Locals in the running

SEEKONK - If Johnny Gregorek puts his best foot forward, will the Seekonk High Warrior return from Northfield as the MIAA Division 2 state cross country champion Saturday?

Playoffs a win away for T-C

FRANKLIN - Beating Holbrook in the rain was last week. Beating Old Colony a month ago is ancient history. Advancing to the MIAA Division 4 playoffs and Super Bowl is but a distant memory.

GOBIS: Keefer brothers make AHS soccer history

**For the first time in the illustrious history of Attleboro High School boys' soccer, not one, but two Bombardiers - and brothers at that! - Jake and Justin Keefer have been selected the the Mass. State Coaches association All-Star team, Jake as a striker and Justin as a defender. Jake Keefer was the OCL MVP and Justin was the runner-up in the vote tabulation ...

Showcase event

MANSFIELD - The annual Sun Chronicle All-Star Soccer Classic, featuring the area's best male and female high school soccer players, will be held Saturday afternoon at Mansfield High's Alumni Field.

No crying in Foxboro

FOXBORO - Rex Ryan makes no apologies for who he is or what he does.

Patriots a hurtin' bunch

FOXBORO - The Patriots apparently could use a good health care plan in the wake of Sunday's game in Indianapolis.

FARINELLA: Braintrust losing its way?

It's amazing how many people feel the need to come running to Bill Belichick's defense over the infamous fourth-and-2 decision in Sunday night's game.

Wheaton men drop opener

BOSTON - Brian Walmsley would have considered his Wheaton College men's basketball team's chances to be deemed very good knowing that D3Hoops preseason All-American guard Jeremy Shannon of Lowell, the senior backcourt star, would be limited to just five shots, one field goal and three points.

POP WARNER: North advances to semis

NORTH ATTLEBORO - Only two more wins stand between the North Attleboro Jets Pop Warner football team and a potential trip to Florida.

Feehan earns EAC title

ATTLEBORO - Returning to the MIAA football playoffs was no cakewalk for the Bishop Feehan High School football team.

Cameron honored by MLS

HOUSTON - Attleboro's Geoff Cameron, the second year defender for the Houston Dynamo, was named to Major League Soccer's Best XI Team for the 2009 season.

Double jeopardy

QUINCY - It took 93 minutes and a perfectly placed free kick to end the Cinderella run of the King Philip boys' soccer team through the Division 1-South Sectional tournament, Catholic Memorial's Hamadi Cantaue burying a shot from 28 yards out in the second overtime of the semifinal match to send the Warriors home with a 1-0 loss.

Feehan can't keep up with Mewis, W-H

QUINCY - It wasn't long before the best player on the field made her presence felt on Sunday evening at Veterans Memorial Field at Quincy.

Bitter farewell for AHS

HYANNIS - For a game that had such a promising start Sunday, the finish was nothing less than utter frustration for the Attleboro High School football team.

Rocketeers fly by Canton

NORTH ATTLEBORO - No letdown here.

Pats take on 8-0 Colts

FOXBORO - Tony Dungy is gone, moving on to new duties as an NBC studio "expert" and spiritual mentor to troubled Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick.

SWIMMING: Shamrocks impress

CAMBRIDGE - Take a bow, senior Kendra Cheng, a two-time champion and record setter.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: MHS, Seekonk shine

BOSTON - So let's have the Hornets and Warriors race - after all, the Mansfield High Hornets and the Seekonk High Warriors proved themselves to be among the most elite cross country teams in the Commonwealth.

GOBIS: Pool is Foley's home away from home

Here's how dedicated Erin Foley is as a swimmer - a good night's rest after becoming a two-time MIAA South Sectional swimming champion, the Bishop Feehan High junior was in the pool the very next morning at 7.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: 'Rocks win again

BOSTON - For the fifth consecutive year, the seventh time over the past eight fall seasons, there is no better girls' cross country team among those entered in the Division 3 field for the MIAA Meet than the Bishop Feehan High Shamrocks.

T-C earns at least a share

HOLBROOK - The only things missing were the leather helmets.

VOLLEYBALL: Feehan ousted

WAREHAM - As precisely as the Shamrocks served, as mightily were the hits at the net, the Bishop Feehan High volleyball team kept seeing the ball bounce back over the net Saturday afternoon.

FARINELLA: Co-ops need support too

Ponderous thoughts I was pondering in a coffee shop in Weymouth, typing away with nary a care in the world:

KP has shot at Hock

FOXBORO - It just may have been the biggest win in King Philip High football history.

D-R wins SCC

REHOBOTH - The agony, the anguish are all but remnants now - the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High Falcons are the South Coast Conference football champions.

Second half power MHS

EAST BRIDGEWATER - Maybe it was the letdown from the previous week's loss to North Attleboro, or the lower-division status of the opponent, or the dim lighting, small crowd or threat of rain on an already-muddy field.

Medway gives a little payback to Lancers

MEDWAY - Maybe it was a bit of payback for last season, when the Norton High football team ended the Tri-Valley League championship and playoff aspirations of a then-unbeaten Medway team.

Banta-Cain happiest back where he started

FOXBORO - The Prodigal Son of the Patriots learned quickly enough that more money in the game check doesn't always translate into more success or happiness.

Feehan, D-R, T-C thinking title

ATTLEBORO - The Shamrocks win - and they're EAC champions again.

All or nothing for KP

BRIDGEWATER - Coming off last week's loss to North Attleboro, Mansfield is officially out of the race for a playoff berth, the first time the Hornets have been out of playoff contention this early since 2000, when Mansfield finished 4-4 in the Hock.

Feehan eases into South finals

EASTON - Playing with poise, with patience, with pride - it may have not been a perfect performance by the Bishop Feehan High volleyball team, but it was good enough to produce a 3-0 victory over Oliver Ames in the semifinal round of the MIAA Division 2 South Sectional Tournament Thursday in the Tigers' Bill Nixon Gymnasium.

GOBIS: North coach gets game ball

Back in the North Attleboro High locker room after the Rocketeers' stunning, fourth-quarter rally and victory over Mansfield High, the three Big Red captains - Joe Kummer, Dylan Rayburg, and Josh Harris - surrounded by the team and coaches presented assistant coach Ryan Van De Giesen with the game ball. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Connolly may start at center

FOXBORO - Every offensive play in a football game starts with one man's hand on the ball.

MHS routed

TAUNTON - The Hornets were running back, then forward, often caught in a logistical nightmare - the result of playing not just one of the premier field hockey teams in the Commonwealth, but along the Eastern Seaboard.

KP upends OA

EASTON - The MVP of the Hockomock League, senior striker Matt Heagney, extended his frame, just enough to create a half-stride of space for himself ahead of a defender from Oliver Ames High.

SOCCER: Feehan girls reach semifinals

ATTLEBORO - It wasn't the prettiest of victories for the once-beaten Bishop Feehan girls' soccer team, the Shamrocks relying on counterattacking a physical Wellesley team as the No. 2 seeded Shamrocks avoided the upset with a 1-0 victory in the MIAA Division 1-South quarterfinal round match Wednesday at McGrath Stadium.

Respectful quarterbacks deflect spotlight

FOXBORO - It's never really Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, as much as the networks and talk-show hosts would like for you to think it is.

Manning, Colts impressed with Mansfield's McDermott

FOXBORO - Brett McDermott isn't with a pro football team right now, but at least the former Mansfield High School and Holy Cross wide receiver left a very positive impression this past summer with a very important Indianapolis Colt.

Boxers KO North

NORTH ATTLEBORO - The North Attleboro High School girls' volleyball team accomplished what it set out to do Tuesday, at least in the first game of the MIAA Division 1-South Sectional Tournament quarterfinals.

FARINELLA: Game was close to perfection

Ponderous thoughts I was pondering while packing my bags for a football excursion to Barnstable High:

Harlem Rockets to visit NAHS

NORTH ATTLEBORO - The North Attleboro High School Hockey Boosters will be hosting some special guests on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Attleboro High School Gymnasium. The Harlem Rockets, a talented group of basketball entertainers who combine incredible showtime basketball skills and family-friendly comedy will face the "Dream Team" in a game benefiting the high school hockey program. The high school hockey team is a totally booster-funded team who play in the Hockomock League representing North Attleboro High School. It is necessary for the teams to raise $55,000 for this year alone.

Feehan girls double up Silver Lake

ATTLEBORO - A revamped defense, a revised roster and a deficit - it made matters all the more difficult for the Bishop Feehan High girls' soccer team Monday evening at McGrath Stadium in the opening round of the MIAA Division 1-South Sectional Tournament.

GIRLS SOCCER: Upsets for Norton, D-R

BOURNE - Relying upon the strength of their intensive Tri-Valley League schedule, the Norton High girls' soccer team once again proved to be a giant-killer in the MIAA Division 2-South Sectional Tournament Monday.

GOBIS: Devoy a perfect 10 on the pitch

Wearing No. 10 on the soccer pitch carries responsibilities, leadership and production - the player through whom attacking schemes are orchestrated, the player who always seems to be a catalyst in winning back possession of the ball, the player who leads the team by example.

BOYS SOCCER: Underdog role suits KP fine

EASTHAM - The King Philip Regional High boys' soccer team relishes the challenge of being contested for loose balls, playing on the road, even, having the officials look upon the Warriors with ill-favor.

VOLLEYBALL: Shamrocks move on

FAIRHAVEN - Tournament-tested already with five grueling non-league losses against some of the best teams in the state, a trip to South Coast Conference foe Fairhaven wasn't exactly a piece of cake for the Bishop Feehan High girls' volleyball team, but the Shamrocks were more than ready and prevailed in four games Monday night.

Lyons tripped up in finals

Former Foxboro High standout Dan Hixon, a junior, scored the tying goal in the 67th minute of play as the Babson College men's soccer team nipped Wheaton 2-1 Sunday in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament,

Defense saves the day for Hornets

MANSFIELD - The once-beaten, Hockomock League champion Mansfield High field hockey team has proven its power on offense, having an arsenal of weapons with the ability to score from anywhere on the field.

Survival of the fastest

ATTLEBORO - The runs by speedy Ryan Hagen, the throw-ins by rugged Mac Steeves, a near miss here and there - the Attleboro High School boys' soccer team avoided danger at every twist and turn for 80 tantalizing minutes Sunday in winning their preliminary round match of the MIAA Division 1-South Tournament, 1-0 over Needham.

Out of options

FOXBORO - They survived the Wildcat. They took options away from the option. They brought back the long pass play. And they shut up Joey Porter.

FARINELLA: Reclusive Moss in elite company

Randy Moss is as fast off the field as he is on it. Just ask the reporters who were sitting in the Gillette Stadium auditorium after Sunday's 27-17 Patriots win over the Miami Dolphins.

Patriots play some tricks of their own

FOXBORO - It's often a chess match between coaches and their coordinators on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage.

A not-so-special day for Dolphins' Ginn

FOXBORO - Miami's Ted Ginn Jr. knifed his way through the New York Jets' kick coverage a week ago, leaving a trail of wreckage in his wake as he completed two touchdown returns of 100 yards of more.

Spirited comeback

MANSFIELD - Not until the final pass fell to the ground, tipped a couple of times and barely out of the reach of a potential receiver, was this game settled Saturday.

GIRLS SOCCER: Foxboro eases on

FOXBORO - Dominating play throughout the MIAA Division 2-South preliminary-round match at Ahern Field, the Foxboro High School girls' soccer team eased past Bishop Stang 2-0 to win its first postseason game in five years.

BOYS SOCCER: KP wins shootout

WRENTHAM - No refunds and no regrets, that's what the King Philip Regional High boys' soccer team had to offer on Macktaz Field Saturday afternoon in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 1-South Sectional Tournament.

AFC East clash on tap

FOXBORO - It's easy to forget, amid the Patriots' dominance of the AFC East over the past decade, that the Miami Dolphins are the defending division champions.

FARINELLA: Kraft bridge shouldn't be a gift

We in this area have known for some time of the plans by Robert Kraft and family to build an industrial park on land he owns across U.S. 1 from Gillette Stadium, and his desire to have a footbridge span the highway to link the two parcels with less risk to pedestrians.

VOLLEYBALL: Somerset KO's D-R

REHOBOTH - The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High volleyball team could not have responded to the challenge any better, but still lost a heart-stopper of an opening round match in the MIAA Division 2-South Tournament, falling 3-1 to Somerset High Saturday.

CROSS COUNTRY: Larrimer shines for Seekonk

WRENTHAM - Junior Nate Larrimer clocked a personal best time by nearly 30 seconds on the 3.1 mile course at the Wrentham State School Saturday as the Seekonk High Warrior finished first at the Mass. State Track Coaches Association Invitational Cross Country Meet.

MHS sweats it out

MANSFIELD - It was only a matter of time.

Lancers get job done

NORTON - The defense was on the field for nearly 16 minutes of the first half and hadn't surrendered a point.

Falcons in control of SCC

REHOBOTH - If you happened to be reviewing the first half of Friday night's game at Roy Field in your mind during the break, you might have remarked to yourself, "Hmmm, I haven't seen anything from Brian Espinosa so far."

Warriors unleash air attack

FOXBORO - The Foxboro High football team makes no effort to disguise itself. A running team through and through, the Warriors live and die on the rush.

FOOTBALL: AHS rumbles past Dartmouth

ATTLEBORO - Matty Campbell had 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns as the Attleboro High football team picked up its first Old Colony League victory of the season Friday night, 26-7 over Dartmouth.

VOLLEYBALL: Feehan, T-C move on

ATTLEBORO - The Bishop Feehan High volleyball team began its quest for the MIAA Division 2-South Sectional Tournament title with a most impressive 3-0 victory over Pembroke High Friday in the opening round, turning the tables on the Titans 25-12, 25-8, 25-3.

Welker won't underestimate Dolphins' rookies

FOXBORO - The last time the Patriots played a team with two rookies starting at cornerback, they scored 59 points against the newcomers' team.

Hock title no cinch for MHS-North winner

MANSFIELD - Everything seems just a little off with this year's annual North-Mansfield clash.

D-R faces another big test

REHOBOTH - Injuries have taken their toll on the Dighton-Rehoboth High football program. Starting center Mark Wetherall went down in the first game of the season against Somerset with season-ending ACL and MCL damage.

FIELD HOCKEY: Wellesley too quick for D-R

WELLESLEY - When you're holding practice on the high school track surface instead of the grass field you've been playing on all season, chances are you're fighting an uphill battle.

Ginn a whole different animal for Miami

FOXBORO - Wildcats are one thing. Ted Ginn Jr. channeled the cheetah last week.

NOTEBOOK: Thomas says no to strike

FOXBORO - Adalius Thomas was adamant Thursday about shooting down rumors of a possible players' strike.

Revs not out of the woods, yet

FOXBORO - Do the New England Revolution aim to beat the Chicago Fire in the second leg of their two-match, total goal Eastern Conference semifinal round MLS playoff series Saturday night in the Windy City?

GOBIS: Nelson shuts 'em down

Former Attleboro High School soccer goalie Phil Nelson is having a terrific senior season in net for the Lafayette College Leopards (9-6-2) with a 7-3-2 record, a 0.63 goals against mark and eight shutouts. In the Leopards' current five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1), Nelson has 19 saves and four shutouts, being highlighted among the "Who's Who" this week on the Soccer Channel ...

Warriors live to play another day

FOXBORO - With its back up against the wall for the second straight game, the Foxboro High field hockey team kept its season alive, defeating Dedham 2-1 in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 2-South tournament Wednesday afternoon at Foxboro High.

Dolphins shaped by Tuna

FOXBORO - One way or another, it always comes back to Bill Parcells.

Dolphins' LB Porter still chirping away

FOXBORO - Joey Porter sounded fairly good-natured about it, but the former Pittsburgh linebacker, currently with a total of 12 tackles with the Miami Dolphins, managed to invoke the evil spirits of Spygate in his conference call with the New England media on Wednesday.

Postseason kicks into high gear

Local teams began the quest for an MIAA championship Wednesday, as the field hockey tournament started with Foxboro's victory over Dedham in a preliminary round game.

Feehan suffers second setback

ATTLEBORO - The Bishop Feehan High boys' soccer team, which had lost just once through its first 17 matches of the regular season, heads into the MIAA Division 2-South Sectional Tournament with a loss, the Shamrocks' second, a 3-0 decision to Medfield Wednesday in a non-league match.