” said Spillane. “He’s one of those kids that, in practice, he gets it done and you put him out in the game and he gets it done. As a coach, you just say, alright I’ll give you a little more and a little more and he’s delivering.”

The winning goal came with 8:24 remaining in the game. Borkowski combined with fellow sophomore Nick Downie and, after a great save by Mansfield goalie Rich Shipman, he was on hand to flick home the rebound to make it 4-3.

“I was forechecking near the net, got it off the half boards, Nicky Downie took the shot and I got the rebound,” said Borkowski. “It feels really good, especially being an underclassman and first time being in the playoffs.”

It was the Hornets (14-6-3) that scored first. Senior forward Brendan Murphy took a pass from classmate and linemate Kevin Flynn, shifted the puck onto the backhand, and beat Franklin goalie Devon Maloof on the short side. It was a great goal for the forward, who had been struggling to find the net in the playoffs.

The lead did not last long, however. Franklin got back into the game thanks to Borkowski. He shook off two Mansfield defensemen with a great spin move and laid the puck on a platter for junior forward Randy Gilbert to tap home and make it 1-1.

Within a minute, Franklin (16-6-2) was in the lead. Senior Aiden Isberg, the hero of Franklin’s overtime win against Martha’s Vineyard in the quarterfinals, wristed a shot over the shoulder of Shipman and made it 2-1. It was a stunning turnaround for the Panthers.

Despite the goals, Mansfield kept the energy high in the second period and stormed right back.

With 10:35 left in the second and Mansfield on the power play, Murphy laid a pass into the path of sophomore Will Kelleher and the defenseman buried the shot to make it 2-2. Just 35 seconds later, Kyle Hurley’s shot hit the post and caromed to another sophomore, Jared Collins, and the forward finished into the open net to make it 3-2.

As the second period was winding down, the Hornets got another power play opportunity, but it was Franklin that took advantage. A loose pass was broken up at the blue line and Isberg stretched to tip the puck into the path of senior sniper Cam Curley, who raced clear and rifled a shot under the crossbar to make it 3-3 heading to the third.

Spillane credited the shorthanded goal as being a turning point for the Panthers.

“Huge, huge…their power play was setting up and they had a couple of beautiful opportunities,” remarked the Franklin coach about the importance of the goal. “Cam is our speedster, so anytime that you can get him in the open ice… and he’s a finisher.”

The third period was filled with chances for both teams. Shipman robbed Dennis Pisani after a behind the back pass from Curley set the senior forward clear in the slot and Maloof stopped a great chance from Murphy on the doorstep.

In the end, Spillane pointed to his team’s finishing as what separated the two teams.

“I thought we capitalized on our offensive opportunities,” he explained. “We didn’t have many of them, but every time that we had that quality opportunity – we scored.”

Mansfield head coach Rick Anastos was visibly disappointed after the game.

He said, “This is exactly what we expected, but we expected to win. Unfortunately, we didn’t. You couldn’t ask for a better game and I think we were that evenly matched.”

Anastos also commented that this was a great advertisement for the Hockomock League and the depth of talent within the conference. He was most disappointed for the seniors that had led the Hornets to the sectional finals and semifinals in back to back seasons.

“They’ve meant a lot to the program. We’ve got a really great group of kids, a really tight group of kids,” said Anastos.

Franklin will now prepare for its third consecutive sectional final. It will be the team’s last in D2 as next year the Panthers (along with Mansfield and King Philip) are slated to move into Division 1. The Panthers are confident that they have a good chance at a third straight trip to the TD Garden when they take on another league rival, Oliver Ames.

“If we move the puck, then it neutralizes the physical game and it comes down to who can put the puck in the net,” said Spillane. “I think we have the scorers that can get it done.”

The final will be played on Tuesday night at 5:15 p.m. at Gallo.

RAYNHAM, Mass. -- If the Joseph Quinn Tournament is any indication, the Division 2 state tournament is going to be exciting. All four games at the Raynham Ice Plex were played with playoff-like intensity, with very few penalties, and each was decided by a single goal.

With 7:22 remaining in the championship game and the score tied 1-1, Boston Latin senior forward Joe Gillespie turned with the puck against the near boards. Heeding his coach’s advice, Gillespie flipped the puck towards the net where it ricocheted off the stick of a Coyle-Cassidy defenseman, past goalie Brent Petrowski, and into the far post.

In tight games, sometimes it is the bad bounce that decides the outcome. In the tournament final, the Wolfpack was the beneficiary of a fortunate bounce and turned it into the trophy-winning goal in a 2-1 victory.

It may not have been the prettiest of goals, but following the trophy presentation Boston Latin head coach Frank Woods was not complaining.

“We have a lot of kids that work hard and we preach throw the puck at the net because you never know what can happen,” he explained. “It’s just kind of our game. You give yourself a chance to bang an ugly one or two in, in games like this with competitive teams it’s usually the difference.”

When asked about how unlucky the final goal was, Coyle head coach Dave Borges simply smiled and shrugged.

“Like we told our guys, come next week those are the kind of pucks that go in the net,” Borges said. “You have to get pucks to the net in tight games and you never know what can happen. That’s a perfect example. Unfortunately, we’re on the short end, but I thought it was a great game.”

The Wolfpack (11-6-3) made a conscious effort to get the puck to the net as frequently as possible. Boston Latin dominated the first period, outshooting Coyle ,14-5, and opened the scoring with just 15.9 seconds remaining. Senior captain Ryan Dougherty made a great move through the Coyle defense and punched the puck in on the second attempt.

In the second period, the hosts asserted themselves. Coyle (13-5-1) outshot Latin 10-6 in the period and had a number of scoring chances before finally finding the equalizing goal. Nick Cambria laid the perfect pass in the path of captain Ryan Jones. The forward outskated the defenseman to the net and finished with a backhand over the pads of goalie Michael Murray before following the puck into the back of the net.

Borges praised Petrowski for keeping the team in the game and giving them the chance to turn the game around.

“I told Brent before the game that it’s their style,” Borges said. “They like to throw the puck at the net and he did a great job of either holding them or kicking the rebounds out to the corners.”

He added with a chuckle, “It was a great game…other than losing.”

Boston Latin won both games in Raynham by 2-1 scores (the first was on Tuesday against Franklin) and Woods feels that this will give his team plenty of confidence ahead of the state tournament.

“we have a group of seniors that have had a lot of success with this team, been in tournament games and won the league, but it’s good to get wins with this particular group,” Woods said.

CANTON 3, FRANKLIN 2
The consolation game featured Hockomock League division champions No. 24 Canton and Franklin meeting for the third time this season. The teams had split the opening two games so, in addition to finishing third in the tournament, the game would give one team the edge in the season series.

After losing third period leads in each of its last two games (including Tuesday’s overtime loss to Coyle), Canton (15-3-2) held off a late Franklin (13-7-2) flurry to win 3-2 and clinch the top seed in the upcoming Division 2 South sectional.

Bulldogs head coach Brian Shuman understood the importance of his team managing to hold on and get the victory over its league rival.

“In the third period against a good team, you need a lot of things to go right,” he remarked. “You’ve got to give credit to Franklin, they’re a phenomenal team, two very even teams and we just scored one more goal than them tonight.”

Canton stormed out of the gates and jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Just 2:50 into the game, senior captain Pat Ward scored his third goal of the tournament as Franklin goalie Devon Maloof was caught too deep on his line and the puck squeezed across the line at the near post. The first goal was fortunate, but the second was a great shot from J.C. Marcone just underneath the crossbar.

At this point, it seemed like Canton would cruise to victory, but Franklin showed the heart of a team that has been to consecutive state finals.

The Panthers got on the board on a redirected shot by sophomore Alec Borkowski, who got his stick to a shot by defenseman Kyle Filbert and sent it through Rich Nee’s five-hole. A minute later, captain Mike Patjane pounced on a rebound to make it 2-2 and give the Panthers momentum.

The momentum was short-lived as Canton fully controlled the second period, outshooting Franklin, 14-1. After Maloof robbed Brian Brooks, the Bulldogs got the go ahead goal from junior Ben Lodge, who found space in the slot and fired into the top corner.

Franklin head coach Chris Spillane emphasized the need for his team to play a full 45 minutes if they hope to be successful in the state tournament.

“It’s sort of been the season for us,” Spillane said. “We haven’t played three periods. We always take a period off and tonight it was the second. We had one shot on goal and the puck was in our zone the entire time and it takes a lot of gas out of you.”

Canton withstood a strong third period from the Panthers and Shuman was pleased to see that other players besides his top two scorers (Brooks and Ward) got on the scoreboard.

He said, “We had our second power play out there, which doesn’t get much run because our first line is pretty talented. They just kept it simple. We always say to win this time of year, you need twenty-four guys. You need those second and third liners contributing and we got it tonight.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the final horn sounded, the North Attleborough players swarmed around Matt Raposo, engulfing the goaltender in a swirl of celebration, while sticks, gloves, and helmets flew through the air. You could be forgiven for wondering when the state championship trophy was getting wheeled on to the ice.

The Rocketeers (10-3-0) had reason to celebrate. In the hockey program’s short five-year history, North Attleborough had passed a number of milestones, including last year’s playoff appearance, but had yet to earn a marquee victory against league rival Mansfield.

On Saturday night, in front of a frenzied crowd at the Foxboro Sports Center, two power play goals by senior forward Tim Joyce and 27 saves from Raposo led North to a 2-1 victory over the Hornets.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said North Attleborough head coach Steve Snizek, who could not stop smiling after the game. “Our boys came out playing hard as they could and that’s all I could ask of them.”

Joyce opened the scoring 3:49 into the game. He pounced on the rebound of a shot by senior defenseman Matt Rosen to make it 1-0. With the score tied 1-1 four minutes into the second period, Joyce found the back of the net again assisted by Ryan Burns and Sean Young.

The senior has been the forgotten man on North’s first-line with most of the attention going to sophomores Young and Marshall Blackman, who have each surpassed the 20-point plateau this season. However, his coach knows that he can count on Joyce in big games.

“He always plays well against Mansfield and he’s a central part of that line all season,” Snizek said. “He got the goals when we needed them most.”

North dominated the opening period, cheered on by a raucous “White-Out” student section. The Rocketeers outshot Mansfield 12-5 in the first period, but the Hornets turned things around after the first intermission. Mansfield outshot North 16-7 in the second.

The Rocketeers were kept in the game by the strong goaltending of Raposo. The junior made a series of big saves to keep North in front, including a mind-boggling stretch to stop Cam Neary on a breakaway. Raposo also got a piece of the puck robbing Hornets captain and leading scorer Brendan Murphy in the final minute of the game.

Snizek remarked, “He’s been coming up big for us in big games such as Oliver Ames and now this one. He’s been playing well all season. I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. Our defense did really well in stopping their offensive attack.”

Mansfield (7-2-3) was sluggish in the first period, but still bounced back to tie the game. With 4:35 left in the period, sophomore Adam Blackmon took a feed from senior Kevin Flynn and finished to make it 1-1. It was the only chance that the Hornets were able to convert. The loss put an end to Mansfield’s six-game win streak (and eight games unbeaten).

The North Attleborough hockey program is still young and is developing amidst the competitive environment of the Hockomock League. While the teams have only recently begun meeting on the ice, the rivalry between the Rocketeers and Mansfield transcends any particular sport.

While the North players celebrated in the locker room with its fans, the coaches allowed themselves to share in the revelry. It was a clear indication of just how important the team took this game. In addition to the emotions of finally beating a rivalry, the game also qualified the Rocketeers for a spot in the postseason.

“This has always been a rivalry, especially in the last couple of years,” Snizek explained. “We tied them last year and then lost to them into the tournament. The crowd really got them into it as well.”

Mansfield will try to bounce back on Wednesday against perennial Hockomock power Franklin. North Attleborough will try to keep the momentum going and sweep the season series against Attleboro.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Franklin seniors Mike Patjane and Cam Curley had the chance to be heroes. In the final minute and with a man-advantage, each of the Panthers’ captains had a shot to break the deadlock, but both were robbed by acrobatic saves from Mansfield goalie Rich Shipman in the matchup of Hockomock League rivals Wednesday.

The Hornets’ senior netminder was the game’s standout player. Shipman made 39 saves and earned his team a 2-2 tie against the defending league champions in Wednesday night’s encounter – which did not, however, count toward the league standings -- at the Foxboro Sports Center.

With his team hanging on late in the third period, Shipman went post to post to deny Patjane with a kick save before throwing everything he had in front of Curley as the Panthers leading scorer bore down on the net.

“I thought Shipman played phenomenal,” said Mansfield head coach Rick Anastos, whose team was struggling with illness and, for the second time this season, had a late bounce go against them. “The second goal went off a skate. That sucks. It’s the second time that’s happened to us.”

Franklin head coach Chris Spillane praised the play of both Shipman and his own goalie Devon Maloof (21 saves), but felt that his team did not do enough to cause problems for a top goalie.

“We created a lot of turnovers, but we just didn’t turn them into quality scoring chances,” he explained. “He’s a good goaltender and he made quality stops but with a goalie of that caliber you need to move him post to post and we didn’t do that enough.”

The Panthers (2-1-1) dominated the opening period. Franklin out shot Mansfield 15-4 but was unable to find the back of the net. After Maloof started the second period with a great kick save, Franklin finally got on the board.

Junior forward Troy Donahue fired the Panthers into the lead. Donahue chose to shoot over trying to play a pass back to Dennis Pisani, who had hustled to fill the lane, and he picked the perfect spot over the shoulder of Shipman and just under the crossbar.

The goal sparked Mansfield (1-1-3) into life and the Hornets would play their best period of the game, outshooting Franklin, 14-12.

Mansfield evened things up at 1-1 with 2:19 left in the period. Senior captain Brendan Murphy scored on the rebound of a shot by fellow senior Kevin Flynn. With 34.7 seconds on the clock, Murphy was at it again with a scrappy goal on a loose puck on the edge of the crease. While not a pretty goal, it put Mansfield into the lead heading into the final 15 minutes.

Spillane was disappointed in the type of goals that his team has been giving up in recent games.

“It’s sort of been our nemesis the last couple of games, turning the puck over and giving up goals like that,” he said. “When he made the stop, we didn’t do enough to clear the puck away.”

“We just tried to be more aggressive and to play our system a little better than we did in the first,” noted Anastos about his team’s improvement in the second period. “The kids felt a little more confident about their game and I think that’s what you saw in the second period.”

The third period was all Franklin.

Three minutes into the third Donahue struck for the second time in the game when his shot deflected past Shipman for an unassisted goal to make it 2-2. The Panthers would go on to outshoot Mansfield 14-5 in the period, but could not generate a winning goal.

Spillane said, “You can’t win games when you’re chasing. Under a minute left you need to put the puck in the net and be a hero. There are no heroes in our room tonight.”

Franklin enters its most difficult stretch of the season when it travels to Newburyport on Saturday before hosting Lincoln-Sudbury on Monday night. Mansfield has a road game against league rival Foxborough on Saturday.

We're hours away from kickoff to Tuesday's MIAA football semi-final playoff games across the state, so we're previewing the action with five things to keep an eye on during tonight's action.

High Schools editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall break it down here:

BRENDAN HALL:

THE HEAT IS ON
The race is on Tuesday night for the state’s lead in rushing touchdowns. Currently, Holy Name’s Quron Wright trails Plymouth South’s Dylan Oxsen, 34-33, though Wright has more overall touchdowns than the breakout junior tailback. Barring something crazy, nobody figures to catch Wright for the state’s lead in rushing yardage – he’s over 2,000 headed into the Naps’ Division 2 Central playoff game with Nashoba.

Watching the two, it’s a bit of a contrast in styles, and not just because of the offenses they run (Holy Name with the vaunted double-wing; South with a modified pistol). The generously-listed 5-foot-7 Wright is as Lilliputian as they come, but he accelerates into his cuts, builds up to top speed quickly, and evades direct hits with his low center of gravity (watch highlights HERE). Oxsen isn’t as fleet-footed as Wright, but his combination of above-average leg strength and low pad level – coupled with a very downhill-oriented running scheme – make him a bowling ball (watch highlights HERE).

Both teams figure to be underdogs in their matchups. Nashoba rolled to an easy victory over the Naps in their late-September meeting, while South’s EMass Div. 2A opponent, Natick, averages over 420 yards of offense and features one of the state’s most dynamic passing attacks.

AIR RAID
All season long, we’ve jokingly called the Merrimack Valley Conference “Death by 1,000 Shallow Crosses”. Based on some of the scores the league produced this year, we think it’s somewhat justified.

Looking at MVC Large champ Andover, you probably figure these guys could run underneath routes in their sleep. But that is to take away from the deceivingly-quality arm strength of quarterback C.J. Scarpa (watch highlights HERE). Seemingly everybody’s favorite sub-6-foot gunslinger at 5-foot-8, he has a quick release and can gun it downfield with the best of them.

As much attention as Andover’s receivers draw in the short passing game – particularly, speedy waterbug Cam Farnham – the Golden Warriors are known to ably execute “pick plays” aimed at releasing Will Heikkinen or Andrew Deloury into open space, or simply take the top off of the defense.

But that is all to say, the Warriors haven’t seen a defense quite like the one they’re facing Tuesday night in Catholic Conference champion St. John’s Prep. The Eagles have playmakers all over the field, and feature one of the state’s best back sevens in linebacker Sean Smerczysnki, cornerback Gerald Kahari, rover Lucas Bavaro and safety Alex Moore.

On the other side of the ball, Moore and junior Jonathan Thomas make up one of the state’s most feared backfield, if not the best. Last week, both Moore and Thomas were named two of the five finalists for our Mr. Football Award.

The Warriors are in for their biggest prize fight of the season here against a Prep defense. We’re all interested to see how this passing attack fares against a ball-hawking defense with a plus-10 turnover differential.

THROWING DARTS
No Division has been quite as unpredictable as Central Mass. Division 1. Shrewsbury upended cross-town rival St. John’s 51-46, then a month later delivered a last-second 33-32 upset of Leominster, en route to finishing 9-2 and with the top overall seed in the power rankings.

Wachusett, meanwhile, took a 46-14 beating in Week 4 at the hands of St. John’s, only to upset Leominster and Shrewsbury in the following weeks. On Oct. 26, however, they took a surprise 21-20 loss to a Westborough squad that finished 1-10.

We know St. John’s can score points with anyone – Andrew Smiley’s record-setting campaign in his first year starting at quarterback is testament. But how do you explain surrendering 51 points to Shrewsbury, 40 to Holy Name and 39 to Milford?

Leominster appears to be just as enigmatic. This is a team that gave Everett and Brockton everything they could handle, and delivered a thrilling last-second victory over St. John’s. But this is also a team that needed a second-half rally to overcome 2-9 Algonquin, and seemingly let many underdog teams hang around.

Quite frankly, I won’t be surprised by anything that transpires in this division.

* * * * *

SCOTT BARBOZA:

MANIFEST DESTINY?
The are a couple of interesting storylines to watch in the Division 1A semifinals where Everett meets Masconomet and Barnstable tries to pay back Lincoln-Sudbury.

First, while the Crimson Tide will be heavily favored over the Chieftains, one element worth watching will be Everett’s start. The Crimson Tide will be well-rested after not playing a Thanksgiving Day game this year. While the time off certainly will help heal injuries, Everett now hasn’t seen live action in more than two weeks. And, after closing out their regular season schedule with three straight Greater Boston League games, you can argue the Crimson Tide haven’t played a full game since their Oct. 20 win at BC High.

Of course, if the Crimson Tide advance, they could face the lone team to hand them a loss in more than two years – Barnstable. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders will be looking to exorcise a demon of their own in Lincoln-Sudbury, who dealt Barnstable a 14-13 upset loss in last year’s semifinal.

While you would expect neither the Crimson Tide nor Red Raiders to come out flat on Tuesday, but if either is eying a potential rematch on Saturday, the game we’ve been dying to see might not happen at all.

DUXBURY PUTS IT ON THE LINE AGAIN
After Mt. Greylock lost a few weeks back, Duxbury has laid claim to the longest active winning streak in MIAA football. They’ll put a 37-game unbeaten streak on the line when they face Hockomock League Kelley-Rex winner Mansfield at Bridgewater-Raynham. The Dragons would have a 39-game streak and a string of three-straight Super Bowl championships if they complete this year’s run. But while we’re exploring what could be, let’s go back to what almost was.

In last year’s Division 2 semifinal against King Philip, the Dragons potent spread attack was ground to a halt by the Warriors’ swarming defense. Duxbury escaped with a 7-0 win over KP in their run to a second-straight Super Bowl, but in the days following their win over the Warriors, Duxbury head coach Dave Maimaron remarked that it had been the toughest battle his teams had faced during the entirety of the streak.

While Mansfield might not have the pedigree of last year’s KP group the Hornets present their own problems – primarily on offense. The Dragons will not have seen a playmaking duo quite like Mansfield wide outs Brendan Hill and Mike Hershman, and running back Robbie Rapoza is hard to tackle when breaking into the second tier of the defense. The Hornets will certainly have their work cut out for them if they are to upset the Dragons’ third straight Super Bowl bid, but it’s not impossible.

Takudzwe Chikomba didn’t even notice the passing of his first Thanksgiving in the United States. After his family moved from Zimbabwe to New England in his sixth-grade year, the traditions, pageantry and the football feast on the holiday were all foreign.

On Thursday, the imposing figure whose North Attleborough teammates affectionately call “Shawn” (his proper name is pronounced tuh-KUDS-wah) will play his final high school football game. Just as hundreds of other seniors around the state, players like Chikomba and Red Rocketeers senior quarterback Ryan Perron will shake off the morning butterflies and take the field with their teammates for the final time. Each one of those players has a story to tell, a unique journey of how they came together as a team – individuals banded together by a game. It’s part of the American story, how we’re all so different, and yet so much the same.

From an arm’s length, Chikomba and Perron appear normal, well-adjusted young men. They’re the big dogs on campus, stars of the gridiron, leaders of their team.

Yet, it wasn’t too long ago that both were more content to settle into the background.

These are their stories -- stories of how their background have made them who they are, stories of how football has offered each of them a home:

THE BLIND SIDE
Many of Ryan Perron’s childhood memories were the same. There was the constant shuffling between doctor’s office appointments, the boring time spent in waiting rooms. And, of course, there were maladies. There were the typical procedures, like having his tonsils and adenoids removed and then there were the ear tubes inserted to prevent him from chronic ear infections.

If that wasn’t bad enough for the youngster, there was Perron’s other condition. At the age of 5, Perron’s mother Denise noticed Ryan would tilt his head to the side while coloring and writing his name. His parents and doctors tried to figure out what was affecting Ryan before coming a diagnosis of amblyopia after a long battery of examinations. Commonly known as “lazy eye,” amblyopia is easily treatable when diagnosed and correct early. Although Perron was declared legally blind in his right eye, it improved to nearly 20/20 sight about four years later after his treatment program.

The treatment for strengthening the weak eye is placing an eye patch over the dominant eye. So for more than a year, Perron wore an eye patch 24 hours a day. The time with the patch then decreased during the next three years, and by the time Perron was 9, his eyesight had improved to the point where he no longer needed it.

“If someone would ask me what was wrong, I’d say, ‘Nothing,’” Perron said after football practice at North Attleborough High School on Tuesday, “because it was just something that I was born with, something that I needed to fix.

“The worst part was the patch. It was like putting on a shirt and tie when you’re a kid, you’re just so uncomfortable and you can’t wait to take them off.”

Perron’s parents became creative with his patch, in an effort to make Ryan feel comfortable with what made him stand out from the other kids. For a time, he wore a pirate costume eye patch. Later on, Perron wore a pair of corrective glasses with a blackened lens on the right side.

Around the same time, he began playing football. Perrons parents carved out rods through the padding in his helmet so it could fit over his glasses’ frames. They made every effort to make sure Ryan felt normal, even though he stood out from out his classmates.

“Even if a kid was making fun of me, or laughing at me, I’d just shove it off or not pay any attention to it,” Perron said. “I just kept doing my thing.”

Perron entered his senior season as a bit of an unknown at quarterback for the Red Rocketeers. Although he’d started with the junior varsity squad, he had no varsity experience.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder was forced to take on a bigger part of the offensive load after an early season injury to dynamic running back Alex Jette. The adversity piled up near midseason, when the Red Rocketeers fell into a three-game losing streak with Hockomock League losses to Foxborough, Franklin and Stoughton.

That’s when North head coach Don Johnson saw Perron become a leader.

“He was the glue that held us together during that stretch. I think the difference was his confidence. It kept growing with every week.

Through Thanksgiving, Perron was among the state Division 2 scoring leaders with his 11 total touchdowns, eight of which have come through the air. From the highs to the lows, Perron’s taken it all in stride. It’s a quality he traces back to his younger self.

With the aid of glasses and contacts, Perron has fine enough eyesight to pilot the Red Rocketeers offense, but people diagnosed with amblyopia can have difficulty with depth perception. Perron said he doesn’t feel his condition hurts his ability to read passing plays as they develop.

But it’s unquestioned how it has affected him.

“He’s always positive,” Johnson said of Perron’s leadership qualities. “A lot of what he has to say is helping another kid – it’s instilling confidence in them, giving them a pat on the butt, reminding them what they’re supposed to do on a particular play. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him have a negative thing to say about anything.”

TAKING FLIGHT
Zimbabwe’s Highway A-1 runs between the capital of Harare and the city of Chirundu, heading toward the African country’s northern border with Zambia. Along the way is Chinhoyi, a city of about 50,000 residents. There, along the Highway, you can find Takudzwe Chikomba’s family’s restaurant. Like an American highway rest stop, they serve a complement of grab-and-go foods and snacks, like potato chips. They also serve sadza, a traditional dish of ground cornmeal that’s often served with a stew. It’s a dietary staple.

Of course, food has become an issue in Zimbabwe in recent years. An August report compiled by the United Nations and the Zimbabwean government estimated that 1.6 million people in its rural areas will need food assistance in the coming year. The dire situation is the result of a confluence of issues, including the controversial farm policy of President Robert Mugabe and historic droughts.

Before the food started running out in Zimbabwe, money began running out following a brutal civil war. Well, it’s not as though the money disappeared as much it became worthless. The country, which has no national currency today and has relied on other nation’s money, buckled under the pressure of hyperinflation and the destruction of its economy.

Like many others, Chikomba’s family sought to leave Zimbabwe under Mugabe’s rule. They are among the lucky ones who’ve fled among the chaos in the last two decades.

Chikomba came to the United States while he was in the sixth grade. He settled in Attleboro with his mother, Midia, and they lived with Takudzwa’s uncle who’d immigrated in the 1990s. Chikomba’s father remains in Zimbabwe, where he maintains the family business.

Upon arrival, Chikomba had never encountered American football. He’d played soccer and cricket growing up, but when he entered high school at North Attleborough, he heard his classmates making a fuss.

“I knew nothing about it,” Chikomba said. “I didn’t even know what the difference between a quarterback and a running back was, or offense and defense.”

Yet, he decided to try out.

Chikomba’s grown into his frame (he now stands at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds) since then, but he immediately stood out.

As Chikomba continued to adjust to American life, he saw more and more playing time on the Red Rocketeers’ defensive line.

“There were some plays last year, when as soon as you say it, you said, ‘Wow, that was something,’” Johnson said.

He was a raw heap of modeling clay, built in the mold of the NFL’s new breed of athletic defensive ends, such as Jason Pierre-Paul or the Patriots’ Chandler Jones. From early on, Johnson and his staff spent extra time with Chikomba, explaining the intricacies of the game.

“There was a lot more one-on-one there early on,” Johnson said. “When the first-team defense was out there, we had him standing there next to us, watching that defensive end and explaining what’s the thought process behind everything that’s going on.”

In time, as Chikomba has become more comfortable in his surroundings and in football, he’s come out of his shell. A warm presence, with a huge disarming smile, Chikomba’s became a popular fixture at the school. It’s evident on Friday nights at Community Field, where you can often find a Zimbabwean flag aloft in the student fan section.

“It was hard at first,” Chikomba said. “Back in Zimbabwe, I could be very friendly with my classmates. But when I came here, I didn’t know what kids here did. It was difficult.”

His personality shined through earlier this season in the Red Rocketeers’ season opener against Rhode Island power La Salle Academy. Chikomba burst through the Rams’ offensive line with a strong swim move and hauled the quarterback down for a sack. He shot right back to his feet to show off a little shimmy and shake in the backfield.

“His personality has really started to shine through,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the most popular players with his teammates. He’s got a great sense of humor, a great smile. He doesn’t say much. But really it’s because, we feel he’s a great story, but he doesn’t think like that. He’s so humble.”

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So what lies in store for Chikomba and Perron beyond Thursday?

Once again, the Red Rocketeers were edged out in a tight Hockomock Kelley-Race division race, so it’s a one-game season for North against border rival Attleboro. It will be their final high school game.

Both would like to play football as long as they can, but both have ambitions beyond the game. Though Johnson contends Chikomba could have some snaps ahead.

“I don’t think he realizes his own potential and the future that might lie ahead of him.”

Yet, Chikomba remains focused on his studies. He hopes to become a commercial airline pilot as a career. He grew up in the shadow of a regional airport back in Zimbabwe and passed the time watching flights takeoff and land. He recently was part of a student group from North which toured T.F. Green.

Perron has applied to a host of four-year colleges and looks to enter undeclared. He said he’ll make all attempts at prolonging his football career.

“It’s been such a big part of my life,” he said.

But all that’s assured is one more day on the field.

“There’s a lot of preparation and pride that goes into this week,” said Perron whose parents are Attleboro natives. “You’re doing it for the school, for the alumni, the coaches, your teammates, everybody who’s gotten you to that day.”

NO. 5 WALPOLE (9-0) AT NO. 21 NATICK (8-1)
The Skinny: The most anticipated regular-season matchup is finally upon us. A swelling crowd is expected to turn out for this one, as the Bay State Conference’s Herget division title is on the line. Natick is looking to bounce back after coming up on the wrong side of one of the year’s biggest upsets (a 40-34 loss to Wellesley), but Troy Flutie, Brian Dunlap and co. will have to do it against one of the state’s stingiest defenses. Walpole hasn’t allowed a point since Sept. 28, and hasn’t allowed a touchdown since Week 3.

Scott Barboza: I’m shudder to think that we might not have any questions to answer during our Sunday night chat this week now that we’re finally about to give our picks on this game. Walpole, 27-21.

Brendan Hall: I’m sure the primary topic of discussion in this Sunday night’s Top 25 chat will be “What’s your prediction for Natick-Walpole in 2013?” Walpole, 20-17.

NO. 17 NAUSET (9-0) AT PLYMOUTH SOUTH (6-3)
The Skinny: Raise your hand if you thought this would be the de facto Atlantic Coast League championship back in August. South’s Dylan Oxsen leads the state in rushing touchdowns (28), doing so behind a uniquely modified pistol attack that gets the hard-charging junior downhill in a hurry. Written off a month ago, the Panthers are suddenly in prime position for their first postseason berth here, but they’ll have to find a way to neutralize all the chicanery that comes with Nauset’s single wing attack, led by running back Jimmy Sullivan.

Barboza: It’s time we start considering Oxsen as a serious candidate for our Offensive Player of the Year Award. Plymouth South, 13-7.

Hall: If you know me, you know I’m a fiend for the ground-and-pound. For that reason, can’t go wrong with either team, but I’m sticking with my preseason pick. Nauset, 28-21.

NO. 23 ABINGTON (9-0) AT EAST BRIDGEWATER (6-3)
The Skinny: Abington can clinch the South Shore League title with a win over the Vikings, and are the favorites here behind a dynamic offense led by Babila Fonkem, Pat Dwyer and Brandon Cawley. Defensively, the Green Wave are allowing just under seven points a game the last three weeks, but they figure to have their hands full trying to slow down quarterback Andrew Benson in the option game.

Barboza: I’m going to mention Brandon Cawley’s name again just because the other night on Twitter he’s said I only mention the running backs. JK guys, JK. Abington, 32-24.

Hall: If this is truly Abington coach Jim Kelliher’s last season, then you can’t find a more fitting farewell. Abington, 31-20.

SHARON (7-2) AT FOXBOROUGH (7-2)
The Skinny: Is the clock about to strike midnight on Sharon? The Eagles remain unbeaten in the Hockomock’s Davenport division, but still have two big league games on the slate. The first one is Friday night, where they will attempt to contain tailback Kiivone Howard, who leads the Hockomock in rushing yardage (1,405).

Barboza: Foxborough quarterback Mike Slaby could be the difference-maker. Foxborough, 23-17.

Hall: What would a Hockomock League berth be without a little bit of mathematics? Foxborough, 21-7.

MARBLEHEAD (8-1) AT BEVERLY (9-0)
The Skinny: The Magicians claimed the CAL/NEC Tier 2 title last season with a senior-laden team. However, Marblehead’s in the mix again, even after a surprise loss to Salem a few weeks back. Meanwhile, the Panthers can clinch the league crown with a win on Saturday. The vaunted Panthers offense (averaging 38 points per game) and its rushing attack is closing in on 3,000 combined rushing yards on the season, led by a backfield of Brendan Flaherty and Kenny Pierce. The Magicians have relied on 1,000-yard passer Ian Maag (13 touchdowns) for a bulk of their offense.

Barboza: It’s been a nice bounce back run for Marblehead in an attempt at a repeat title, but, after all, this is the #yearofthepanther. Beverly, 28-14.

Hall: We love Jim Rudloff’s mind games as much as the next guy, but the Magicians are simply overmatched here against one of the state’s best rushing attacks. Beverly, 35-21.

BISHOP FEEHAN (6-2) AT SOMERSET-BERKLEY (9-0)
The Skinny: As in each of the last three seasons, the Eastern Athletic Conference title will be determined in a matchup between the Shamrocks and Blue Raiders. Feehan came away with a decisive victory last year, but Somerset-Berkley is looking to lay claim to its second crown in the last three years. The Blue Raiders are led by a dynamic back field of Garrett Carlos and Mike Garrant, but they’ll encounter a physical Feehan front seven anchored by linemen Chris Barthe, Seamus Cuddy and Mitch Matrin.

Barboza: Nick Freitas escapes with EAC title No. 2. Somerset-Berkley, 27-20.

Hall: In terms of EAC supremacy, Feehan had the 2000’s. And now, Somerset has the 2010’s. Somerset-Berkley, 24-17.

FRANKLIN (7-2) AT MANSFIELD (6-3)
The Skinny: The Panthers get back into Hockomock Kelley-Rex play after a startling loss to Taunton two weeks ago. If Franklin is to hold out hope of hanging around in the division race, they’ll need a win at Mansfield on Saturday. The Hornets are in a similar situation having dropped a close decision to North Attleborough two weeks ago. Look for the Hornets, led by Robbie Rapoza, to pound the ball on the ground and play some ball control in trying to keep the Panthers’ spread attack on the sideline. Franklin junior quarterback Nick Zucco has been a revelation this year, but the Panthers can also run the ball behind Kyle Finamore. The Mansfield defense has been bolstered by junior linebacker Alex Ruddy, who currently leads the team in tackles.

Barboza: As predicted a couple weeks back, the Kelley-Rex picture is only obfuscated more. Expect another wild finish. And, of course, another prediction my friends in Mansfield will relish. Franklin, 38-36.

Hall: If the Hornets can establish the run game early, they can do just enough to hold off a furious Franklin rally. Mansfield, 27-24.

KING PHILIP (8-1) AT NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (6-3)
The Skinny: Another pair of Kelley-Rex teams with one division loss meet in this rivalry game. The Red Rocketeers have cobbled together a three-game winning streak, following a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season. The better news yet for North in recent weeks its improving health, seeing several key contributors return to the field in recent weeks. Meanwhile, King Philip has rolled through Attleboro and Oliver Ames by a combined 75-21 margin since its loss to Mansfield.

Barboza: I find myself simply rooting for another chaotic finish to the Kelley-Rex division race, but I’m sticking with my preseason pick. KP, 24-21.

Hall: This is a new team with Sean Peters and Alex Jette both healthy. I’m looking at a return to early September form down the stretch for the Big Red. North, 30-23.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Bewitched, bemused, bewildered, be- anything about the way the season’s gone so far in the Hockomock League. Trying to predict which teams will claim the respective division titles this year is a bit like tossing pebbles into the Manchester Pond Resevoir.

And so Friday night’s battle between No. 19 Mansfield and North Attleborough did not disappoint, with the Red Rocketeers separating themselves in the fourth quarter in a 36-21 win. It only further obfuscated the playoff picture in the Kelley-Rex division, paired with a Franklin loss to Taunton.

“Welcome to the Hockomock League,” North head coach Don Johnson quipped postgame.

The Red Rocketeers (5-3, 2-1 Kelley-Rex) have endured a seemingly never-ending tide of injuries throughout the season, but saw multi-threat running back and defensive back Alex Jette return for their showdown with the Hornets (5-3, 2-1).

North’s early offensive play calls massaged Jette into the flow, running him across the field on passing plays as a decoy in the backfield, faking toss sweeps. They also put the ball in the hands of senior quarterback Ryan Perron (7 of 14, 162 yards, 2 TDs) who effectively piloted the Red Rocketeers’ passing attack with a steady stream of screens and intermediate routes in three- and four-receiver sets.

Lately, Perron’s also shown off a big-play capacity, however, and it showed Friday night with two touchdown passes. On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Perron hit Jake Dellaire on a seam route for a 62-yard touchdown and an instant 7-0 lead. Just before the half, Perron connected with Jette on a shallow fade for a 40-yard touchdown pass which provided North with a 20-7 halftime lead.

“That was probably the biggest difference tonight, he made good decisions,” Johnson said of his quarterback. “He was just playing with so much confidence tonight, running and throwing the ball.”

Mansfield worked its way back in the second half behind a thumping run game. The Hornets bruised their way downfield on a 9-play, 64-yard drive to open the third, capped by Kevin Makie’s 6-yard touchdown run to make it a one-score game.

The Hornets claimed their first and last lead of the game on the final play of the third quarter as quarterback Kyle Wisnieski hit Mike Hershman for a 35-yard touchdown. With a successful point-after try, Mansfield took a 21-20 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Perron again piloted the Red Rocketeers’ offense, embarking a four-plus minute, 67-yard drive. Perron called his own number for his second rushing touchdown of the game, breaking a tackle in the open field to run 10 yards for a score. He then hit a wide-open Mike Lambert (INT, 2 PD) on a two-point conversion for a 28-21 lead with 6:32 to play.

Looking to even the score, Mansfield was hampered by a couple key penalty calls on its ensuing drive. The Hornets were stung by an illegal forward pass call on what would have been a huge third-down conversion pass to Brendan Hill on third and 14. The call resulted in a loss of downs and forced a Mansfield punt.

With the ball back in their hands and looking to soak the clock, North running back Dwayne Hunter broke the game open two plays later with a 75-yard touchdown run to ice it.

BIG IN STATURE
Listed at 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, Hunter makes up in punch for what he lacks in stature. His running style belies his stature. He’s willing to initiate contact, but also hard to bring down with his low center of gravity.

Hunter (8 carries, 127 yards, TD) came up huge for the Red Racketeers however in the fourth quarter. His 25-yard gain on an outside pitch to the left side on fourth and 2 set up North first and goal from the 10-yard line with under seven minutes to play in the fourth. The next play saw Perron run for the game-winning touchdown. The senior running back then placed an exclamation point on the evening with his 75-yard touchdown, made on his adept cutback across the teeth of a Mansfield all-out blitz.

“The linebackers were blitzing, so I had to cut it up quick,” Hunter said of his run. They were overloading on one side, so I had to make a quick decision.”

Johnson heaped praise on his back, calling Hunter a “tough nut.”

Like the rest of this Red Rocketeers team, he just doesn’t crack.

… BUT THEY BEND
North’s defensive front seven looked strong throughout, but saw Robbie Rapoza (14 carries, 135 yards, TD) and Co. find success against them in the second half. Yet, the Red Rocketeers turned Mansfield’s high-flying aerial attack, which scorched a good King Philip unit a week ago, into a relative non-factor.

Wisnieski was dealt with a steady stream of pressure, applied by rangy defensive end Tadkudzwa Chikomba (3 QB pressures) and linebacker Ben Jette.

Ben Jette, the fraternal twin of Alex, sealed a strong performance and the win for North with a strip-sack of Wisnieski on Mansfield’s final offensive drive. Ben Jette finished with three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

“That’s why I’m so proud of these guys because we’ve been going through that now for about six weeks, asking guys to play different positions every week,” Johnson said. “Losing Harry [offensive/defensive lineman Harrison Carmichael] tonight, he’s one of our dominant players on both sides of the ball. We had to use [Sean] Peters at defensive end, he hasn’t gotten many reps out there and he’s banged up with his shoulder. We had to use [Eric] Beckwith as a guard … We’ve asked a lot of players to step up and they’ve done that.”

The pressure applied by the Red Rocketeers up front came in concert with strong efforts from Alex Jette and Jack Blasé at the cornerback positions. Jette tallied three passes defended, two of which came on a promising Mansfield drive late in the second quarter that ended in a turnover on downs and set up Jette’s touchdown reception.

“We didn’t blitz as much as we normally do, we felt that we just couldn’t give up the big play against them, so we played a lot more zone,” Johnson said. “We’d bring one of two guys here and there, but I think we did enough to keep them off-balance.”

EASTON, Mass. -- Correspondent Patrick Welter checks in with these video highlights from No. 18 Stoughton's 44-21 Hockomock League Davenport division win at Oliver Ames' Muscato Stadium on Friday night:

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. -- Community Field in North Attleborough will be rocking come Friday night as Hockomock League rival No. 19 Mansfield comes in for a pivotal Kelley-Rex division game in our Massachusetts Army National Guard Game of the Week.

Editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall break down the action from Community, as well as our weekly picks, in our Thursday Football Preview show. We also caught up with Red Rocketeer senior players Alex and Ben Jette, quarterback Ryan Perron and head coach Don Johnson.

Also, we give you a reminder to come out to North for some free ESPN Boston gear and from the National Guard. We'll be there in advance of Friday night's 7 p.m. kickoff.

(Video shot and edited by Greg Story)

Mansfield High sophomore Brendan Hill has quickly earned a reputation around the Hockomock League for his exploits on the basketball court. On Saturday, the 6-foot-5 Hill, who's also a standout wide receiver on the Hornets' football team, took the term assist to an entirely different level.

In the first quarter of Mansfield's 46-33 win over King Philip, Hill used his height advantage to tip a pass from quarterback Kyle Wisnieski up and over to fellow receiver Mike Hershman, who took care of the rest, completing a 55-yard touchdown play.

Hornets head coach Mike Redding provided the following video of the play. Hill (No. 19) is lined up toward the near sideline with Hershman (No. 1) in the slot.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. -- In a game where defense ruled, it was the Stoughton football team’s offense that ensured the Black Knights came out on top against North Attleborough, winning, 12-7, on the road at Community Field on Friday night.

A 17-play Red Rocketeers drive that spanned 10 minutes – the last six of the third quarter and the first four of the fourth – resulted in a touchdown with 6:53 left in the game put them up 7-6, and seemed like it shifted momentum completely in their favor.

Until the kickoff, when Malachi Baugh picked up a rolling kick at the 13-yard line and returned it 42 yards to the North 45.

“Through that whole drive, I was just trying to keep strength and focus,” Baugh said. “On the kickoff, I just saw some holes and took advantage and ran up the field.”

Baugh followed up with a 12-yard carry and an 18-yard carry to move the ball down to the 15-yard line.

“That was huge,” Stoughton coach Greg Burke said. “I don’t know what else to tell you. The fourth-down conversion before they scored shouldn’t have happened, but that’s high school football. It was a big play, though. Baugh is real tough.”

Frankie Morris finished the job two carries carries later, scoring on a 14-yard sweep left to put Stoughton back on top.

The flurry of late scoring played out completely different than the rest of the game, in which North Attleborough (3-3) totaled 180 yards of offense and Stoughton had just 163.

The teams each possessed the ball just once in the first quarter, and North’s 14-play opening drive stalled out after a chop block penalty erased a 1st-and-goal opportunity from the 4-yard line.

After a couple of penalties and plays that resulted in a loss of yards, Stoughton took over on downs at the 25.

The Black Knights (6-0) piled up a 16-play drive, but eventually came up short at the 4-yard line. Stoughton’s defense turned in an impressive three-and-out, forcing a punt from the 10. The punt wobbled out of bounds at the 24, setting the Knights up for an easy score.

Five plays later, Morris took off on a sweep left – the same play he scored the game-winner on – and plunged into the end zone from six yards out with 2:14 left in the first half.

From there, the teams traded defensive stands until the Red Rocketeers took over with 5:09 left in the third, when they set out on the 17-play drive.

Quarterback Ryan Perron, who finished with 13 carries for 45 yards and was 9-for-13 passing for 65 yards, was the driving force behind the extended scoring series.

On fourth and 2 from the 19, he delivered a 16-yard pass to a wide open Tyler Sellner, who had three catches for 32 yards.

On the ensuing first-and-goal play, Perron plunged three yards into the endzone. A made point after try gave them a brief lead.

INJURIES AFOOT
The Red Rocketeers went into the game knowing two of their best players would be watching from the sidelines.

Alex Jette, the team’s starting running back and their most dynamic playmaker, was in a walking boot with a stress fracture in his foot.

Fellow senior captain Sean Peters missed the game after his shoulder flared up earlier this week in practice. Peters, a two-way lineman who is catching some Div. 1 interest, tore his labrum playing basketball last year.

“We didn’t lose this game because of who we didn’t have,” North Attleborough coach Don Johnson said. “We lost this game because, like the last few weeks, we didn’t make plays we needed to make. If we had those guys, would we have won this game? I think so, but we didn’t have them and we didn’t get it done.”

Late in the game, Stoughton lost Adam Leonard to a leg injury that required splinting before he was carried off the field.

“I hope Leonard is OK,” Burke said. “He’s one of the best players in the state, and not having him is going to be a big blow to us. I don’t know what the injury was, I’m not a doctor, but we’ll find out soon.”