MHS to New Hock Teams: Bring it On!

There may be some new faces in the future  in the Hockomock league, and Mansfield High School Athletic Director Joe Russo said he welcomes the potential added competition.

Hockomock League principals voted 9-1 last week to accept Milford and Taunton for the 2012-13 academic year last week.

Milford and Taunton's school districts and current leagues first must vote to let their schools change leagues.

Milford plays in the Midland Wachusett League's A division, according to the MIAA Web site. Taunton plays in the Old Colony League's Pilgrim division.

North Attleborough is in the big school division now. However, the school could move to the small school division when the MIAA enrollment alignments expire in 2013, The Sun Chronicle reported Saturday.

North Attleborough voted against adding Milford and Taunton.

Russo said that the additional teams will mean easier scheduling and more road trips for the Mansfield teams. Milford and Taunton both have teams for all current Mansfield athlete levels, so almost every team will now get to go to new fields and gyms.

"Almost everyone of our programs have freshman, [junior varsity] and varsity divisions," he said. "They both offer freshman, [junior varsity] and varsity as well. That will help us with scheduling local games, so obviously it's a plus."

Russo added that now there will be 16 games in a season, depending on the sport, meaning that MHS student athletes will have the opertunity play more.

The big school division currently includes North Attleborough, Attleborough, Mansfield, Franklin and King Philip. The small school division has Sharon, Oliver Ames, Foxborough, Canton and Stoughton.

Taunton would join the Hockomock League's big school division, while Milford would join the small school division, based on Oct. 1, 2011 enrollment.

Russo said that the additional teams could also spark new town rivalries in the various sports teams. For example, he said that Taunton could easily shake up the current KP and Mansfield softball rivalry.

"Milford and Taunton both had great teams this year," he said. "I think a rivalry could very easily form between Mansfield and the Taunton teams."