By: Tom Nappi
The 8th seeded Hopkinton Hillers Boys took on 4th seeded Milford Scarlet Hawks in the Central Division 2 sectional semi-finals. The Hillers got off to a 14-0 run to start the 1st quarter and ended up outscoring Milford 23 to 10 in the frame. Four different Hillers hit 3’s in the 1st.
Milford struck back in the 2nd quarter and hit a few 3’s of their own including a pair from Ralph Franklin Jr. Milford outscored the Hillers 21 to 14 in the 2nd. Hopkinton led at the halftime break 37 to 31.
The 3rd quarter was a back and forth battle. Early Milford foul trouble helped the Hillers net some points but the Scarlet Hawks knocked down a few 3’s outscoring Hopkinton 17 to 14 and it was a 51 to 48 Hillers lead heading into the 4th.
Throughout the 4th quarter, it remained a close game throughout but the early foul trouble for Milford came back to haunt them. Hopkinton missed several free throws but ultimately netted 10 points from the line in the 4th. Despite a couple Milford turnovers, the Scarlet Hawks struggled from the field. Hopkinton outscored Milford in the 4th quarter 15 to 11 and took the game 66 to 59.
The Milford Scarlet Hawks end their season with a record of 14 and 8 while the 12 and 10 Hillers advance on to battle Wayland in the Central Division 2 Sectional Finals at 7pm on Saturday March 7th from Worcester State University.
Scoring Summary:
Milford: Ralph Franklin Jr. – 15, Tyler Weatherbee – 6, Matt Varteresian – 6, Colby Pires – 5, Jordan Darling – 14, Ben Blanchard – 8, Max Martin – 3, Sean Murray – 2.
Hopkinton: Steven Maffiore – 16, Tommy Ambrosone – 12, Matt Cooper – 2, Brian Keefe – 4, Ned Dean – 10, Elan Rosen – 17, Josh Czerepuszko – 2, Travis Finfrock – 3.
