Mansfield Senior co-captain Blayne Taylor (36) meets OA's Sean Kelly (44) and Senior co-captain Brian Crosby (21).
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Photos
Starting in 2010, the historic Hockomock League ceased to exist and was replaced with the Hockomock League Kelley-Rex Division for the large schools, and the Hockomock League Davenport Division, for the small schools.
As I wrote in my Monday column, I am not in with this decision.
The teams that make up the Kelley-Rex Division are Attleboro, Franklin, King Philip, Mansfield, and North Attleboro. Oliver Ames, Canton, Foxborough, Sharon, and Stoughton make up the Davenport Division.
On the whole, about the only positive I find about this realignment is that it gives tribute to three long-time Hockomock League administrators who have worked hard and most certainly deserve tribute: Bill Rex, Foxborough High School; Louis Kelley, North Attleboro High School; and Dudley Davenport, Sharon High School.
A little history here.
Back in 2008, when there were nine teams in the Hockomock (Attleboro had not yet been added), the league athletic directors voted 8-1 for the two division makeup. The dissenter was North Attleboro athletic director Kurt Kummer.
Smart guy, that Kurt Kummer.
The alignment change was almost all about football and the league having two winners – the Kelley-Rex and Davenport winner – that it would send to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Eastern Massachusetts playoffs – and this would make more people happy, and bring in more money for the MIAA in gate revenue.
In some ways, as well, this dividing of the Hockomock continues and supports a trend in society – and that trend is “that everyone has to be a winner.” Everyone needs to feel good about themselves; so let’s figure out a way to make sure that everyone feels good about themselves.
Let me throw this back at people. Life is brutal and competitive, and there are winners and losers, and runner-ups and “also rans.” That’s life. Sometimes it isn’t pretty or comforting – but that is the way it is. So get down and figure out how to deal with it.
I still think we should have one Hockomock League, and that OA can compete against and beat any team in the Kelley-Rex and the Davenport divisions. But the administrators of the league think that the big schools in football have too much of an advantage over the smaller ones, and that we need to break things up.
Please. There is so much wrong with this.
Among the negatives in breaking up the Hockomock League is that it eliminates long-time Hockomock rivalries in other sports, such as OA against both Mansfield and Franklin in cross-country.
For years, from the 1950s into the 1970s, OA was the second smallest school in the Hockomock League in terms of enrollment. I need to check the status and number, but I don’t think we were ever the smallest school; I think Mansfield was smaller. No matter, we were close to the smallest, and we were very competitive in football during that period; indeed for a stretch of several years within that period we were fairly dominant in the league.
I am looking at approximate school enrollment figures from 2010. The schools with the largest enrollment are Attleboro (2000) and Franklin (1,800). How did “small school” OA – which has an enrollment of about 1170 students – do against these teams in football in 2011? While the Tigers did not play Attleboro, they beat Franklin handily.
Of course, Canton, which had 850 students last year, beat the Tigers this season.
My Easton Patch colleague, Bob Havey, who lives in Easton, and who played for Mansfield, and had a son who played for Mansfield, recalled a heated civic meeting in Mansfield back in 1989.
What was the meeting about? Well, Mansfield had been getting its butt whooped in football, and many of those close to the program wanted to quit the Hockomock League, and go to a league where the Hornets could be more competitive.
Bob and his compatriots were strongly against – and they made their sentiments known. They believed in tradition, and that the Hornets could restore their winning ways of yesteryear.
Mansfield selectmen voted 3-2 to stay in the Hockomock League.
That very year, Mansfield won the Hockomock League … and it continued to win … big time.
In the years since that pivotal Mansfield Board of Selectmen vote, the Hornets have been of the most dominant football programs in New England, winning 12 Hockomock League championships, and six Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowls (two in Div. II, and four in Div. 3).
There should be one Hockomock League. And Oliver Ames should direct itself to winning that league.
I also want to say this strongly – the OA Tiger victory over the undefeated and untied Pembroke Titans of the Patriot League was a huge win in the history of the program.
I think it also certifies that the Hockomock League is one of the toughest football leagues in the state.
We can compete and win against any team in the Hockomock League in football, just as we do in other sports.
And don’t get me going that an influx and increase of wealth in Easton has created a culture of young men in town who are not as hard-nosed, not as tough – that is to say, not of the mettle and fiber of a good football player – as in years long ago when our town was more of a blue collar and working class community.
No, that doesn’t cut it. Look at Duxbury and Duxbury High School. Duxbury has fewer than 19,000 residents, but it has more students in its high school than does Oliver Ames High School, which is the public high school in a town of more than 24,000 residents.
You think Easton can compete with Duxbury in terms of per capita income? Yeah, sure, it can compete – and it will lose. Really. Compare the Easton per capita W-2s with those of Duxbury and you will find that Easton loses, big time, to Duxbury.
So, let’s figure this – the Duxbury Dragons football team just finished their second consecutive 13-0-0 Super Bowl winning season. It has six players who will be going on to play Div. 1 college lacrosse next year. That is some serious athletic firepower on a high school football team.
This Hockomock “small school” and “large school” is ridiculous.
OA doesn’t need it. No school needs it.
Do you think that Neil Levine, coach of the OA boys’ and girls’ cross-country squad, or Britt Sellmayer, coach of the OA girls’ soccer team, or Elaine Clement-Holbrook, coach of the Tiger girls’ basketball program – who all mentor some of the most dominant secondary school athletic programs in the U.S. northeast – need to cherry pick who they will compete against to win honors?
No, these coaches, and their teams and their fierce competing athletes, will take on and go up against any prep team in New England, no matter the size of the school.
Suck it up, everyone. Bring back the Hockomock League.
No concessions. No kneeling down to the competition. No “we can’t compete so we will create a paradigm in which we will be competitive.”
One Hockomock League – let’s get back to it – not tomorrow, but yesterday.
Bob Havey
10:41 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! You nailed it, Ross! Your passion jumped right off the page! Well said my friend!
Janet Sroczynski
12:14 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Enjoyed reading your article Ross. And am very much looking forward to the upcoming OA Basketball program for both mens and women's games. Nice to see you mentioned Laney Clement Holbrook. When students graduate from OA, is there a CD/DVD available yet, that they could purchase for a small fee or as parents we could raise the money, and as a "send off" - perhaps ask some of the area coaches to participate in putting together a CD/DVD, as a keepsake. Photos, online video streaming, coaching tips, suggestions and/or just a general "well wish" from the coaches who would want to participate. Just curious. I am going to pull just (2) names from the women's program(s) in this area.......1) OA's Laney Clement Holbrook and 2) Harvard University - Kathy Delaney Smith, formerly Westwood High School basketball coach/women's program and former Junior Olympic Try-Outout Coach-basketball. Given their dedication, in particular - I would love to be able to capture some of their coaching advice, and in digital archive form...and if they had an interest in putting it together, maintain that OA coaching advice, history and friendship. That would be a great idea for an OA student looking for that extra, after school project - and put that on your college admissions application. Ross - perhaps you could serve as contact person, if other people wish to further the idea. Other sports programs welcome to consider the idea as well, football, baseball, golf, etc. An OA keepsake.
Neil Levine
8:39 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
We've been giving our kids an end of season video for years.
Brian Crosby
8:48 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I find it interesting that you chose to do this article after the football team had a great year and the team got a lot of attention from the community. Why didn't you write about it last year? You didn't like all the attention the football team got, just say it. Keep hating hater.
Ross A. Muscato
9:14 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Dear Mr. Crosby -- Thank you for your passionate, if misinformed and mean, response. To tell you the truth, the reason I didn't write about the matter last year, is because it wasn't much of an issue last year with OA football. Now, have you read, gee, let's see, my two columns that immediately preceded the column that has got you riled? Did you know that I personally arranged with OA coach Jim Artz and OA alum, Olympic gold medalist, Jim Craig, goalie for the 1980 U.S. "Miracle on Ice" hockey team a call that took place the night before the Concord-Carlisle game, in which Jim -- who played a role in one of the greatest sports upsets of all time -- spoke via intercom to the OA players? I wanted so badly for OA to win the next day. I was in the stands at Gillette Stadium, miserable with what I was seeing. I want Oliver Ames football to go win all its games. I want for the kids to receive huge attention. I want for the OA football players not to be content with winning the small schools division of the Hockomock League. I love OA. I competed for OA, my brother competed for OA, my sister competed for OA. My father coached at OA for close to 40 years. GO TIGERS!!
Brian Crosby
9:50 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I know about the call, I was a captain on the team. I'm not going to get in an argument but the last thing I'll say is that this is disrespectful to a great year.
Ross A. Muscato
11:01 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Mr. Crosby -- Thank you for your passion, and for following "Muscato's Musings." You are welcome for me arranging the call. It brought me joy. I wish you tremendous success in the future. Ross
Douglas Matthew Kyed
10:16 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
This isn't about "that everyone has to be a winner," this is about being able to compete with teams within one's division.
How many other division 3 teams have to contend against division 2 schools for a playoff spot? The only other viable decision was to move these teams out of the Hockomock league. The decision to split the Hockomock retains the rivalries you care about so much, while letting teams that before didn't stand a chance of playing postseason football now getting the recognition that they deserve.
This wasn't exactly a rash decision, Foxboro hadn't won an outright Hock title since 2000, OA was tri-champs in 1968, Stoughton hadn't won an outright title since 1975, Canton was tri champs in 1990 and Sharon has never won a Hock title.
Those football teams shouldn't be punished for their geographical location. Once again, as division 3 teams, why should they have to compete with division 2 teams for a playoff spot?
This is a best case scenario, the Kelley-Rex division still competes against the Davenport division and there's more Hockomock teams in the playoffs to go around, which in my opinion is a great thing.
Ross A. Muscato
10:50 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Dear Mr. Kyed -- Thank you for your passionate and intelligent response to my column. You make a great argument, and you obviously understand that I harbored no malice in my column. I just have a different view point in which I believe. I have been having wonderful and fruitful discussions on this issue. We can disagree to disagree. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Ross OAHS '81
Dwight Mac Kerron
8:43 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
I think that Mr Kyed had the common sense and correct response here. Congrats to OA for beating Stoughton and earning their playoff run.
Ross A. Muscato
9:33 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
I agree Mr. MacKerron. And I am going to be particularly fired up when OA beats goes 12-0-0 in a season soon to come.
Jim Kent
11:16 am on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Well said Ross! I couldn’t agree more. You do mention Cross Country in your article which is where my perspective comes from. I’ve had children in the XC program for seven years now with four years to go… it just worked out that when one was a senior another joined as a freshman.
Coaches Levine, Copley and Sousa work tirelessly to field a team that not only excels at the Hockomock level but at the state level as well (3rd place state finish for the boys this year and 12th place for the girls). I understand that success can be fleeting and what I’m about to say I say with all due respect to the other teams in the Davenport Division but the OAXC running machine has basically no competition in the small school league. It’s like the regular season is practice for the Hockomock Championships, Class and State Level meets. There’s nothing more I’d like to see then the boys and girls being able to run against their main rivals, Mansfield and Franklin respectively, during the regular season as well as all of the other great teams in the large school league.
If you’d like to start a crusade to make the Hockomock one league again then I’ll be the first to stand in line to back you up… let me know. Have a safe and happy holiday! Take care.
Sincerely,
Jim Kent
Ross A. Muscato
2:00 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Thank you, Jim, for your well informed and considerate response. It has been a lot of fun discussing this issue with people. My columns bring me fulfillment, and I feel immensely gratified with the thanks and expressions of gratitude I receive in Easton from those who read them. All the best to you and yours. Happy Holidays! ross
Bob Havey
4:07 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
First, congrats to the team for winning their division and going to the playoffs. They did so within the parameters that were created and that's fair – stupid, in my opinion - but fair nonetheless. Unfortunately, it seems we've lowered the bar to appease those who are afraid the kid's self-esteem will be damaged if they have to compete in the Hockomock League as it was previously constituted. How sad that we've told these kids they aren't good enough and they have to settle for less. With all due respect, a 7 - 5 record does NOT define a great year, nor should it justify a playoff appearance. What are we doing to our children? Sad!
Douglas Matthew Kyed
4:27 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Oliver Ames is a Division 3 school, every year they have to play four Division 2 schools as part of their regular season schedule. How many regular season losses did they have this year? Four.
If Stonehill College had a schedule set up where they played six Division 2 schools (the division they are in) and say Georgia, LSU, Clemson and Texas A&M and they went 6-4, wouldn't that be an impressive season?
There are divisions in high school and college for a reason. It seems if you had your way no division 3 or 4 school would ever make any sort of post season because they would have to go up against Division 1 squads to make it there.
In my opinion, it's impressive that Oliver Ames still even plays against those schools even though they're typically bigger, stronger, faster and deeper. Just because Easton, Sharon or Canton share borders with Mansfield, Norfolk/Wrentham/Plainville doesn't mean the towns are the same size or that the kids are the same size.
If you want to celebrate Division 3 or 4 championships less, so be it, but don't discredit these kids because they go up against better competition than the rest of their Division.
Ross A. Muscato
4:58 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thank you everyone for weighing in. OA can expect to compete against schools of all size with the exception of D. 1 schools. North Attleborough has 23 more students than Oliver Ames, and it competes in the Large School division. OA is competetive with North Attleborough in football, and I am confident it will beat NA soon. There are many, many differences between divisions in college compared against divisions in Massachusetts high school football. OA has the ability to play with any D. 2 team in the state. I mean, really. It will not be long before the OA Tigers go 10-0-0 in the regular season and complete their year with a win in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.
Bob Havey
4:59 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Douglas - Stonehill playing any of the schools you've named is a ludicrous comparison. Stonehill would be 0-10 and there would be deaths on the Stonehill squad. The chasm between divisions in college is huge.
Getting back to the subject at hand - high school football - Mansfield routinely plays Division 1 schools every year and does very well. In years past many Hock schools have played non-league schools in higher divisions as part of their schedule. That's called challenging your team to excel.
I get your point, but that's the problem. We've lowered the bar. It's not a criticism of the kids. It's a criticism of the adults who are telling them they can't compete.
I suppose one remedy would be to take the Div. 3 schools out of the Hock and put them in a league with other Div. 3 schools. Do you want to do that?
As Ross stated, in the late 80s there were those in Mansfield who wanted to make changes and leave the league because Mansfield was getting their butts whipped every year. Lowering the bar was not a lesson I wanted my son to learn. Thanks to a large group of alumni, including myself; they stayed in the league - rode out the tough times and their program is now second to none.
During the Val Muscato years, OA was the class of the league. It's not about size. It's about heart!
Douglas Matthew Kyed
5:44 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Yes, it is ludicrous which is why I brought it up. If it's ludicrous to expect Division 2 or 1-AA colleges to compete for a title with Division 1-A colleges, how is it not ridiculous to expect Division 3 High Schools to do the same against Division 2 high schools?
Unless your plan is to completely ditch Divisions and only have one clear cut Massachusetts High School Champion, then I'm not exactly sure what your plan is. Is it Oliver Ames HS' fault that they were placed in Division 3? No.
Oliver Ames and the Division 3 schools essentially were taken out of the Hock and "put in a league with other Division 3 schools." Is it the fact that the word "Hockomock" is still included that bothers you?
This isn't the late 80s. Towns change, populations change, demographics change.
Bravo to Mansfield for "routinely playing Division 1 schools every year and doing very well." Oliver Ames, Sharon, Canton, Stoughton and Foxboro have to do the exact same thing four times a year against the large division schools. "That's called challenging your team to excel."
I guess if it was up to you Mansfield would never make the playoffs either. If they can't compete against the B.C. High's and Catholic Memorial's of the state, well what lesson is that teaching your son? Don't they have heart?
Dwight Mac Kerron
5:15 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
My contribution to the OFLC (Old fart league commentary): I don't know the exact demographics, but I'll take a wild guess that Mansfield had a population spurt that coincidentally? accompanied their emergence as a Hock power. All the new pairings do is make football a little more like B-ball, where all you need to get into the tournament is to be above .500.
I don't expect many in the younger generation to endure what I went through in my youth, but I don't want to hand them everything on a platter, either. As far as I can see, the new league simply gives more teams a chance to get into the tournament, and yes, put another league championship on their gym wall, but you still have to win the last game to feel like a champ.
Ross A. Muscato
5:51 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Mr. Mac Kerron -- thanks for the comment. basketball is a bit different. yes, more teams qualify, and .500 is the qualifying mark, but even for a top seeded team to make it to an EMass final, it would have to win three or four games in the post-season. this is one of the reasons the MIAA makes it easier to qualify, in terms of regular season winning percentage, for the post-season in basketball than in football. in football, under the present arrangement, one win in the post-season and you are in the Super Bowl. By the way, it used to be in Massachusetts high school hoops, you needed to win something like 70 percent of your regular season games to make the post-season. Perhaps there is merit in bringing this standard back. In 1997, an era ended in Indiana when the state did away with its one division for all high school hoop teams in the post-season. Indiana instituted a four division post-season. Never again, will we see anything close to what inspired the movie, "Hoosiers," -- when Milan (enrollment 161) beat Muncie Central (enrollment 1600) for the Indiana State title.
Bob Havey
6:30 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I guess you missed what I said about the chasm between college divisions, Douglas. That's entirely different than high school. The diffrences between divisions are huge in college. Missing the point for the sake of arguement doesn't work for me. My only point is that we're selling our kids short when we tell them they're 'not good enough' or they 'can't do' something. They can and they will. I don't understand why anyone would expect any less.
Douglas Matthew Kyed
6:56 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
So just so we're clear here, you do think that division 3 schools should have to compete with division 2 schools for a playoff spot/division title? That makes no sense. Let's just abolish the divisions then.
If that's not what you're saying, then how do we fix this? Oliver Ames is a division 3 school under state standards. They can't change that.
If the difference between divisions in high schools is indeed as small as you think, then I guess Mansfield will have no problem competing for a league title with Division 1 schools.
Ross A. Muscato
7:07 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Mr. Kyed -- I think what Bob is saying is that let's keep the Hockomock League together, and let's keep divisions for post season. This has gone on for years, and it has worked very well. ross
Douglas Matthew Kyed
8:45 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I know I won't change either of your minds, but it's just not fair to the small school teams and it hasn't worked well for years. Tell Sharon that it's worked well. They've never won a Hockomock League championship. Tell OA it's worked well, they hadn't won a share of the Hock since 1968. A lot changes in 43 years...
High School kids don't react well to lost causes. There's a reason why Sharon and Oliver Ames have improved so much and been so competitive the last two years. They finally stand a chance to compete fairly for something.
Oliver Ames might become a power again and maybe Mansfield will eventually fade, and when that happens maybe they'll trade Divisions and conferences.
As far as I'm concerned the state has done exactly what you suggested "keep the Hockomock League together and let's keep division for post season."
All the teams still compete and the Division 2 teams get a post season spot and the Division 3 teams get a post season spot.
It's no one's fault that Sharon, Oliver Ames, etc. have a smaller student body to draw from and frankly, it's incredibly disrespectful to this year's Davenport Champs to dismiss their win as "stupid."
Ross A. Muscato
9:17 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Bob didn't call the Davenport champs stupid, he called the realignment stupid. And there is no more Hockomock League for OA to win, which I know it can.