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NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Consider it a declaration that the Hockomock League still runs through King Philip.

In the course of the last week, upstart North Attleborough softball knocked off rival Mansfield, before the Hornets then went on to scare the living daylights out of King Philip on their own diamond.

So were the Warriors ripe for an upset? Hardly.

No. 1King Philip’s resounding 9-1 victory over No. 12 North on Thursday was a return to the status quo.

“I think we’re finally feeling more comfortable at the plate, we’re having more quality at-bats,” Warriors head coach Jim Leonard said. “We were aggressive against a good pitcher [North’s Megan Colleran] and we put the ball in play. We’re starting to find our stride offensively.”

KP’s 11-hit barrage was balanced and saw five players drive in runs, including Meg Carnase, Tori Constantin and Renee Poirier who each had two RBI.

North (3-1) took their cuts against Warriors ace Meghan Rico and came away with seven hits. However, the Red Rocketeers left 10 runners stranded and had bases loaded situations in both the fifth and seventh, but were unable to score.

Kim Hallahan knocked in the Red Rocketeers’ lone run in the sixth with an RBI double.

VERSATILITY AND DEPTH SHOWCASED
The Warriors lost one of their top players for the afternoon and perhaps much longer on a pivotal play in the home half of the second.

KP shortstop Alyssa Siegmann charged a smash hit off the bat of North left fielder Erin Melaney. While making a stab at the ground, Siegmann collided with North’s runner, who was breaking for third. The potential base hit was wiped out by the umpire’s call of interference and Siegmann was shaken up (with what Leonard fears is a separated shoulder), not to mention it ended North's rally with the third out.

The Warriors could rest easy knowing that second baseman Tori Constantin could move over to short while Leonard inserted sophomore Rory Baraiolo at second.

Not only did Baraiolo provide some sharp leather work in the field, she also knocked in a run during the Warriors’ two-run fifth.

“It was great that we had two [first-year players] step in and contribute,” Leonard said. “[Baraiolo] had an RBI and Renee Poirier, a freshman, had a clutch RBI. I thought was a bit of a turning point.”

The MIAA softball Top 25 poll for this week is updated here.

A wild first week filled with some surprising scores meant there was plenty of turnover from our preseason poll. Six new teams entered this week's poll, highlighted by North Attleborough catapulting into the 12th spot after its win over Mansfield. Western Mass power Westfield followed at No. 13 after a 4-0 start.

Tewksbury (No. 17), Hopkinton (19), Brockton (20) and Holy Name (21) also made their debuts this week.

(Note: Rankings do not reflect Wednesday's results.)

PLAINVILLE, Mass. -- On an afternoon where King Philip's ace pitcher Meghan Rico was not her standard, near-perfect self, her teammates made sure it wasn't going to be a problem.

The top-ranked Warriors pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by UMass-bound catcher Olivia Godin, and then held off a seventh inning rally by No. 7 Mansfield to escape with a 5-4 victory at Watters Field.

Having mustered just two hits off of Hornets ace Trish Hansen through the first four innings, the Warriors (2-0) got to work with the bats in the fifth. Cayleigh McCarthy (two hits) led off the frame with a base hit, Rico reached on a fielders choice two batters later and Hailey Mullen singled to load the bases.

Up to the plate stepped Colgate-commit Meg Carnase, who ripped a two-run double into left to bring home McCarthy and Rico with the game's first two runs. Godin was next, and the senior launched the first pitch she saw well over the fence in left to score Mullen and Carnase ahead of her.

"We came in and really lit a fire under each other," Godin said of the rally. "We were like, 'we've played [Hansen] so many times, we know what she throws, lets go. Lets get it going.' We have our 2-3-4 [hitters] struggling to get on base and we hit better than this so we just wanted to get it done."

NOT A REPEAT OF LAST WEEK
Staring at a 5-0 deficit against the state's reigning Player of the Year, you might as well have just put a "W" next to KP in the Hockomock League' standings column and move on to the next one. Mansfield already found themselves in a similar situation in its season opener, having spotted North Attleborough an early 6-0 lead from which they could not recover.

On this day, the Hornets decided to fight it out. Mansfield opened the seventh with a single by Alexis Stanley and a four-pitch walk by Lauren Boen. Two batters later, Bri Chiusano (two hits) belted a rocket over the centerfield fence to cut the deficit to 5-3.

After an out, Hansen helped her own cause with a base hit and catcher Kelly English brought her all the way around with a double to make it 5-4 before Rico finally retired the last hitter.

"Coming in 5-0 against Rico, you just go in say, 'Alright, rally caps,'" Mansfield head coach Jinneane Sperrazza. "Our left fielder, who got the bunt sign all game, comes up and ropes a single. Our next girl is a sophomore, she got a walk. and we're thinking something's going to happen. Then we have Bri, who I'm thinking is going to rip a single and we'll score a run and instead she hits a 3-run home run. I couldn't be any prouder of these kids."

AN ATYPICAL PERFORMANCE ON AN ATYPICAL DAY
Not only did the sun disappear somewhere around the third inning, leaving nothing but a cool wind breezing through the Plainville Athletic Complex, but both teams also had to deal with the sound of a chainsaw grinding away in the background. A television crew from the National Geographic Network's reality show 'American Chainsaw' was hard at work carving up a tree just behind the Hornets dugout, creating not only unneeded noise but sending ashes of chewed up tree bark wafting through the air.

Rico, who is a threat to toss a perfect game with 15-plus strikeouts every time she takes the mound, seemed to struggle a bit. Mansfield got runners aboard in every inning but the sixth, and got the leadoff batter on five times.

The Hornets made Rico work for this one, consistently getting deep into the count and forcing her throw a staggering 115 pitches through the first five innings. That said, the George Washington-bound standout escaped every tough situation, including inducing a game-ending groundout to squash the Hornets seventh inning rally.

"We're used to having Rico be next to perfect," KP head coach Jim Leonard said. "She's usually a very efficient pitcher and they took her deep in the count. Not the typical performance that we've come to expect from her but when we don't get that we need to make sure that other aspects of our game step up."

Starting each Friday during the season, we will discuss the hot-button issues of the moment from around the state with some of the most knowledgeable local writers. This week, we are joined by correspondent Bruce Lerch, New England Prep Stars founder Ryan Kilian, HockomockSports.com founder Ryan Lanigan, and Brockton Enterprise staff writer John Botelho as we discuss two lacrosse juggernauts, the baseball landscape, and whether or not Hockomock softball is King Philip's to lose.

1. WILL ANYONE BEAT DUXBURY IN BOYS' LACROSSE THIS SEASON?

ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: Well, maybe the better question here is whether anybody in-state can beat the Dragons. Duxbury’s schedule is stacked with out-of-state challenges, including New York state champion and fellow FAB 50 squad Jamesville-Dewitt.

As for Duxbury’s competition in-state, I think we look no further than No. 2 Lincoln-Sudbury. The Warriors paid their dues with a lot of underclassmen forced into big roles last season; they’ll be that much stronger for it this year and into the postseason. Plus, I feel they’re the one team that can really match fire with the Dragons. With Dan Delaney, Jordan Dow, Matt Hall, Chris Giorgio and Henry Guild, L-S has offensive mettle and depth.

I think beyond that, there are some questions about each of the next group of teams in D1, looking ahead to potential postseason opponents. Can Needham get to that next level and how much can Nico Panepinto fill the shoes of Will Stenberg? How does Billerica move on from Grant Whiteway? There are a lot of holes in the lineup of St. John’s Prep as well, but John Roy always keeps that team in contention. So the greater question remains, who’s going to be the team to step up and challenge Duxbury for the D1 crown? As of right now, that team looks to be L-S.

Ryan Kilian, New England Prep Stars: Duxbury always plays a loaded schedule with talented New York powers in Niskayuna, Garden City, Jamesvill-Dewitt, and Irondequoit highlighting the 2012 schedule. Playing that type of talent is amazing preparation for the MIAA state tournament and another D1 State Title run.

There is no question that this may be Duxbury's most talented team in recent years and it is going to take an A-plus game from any Massachusetts team to come close to knocking them off. That being said Duxbury has a run of three games in one week at the end of April that consists of Lincoln-Sudbury, Needham and Hingham. They should be playing their best ball at that time and will need to be as they also face off against a strong Wellesley team, led by All-American goalie Connor Darcey, and New Hampshire's top team in Bishop Guertin in early May. There is no question that Duxbury will take on anyone and everyone year in and year out.

Duxbury has talent and depth at every position and the hype is warranted as they come off another State Championship in 2011 with a lineup of D1 talent that flows into their bench returning. Senior attack and Fairfield commit Paul Hellar could be the best player in Massachusetts that people do not talk enough about and the same can be said for defenseman Max Randall, who is headed to Dartmouth next year.

Bruce Lerch, correspondent: If so, it will likely be a team from New York as Jamesville-Dewitt and Garden City represent the biggest obstacles to a perfect season for the Dragons. That said, given the schedule the play, don't surprised to see someone like Lincoln-Sudbury or Wellesley give them a hard time. Catholic Conference teams St. John's Prep and BC High always play the Dragons tough as well.

John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: The Dragons play as tough a schedule as anyone in the state, featuring several other elite Bay State teams as well as Irondequoit (Rochester, NY) who checks in this week at No. 18 on the ESPN FAB 50. Even with one test after another coming and a bull's eye already on their back as the reigning state champ, Duxbury is good enough to run the table this year.

Even the best efforts from other teams might not be enough to knock off Chris Sweet's squad this year, and that's not slight to anyone else. One could reasonably argue this Duxbury team could roll with some pretty good college teams. Anyone doubting that should take a look at where this team's stars will be next year. Eight seniors from this team are taking their talents to division one programs next year.

Not just any division one programs, either. Jay McDermott (Syracuse), Seamus Connelly (Duke), Matt O'Keefe (Johns Hopkins) and James Burke (Penn State) are all committed to schools currently ranked in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Top 20 poll. Reilly Naton (Yale) and Max Randall (Dartmouth) are headed for the Ivy League. Henry Buonagurio will take his goal-tending ability to Drexel, who was ranked as high as No. 7 in 2010. Andrew Buron (Stony Brook) will play for a team that was in the NCAA tourney two years ago. Six other seniors on this year's team will be playing college lacrosse also, next season.

Before those guys move on to some of college's elite programs, they can put an exclamation point on what has already been an impressive high school career (in addition to their lax success, all eight played on the Dragons' Super Bowl teams the last two years) by going undefeated wire-to-wire and finishing as the best team in the Bay State again.

2. WITH LINCOLN-SUDBURY BEATING WESTWOOD ON MONDAY, HOW DOES THE DIVISION 1 GIRLS' LACROSSE LANDSCAPE SHAPE UP?

ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: Whatever thoughts people had about some potential goaltending issues at Lincoln-Sudbury might have been convinced otherwise following Monday’s thrilling win over Westwood. Yes, I know it sounds strange saying a team played well defensively when they gave up 12 goals; but there is some very good talent playing in front of sophomore goalie Megan Mullins, led by Notre Dame-bound midfielder Rachel Sexton. And it goes without saying, if Mullins continues to repeat performances like she had against the Wolverines, the Warriors are going to be a tough out for anyone in the state.

Overall, I think the L-S win underscores the parity across the Division 1 landscape this year. It won’t be Westwood and everyone else in 2012, not with two loaded juggernauts (Andover, Lincoln-Sudbury) in the North; and not with Needham and Notre Dame of Hingham (coached by Westwood coach Leslie Frank’s daughter, Meredith) awaiting in the South. All four of those programs return some promising talent that I feel is on par with the Wolverines, moreso in the years past.

Also not to be forgotten is Western Mass power Longmeadow, which comes in at No. 3 in our preseason poll and is expected to take that district again; and Westborough, which thoroughly has a program under way now after some marquee wins over Eastern Mass powers in 2011.

Bruce Lerch: That was a program-defining victory for Lincoln-Sudbury and certainly shakes the foundation of the girls lacrosse season here in the early going. When all is said and done though, I just feel that Westwood is simply too talented and too well-coached to be denied in the end. And it's the end that matters most.

3. THE CATHOLIC CONFERENCE IS THE TOUGHEST BASEBALL LEAGUE IN THE STATE. WHAT'S THE NEXT TOUGHEST?

Brendan Hall: There’s certainly a case to be made this year for the Merrimack Valley Conference, which is loaded at the top between Lowell, Chelmsford and Central Catholic. I think any time you have multiple ACC commits in one conference, such as the Bay State Conference, a case can be made. Same for Middlesex, thought between Lexington and Reading it might be more top-heavy than the rest.

All that said, I think the Dual County League bests them all. Take a look at Acton-Boxborough, which plated 11 runs on BC High in a loss Wednesday and took Lowell into extra innings two days before that. Boston Latin is expected to make a run this year, with a deep stable of quality arms. The sleeper of the bunch might be Newton South, behind UMass-bound first baseman John Jennings.

And then there’s Lincoln-Sudbury, which has won 11 straight league titles and two of the last five Division 1 state titles. Every year the Warriors graduate Division 1 talent – last year, that included Vanderbilt righty and Yankees draft pick Adam Ravenelle – yet they always find a way to win 15 games thanks to a deep core of varsity-ready talent.

When it comes to draft-ready prospects in Massachusetts since the turn of the centuary the prep schools and the Catholic Conference have put out a good amount of picks. But take a look at the talent the DCL has turned out, including Wayland’s Brandon Anderson (2003, Rockies), A-B’s Scott Weismann (2008, Detroit Tigers) and Ravenelle. For purposes of this discussion, we can include Newton South’s Travis Dean, who transferred to Worcester Academy but returned to South in the spring of 2010 and did not play for the Tigers, but was taken by the Yankees in the 30th round.

Bruce Lerch: Look no further than the Dual County League, with reigning state champion and perennial power Lincoln-Sudbury leading the way. Acton-Boxboro reached the Div. 1 North final last year and is expected to be this season's favorite, while Boston Latin seems to be on the rise and Newton South has the talent to sneak up on some teams.

John Botelho: In the South Sectional anyway, the answer to this question -- for any sport -- has seemed to come from one league throughout the school year: The Hockomock League. Franklin's impressive run all the way to D1 South championship last year came on the heels of being tested by one good team after another in the Hock, and this season will be no different.

It's not hard to find high school aces in this league (Oliver Ames’ Ryan O'Shea, Franklin’s Tyler Buck, Mansfield’s Adam Blake, and North Attleborough’s Troy Richardson, to name a few), but the depth of this league goes a lot deeper than that. Half the teams in the league made the postseason a year ago, and two of them advanced to at least the South Sectional semis in either Division 1 or Division 2. In fact, the Hockomock League has had at least one team reach the South Sectional semi-finals every year since 2007.

This year should be no different, as Franklin returns a good core of guys from last year's title run. Even if the Panthers can recreate the magic, no one should be surprised if Oliver Ames is the last team standing at the end of the Div. 2 South Sectional. In addition to O'Shea -- a Central Michigan commit and ESPN Pre-Season All-State selection, the Tigers are swimming in talent. Junior captain and shortstop David MacKinnon might be the best player on the team, and could have more helium toward college interest than any junior in the league this season. Matt Harding is already a two-year starter at catcher, and the team's clean-up hitter. David Holmes gives Leo Duggan another horse on the mound. He'd be the ace of most area teams.

4. WHICH BASEBALL TEAM(S) WILL BE THE BIGGEST SURPRISE?

Brendan Hall: Out in Central Mass, it seems like the Division 1 favorites outside of Milford and St. John’s (Shrewsbury) will rotate quite a bit. Right now the sleeper might be Burncoat, after knocking off No. 19 St. Peter-Marian 7-1 last week and currently sitting at 3-0 following a rout of Worcester Tech today. But to the experts, the Patriots aren’t a surprise, considering the talent in the infield led by Rhode Island signee Regan Aghdam. Same goes for Nashoba, whose ace Charlie Butler has signed with Maine and tossed a no-no in his first start of the year.

I know we have Barnstable currently ranked, but of all the contenders in Division 1 South they are the one nobody’s talking about. My case for the Red Raiders falls unto the right arm of their UConn-bound senior ace Willie Nastasi. He’s got a wiry frame at 6-foot-5, and a pretty loose arm, but you’re looking at a pitcher who’s long and can build some lean, fast-twitch muscles. I know he reached the high-80’s last summer; my prediction is he’ll touch 90 once it gets warm down in Hyannis.

I’m not sure how much of a sleeper this will end up being, but Pentucket is certainly a team to look for in Division 2 North. They’ve got one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in Alex Ministeri, a crafty lefthander who’s signed with Coastal Carolina – as true a power in college baseball as you’ll find. His numbers don’t jump off the page like some other higher-profile players (46 IP, 53 K, 3-4, 2.89 ERA); but with a mid-80’s fastball with plenty of movement and a projectable 6-foot-3 frame, the ceiling is high for him.

Bruce Lerch: I'm going to drop down to Division 4 and give Rockport a little love. Just surviving the Cape Ann League and getting into the tournament guarantees they will be battle-tested. Last year it was Georgetown who made a run to the state final. This year, I'm looking at the Vikings with the talented trio of Conor Douglass, Tucker Meredith and Mike Tupper.

John Botelho: The East Bridgewater Vikings are going to cause fits for opponents all season. After returning all but one starter from last year's team -- which knocked off eventual division 4 state champ Cohasset late in the season, and led late over South Sectional top seed Middleboro – this team is primed to break out.

Having one of the best players anywhere in the state in the form of Casey DeAndrade helps. Teams have to pick their poison with him. Pitch to him, he hurts you with his bat (he hit better than .600 last season, homered on his first swing of this one against Carver last week). Pitch around him, he hurts you with his legs (he swiped 24 bases a season ago). He's also Pat Cronin's staff ace, and has an entire season in that role under his belt already. As good as DeAndrade was on the gridiron -- where he was a standout and ESPN Boston All-State selection, with more than 10 yards per carry and had 24 touchdowns -– Casey’s probably a better baseball player.

What's worse for opponents is DeAndrade and partner in crime Tim O'Brien (they combined one more than 100 TDs during a three year run as the starting EB backfield) are playing with a chip on their shoulder. To cement their place in East Bridgewater history, both have made it clear they need to check winning a South Shore League crown off their bucket list. O'Brien hit nearly .400 last season and swiped 20 bases himself. The ultra-athleticism can be found throughout the rest of the roster, and the team scores runs in bunches because of their ability to put pressure on. Fellow speedster Andrew Benson teams with DeAndrade and O'Brien to form, perhaps, the fastest outfield in the state. Cronin preaches strong defense, and guys like Jimmy Sullivan and Ethan Forrest give him that up the middle, and third year starter, junior Austin Goldberg supplies rock solid defense behind the plate.

A year ago, the Vikings spent the entire season figuring out the identity of their pitching staff. Fast forward one year and they return all of their varsity innings. Sophomore Mike Kelly seems impervious to pressure, and made his varsity debut when he picked up the win in relief against Cohasset last year. Kelly took the ball in game one against Carver and didn't disappoint, going five innings and striking out seven while allowing just one flair single. Forrest, who missed most of his sophomore season with an ankle injury, gives the Vikings a very talented third option, and Brett DeBenedictis flashed an electric arm at times on the mound this year.

If this team has a weakness, it's not an obvious one and they will contend for both the SSL crown, as well as the Division 3 South Sectional title this season.

Ryan Lanigan, HockomockSports.com: The surprise team to watch in baseball is Oliver Ames. They finished 15-5 last season but were bounced in the first round to Milton. The Tigers feature Central Michigan University-commit Ryan O’Shea on the found and fellow captain Jim Sullivan. I expect a much deeper tournament run this year with a chance to be a serious contender for the D2 South Crown. Two other teams to look out for are Franklin, who won the South last year but I expect a better regular season this time around, and Stoughton, who could play spoiler to a lot of teams.

5. WITH NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH BEATING MANSFIELD 6-0 ON TUESDAY IN SOFTBALL, IS THE HOCKOMOCK STILL KING PHILIP'S TO LOSE?

Scott Barboza: Make no bones about it, King Philip is still the favorite in the Hock and to win the D1 state title, but it might be the best softball conference in the state, top to bottom. The Warriors are in the driver’s seat because of Meghan Rico, but she’s not the only true ace the league has to offer. Mansfield’s Trish Hansen was also an ESPN Boston preseason All-State teamer and, evidenced by North Attleborough’s win over the Hornets, the breakout performer of the year could be Red Rocketeers sophomore hurler Meg Colleran who’s coming off an impressive freshman season.

Speaking to the depth of the league, there are plenty of teams across the state who would love to have Oliver Ames ace Elizabeth Batsinelas in the circle and the Tigers might have their most loaded team in recent memory, according to former head coach Bob Huckabee who’s now at Apponequet. Franklin also looks to be much improved after hanging with KP in a scoreless gat me through six innings before falling 4-0 in the season opener for both teams.

That being said, the league still runs through the Warriors.

Just shudder to think how good the league will be next year when the Hockomock welcomes perennial state softball powers Milford and Taunton to its ranks.

Ryan Lanigan: As usual, the Hockomock League is turning out another competitive season, this time in softball. With Mansfield, King Philip, North Attleboro, Oliver Ames, and Franklin all looking to go deep into the post season, there will always be tough games.

Is the league up for grabs, though? Not quite. As long as Meg Rico is still pitching, the Warriors are the favorites. Rico is arguably the best hurler in the state and combined with Olivia Godin, Alyssa Seigman, and a slew of other top players, a chance at another state championship isn’t far-fetched. I still expect Mansfield to be the second best team in the league behind Briana Chiusano but as we’ve already seen this season, North Attleborough is looking to win it all. As it always is in the Hockomock, you can never downplay one game, as seen by Sharon and Stoughton who already have two wins.

Bruce Lerch: With standout ace Meg Rico on the mound and a potent lineup supporting her, the Hockomock League was, is and will be the Warriors to lose. As is the Div. 1 state championship.

John Botelho: Not only is the Hockomock still King Philip's to lose, but so is the division one state title. Led by 2011 ESPNBoston Ms. Softball Megan Rico, this team has won 42 straight and 50 of 51 en route to winning the last two D1 state crowns. In fact, the only player anywhere in the state who has dominated their sport the same way Rico has might be Andover's Nicole Boudreau in basketball. Herb Brooks famously said to his team "Vladisav Tretiak; if you score on him, keep the puck because it does not happen often."

The same could be said of getting a hit of Rico. That's not exaggeration for effect either -- last season she gave up 29 hits in 21 starts. Runs are even harder to come by, and the George Washington signee surrendered just seven last year while posting a 0.15 ERA. Anything short of KP's win streak reaching 68 with a third straight state championship will come as a surprise.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Here are a smattering of thoughts from No. 25 Foxborough’s 10-2 non-league win over Barnstable on Friday morning:

DEFENSE LEADS TO OFFENSE
The Warriors (2-0) are built from the crease out, with ESPN Boston All-State goaltender Greg Stamatov leading the way. However, against the Red Raiders (1-2), Foxborough’s defenders were able to eliminate any kind of possession game for Barnstable early, and conversely were able to set up their own offense.

Long poles Conor Lynch, Al Noonan (4 ground balls) and Luc Valenza, along with long-stick middie Brenden Lovely (4 GB) bottled up the Red Raider attacks’ dodges and were able to use their speed to capitalize on Barnstable’s turnovers.

FINER POINTS
Foxborough head coach Matt Noone lost a bunch of key offensive contributors to graduation from last year’s squad, so the offense has been a work in progress during the early weeks.

The Warriors displayed their skill against Barnstable though, particularly on Mike Campbell’s dazzling third-quarter goal, scored nearly with his back to cage off a dodge. Campbell netted a hat trick along with fellow attack Tyler Ames.

Midfielder Anthony Fertita also had a three-point game with two goals and an assist.

“Right now, our defense is strong and our offense has come along, but that’s natural for the offense to be a little behind the defense this early in the season,” Noone said. “But we have guys that stepped up today. Mikey Campbell stepped up on attack and obviously Greg Stamatov in goal is just great.”

WIDE OPEN HOCK
After some early season shockers, it looks as through the Hockomock League title are very much up for grabs.

Noone was in agreement.

“I think [the league] is wide open,” he said. “Obviously, Franklin and Foxborough have had a mark on their backs with us winning the small Hock and Franklin winning the big Hock. But the other day Mansfield beat Franklin and North Attleborough beat King Philip.

“For now, we’re just worrying about what we can do here in Foxborough.”

Last year, as a junior, Foxborough lacrosse goaltender Greg Stamatov led the Warriors on their deepest postseason run in program history with a senior-laden team.

This year, the senior netminder, who’s ranked as the nation’s 100th best Class of 2012 player by ESPNHS, is prepared to take the Warriors a step further – to their first-ever state championship appearance.

We chatted with the Villanova signee after the Warriors’ 10-3 win over Barnstable on Friday to talk about the new season:

Q: So catch us up on what you’ve been up to since we saw last lacrosse season. Seemed like a busy schedule.

A: It was a great summer, [with the New England Select Lacrosse League Whalers] we went to the Brine Shootout, a tournament at Rutgers, King of the Hill in Pennsylvania, and those were all really good tournaments. We came in second at the Brine Shootout and that was an unbelievable tournament. We upset Tri-State from New Jersey. We lost to Calvert Hall (Mary.) in the finals, but we beat Boys Latin (Mary.) and Haverford (Penn.). But it was a great summer and I got to see some serious rubber. I feel like I got a lot better and then, all winter, we’ve all been working since November, taking shots.

Q: You were among the Massachusetts contingent at the Warrior 40 at Harvard Stadium. What was that experience like?

A: “It was crazy. It was so fun. Everyone’s the same, but with a little hint of where they’re from, you know what I mean? Everybody became good friends, it’s a just a matter of everyone meeting everyone. It’s just crazy because the talent is so good. I saw a lot of great shots.”

Q: It looks like you once again have a very strong defense in front of you this year. How much of a goaltender’s success goes back to those poles?

A: “This year, the two returning players on defense are me and Al Noonan. We know the defense like the back of our hands. But our younger guys are fast and talented and they can grasp it real quick. We’ve got fast defensemen, but they can run anything and, with that kind of D, nobody can run inside of us. I think the strength of the team is our defense. If we’re playing good on the back end, then our offense can build off of that. We just want to get a quick stop and then get the ball down field. That’s the way to hurt another team. Then, we get to rest, and we’re fresh when they come back at us. I think that’s something that can take us far in the postseason.”

Q: Speaking of which, this team is coming off its furthest postseason run in program history. What did last year’s success mean to this program as a whole?

A: “That’s the best our town has ever done and that team was almost all seniors, but even with them being gone, we still know what we want to do, and that’s to go another round further, which would be the state championship. That was a crazy ride, and we beat some great teams. But now we know what it takes to get there as a group. That’s just going to set us up even better going into this season. It’s not the same guys, but it’s the same system, same mentality.”

Q: There have been a couple of early season Hockomock League surprises so far (Mansfield, North Attleborough), but how do you see the league playing out?

A: “It’s going to be an interesting year for sure. What do I think? … (Trails off.) I don’t know what to think. I guess I think that I’m ready for anything to happen. But we don’t change our game for anything depending upon the opponent. We have some different defensive schemes and different offenses, but when it comes down to it, it’s just all about hustling to loose balls and executing the systems … If we stick to our fundamentals, we’ll be able to stick with any team.”

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Hockomock League rivals Attleboro and North Attleborough were equals through much of their Thanksgiving Day clash. The Blue Bombardier and Red Rocketeer lines roughed each other up, sloshing through a muddied turf at North.

Tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter, No. 19 North controlled play with a sustained drive that set the Red Rocketeers up with a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

However, after a pass attempt and two rushes fell short of the end zone, North’s season came down to a fourth-and-goal at the 1.

Then, North quarterback Spyro Varetimos entered the huddle with a purpose.

“He said, ‘We’re running this in for the championship,’” senior captain Paul Norris said. “Everybody just kind of lifted up at that point.”

Varetimos crossed the goal line with 5:24 remaining and Big Red held on for a 14-7 win over their town border rivals. With the victory, North (9-1, 3-1 Kelley-Rex) earned a share of the Hockomock large division title. And, although the Red Rocketeers’ season ended then and there, due to a tiebreaker won by King Philip, there was an air of accomplishment held by the teammates, not disappointment.

‘We’re co-champions of the league, that’s all we could’ve asked for,” Norris said.

Varetimos had a hand in all of North’s points, connecting with Alex Jette on a 33-yard touchdown pass to open scoring in the second quarter.

North’s lone defensive gaffe of the game came at the end of the third, when Blue Bombardiers running back Malique Clark broke off an 85-yard run to close the quarter.

The Red Rocketeers’ built their game-winning drive off the ensuing kickoff, chewing up more than four and a half minutes of the fourth.

Varetimos (12 of 20, 80 yards, TD; 9 carries, 31 yards, TD) broke the plane of the goal after his previous lunge from the 1-yard line was stopped.

“On that final drive, in the huddle, you could just feel the tension,” Varetimos said. “We needed to get in the end zone.”

PLANS DISRUPTED
North typically favors a north-south running game, but face serious resistance from Attleboro’s front four led by Zach Schwieger. The senior defensive end (3 tackles for loss) was a disruptive force along with linebacker Brandon Mooney.

Schwieger was named Defensive Player of the Game for his efforts along with causing a load of headaches for North’s coaching staff.

“We want to run the ball up the middle when we can, but they were bigger and stronger than us up the middle,” Red Rocketeers head coach Don Johnson said. “When we were trying to run outside, we got overpowered a little bit on the edge … We knew we had to mix the pass in there a little bit.”

A CHANGE OF PLANS


Given the way the Blue Bombardiers line controlled the line of scrimmage for portions of the game, North increasingly aired it out, leaning on Varetimos to gain yards via the play-action.

Varetimos’ 31-yarder to Jette was a result of an adjustment made by North against Attleboro’s over-pursuing linebackers.

“Their linebackers kept biting on the quick outs, like that, all game,” said Varetimos, who was named the game’s Offensive MVP.

North’s fourth-quarter drive was a valediction for an offensive group that sputtered early in the season.

That maturation as a group was spearheaded by the No. 15 (no, not that No. 15 in Denver, although there were some similarities) under center.

“We knew going in what kind of kid he was,” Johnson said of Varetimos. “He’s a tough kid, we knew he could run the ball a little bit. I think he’s grown tremendously from the beginning of the year and that’s a big reason for our success.”

Senior lineman and captain Anthony Plante had another way of looking at it, the way the unit finished their season on Thursday.

“We just had a little bit more desire to finish it,” Plante said of North’s drive to victory. “That’s what it comes down to.”

STRONG SENTIMENT


Despite learning the bad news that King Philip had triumphed over Franklin, handing the Warriors the division’s playoff spot, Johnson had strong parting words for his group.

“The fact that we’re not in the playoffs does not diminish that one bit,” Johnson said. “I feel confident that there will be other playoff teams in the state that couldn’t win a Hockomock League championship.

“I’m proud of our guys.”

Attleboro (7-4, 1-3) – 0 0 7 0 -- 7
North Attleborough (9-1, 3-1) – 0 7 0 7 -- 14

2nd quarter
North - Alex Jette 33-yard pass from Spyro Varetimos (Varetimos kick)

3rd quarter
Attleboro - Malique Clark 85-yard run (Tim Walsh kick)

4th quarter
North - Varetimos 1-yard run (Varetimos kick)

With conference races coming down to the wire, there was plenty of movement to our Week 10 MIAA football Top 25 poll.

Five teams barged their way into the poll this week with North Attleborough (No. 19), Swampscott (22) and Lynn English (23) jumping back into the poll after absences in the last several weeks while a pair of undefeated squads, No. 24 Mashpee and No. 25 Gardner, made their debuts.

The big mover of the week was Walpole, which jumped four spots up to No. 18, after clinching a playoff berth in the Rebels' win over Natick.

As always, give us your comments and let us know how we're doing. You may send emails to co-editors Scott Barboza (sbarboza@espnboston.com) and Brendan Hall (bhall@espnboston.com).

ST. JOHN’S PREP (4-4) at No. 3 BC HIGH (6-3)
The Skinny: The young Eagles bounced back from an 0-3 start to win four or their last five games behind electrifying sophomore Jonathan Thomas. Lucas Bavaro and the defense will have their hands full with Eagles running back Deontae Ramey-Doe who’s coming off a 200-yard game behind a talented, big offensive line led by senior Mike Prendeville and Adam Richard.

Scott Barboza: Coming off a stellar effort against Xaverian, the Eagles roll into their Turkey Day showdown with CM. BC High, 28-14.
Brendan Hall: Going with the big ol' goose egg on this one. BC High, 24-0.

OLIVER AMES (4-4) at STOUGHTON (5-4)
The Skinny: The Knights proved they’re for real with a statement win over Hockomock Kelley-Rex power Mansfield early this season. But now it’s the Davenport division title on the line and Stoughton controls their own destiny. With wins over OA and Canton, the Knights can clinch outright.

Barboza: The Knights secondary can shut down an offense, but I like Tigers running back Sam Langston to have a big game. OA, 26-24.
Hall: You think these Stoughton DB's something to watch in the deep field? Wait 'til basketball season. Stoughton, 17-10.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (7-1) at No. 10 MANSFIELD (8-1)
The Skinny: The Hornets control their own destiny when it comes to the Hockomock Kelley-Rex title. A loss and Mansfield would be hard pressed to prevail in the league’s tie-breaker system. The matchup also features some of the area’s best running backs with the Red Rockets’ Alex Jette and the Hornets’ Greg Donahue and Blayne Taylor.

Barboza: In the typical fashion of this season, the Hornets go down to the wire, but win. Mansfield, 21-20.
Hall: Don Johnson was trying to explain to me the tiebreaker scenario this afternoon, and I'm still confused. So naturally, I want to see it enacted. North Attleborough, 14-10.

SOMERSET-BERKLEY (4-5) at BISHOP FEEHAN (5-4)
The Skinny: The Shamrocks defense has rolled through Eastern Athletic Conference play thus far, not allowing a single point. The league race was decided by these two teams last year with the Blue Raiders hanging 49 points on Feehan in Somerset to clinch a playoff berth, so the Shamrocks will be looking to return the favor.

Barboza: The EAC title was decided by this very game last season, as it will this year. Only difference is the result. Feehan, 21-14.
Hall: TD Garden is the Garden, the Comcast Center is the Great Woods, and whatever they're calling this school now, it'll always be just Somerset to me. Anyways, I still owe a steak dinner to somebody down there, and Nick Freitas is a terrific coach. Somerset, 21-7.

BROCKTON (4-5) at NEW BEDFORD (4-4)
The Skinny: These teams have had their shares of ups and downs throughout the season, but the fate of the Big Three title hinges largely on this matchup. The Boxers seemed to right ship with a 3-game wining streak in the middle of the season, but are coming off two straight losses. The Whalers are still smarting over two rough losses to Dartmouth and Dennis-Yarmouth (106 points surrendered in those games) in their last three.

Barboza: The question of the year has been when will the Boxers get on track? Is this the week? Maybe, but Whalers win. New Bedford, 28-20.
Hall: One of the most feast-or-famine teams south of Boston is going to have a three-course meal Saturday. New Bedford, 17-0.

BELMONT HILL (7-0) at GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY (7-0)
The Skinny: The last two remaining ISL football squads meet in what should prove to be an emotional game as it is Hillies head coach Kevin Fleming’s final regular season game. Belmont Hill’s offense finally caught fire last week with a 42-point performance against Lawrence Academy, but the Hillies’ defense has been stifling throughout, allowing less than a touchdown per game. Gov’s is averaging 36 points per game on offense and weren’t held under 30 points until last week’s win over Milton Academy.

Barboza: Gov’s QB Tate Jozokos might be the best player in the state nobody is talking about. Maybe it’s because his lacrosse star overshadows his football ability? Gov’s, 17-14.
Hall: I know what I said on the podcast earlier. But thinking about this one again, it just wouldn't be fair for both of us to pick against Kevin Fleming in his final ISL game. Belmont Hill, 13-6.

NO. 19 EAST BRIDGEWATER (9-0) AT MASHPEE (9-0)
The Skinny: The matchup everyone's been waiting for in the South Shore League gauntlet, the No. 19 Vikings come into the game with a bit more hype, what with UNH-bound running back Casey DeAndrade (18 touchdowns) putting in another fine season and the Vikings averaging over 37 points per game. But the Falcons are no slouch, either, averaging 30.7 points per game and getting leadership out of their underrated tailback Jordan Keli'inui.

Barboza: I’ve said this is the Vikings’ year from the very beginning. EB, 20-14.
Hall: Text from our good friend Joe Burke: "I'm not just rooting for Mashpee because they're a Cape team, but because head coach Matt Triveri is a 'Barnstable guy'." Mashpee, 21-17.

NO. 6 CONCORD-CARLISLE (9-0) AT NO. 12 LINCOLN-SUDBURY (9-0)
The Skinny: This game means nothing for playoff implications, but is one of the weekend's most anticipated matchups. We know all about C-C's three-pronged rushing attack of George Craan, Tyquan Culbreath and Tim Badgley; but overlooked is one of the area's more stout defenses, led in the trenches by Andrew VanderWilden and Henry Bumpus, a unit allowing 10 points a game. Then again, the No. 12 Warriors have been even stingier, allowing just 8.1 points per game while getting plenty of production offensively from players like Chris Giorgio and Matt Cahill.

Barboza: This might be the first time this season C-C’s starters are required to play a full four quarters. C-C, 31-28.
Hall: Three heads, one monster. C-C, 30-20.

NO. 21 NATICK (8-1) AT NO. 23 WALPOLE (8-1)
The Skinny: Since losing to Needham on Oct. 21, the No. 23 Rebels haven't allowed a point. Overall, the Walpole defense is the stingiest by a wide margin, allowing just 8.1 points per game. They'll be saddled with the task of stopping a Natick offense that, one week after that Walpole contest, hung 49 on that same Needham team in a blowout win. Sophomore Troy Flutie (2,465 offensive yards, 28 total TD) has a shot at surpassing both 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing by season's end; meanwhile, freshman wideout Brian Dunlap (52 catches, 896 yards, 12 TD) is one of the state's leaders in touchdown receptions. Oh, and did we mention the Bay State Herget title is on the line again?

Barboza: If the Rebels get some early stops and a turnover or two to slow down the Red & Blue attack, they can pull it out. Walpole, 14-13.
Hall: The Red and Blue would have you believe their youth may very well show through on this one. Sorry fellas, not fooling me. Natick, 24-14.

LYNN ENGLISH (7-2) AT NO. 25 NORTH ANDOVER (8-1)
The Skinny: The CAL/NEC Division 1 title is on the line in this one. Both teams come into this contest riding a hot streak, with the unranked Bulldogs have won five straight since dropping two in a row to Beverly and Swampscott in September. The No. 25 Knights, meanwhile, haven't lost since the opening-weekend contest to rival Andover; but an injury to senior quarterback Brandon Walsh in last week's win over Masconomet has some concerned.

Barboza: Walsh’s status might be questionable after last week’s injury, but I’m sure he’ll be ready for this one. North Andover, 34-28.
Hall: I don't see the elder Walsh missing this one, and I think the Knights overall are a bit more disciplined. North Andover, 38-35.

CARDINAL SPELLMAN (9-0) AT ARLINGTON CATHOLIC (8-0)
The Skinny: The Catholic Central Large title is up for grabs here. Given the way both teams are playing on defense right now, this may be one of the weekend's more underrated matchups. AC comes into this contest having pitched shutouts in two of its last three contests. Down the road in Brockton, Spellman is allowing just 4.6 points per game, second in the state to Blue Hills (4.4), with four shutouts. A garbage-time touchdown by Austin Prep in last weekend's rout marked the first time all season an opponent got out of single digits.

Barboza: The Cardinals’ experience of going to the Super Bowl last year is the difference. Spellman, 20-14.
Hall: AC is the team absolutely no one's talking about, but Ron St. George's coaching mettle in games like this will shine through. Spellman, 20-18.

NO. 5 CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (6-1) AT NO. 13 XAVERIAN (5-4)
The Skinny: It's a simple command for CM -- win this one, and set up a Thanksgiving showdown with archrival BC High for the Catholic Conference title. The execution may be more complex, given the diversity head coach Charlie Stevenson has shown with his offense the last few weeks. One week, it was a "Wildcat" look deploying both quarterbacks Austin DeCarr and Chris Calvanese. The next, it's a "500-pound backfield" of Hunter Taute and 270-pound defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. combining for over 200 yards on the ground. But the Knights wield the ultimate X-factor: Armani Reeves, the state's most electric player out of the backfield.

Barboza: Because we’re all looking forward to a potential Thanksgiving Day battle for the Catholic Conference title. CM, 16-10.
Hall: As always, the Knights will find a way to make this one interesting. CM, 28-24.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. -- First there was Bama-LSU. Now, we've got the Hockomock League's answer to Bama-LSU, the annual showdown between No. 10 Mansfield (8-1) and North Attleborough (7-1).

Can the Red Rocketeers avenge last season's loss to Mansfield and turn the tables on the No. 10 Hornets? A Big Red win tomorrow night would force a three-way tie in the Hockomock's Kelly-Rex division (with No. 15 King Philip), and turn things over to a complicated tiebreaker system.

We checked in with NA captains Paul Norris, Anthony Plante and Will Kummer following Thursday's practice at North Attleborough Middle School:

MANSFIELD, Mass. -- In last year's edition of Mansfield-North Attleborough, the Hornets put down the Red Rocketeers at Community Field.

In this year's matchup, to be played Friday (6:30) at Mansfield High, North will be looking to repay the favor against the No. 10 Hornets. No matter what the year, no matter what their records, the matchup is one of the highlights to the Massachusetts high school football season and typically has postseason implications within the Hockomock League. This year is no different.

We caught up with Mansfield's six senior captains on Thursday to take at both sides of the ball in our game of the week:

"The Offense" - Blayne Kelley, George Busharis and Greg Donahue



"The Defense" - Zach Schafer, Dan Gilmore and Nick Leonard

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. -- During Don Johnson's tenure at North, the Red Rocketeers have been a perennial Hockomock League power known for their stout defenses.

On Wednesday, Johnson opened up his defensive playbook for Brendan Hall and broke down the variations of the Red Rocketeers' blitz schemes in our latest edition of Chalk Talk:

MANSFIELD, Mass. – For a time, Mansfield’s second-stringers lined up against Barnstable’s first-teamers in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game.

Then, what Hornets head coach Mike Redding aptly called “a playoff game with no implications” turned into exactly that after the Red Raiders put up 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to tie the game 27-27.

In the end, No. 11 Mansfield survived with a 34-33 victory in overtime, running their record to 7-1. It was more of the usual from perhaps the state’s most entertaining team.

“Well, we hadn’t done overtime yet this season,” Redding commented on the Hornets’ rash of close shaves this year. “It’s always something.”

The Hornets held a three-score lead as late as the three minute mark of the fourth quarter.

But Barnstable junior quarterback Nick Peabody engineered two quick touchdown drives, both culminating in passing scores to Tedaro France. After Terrence Mudie’s recovery of an on-side kick, the Red Raiders (4-4) moved the ball down the field once more, setting up Tom Mullen’s 26-yard field goal, tying the game with 31 seconds remaining.

Peabody kept the momentum rolling into overtime, punching in a 10-yard touchdown on the first play of the extra session. Playing for the win, Peabody rolled right on a bootleg on the ensuing 2-point try, but Mansfield defensive back Matt Barsomian batted down the pass.

“In our minds, they had missed the two PATs early, so we thought they were going for two anyway,” Barnstable head coach Chris Whidden said of the decision to go for two. “We thought our best chance to win was to go for two, but they made a play.”

Greg Donahue scored on a 5-yard run to tie the score once again and Matt Bukuras chipped in the point-after try for the win.

“The good thing is that we found a way to hang in there and win in the end,” Redding said. “The bad is all those little things that let them hang around and come back and haunt you.”

TWO TEAMS LOOKING AHEAD
No doubt both sides played their hardest, but both sides realized there’s more to the season than the non-league matchup. So Friday’s battle could serve well for both teams chances as they face critical league challenges in the coming weeks.

Barnstable, for one, has a penultimate Old Colony League contest with No. 3 Bridgewater-Raynham next week. And Mansfield hopes to close out a Hockomock large division title with two more victories.

“We wanted to get our kids out and gear up for Franklin and North [Attleborough],” Redding said, “but that backfired.”

Nonetheless, Barnstable can take with it the confidence of hanging with one of the state’s premiere programs year after year while building confidence in Peabody, who’s filled in admirably in D.J. Crook’s absence. After a slow start in the first half, when Barnstable had just 18 offensive snaps, Peabody was able to move the chains when it counted most.

“He’s proved that he’s a high quality quarterback,” Whidden said of Peabody. “That’s one position that we knew, coming into the year, that we had a lot of depth. But we just weren’t aware how good he could be and we didn’t realize we were going to have to use him.”

VIVE LA FRANCE
Whether its Theo France in the running game or Tedaro France streaking down field to snatch a pass, the Red Raider brothers pose matchup problems for opposing defenses.

On Friday night, it was the younger France stealing the show.

“Tedaro’s a playmaker and he wants the ball in his hands,” Whidden said. “He’s proven that he’s a kid that we have to find a way to get the ball into his hands. Nick [Peabody] was a receiver before he became our quarterback, so he developed the rapport before he played that position and know it’s paid off.”

GUTTING IT OUT
Although they had problems containing the Hornets rushing duo of Donahue and Blayne Taylor at times, the Red Raider defense made some significant plays down the stretch that shouldn’t be ignored.

Defensive lineman Jason Freih (2 sacks) was a disruptive force throughout and recovered a fumble that set up Barnstable’s second touchdown of the fourth quarter.

Barnstable (4-4) 0 3 7 17 6 -- 33
Mansfield (7-1) 6 6 8 7 7 -- 34

1st quarter
M - Greg Donahue 2-yard run (kick failed)

2nd quarter
B - Tom Mullen 25-yard field goal
M - Mike Blackman 11-yard pass from George Busharis (kick failed)

3rd quarter
M - Zach Schafer 22-yard pass from Busharis (Dan Gilmore pass from George Busharis)
B - Hayden Murphy 23-yard run (Mullen kick)

4th quarter
M - Mike Farrell 6-yard run (Matt Bukuras kick)
B - Tedaro France 49-yard pass from Nick Peabody (Mullen kick)
B - Tedaro France 28-yard pass from Peabody (Mullen kick)
B - Mullen 26-yard field goal

OT
B - Peabody 10-yard run (pass failed)
M - Donahue 5-yard run (Matt Bukuras kick)

ARE TRIPLE-DIGITS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR LIL’ DIBS?
Barring catastrophe, we fully expect Everett quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso to break Tom Colombo’s all-time passing touchdown mark of 85 before the month is over. He’s four away, and he’s got two games to do it – this Saturday against BC High, and on Oct. 28 in the Crimson Tide’s Greater Boston League opener against Medford.

The question now is that, with seven games left on the schedule (let’s just declare them Super Bowl-bound now), whether he can surpass the century mark. Last season, he threw for 16 scores in the Tide’s four GBL contests, and another five in two playoff wins over Andover and St. John’s Prep.

All evidence points to DiBiaso shattering the state mark and putting the record nearly out of reach, when all is said and done.

IS NO. 16 NEEDHAM FOR REAL?
A few weeks ago, when the Rockets upset then-No. 6 Weymouth, we would have told you yes. Even before that, when the Rockets went toe-to-toe in an eventual 36-30 loss to Mansfield, we’d have told you Needham’s on to something.

Now? We’re not sure what to think. Drew Burnett , a senior quarterback with Division 1 offers, broke his ankle in two places during Saturday’s 49-14 win over Milton, putting an end to one of the more promising seasons in the Bay State Conference. With a healthy Burnett, we like their chances of not only controlling their destiny in the Bay State Carey, but against whomever comes out of the Big 3 conference for the Division 1 playoffs.

Head coach David Duffy told ESPNBoston correspondent Matt Noonan earlier today that he will use a rotation of three guys at quarterback in Friday’s crucial tilt with No. 17 Walpole. The Rockets have shown to lineup quality athletes in Dan Pierce, Nico Panepinto, Ian Riley and Mark Riley (no relation), but you have to wonder how quickly the understudy can adapt to Duffy's system, which has begun to diversify the last few years.

AUBURN’S OFFENSIVE LINE IS A WAGON
We’ve sung their praises several times before, but it bears mentioning again: even after a bump in the road, No. 14 Auburn’s line is rising as one of the state’s best units.

Comprised entirely of juniors and sophomores – including a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder who is just 15 years old – this makes the Rockets at team to watch over the next few years. With short splits and a precise zone-blocking scheme, these guys are a cohesive unit up front and have been blowing teams off the ball to the tune of 17 rushing touchdowns. Dan Flink is the Rockets’ Peyton Hillis, but give speedster Fred Taylor some room to run and he is one of the shiftier players in the Worcester area.

Within the Central Mass sphere, this will continue to be one of the more dangerous teams in Division 3.

HOW TOUGH WILL THE ALL-STATE RACE BE AT RUNNING BACK?
Extremely tough.

But such is the beauty and the beast of picking a true statewide All-Star team that doesn’t just simply reward the 25 best running backs in Eastern Mass. – when you’ve got just four slots to pick from 300-plus schools, an elite player inevitably gets left off the list.

Andover’s Andrew Coke came into the season as the lone returning All-State running back (Catholic Memorial’s Armani Reeves was an athlete selection). But as good as he’s been for the 4-2, Golden Warriors, there have been better resumes through the first half of the season.

BC High’s Preston Cooper has 14 rushing touchdowns through six games and is coming off a 202-yard performance in a 32-0 blanking of a tough Marlborough squad. Concord-Carlisle’s George Craan would be on pace for a ridiculous senior season if not for the emergence of Tyquan Culbreath, and the overall ease with which the Patriots have disposed of opponents so far.

Meanwhile, a trio of Western Mass. tailbacks have emerged on the scene forcefully, all averaging seven yards or more per carry.

Springfield Putnam’s Melquawn Pinkney currently leads the state in rushing yards (1,526) and rushing touchdowns (24). Longmeadow’s T.J. Norris (1,003 rushing yards, 15 TD) is a fire hydrant at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds. Folks within the Everett program still tell us Springfield Central’s Sacoy Malone (916 yards, 7 TD) is one of the best backs they’ve faced in two years. If his performance in the Eagles’ 21-20 upset of Longmeadow last week is any indication (194 yards, 2 TD), he could be in for a terrific second half.

Also not to be forgotten is King Philip’s Charles Ruffin, who is coming on strong after a 147-yard performance in last week’s win over North Attleborough. The track star’s elite speed is known about statewide, but he’s starting show his toughness between the tackles. Health will be key, as he’s already missed some time with injury.

GIVE P-FUNK CREDIT
Back when Paul Funk was still an assistant at Everett, the program at Dennis-Yarmouth was in such shambles that the school was thinking of dropping the program altogether.

In his first year, back in 2001, the Dolphins played only JV games. Since then, he’s slowly built up a program that has become arguably the Cape’s most consistent over the last half-decade. Since their last losing season in 2006, the Dolphins are 38-12, including a 6-0 mark this year; if the Dolphins stay the course, they will wrap up their third 10-win season in six years, and their second-straight Division 2A playoff berth after earning their historic first a season ago.

This year, the Dolphins boast one of the state’s elite jump-ball receivers in Damion Johnson and arguably the toughest pound-for-pound quarterback in Matt Montalto. But it’s not about the superstars that make this program go.

More often than not, D-Y wins with undersized players who are neither big nor athletic, but embrace contact and love to hit. With little depth, most of the starters go both ways, and guys like 5-foot-7 defensive tackle Tommy Kennedy are relied upon to shoot the gaps rather than fill them. At the end of the day, this is a well-conditioned, disciplined team that has to be one of the favorites in Division 2A if all goes to plan.

WILL THE KNIGHTS BE RIDING COME DECEMBER?
Have you heard about Catholic Memorial's four FBS recruits? Have you heard about their opening day loss to Marshfield?

It’s all old news, but now the question is whether the Knights can heed the lessons learned from the Rams debacle and translate that into a Catholic Conference championship.

Following a bye week last week, the Knights will embark on their four-game conference schedule, which is bisected by a matchup with Brockton in two weeks, on Friday against Malden Catholic. The biggest of those game occurs in their Thanksgiving Day game against BC High, provided there are no missed steps along the way. You have to like CM’s chances against Malden Catholic and the Prep, but if CM can knock off Xaverian, that would set up the winner-take-all matchup at the end of their regular season schedule.

There’s no question the Knights have the talent to beat Xaverian, or the third-ranked Eagles for that matter. But, as has been the case in the last couple of seasons, it’s not about if, it’s about when. Is this the time that the group led by A.J. Doyle, Donovan Henry, Armani Reeves and Camren Williams prove good on their promise?

CAN NEW BEDFORD WIN THE BIG 3 AGAIN?
When New Bedford knocked off Brockton in their Big Three meeting last November, it was a shocking upset.

If the Whalers are to repeat the feat this year, a New Bedford victory wouldn’t be greeted with such surprise.

Myles Medeiros (11 TD passes) has the Whalers offense firing with a legitimate down-field threat in receiver Jaraud Wood, while running back Marcel DePina needs only a yard to shake loose from defenses in the open field. In addition, the defense, led by junior lineman Tyler Arena has been strong.

Meanwhile, Brockton pulled off an upset last week against New Hampshire behemoth Pinkerton Academy (its fifth straight win against the Astros), so you can’t count out the Boxers quite yet, despite a slow start (1-3) to the season. But clearly the balance of power in the Big Three (read: Brockton, Brockton and, ahem, Brockton) isn’t quite what it used to be.

… THAT BEING SAID
The most encouraging thing you can say about Brockton’s season thus far has been the emergence of quarterback Austin Roberts. The junior signal-caller had his biggest game yet last week against Pinkerton. Roberts completed 14 of 22 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns to down the Granite State’s top team.

If Roberts can keep the big plays coming, Brockton is still very much a threat.

ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM
No. 4 Chelmsford showed once again last week why the Merrimack Valley Conference Large runs through them in a thorough victory over Andover on Saturday.

But let’s not crown the Lions and Mr. Football challenger Tim Joy champions just yet. After all, they still have a pesky Central Catholic team on the schedule, in addition to huge games at Lowell and at Billerica to finish on Turkey Day. Both the Red Raiders and Indians made their debuts in our Top 25 this week after both teams have been flying under the radar a little at 5-1. Dynamic quarterback R.J. Noel has Red Raider nation believing that this could be the team to unseat Chelmsford, while the Indians feature a defense that is much improved from last year’s edition.

Plus, Billerica still has that LaSpada kid causing havoc for defenses and you can’t underestimate that.

ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM: PART DEUX
Akin to the MVC, the Hockomock League always fields one of the most competitive leagues in the state from top to bottom. And we’ve seen that parity play out in the first half, what with Stoughton’s shocking win over Mansfield.

What is for certain is that the league, which now has two playoff bids for the first time for its Davenport and Kelley-Rex winners, is still wide open.

Mansfield remains in the driver’s seat in the large division with wins over King Philip and Attleboro, but the Hornets’ game against North still looms. In the Davenport, the likely winner-take-all meeting between Oliver Ames and Stoughton is still three weeks away, but the Tigers’ matchup with Mansfield on Friday will be a good indicator of how far they’ve come this season.

WRENTHAM, Mass. -- Backed up against its own goal line following a botched punt return and facing a fourth-and goal situation, King Philip linebacker Nick Lussier burst through the center of the line and grabbed onto North Attleboro quarterback Spyro Varetimos for all he was worth.

He managed to hold the QB long enough to allow the wall of defenders to build up behind him, resulting in a huge stop that turned what could have been a potential disaster into the spark that changed the course of the game.

Lussier and fellow linebacker Brett McEvoy each finished with eight tackles to lead the 'D' while Charles Ruffin rushed for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries as the Warriors picked up a much-needed 19-7 victory over Hockomock League Kelley-Rex Division foe North Attleboro Saturday afternoon at Macktaz Field.

"That was huge," KP head coach Brian Lee of said the goal-line stand. "Everything kind of went wrong for us in the first half and we were still able to be up 7 so I was very happy. Special teams kind of put us in a hole and I'm the special teams coach so I have nobody to blame but myself. The defense really just bailed us out there."

The No. 18 Warriors, who improved to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the league, thought they had the No. 25 Red Rocketeers (5-1, 1-1) stopped cold just beyond midfield. KP forced NA to punt, but the ball tailed toward the sideline and bounced several times, making it difficult to field. Reid Holden recovered for the Rocketeers at the KP 7, and they pushed it close to the goal line with a pair of runs and a short pass before Lussier came up with the big stop.

"We were all saying on the defense that we don't pick the situations when we go out there," explained Lussier. "We banded together, the whole unit. We don't have one standout player, we're a unit together. And we believed in each other and we just said, 'You know what? We didn't ask for this but we've got to make the best of it' and we did. We stopped them."

That set the tone for the Warrior defense, who held North to just 20 rushing yards, and 133 yards of total offense. KP allowed nine first downs in the game, five of which came on the Rocketeers final drive against a prevent defense while trailing, 19-0.

"We weren't able to run the ball and control the clock on offense. That's what we were able to do in all our other games," NA head coach Don Johnson said. "I think after we look at the film we're probably going to walk away and say KP's defense was pretty good. I'm sure we made our share of mistakes out there but I think they made us make those mistakes."

RUFFIN PLAYING HURT
KP's star running back Charles Ruffin can't seem to catch a break when it comes to his right ankle. He originally injured it two weeks ago in a 27-26 loss to Mansfield and sat out last week's 28-13 win over Oliver Ames.

The talented senior rushed for 84 yards and a 2-yard TD in the first half, but had to leave the game for a brief spell after getting the ankle twisted on a draw play right before the break.

"Its just gonna be a labor here," said Lee on Ruffin's injury. "He's really dinged up and doing what he's supposed to do. We needed him today and he came back and played. And he knows he maybe shouldn't be playing but he's sucking it up and knows he wants to be a part of this. It killed him to not be playing last week so he wanted to get in there."

Ruffin sat out the Warriors first series of the second half, but returned in style with a 13-yard TD on a sweep around the right side and was able to grit his teeth enough to stay in the backfield and help KP eat up valuable clock time.

"Our coaches, what they have us do, they have us remember a definition called 'Accountability.' You have to have the quality state of mind to be an accountant for your team," Ruffin explained. "That's what I'm trying to through adversity for my team. I know it hurts but I gotta suck it up and have that mental toughness to go back in the game."

TIMELY PASSING HELPS
It's easy to get lost in the large shadow cast by the talented Ruffin, but the maturation and development of KP sophomore quarterback John Dillon is going to give opponents something to think about when they try to load up the box to attack the run.

Listed at 6-feet, 156 pounds, Dillon is displaying a knack for coming through with a big play when the Warriors need one. His final numbers are nothing a quick glance at the box score will get you excited about (4-for-6, 87 yards) but it was about when the completions came and what they led to that made a big difference.

In the second quarter of a scoreless game, after four straight Ruffin carries moved KP from its own 40 to the NA 32, Dillon fooled everyone by firing a quick pass over the middle to Sam McDonald, who was wide open behind the Rocketeer linebackers. The play went for 30 yards, and Ruffin went in from the two for the game's first score.

On a third-and-10 in the third quarter, Dillon executed a perfect play-action fake and connected again with McDonald for 30 yards to set his team up at the NA 30. The Warriors ultimately missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, but Dillon once again came up with a big play to keep a potential scoring drive alive.

Then in the fourth on second-and-8 at the Rocketeers 40, Dillon drilled a 22-yard pass to wideout Mike Viola. Two plays later, Ryan Dunn bulled through the middle for a 14-yard touchdown run that gave the Warriors a 19-0 lead with 8:02 remaining.

"He's a young kid back there but whenever we call on him to make plays, he's been able to do it in a tough league," Lee said in praise of Dillon. "He's playing smart and doing what we ask. Not trying to win everything but just trying to make a play when he can. He's very bright and he's played in two big games now and he's really done a great job in both of them for us."

KING PHILIP 19, NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 7
NA (5-1) 0 0 0 7 - 7
KP (5-1) 0 7 6 6 - 19

KP - Charles Ruffin 2 run (Ryan Dunn kick)
KP - Ruffin 13 run (kick blocked)
KP - Dunn 14 run (rush failed)
NA - Wesley Nichols 1 run (Spyro Varetimos kick)