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W-H football gobbled up by Abington

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Junior Nik Dolan. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team dropped its 109th Thanksgiving Day game with Abington, 27-14.

For Abington High football head coach Jim Kelilher, there is no bigger game than Thanksgiving.

This is his 52nd season as a part of the Green Wave’s Turkey Day game against Whitman-Hanson. The rivalry turned 109 this season.

So, despite punching their ticket to the Div. 7 Super Bowl, there was no way Kelliher was going to sit his starters, as some other Super Bowl-bound coaches did across the state. He had too much respect for the rivalry.

“It’s a football game and we play our starters each and every Friday or Saturday,” Kelliher said. “We weren’t going to do any different today. You’ll remember this one (game) the most.”

And the Green Wave’s starters shone. Senior captain Will Klein scored two of his three touchdowns in the second quarter to give the Green Wave a 14-0 lead en route to a 27-14 victory.

A 57-yard pitch and catch from Colby Augusta to Drew Donovan pushed the Abington (10-2) lead to 21-0 before the half. For a team that lost its starting quarterback in its first game of the season, the Panthers (2-10) proved to be scrappy, pulling within 21-7 right before halftime on a 60-yard touchdown run by Nik Dolan.

Klein was just too much, though, scoring his third touchdown of the game in the third, ballooning Abington’s advantage to 27-7. W-H countered late with a 40-yard strike from Andrew Cloutman to senior Colby Garden, but it wasn’t enough.

W-H still leads the all-time series with Abington, 60-46-3.

Curry’s Villanueva develops new appreciation for football: ‘I missed it more than anything.’

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Nick Villanueva. / Courtesy photo: SportsPix

Nick Villanueva is an “all-around” leader for the Colonels.

As he sat in his dorm room at the University of Rhode Island in the fall of 2015, Nick Villanueva couldn’t help but think about one thing — football.

For the first time since third grade, there were no shoulder pads to put on, cleats to tie or playbook to study. He was out of the game. 

“I missed it more than anything,” Villanueva, a Hanson resident said. “At that time, all I could really do was follow the Patriots. I was watching football every day.”

Villanueva opted to attend URI in order to pursue a degree in engineering despite being recruited by colleges to play football, after hauling in 31 passes for 538 yards and two touchdowns in his senior season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High in 2014. He quickly realized URI wasn’t the place for him.

“I started missing the game and everybody because I saw the football team there playing and everyone preparing for the season,” Villanueva said. “It was the first time I hadn’t had to go through camp and everything.”

It wasn’t completely lost time for Villanueva, though. He pushed himself to the limit in the weight room, with a mission of getting back into the game the following year. After transferring to Curry College, he was one step closer.

“I had a coach who coached at W-H and coached at Curry, coach [Steve] Scott, and he told me a lot about Curry and the program and I should give it a shot,” Villanueva said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been waiting,’ and I kind of made my decision really quick.”

His next step was to pick up the phone and call Curry head coach Skip Bandini.

“I told him who I was and that I was interested in playing football,” Villanueva said. “I had to almost ask to play.”

Bandini let Villanueva come to camp. He caught the coach’s attention right away.

“I saw a kid that was very well mannered,” Bandini said. “He’s very articulate. Coach Scott said that this is a kid that we want on our team and coach Scott was right.”

Since making the team, Villanueva has blossomed into Curry’s go-to offensive weapon at wide receiver, earning Second-Team All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Football Offensive selection in 2017 and Second-Team All-CCC honors last season. But his biggest achievement came heading into this season: being voted as team captain.

“It’s a great honor,” Villanueva said. “To have my teammates think of me as a leader for them makes me feel incredible. I just want to be a member of the team and not only lead by example but make sure everyone’s on the same page.”

Bandini called Villanueva an “all-around leader.”

“Any company would love to hire this kid,” he said. “We have players speak in front of recruits all the time and their parents. He gets up there and is very articulate, passionate about what he talks about, clear and concise and he certainly delivers a great message, so I think that makes him stand out above the other people.”

Last season, Villanueva ranked in the top five in the conference in receptions (50, third), receptions per game (5.0, second), receiving yards (655, fourth), receiving yards per game (6.5, third) and yards per reception (13.1, third).

“The system is great and practicing every day and just being part of the system kind of made it happen,” Villanueva said. “My teammates make me that much better, I just happened to be the one in the right place at the right time.”

Villanueva said he has a new appreciation for the game of football now, after going a year without it.

“Coming to Curry changed my whole life,” Villanueva said. “It was probably the greatest decision I’ve ever made. Whether I have anything going on in my personal life or school, once I step foot between those sidelines and get on the field, all that goes out the window and it’s a whole new life. I loved the game my whole life but having that time off made me realize it’s not always going to be there for me so I have to take advantage of it while I have it.”

Season Preview: W-H football is looking to surprise some people

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A recent Panthers scrimmage vs. EB. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers enter the new year with a bevy of lost production, but they think they have the answers to fill those shoes.

Nine-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll knows well what his team is tasked with replacing.

That’s seven starters on offense, eight starters on defense and 21 players in total, who produced 2,472 yards of offense, 33 touchdowns, 594 tackles, 21.5 sacks and eight interceptions last fall alone. While the losses are eye-popping, Driscoll said the cover isn’t as bare as it may appear. 

“In all honesty, we have probably eight guys who started games on defense for us and we have another six who started games on defense for us due to injuries or something else that happened during the season,” said Driscoll, whose team finished 8-3 last season. “So we have experience.”

While the offense will likely take some time to develop with the bevy of new faces, Driscoll said the Panthers are going to rely heavily on their defense. W-H held opponents to just over 11 points per game last fall.

“We feel really good about our defense,” Driscoll said. “They’re flying around. We’re quick and we’re going to come at you from all different angles this year.”

The secondary will key the unit with senior captain Tommy George (22 tackles and two interceptions last season) back as a starter at cornerback. Senior Devin Coulstring will start opposite George, while junior Jason Murphy will start at strong safety as will senior Jon Zeidan at free safety. They all have some experience under their belts.

“We have a lot of depth there with those guys back,” Driscoll said. “Jason is one of the better strong safeties in the area.”

Senior returning starters, captain C.J. Guiliani (55 tackles and three sacks last season) and Joseph McStravick (25 tackles last season) headline a strong linebacking core. 

Junior Zach Boisjolie (nine tackles and a sack last season) returns as the starting nose guard and will anchor a new-look defense line that will also feature sophomore Malcom Alcorn-Crowder and seniors Jared Homes and Declan Meehan.

Though, Declan Meehan’s value comes more on the offensive line, where he’s the only returning starter at right guard.

“That’s where we took the biggest hit,” Driscoll said. “We lost four really good linemen. That’s going to be a work in progress.”

Declan’s brother, sophomore Conor Meehan, will man the duties under center.

“He’s got great poise and he’s got one heck of an arm,” Driscoll said. “He’s kind of like our typical quarterbacks that we’ve had, where he’s got great feet but he’s definitely got a great arm and he knows the game very well.”

Conor will have the 6-foot Zeidan, Giulliani (four catches for 37 yards, TD last season) and George as returning targets.

Murphy, who can also play quarterback, will be the bell cow out of the backfield.

“Jason Murphy makes us a better team playing running back, defensive back and returner for us,” Driscoll said. “Jason is dynamic. He’s the fastest player we got. He’s also a weight room warrior. He’s a leader of the team.”

Junior Max Rodri will take over the kicking duties, a role Jake O’Brien handled for the past two seasons.

“He’s a fabulous kicker,” Driscoll said of Rodri. “He worked his tail off in the summer and is kicking them into the endzone on kickoffs already. He’s going to be huge.”

Driscoll said he wouldn’t be surprised at all if it took a few weeks for his team to come into its own.

“We can talk to them about it, but it’s the speed of the game and that they’re going to realize that speed is a lot different than where it is in the scrimmages or practice,” said the coach. “It’s a whole different atmosphere on Friday nights. Once they got to get through that once, I think they’ll be all right.”

The Panthers are scheduled to open their season at home Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. against Concord-Carlisle.

“We want to grow and be competitive in this awesome Patriot League and I think we’re going to surprise some teams as we go along,” said Driscoll. “These guys have a chip on their shoulder. The other teams will look at you a little different, but they’ll find out once the games start that we’re still a pretty good football program.”

A workman-like mentality: Whitman’s Kelly ready for sophomore season on Bridgewater State University football

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After an offseason of hard work, Jack Kelly is ready for his sophomore season on the gridiron at Bridgewater State University.

For Whitman’s Jack Kelly, there’s only one word to describe his offseason — intense.

With a few aspirations in mind entering his sophomore campaign on the Bridgewater State University football team, it’s been a nonstop grind since walking off the field last fall. 

“My goal for myself, personally as a player, is to be on the field contributing to help my team win,” Kelly said. “My goal for our team, as a unit, would definitely be to win the MASCAC (Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference) and advance to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) [Playoff]. Both goals can be achieved through hard work and dedication.”

And Kelly’s put in the hard work.

“I was working out basically every day,” he explained. “I was lifting six times a week, running three times a week and I also worked out at South Shore Boxing Club three to four times a week to help with my conditioning and hand speed. I wanted to make sure that I got as strong as I have ever been and got into the best shape I have ever been in.”

Bridgewater State football head coach Joe Verria, who also serves as the defense coordinator, noticed Kelly’s commitment. 

“Jack has definitely gotten bigger and faster since last year,” Verria said. “Unfortunately, Jack got hurt in camp and has missed a week of camp. I look forward to him returning.”

This offseason was about more than just growing physically, though. The Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum returned to his old stomping grounds to coach the Panthers’ passing league team to a title this summer. Kelly said it helped him grow as a player.

“Coach [Mike] Driscoll has known that I wanted to get into coaching and saw this as the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet,” Kelly said. “It was my first time being able to call plays for a team and I felt comfortable from the beginning and really enjoyed it. I was able to get a better understanding of the game in general. I was able to dissect offensive and defensive play calls and responsibilities.”

Kelly said the biggest difference going into his second campaign has been the heightened expectations. Last season, he came into camp as a linebacker before switching to defensive end. So, now with a whole fall under his belt to observe the guys in front of him, he’s ready to step in.

“[Watching them] has prepared me to help contribute on the field this year,” Kelly said. “This year, after having a successful offseason, which got me bigger faster and stronger, I am now a returner and expecting to be able to make plays I couldn’t have made before.”

Bridgewater State opens its season at home on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 12 p.m. against Morrisville State.

“I want to be able to say that I worked as hard as possible to improve my game and that I played every single down this year like it is my last,” Kelly said.

Hanson’s Sweeney ready to tackle freshman campaign for Springfield College football team

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Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Quinn Sweeney is a freshman on the Springfield College football team.

Growing up, Quinn Sweeney’s father Keith always had a simple message for him when it came to the college selection process.

“He just said to pick the school that was the right fit for me,” said Quinn, who hails from Hanson.

So, that’s what he did, and his choice just happened to be Springfield College, where his father achieved all-star status as a defensive back. He’d also get the opportunity to play football there, but education was a bigger factor in Quinn’s decision.

“Toward the end of my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to become a physical education teacher,” Quinn said. “We researched a bunch of schools and Springfield and Bridgewater [State University] were my top choices. I felt most comfortable at Springfield. Following in his footsteps is like icing on the cake.”

His offseason was busy.

“[I] lifted three times a week and did conditioning three times a week,” Quinn said. “The strength and conditioning staff is really big on recovery and giving your body time to recover from workouts. I was lucky to get to play in the Shriners [Football Classic] game in June, so that was kind of like a mini camp to get back into the football mode.”

Whitman-Hanson Regional High football coach Mike Driscoll often lauded Quinn, who was a Patriot League All-Star last fall as a senior, during his playing days for the Panthers, coining him the “energy guy” and an essential part of the “heart and soul” of the line at either his end position on defense or post at tackle on offense.

“He loves football,” Driscoll said of Quinn last August. “He’s just the type of kid who can get off the ball and he’s worked on a lot of his quickness.”

Now, as Quinn readies to kick off his freshman campaign on the Pride, he’s is taking it one practice at a time.

“Preseason camp goes until Sept. 4,” he said. “I’m just trying to get better every day and put together a string of good practices. If I do that, everything will take care of itself.”

Springfield begins the season Saturday, Sept. 7 on the road against Western New England at 1 p.m.

“I have been given an amazing opportunity and I want to take advantage of everything the school has to offer,” Quinn said. “Football-wise, I’d love to be part of the team — brotherhood is what we call it here. Just do my part to help our team have success.”

Big senior season lands Martell at Mass. Maritime

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Billy Martell / Photo by: Sue Moss

Billy Martell is headed to Mass. Maritime.

When he met with Whitman-Hanson Regional High head football coach Mike Driscoll to discuss his junior campaign, Billy Martell was told something he’d work tirelessly over the next year to make a reality.

“Coach Driscoll said, ‘You’re one of a few kids who has the talent to play in college,’’’ recalled Martell.

After an offseason consisting of many grunts, followed by a Patriot League All-Star season, Martell has committed to play football at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

“Mass. Maritime is getting a great young man and someone who can play football at a pretty high level,” Driscoll said. “He will do big things for Maritime.”

Martell, who said he’s looking into studying emergency management, has had his eyes on attending the Buzzards Bay-based college since August.

“I was thinking about my future and their employment rate is almost 100 percent,” Martell said. “I didn’t want to go too far, and I didn’t want to go on a huge campus.”

After converting to wide receiver as a sophomore, Martell transitioned back to running back this season and flourished, taking 73 carries for 518 yards and three touchdowns. His 7.1 yards per carry led the team.

Martell had his best outing against Bridgewater-Raynham, gashing the Trojans’ defense for 104 yards and a score.

On defense Martell, a two-year starting safety, posted 52 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions.

“I just wanted to show everyone who I am this season,” Martell said.

Martell said it was a rewarding season for him.

“At the end of last season we were in the weight room right away,” Martell said. “I worked much harder this offseason than I ever have. We did our offseason lift and we got a strength coach which helped us a lot and then we had passing leagues.”

Driscoll constantly lauded Martell’s speed throughout the season, calling him “the fastest player on the team.” Whether it was at running back or tracking down the ball carrier, Martell was instrumental in the Panthers’ success.

“He’s very dynamic in the backfield but his defense was really, really impressive at safety,” Driscoll said. “You didn’t have to worry about too much with him in the back.”

Mass. Maritime, which competes in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference of NCAA Division III, finished 2-8 last season.

“I’m looking to work on my speed and improve my footwork,” Martell said.

Season Review: Football team seniors made their mark from the start

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Seniors with trophy. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The senior-laden Panthers went 8-3 on the season.

When they were freshmen, Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll knew there was just something different about this season’s group of seniors.

“There were a bunch of them,” Driscoll said. “They started with like 40 kids and they were rolling people and playing good football.”

But the success isn’t what caught his immediate attention.

“You could tell the core of the kids really loved the game,” Driscoll said. “We kind of knew coming into their sophomore year that we were going to get something out a few of the kids. We knew early on that they were going to be a pretty good group.”

As sophomores they helped lead the team to a 7-4 season, as juniors they did the same, but in their final seasons the 16 of them helped Driscoll hit a mark he hadn’t since his first year as head coach. That’s the eight-win plateau.

“I told the seniors how proud we were of them for their four years in the program, and I told the younger guys to remember how it feels and do what those kids did and just continue on what they did,” said the eighth-year head coach.

The Panthers posted statement wins over Marshfield (41-13) in their opener, Quincy (39-0), Silver Lake (29-6) and Abington (16-0) on Thanksgiving.

“They were a hard-working group,” Driscoll said. “They were a resilient group and they were talented.”

With its offense working through some changes throughout the season, W-H’s defense was its one constant, as it recorded three shutouts and surrendered just 11.7 points per game. The unit was led by senior captain and league all-star Mike Connors. The middle linebacker racked up a team-leading 100 tackles.

“Mike is the quarterback in the middle and made our defense run,” Driscoll said. “He knows the game inside and out and it pays off. Mike is a student of the game.”

While Connors shored up the middle, senior Billy Martell was the rock in the secondary, recording 52 tackles and three interceptions from his safety position. On offense, he chipped in 518 rushing yards and three scores. The two-way threat was also a league all-star.

“He’s very dynamic in the backfield but his defense was really, really impressive at safety,” Driscoll said. “You didn’t have to worry about too much with him in the back.”

Senior captain Quinn Sweeney and classmate Ryan Trongone were also two-way stars for W-H on the line. Sweeney was second on the team with 85 tackles and led it with 24 tackles for loss and seven sacks en route to a league all-star selection. Trongone was second on the team with 17 tackles for loss to go with 65 tackles.

“They’re the heart and soul of the team,” Driscoll said. “[They’re] gritty, tough and hard-nosed football players. They played great, but they also practiced great.”

Senior Nate Beath, a transfer from Pembroke, was a three-way asset for W-H due to his punting (31.8 punt average), blocking, rushing (244 yards, two TDs) and tackling (58 tackles and 5.5 sacks).

“Nate can do it all, he’s a really, really good football player,” Driscoll said. “I wish we had him in our program for all four years because I think he’s a legit player. He’s as good as they come.”

On offense, senior captain Ethan Phelps rushed for 654 yards and 12 TDs and was tabbed a league all-star.

“He could see the field pretty well,” Driscoll said. “We knew he was a great runner so he stepped into that role and from Day 1 he moved forward and got better at it as the season went on.”

It’s tough to find one player who had a more immense impact on the offense than senior captain Rian Schwede, who switched from wide receiver to fill a void at quarterback early in the season. In an Oct. 15 win over Quincy, he ran for, caught and threw a TD.

“Without Rian, we don’t win eight games,” Driscoll said. “That’s a fact. Rian Schwede gave up being an allleague receiver to switch to quarterback to help the team and that shows a lot about him as a person and his character.”

Driscoll said that while he’s graduating significant talent off this season’s roster, he’s optimistic about what the future holds for his program that finished off the year with a combined freshman, JV and varsity record of 20-1.

“We won a lot of football games this fall,” he said. “These kids know how to win, they work hard. They’re already working hard. We think we’re in good shape. We’re not where we want to be yet but we’re going to get there.”

Panthers stem the Green Wave: W-H football finally hits 8-win mark, gobbles up Abington 16-0

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Entire team with Dennis. M. O’Brien Trophy. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers received big-time production from their seniors en route to a Turkey Day win over Abington.

When the Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team bowed out of the playoffs, the heartbreak didn’t last for long.

“After one or two days, we said, ‘We need to step it up and let last week go. The past is in the past. We’re now in the present and we need to move on,’” W-H senior captain Quinn Sweeney said of the team’s emotions after a 21-13 loss to North Attleboro in the first round of the playoffs.

Yes, the disappointment still lingered, but the Panthers still had something to play for, and that’s where they shifted their attention. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Panthers – 5-3 at the time – were aiming to win eight games, a feat the program hadn’t accomplished since 2011. Reaching the eight-win mark was personal, especially for most of the 21 seniors who watched this team go 7-4 for the past three seasons, and played major roles in the past two.

“The next week comes,” Sweeney said, “and we’re like, ‘Bishop Feehan. We have three more games together as a team. We need to finish strong.’”

The Panthers knocked off Feehan, 21-20, and fended off Bridgewater-Raynham, 15-14, the following week to put them one win away from No. 8 with a Thanksgiving tilt with rival Abington standing in their way. After three-plus hours of football in the subfreezing temperatures, they can finally call themselves an 8-3 football team.

Backed by a dominating defensive effort and a second-quarter scoring spurt, W-H shut out Abington (8-3), 16-0, in the 108th Thanksgiving Day meeting between the two.

Senior captain Ethan Phelps starred out of the backfield for W-H, carrying the ball 16 times for 148 yards.

Leading 6-0 after a Nate Beath (seven carries for 69 yards, TD) 6-yard TD run, Phelps took a handoff and darted 65 yards inside the 25-yard line. A few plays thereafter, senior Jake O’Brien drilled home a 23-yard field goal.

On the ensuing kickoff, a Green Wave fumble landed in the hands of Panthers senior Ryan Downing. On the next play, Phelps connected with senior captain Rian Schwede on a 25-yard TD to put the Panthers up 16-0 with less than a minute remaining in the first half.

“It feels so good,” said an emotional Phelps after the game. “I’m just really happy we could pull it together and go 8-3.”

W-H’s defense, keyed by three fumble recoveries by Beath, took care of business the rest of the way.

Driscoll stressed the importance of his strong senior class playing in their last ever high school football games.

“It’s all about the seniors,” Driscoll said. “The seniors carried this game today.”

Sweeney, Trongone anchors and leaders in the trenches

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From left, seniors Ryan Trongone and Quinn Sweeney. / Photos by: Sue Moss

Seniors Quinn Sweeney and Ryan Trongone have been playing on the line together their whole lives.

For Whitman-Hanson Regional High foot ball seniors and starting two-way linemen Quinn Sweeney and Ryan Trongone, most weeks their toughest competition doesn’t come on Friday nights. It doesn’t even come from the other team.

Every Wednesday during practice, the Panthers hold their pass rush championship. Each drill calls for one quarterback, one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman. After cycling through the rest of the team’s linemen, Trongone and Sweeney are almost a sure bet to be the last ones standing.

“Our practices are very competitive, especially on Wednesday,” head coach Mike Driscoll said. “They compete like crazy, those kids.”

Some weeks, Sweeney, who starts at right tackle and defensive end, gets the edge on Trongone. Other weeks, Trongone, who starts at left guard and defensive end, swoops under Sweeney .

“We’re pretty even with wins for that,” Trongone said. “It’s always fun to go against him.”

Said Sweeney: “We always make each other better. He works hard and gives 100 percent on every play.”

On game day, the two, who have been starting on both sides of the ball for the past two seasons, compete on the stat sheet as well.

“We’re all racing for first in sacks,” Trongone said. “The lead for sacks is a big race be tween us.”

Their work on W-H’s defense, which is surrendering under two touchdowns a game, has been eye-popping. Sweeney leads the team with 21 tackles for loss and Trongone is second with 14. In a 9-6 nail-biting win over New Bedford earlier in the season, the two brought down the opposing ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage five times.

“They’re the heart and soul of the line,” Driscoll said of Sweeney and Trongone. “Quinn has just blossomed into an incredible football player over the last two years. Ryan is just a steady kid. He has the best technique of any lineman I’ve ever coached. They’re dependable guys and come to play every day, every game. They start every game and they finish every game, and they’re just great players to have on the team.”

They’re not just reliable up front. They’re leaders there as well, always trying to find a way to bring their unit closer.

“We have a group chat with the linemen where we all go out and do fun things with each other,” Sweeney said. “We’ll go to Buffalo Wild Wings or fishing, just so we can bond with each other more and then when game time comes we know that we have each other’s back, and we know that we have this bond with each other.”

The two have been building chemistry on the offensive line since playing in Hanson Youth Football, where they won the Super Bowl as eighth graders. Sweeney was an offensive guard and nose guard and Trongone played defensive end and center.

“It’s almost instant where we can say, ‘Go get this guy,’ and the next thing you know we get a run for 10 yards,” Trongone said.

And Thanksgiving Day marks the final time these two linemen will step onto the gridiron as teammates.

“That’s gonna be rough because all the Hanson kids that played in eighth grade and a majority of them that played in high school,” Sweeney said. “I’ll never be able to play football with a group of kids like these every again.”

Said Trongone: “I’m sure by the time it comes there will be a lot of mixed emotions. Obviously the fact that we’re leaving football isn’t the greatest thing I want to leave behind but we’re doing it with the best team we’ve had.”

Playoff-bound Panthers: W-H football preps for North Attleboro on Friday

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The offensive line against Silver Lake. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The fifth-seeded W-H football team (5-2) will visit fourth-seeded North Attleboro (5-2) Friday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Div. 3 South playoffs.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team will attempt to do something Friday it hasn’t done in 17 years. That’s win a playoff game.

It’s been since the 2001 Super Bowl that W-H has found itself on the winning end of a postseason tilt.

It there ever was an opportunity for the Panthers to halt that trend, it would appear this is the one. The senior-laden Panthers (5-2) earned the No. 5 seed in Div. 3 South, drawing No. 4 North Attleboro (5-2) in the process. The two will square off at 7 p.m. at North Attleboro on Friday.

The last meeting between the two teams was two years ago when the Red Rocketeers knocked the Panthers out in the first round, 33-8. Then-sophomores Mike Connors, Jacob Nixon, Ethan Phelps, Rian Schwede and Quinn Sweeney played pivotal roles on that 2016 Panthers team.

That unit then brought the Panthers back to the playoffs last season, where they were ousted in the first round by Stoughton, 30-21.

W-H head coach Mike Driscoll believes it’s time where all that experience pays off.

“I don’t think they’re going to be overwhelmed by the situation,” Driscoll said. “We’ve already played a game at North Attleboro, so that field doesn’t intimidate our kids. They know what to expect. We know when we play the Hockomock we’re going to have to strap it up, and we’re going to have to play a physical game so these kids know what it’s like.”

Driscoll said if he’s learned anything over the past three seasons, all of which featured first-round playoff exits, it’s to not blow the postseason out of proportion.

“We are going to treat it like any other game and prepare the same way we normally prepare as opposed to making a big deal about it,” the eight-year head coach said. “It’s a regular game for us right now. It’s our eighth game on the schedule. That’s the way we’ve approached every week and we’re going to continue the same approach.”

The Red Rocketeers are no stranger to the spotlight, having advanced all the way to the Div. 3 Super Bowl last season, falling just short to St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 35-33. North Attleboro, allowing just a tick under 14 points a game, owns signature victories over King Philip (14-7), Foxboro (34-0) and Canton (14-10); Bishop Feehan (23-19) and Stoughton (21-10) account for its two losses. Senior quarterback Nick Raneri (seven passing and four rushing TDs), senior running back Brendan McHugh (10 rushing TDs) and senior WR Ryan Gaumond (six receiving TDs) power North Attleboro on offense.

“They’re very similar to us,” Driscoll said. “They got a great kicker, they play great ‘D’ and they grind it out on offense.”

The Panthers, allowing just over 10 points a game, have held opponents to 13 points or less in all five of their wins. They’ve posted shutouts twice, including last week against Plymouth North in a 21-0 victory. The Eagles mustered up just 18 yards against the Panthers.

“It was a game where we had the same records (4-2) and we knew that they were physical and we wanted to be physical and we certainty dominated the line of scrimmage and dominated on defense,” Driscoll said.

With a victory Friday, W-H would face the winner of No. 8 Stoughton (3-4) at No. 1 Duxbury (7-0) in the semis.

“We feel like we got a pretty good team and we told the kids after the game the other day we feel like we can beat anybody right now, so whoever’s in our way, we’re going to give it our all,” Driscoll said.