Boys’ hoop season ends in D2 south quarters

The CHS boys’ basketball team’s magical and exciting ride came to an end Friday night at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro as the 21-1 Shamrocks kept their 15-game winning streak intact with a 73-56 win over the Bulldogs.

Senior captain Tristin Morris (Mike Barucci photo)

The loss came in the quarterfinals of the Division 2 south playoffs, eliminating Canton from postseason contention after a historic 14-8 season. Two days earlier, the eighth-seeded Bulldogs had beaten Sandwich 66-57 at home for their program-record 10^th win in a row.

Against top-seeded Bishop Feehan, Canton tried mightily but was ultimately defeated by a stronger opponent — one that had nine players above six feet tall, including star center Frank Oftring.

The 6’5” junior proved to be the difference in the game, amassing 29 points and double-digit rebounds. “We had no answer for him,” head coach Ryan Gordy said of Oftring. “We tried several things — one, two players, zone — none of which worked. He was just too much for us.”

It is easy to see why Bishop Feehan is 21-1. The Shamrocks have a deep, young team that plays excellent defense and a patient, four-corner offense, which leads to a player driving baseline and ditching off to Oftring or passing to another player for an open three-point shot.

The Shamrocks also play in a small gym with outstanding support from students, parents, and alumni. Friday night’s game quickly sold out, and the noise factor was so intense that Gordy had to use hand signals to communicate with the players on the court. There was also a strong contingent of Canton student fans who let their feelings for CHS senior Sam Larson be known with chants of “MVP” every time he touched the ball.

Still, the Shamrock team defense made life very difficult for the Bulldogs, containing Larson — a league all-star and 1,000-point scorer — to 15 points, with most of them coming in the second half. The Shamrocks also played close attention to Canton’s two other main scorers, Tristin Morris and Matt Kelley. Morris was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 18 points while Kelley was limited to eight points.

The Bulldogs had to work hard for every point, and the Shamrocks took advantage of several Bulldog turnovers to build leads of 25-9 at the end of the first quarter, 45-20 at the half, and 55-39 at the end of the third quarter.

Refusing to give up, Canton fought back in the fourth and managed to cut the lead to 14 points with 6:32 remaining on a Rui Depina three-pointer. However, as Gordy and Bishop Feehan head coach Matt Freeman later agreed, Oftring was the difference maker, scoring a key basket several times to thwart the Bulldog comeback.

“When Canton cut the lead to 14 points, I was nervous,” Freeman admitted. “We scouted Canton and know they have the firepower to get hot and get back in the game very quickly. Canton is a great team, led by Larson, who is such an excellent athlete. [Gordy] has done a tremendous job over there … Fortunately, we were able to make the needed plays on both ends of the court to stop them.”

The Bulldog starters played hard for the entire game, led by Morris, Larson, and senior Ato Botsio, who was all over the court and finished with 12 points and several rebounds. DePina also played well in reserve, coming off the bench to lead the attack.

“Bishop Feehan is a very, very good team,” Gordy said. “They have a lot of guys who can hurt you, and they did. We had no answer for [Oftring] tonight. He was tremendous. The better team won tonight.”

The win propelled Bishop Feehan into the Division 2 south semifinals, setting up a date with Milton on March 4. The other semifinals game pitted Sharon versus Walpole on March 5.

Meanwhile, many Canton fans will remember the Bulldogs’ first home playoff win in over 12 years after they came from behind to defeat No. 9 Sandwich (13-7) on Wednesday night, February 26.

After falling behind 31-25 at halftime, the Bulldogs made the necessary adjustments in the second half to contain Sandwich’s Joey Downes, himself a 1,000-point scorer.

Larson led the offense with 25 points and Morris added 18, including back-to-back three-point plays in the third quarter that pushed the Bulldog lead to five.

Sandwich did tie the game early in the fourth quarter, but a Kelley three pointer gave Canton back the lead. The game was clinched later in the period as senior center Scott Olshaker rejected a layup attempt, leading to a Larson free-throw opportunity and an eight-point advantage. The gym was filled with Canton students and fans, all excited about the playoff game and the chance to move on in the tournament.

After the Bishop Feehan loss, Gordy said he was proud to coach this year’s team. “This team gave us lots to cheer about,” he said. “We set many records (10 straight wins, most points scored in a game), and this team set the standard for other teams in the future. I have never been prouder of our seniors. I am proud to be their coach.”

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Posted by Mike Berger on Mar 6 2014. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.