Attleboro native son Geoff Cameron, the rookie midfielder for the Houston Dynamo, is one of three finalists for Major League Soccer's Rookie of the Year award. Cameron played in 23 MLS matches for the Dynamo with one goal and two assists...

Former King Philip Regional High standout Becky Bullock not only captained and played at the No. 2 singles spot for the UMass-Dartmouth women's tennis team this fall, she led the Corsairs to a 15-1 record, a 7-0 slate and the Little East Conference title and into the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament (which will be held in the spring) in Atlanta...

Mary Shea of Foxboro, the senior captain of the UMass field hockey team, was honored before the final regular-season home match against Temple, scoring the match-winning (and A-10 Conference title too)goal in a shootout, while also scoring a goal in the shutout win over St. Joe's. Shea appears locally with the Minutemen Saturday afternoon at Providence College...

"Going to the playoffs, we need a strong defense, we need to control the back," related Attleboro High boys' soccer coach Peter Pereira of shifting midfielder Brandon Martins to a sweeper back spot...

Similarly staunch on the defensive backline is North Attleboro stopper Colin Flynn, "he just reads the game so well and he's very good on head balls," said Rocketeer coach Steve Santos... There will be another game of quite a lot of local interest today when the unbeaten Attleboro High freshman football team (7-0) visits the unbeaten Bishop Feehan High football team (5-0). The Shamrocks, paced by Tim Dunn, Zach Schwieger and Jim Corbesero have yielded only six points thus far. For the Bombardiers, Dylan Vaillancourt, Brandon Mooney, Matt Borgellas, Tyler Lindsey and Chris Vignoni have been the standouts...

"For a freshman to be starting is an accomplishment, but she's done a nice job for us at outside midfield," said King Philip High girls' soccer coach Greg Massotti of Warrior rookie Meg Rico. "She has good speed, she's versatile with both feet and she does a nice job of crossing balls"...

"She has speed and she has strength," related Seekonk High cross country coach Eli Mello of sophomore Jen Salit, who won the SCC Championship Meet title by over a minute...

The most improved member of Bob L'Homme's Bishop Feehan High boys' cross country team has to be junior Alex Murray, who was the next-to-last Shamrock runner two seasons ago and now among the top seven...

What a pleasant surprise it was for former Bishop Feehan striker, soccer star Jen Leaverton to make her first area appearance in a St. John's University uniform (at Providence College) and have the entire 2008 Shamrock edition in attendance...

Out of the lineup for Jack Whalen's Seekonk High football team is running back-receiver-defensive back Alex Miller, out for the season with a broken collarbone; but back onto the field after a four-week long quadriceps strain is Norton High fullback-linebacker Steve Gilmore...

"That's the reason that the kids selected her as a captain as a junior," said Foxboro High girls' soccer coach Caitlin Annicelli of junior attacking midfielder Carley Martyniak, "she does all the dirty work"...

Bishop Feehan High senior striker Dan Galvin of Attleboro is relentless in creating opportunities for the Shamrocks. "He's got great individual skills, he knows the game, he's the whole package," said Shamrock coach Mike Pariseau...

Senior and backline hitter Katie O'Neil has "really come into her own," said North Attleboro High volleyball coach Lorraine Weymouth after moving into the starting lineup at midseason...

The Mansfield High coaching fraternity has added Danielle Matook as the swimming coach, Mike Pailler as the wrestling coach, Mark Barry as the hockey coach and Nicole Longo as the gymnastics coach... The Nichols College men's soccer team (9-8-1) is headed to the Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs for the first time since 1997 and posted its best record since 1982 with a pair of locals in the lineup, sophomore midfielder Mark Capitano of Mansfield, who had four goals (three of them match-winners) and four assists in 14 starting assignments, while Brendan Hamilton of North Attleboro started in goal in 12 matches, posting an 8-3-1 slate with a 1.25 goals against mark...

The pride of the Boston College women's basketball team, Wrentham's Ayla Brown sang the National Anthem prior to the Boston Celtics' season opener Tuesday...

At the University of New England, former Red Rocketeer Dan Crear, a freshman midfielder, has three goals and assist in 15 matches for the men's soccer team...

With a keen eye on Tuesday's elections will be former Foxboro High runner Dan Libon, now hoofing it for the Wheaton College Lyons. Libon is the South Shore Region Director for the College Democrats of Massachusetts, attended the National Democratic convention in Colorado and is past co-president of the school's chapter of the College Democrats of America...

Former North Attleboro High swimmer Katy Purdum, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering, is also the captain for the Western New England College's women's swim team this season...

Foxboro High cross country coach Mike Atwood was bemoaning the losses of his top two runners for the Hockomock League Meet due to injuries, the lone senior on the squad, captain Tyler Lewis (quadriceps) and junior captain Jason Beland (ankle)...

Former Bishop Feehan star Nick Schwieger suffered an MCL sprain when the Dartmouth College football team played at Columbia last weekend. "Which is a non-surgical," said coach Buddy Teevens. "It was a grade one, which is not as significant as a two or a three. He sprained his ankle and got his knee on the same hit. He's a tough kid and a tough-minded individual so I wouldn't be surprised if he's back before they say he's going to be back"...

PETER GOBIS can be reached at 508-236-0375 or at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com.