HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Franklin senior Caden Sullivan has been named the HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the 2024-2025 season. Sullivan had a tremendous final season, leading the Panthers to 27 wins and their first-ever state championship. He was also named the Kelley-Rex division MVP.
“Caden was terrific from the tip in the season opener against OA all the way to his incredible performance in the Division 1 state championship game,” said HockomockSports.com Editor Ryan Lanigan. “He was the focus of opposing defenses and teams game planned for him every time but he was still able to dominate the competition. Caden had one of the best individual seasons I’ve covered across any sport.”
HockomockSports First Team
- Caden Sullivan – Franklin
Franklin senior Caden Sullivan put an exclamation point on a strong career with one of the best seasons in recent memory, capped with the Panthers’ first Division 1 state championship. Sullivan poured in 640 points over 28 games (22.9 points per game) and scored his 1,000th career point in the process. He also added 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals, and 2.2 assists per game. When Franklin needed him most, he took his game to another level and averaged 27.1 points per game in the state tournament. In the state championship, he scored 11 of Franklin’s last 13 points to help close out the win and finished with 31 points in the win. He was selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Year (above) and the Kelley-Rex division MVP. “Caden Sullivan played the game as fearless as anyone I have ever seen,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “His unmatched toughness, confidence, and a relentless drive powered the best offensive season in school history and made him in my opinion the most valuable player in the MIAA this season.”
HockomockSports Third Team
- Jake Olmstead – Franklin – Guard
Franklin senior Jake Olmstead left a lasting mark on the program in his first year starting, helping the Panthers secure their first-ever state championship. Olmstead was one of many new faces in the lineup for Franklin and really delivered on both ends of the court, emerging as the team’s second-leading scorer (10.3 points per game) and was named the HockomockSports.com Defensive Player of the Year (below). He handled point guard duties and did a nice job running the offense but was also a major source of scoring for Franklin with seven games of 15 or more points, including a career-high 31 points twice this season. He also added 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for the state champs. “Jake Olmstead was the heart of our defense and one of the toughest, most confident competitors I’ve ever coached,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “He embraced every challenge, shut down the best scorers in the state, and made winning plays night after night. His leadership, grit, and unselfishness were a driving force behind our championship run.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Franklin senior Jake Olmstead has been named the HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024-2025 season, the 13th year the award has been given out. Olmstead is the seventh Panther to win the award and the second consecutive following Andrew O’Neill last year.
The Panthers were by far the best defensive team in the Hockomock League this year and then proved to be the best defensive team in the state after claiming the program’s first-ever Division 1 state championship. During its playoff run, Franklin held all five opponents to 54 points or fewer: Shrewsbury (49), North Andover (54), Bridgewater-Raynham (50), Central Catholic (44), and Newton North (52). Olmstead played a crucial role in that as his size and athleticism allowed head coach CJ Neely to match up with a variety of players.
HockomockSports All-Defensive Team
Franklin senior Jake Olmstead got it done on both ends of the court for the Panthers, who won their first-ever state championship this winter. Olmstead stepped right into the starting point guard role and came through with some clutch performances, both offensively where he averaged 10.3 points per game, and defensively, where he was more often than not tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player. He was selected as the HockomockSports.com Defensive Player of the Year (above). The combination of size and quickness allowed him to match up against a variety of players. In the state championship, Olmstead had a huge game on the defensive end against Newton North star Teagan Swint. “Jake Olmstead was the heart of our defense and one of the toughest, most confident competitors I’ve ever coached,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “He embraced every challenge, shut down the best scorers in the state, and made winning plays night after night. His leadership, grit, and unselfishness were a driving force behind our championship run.”
- Justice Samuels, Franklin
Franklin junior Justice Samuels played a pivotal role in helping the Panthers have an incredible season that culminated with the program’s first-ever state championship. Samuels’ presence around the rim was a game-changer. He was a reliable finisher on the offensive end (9.3 points per game) but really changed how opposing players had to play offensively with his defensive skills. His length helped him challenge shooters on the perimeter but his biggest strength was his ability to alter shots at the rim. He averaged 1.9 blocks per game altered so many more shots and forced opponents to second guess when they got near the rim. Samuels also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this winter. “Justice Samuels was one of the most impactful players on the court in many of our biggest games,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “His highlight reel shot blocking at the rim allowed our perimeter guards to really get after opponents knowing we had Justice waiting on the back line to clean everything up at the rim.”
Coach of the Year – CJ Neely, Franklin
CJ Neely 2025 HockomockSports Boys Basketball AwardsFranklin head coach CJ Neely has been selected as the Hockomocksports.com Boys Basketball Coach of the Year for the 2024-2025 season; it’s the second straight year Neely has earned this award, and third total in the past four seasons.
Neely guided the Panthers to a 27-1 record, a second consecutive undefeated league season, a third straight Kelley-Rex division title, and the program’s first-ever Division 1 state championship. Franklin became the first team in 50 years to post back-to-back 16-0 league records and had one of the best defensive seasons, allowing under 48 points per game across 28 games.
“After graduating so many talented players from the 2024 team, I don’t think many people, if any, would have anticipated the season that Franklin had this year,” said HockomockSports.com Editor Ryan Lanigan. “Coach Neely still had high expectations for his team and this group bought in from the very start. They ended up becoming one of the best defensive teams we’ve seen in the Hock and played with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.”
Neely joins Mansfield’s Mike Vaughan (2018, 2015, 2013) as the only three-time winners of this award. Other preview winners include Sharon’s Andrew Ferguson (2023), Attleboro’s Mark Houle (2019), North Attleboro’s Sean Mulkerrins (2017), Oliver Ames’ Don Byron (2016), Taunton’s Charlie Dacey (2014, 2020), and Franklin’s Dean O’Connor (2012).
For the full listing of awards across the Hockomock League (subscription required)
