2018 Mid-Mass Lacrosse League All-Stars

Senior goalie Dan Hollis is just one of many Hopedale stars selected to this season's Mid-Mass All-Star team.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The 2018 regular season is nearly in the books, and the Mid-Mass Lacrosse League has released its All-Star team following a banner year for the league.

League champion Grafton will look to get back to the Division 3 state championship game for a fourth consecutive year, and the Indians will be joined by fellow Mid-Mass squads Nipmuc, Hopedale and Tantasqua in the postseason.



If your league has released its All-Star team, feel free to pass that along to me at my Twitter handle above, or email it over to jparello86@gmail.com.

Continue below for the complete Mid-Mass All-Star team!

Grafton Blows Out Auburn for Top Seed in D3 Central

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

GRAFTON, Mass. -Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, undefeated Grafton hosting fellow unbeaten Auburn looked, at least on paper, like a game that would go down to the wire. The paperwork lied though, and Grafton won 34-0 as Auburn came out flat.

Dominant Defense

Headlining this game was Grafton’s defense. Holy cow, they came to play.

The Top-10 Games of 2014

  By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Ed. Note- We continue our look back at 2014 with correspondent Andy Dougherty's Top-10 games of the past year. If you must know, Andy had all this stuff ready in late December, we were just too busy opening gifts and drinking eggnog to post it. Our bad Andy.

-Joe

10. United States Men’s National Soccer Team defeats Ghana 2-1, World Cup Group Stage

Ghana had defeated the United States 2-1 in each of the previous two World Cups. The last loss, in extra time of the 2010 Round of 16, still stung. This time around, the Americans would turn the tables. Clint Dempsey started things off quickly, scoring within the first 30 seconds of the game, good for the fifth-fastest opening goal in World Cup history.

Week 14 College Football Primer (With Picks): Rivalry Week!

This year's Iron Bowl will be hard-pressed to match last year's Kick-Six, but a playoff spot is still on the line for Alabama.

Ed. Note- Editor Joe Parello went a perfect 6-0 with his picks last week. There's no real reason to put that here at the top, he (I) just wanted to brag. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10) with a cameo by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The last weekend of college football’s regular season features a number of rivalry games with significant implications. Arizona and Mississippi will host two of the biggest intra-state rivalry games in their histories. But an even bigger rivalry will be renewed in Alabama.

Game of the Week

Alabama has waited all year for this one. No. 15 Auburn visits Tuscaloosa to take on the top ranked Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl. Last year in a 28-28 game, Alabama lined up for a game-winning field goal only to see it returned the other way for an Auburn touchdown as time expired. That result propelled Auburn to the national championship game and relegated Alabama to the Sugar Bowl, which the Tide lost to Oklahoma.

Things have changed this year. Alabama has been the nation’s best team while Auburn has struggled in recent weeks. The Tigers showed some of last year’s magic in close wins over Kansas State, South Carolina and Ole Miss, but they faltered in a game they should have won against unranked Texas A&M before getting blown out by Georgia.

Auburn can still be dangerous with Nick Marshall under center, but Alabama has much more to play for. It will be exciting to see how much of a fight Auburn can put up with nothing to lose.

NCAA Football Week 12 Primer (With Picks)

It's been a magical season for Mississippi State and Heisman candidate QB Dak Prescott, but can the Bulldogs get past Alabama this week?

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10) with a cameo by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After four Top-10 teams and eight Top-25 teams suffered losses last Saturday, a shakeup in the new College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings was a foregone conclusion. But the CFP committee changed the top of the rankings even more than expected. Oregon’s 51-27 win over Utah impressed the committee enough to place the Ducks ahead of undefeated defending national champion Florida State, despite Oregon’s October home loss to Arizona.

Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M vacated a spot in the Top-4, and the committee surprised fans by selecting TCU to fill the void rather than Alabama. The Tide could not ask for a better chance to prove the committee wrong this week, however, as Mississippi State comes to town on Saturday.

Game of the Week

The team of the year travels to face the team of the decade. No. 1 Mississippi State faces No. 5 Alabama. ‘Game of the week’ sells this match up short. Saturday’s SEC West clash is college football’s game of the year thus far. Mississippi State has not faced a ranked opponent since becoming the No. 1 team in the nation. This may be the biggest spotlight that has ever shone on the Bulldogs in program history.

NCAA Football Weekend Wrap: No Team is Safe

Auburn's playoff hopes are on life support after an upset loss to unranked Texas A&M.

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Week 11 of the college football season came with a lot of hype, and it lived up to the billing. Six Top-20 matchups stole the headlines leading into Saturday, but other teams made noise as well. In all, 8 ranked teams lost, including four Top-10 teams.

Upsets

Unranked Texas A&M shook things up when rookie quarterback Kyle Allen led the Aggies to a 41-38 road win over No. 3 Auburn. In just his second career start, the true freshman threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns, paving the way for one of 2014’s biggest upsets. After being in the driver’s seat, Auburn will now need to win out and get some help to stay in the playoff race.

Another upset took place when the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Michigan State and won convincingly against the No. 8 Spartans. The win showed that the Buckeyes are the team to beat in the Big 10. They are back on the shortlist of playoff contenders, while Michigan State seems to have fallen off that list for good.

NCAA Football Weekend Primer: The First College Football Playoff Rankings

Despite a disappointing finish in Death Valley last week, quarterback Bo Wallace and Ole Miss are still right where they want to be.

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Since the 1930s, fans of college football have relied on the AP Poll to assess the best football teams in the country. This week, the AP Poll gained a new rival.

College Football Playoff Rankings

On Tuesday, October 28^th, a selection committee released the first ever College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. The same committee will release its final rankings on Sunday, December 7^th, and the top 4 teams in those rankings will qualify for the College Football Playoff. Mississippi State holds the distinction of being the first No. 1 ranked team under the current system. Florida State, Auburn and Ole Miss round out the top 4.

Undefeated powerhouses Mississippi State and Florida State are the consensus picks as the nation’s top 2 teams. The CFP and AP rankings both place Auburn in the top 4. But after those initial similarities, the two rankings start to diverge quite a bit. 

Central Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/29/14

Northbridge quarterback Koby Schofer last December at Gillette Stadium. After Northbridge's big win over rival Auburn Friday, the Rams have to be thinking about a return trip to Foxboro.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

For the second week in a row, the number one team in our Power Rankings has lost. This had led to yet another shakeup in our rankings, pushing an unlikely Division 5 team to the top of the heap.

Check out our updated rankings below.

Central Mass HS Football Preview: Week 3

Doherty running back Jahkari Carpenter will look to carry the Highlanders to a critical win against stingy Holy Name

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I've already looked back on Week 2 of CMass high school football in my latest Power Rankings, so I'm not going to waste any time on introductions. Let's get right to Friday and Saturday's biggest games.

Game of the Week

Shrewsbury at Nashoba, Friday at 7 pm

If you read my Power Rankings, you know that the final spot in my Top-5 went to Shrewsbury, but that I was essentially splitting hairs between the Colonials and Nashoba, along with Wachusett. Well, here's where we find out which of these teams deserves to crack our Top-5, as well as move up in the T&G's Media Poll.

But this game is about more than outsider opinion. The winner will have the inside track to capturing Mid-Wach A, and be in great positions to earn a Top-2 seed in the Division 2 Central Playoffs.

Football 2013-14 Wrap Up: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Offenses got the headlines in 2013, but No. 1 defenses in Seattle and Tallahassee brought home the hardware.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Well, we've reached the end. Here is our final installment Good, Bad and Ugly, recapping the entirety of the 2013-2014 pro/college football season. Enjoy!

The Good

Offensive Innovators Excite

Three supposed "offensive gurus" lived up to their titles this year, as Chip Kelly and Andy Reid turned conference bottom dwellers into NFL playoff teams, while Gus Malzahn took Auburn from three wins to within three points of a national championship.

Most will point to Malzahn's no-huddle with spread option and inverted veer principles, or Chip Kelly's similarly up-tempo zone read, bubble screen extravaganza as the true innovations of this season, but I think that's selling Reid a little short.

Closing the Book on the 2013 College Football Season

A remarkable season ended fittingly, as Florida State edged Auburn in a remarkable title game.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The last year of the BCS era has come and gone, and what a season it was.

We saw a redshirt freshman named Jameis capture America's eye, then potentially face rape charges, win the Heisman Trophy and, eventually, the national championship. We saw Urban Meyer eat pizza like a big ole saddie. We saw Johnny Manziel humbled, but not really. We saw smart schools like Vanderbilt and Duke join Stanford in the "we win the right way club."

We saw UCF become the final "BCS buster" to score a program defining win, and we saw Auburn qualify for the last BCS National Championship Game ever with a fluke Hail Mary pass, a field goal returned for a touchdown and three-point shootout win, all in the span of three weeks.

Yeah, it was a "what the hell just happened" kind of year. So join me, if you will, as I recap some of the biggest developments from 2013, and look ahead to 2014.

Top Plays of 2013

2013 is almost over. Time to re-live some of the best moments.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

2013 is almost in the books. It's been a very interesting year in sports. The reigning NFL Champion won't be in the playoffs. Peyton Manning broke a whole slew of records. The BCS is in its final year. LeBron James and the Heat won back-to-back titles. The Red Sox went from last place to first place. A 15-seed made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

We're here today to share our choices for the biggest plays and best moments from each sport and each league. Some of them are no-brainers, some might come as surprises. And some we couldn't pick just one so we had to use a few.

We'll start with the two no-brainers:

Your Bowl Season Primer

Can Auburn make it eight in a row for the SEC?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The college bowl season opens Saturday, beginning a bonanza of college football that will give us a game to watch nearly every night until the BCS Championship Game on January 6th (Minus Christmas and December 22nd/29th, so as not to compete with Jesus or the NFL).

If you're just a football fan, the bowl season is amazing. Finally, college football gives us some intriguing inter-conference match ups that will no doubt feature contrasting styles and unfamiliar foes battling after plenty of preparation.

If you're a rich booster for a team that had a successful season, you've probably already booked your flight to Florida/California/Arizona/Texas/Louisiana/Georgia and scored your "alumni section" tickets from the school for twice as much as you would pay on StubHub a week before the game.

But, if your team came up short of expectations, it's a depressing potential trip to Detroit or Birmingham that you probably decided wasn't worth the time or money. Or heck, if you're a Purdue fan like me, or a Gator fan like my wife, this entire month is a reminder that your team wasn't even good enough to face Arkansas State in Mobile, Alabama.

That's depressing, but bowl season is still an amazing all you can eat buffet of football, so I'm going to put my own personal disappointments aside and bring you everything to watch for in every 2013-2014 bowl game.

All times Eastern, by the way.

The Top Plays of CMass High School Football 2013

Davon Jones made big plays on both sides of the ball for St. John's this year.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Today we close the book on the 2013 high school football season in Central Massachusetts with my end of the year highlight package.

This video features plays and celebrations from the biggest games across Central Mass, including great moments from Leominster, St. John's, Doherty, Littleton, Shepherd Hill, Leicester, Auburn, St. Peter-Marian, Quabbin and Burncoat.

Weekend Football Roundup: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Yeah, tell me how the new rules won't make guys go for the knees...

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every week, editor's Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the pro and college football weekend that was.

The Good

Auburn's Luck

Seriously, something has just gone improbably right for Auburn every single week. Actually, this week's Ohio State loss in the Big Ten Championship Game was far more likely than the Tigers' Hail Mary win over Georgia, or their 100-yard (More like 109-yard) field goal return for a game-winning touchdown against rival Alabama.

Yeah maybe it's just their year.

-JP

NCAA Weekend Primer: "Fear the Spear" and "Swag" Return

Can Miami and Florida State rule the college football world again?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Don't look now, but the Miami-Florida State game actually matters to people outside the state of Florida!

How long has it been since that happened? Well, every season from 1998 to 2005 these two teams finished the year ranked in the Top-25, and the game was considered a national title "knock out game" of sorts. Since 2005, both those things have happened zero times.

Even in 2005, Miami was on the way down, and FSU was about to begin the "Bobby Bowden needs to retire" period in its history. Neither was a national title contender, FSU lost five games (But upset Virginia Tech to sneak into the Orange Bowl, where it lost to Penn State) and Miami was annihilated by LSU in the Peach Bowl, 40-3.

It was the end of a period in college football dominated by the Noles and Canes (Along with Oklahoma and USC), and the beginning of the SEC era.

Really, you have to go back to the 2004 Orange Bowl, or 2002's "Wide Left" game to find a meaningful FSU-Miami slug fest. This week's game between the Seminoles and the Hurricanes, however, promises to be a vintage Sunshine State Showdown.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/21/13

Many are sleeping on the Rockets, but Auburn RB Mark Wright is one of the region's premier players.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

As I said last week, my wedding was this past weekend, so I obviously didn't get to make the CMass rounds. That being said, here are my final absentee Power Rankings, a Game of the Week and an updated Player of the Year Watch List for before I get back out onto the trail this weekend.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/14/13

James Gurley helped Leominster defeat Doherty in the region's biggest game Friday night.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Unfortunately, I was out of town last weekend due to a family emergency, so I missed what turned out to be a crazy weekend of Central Mass football, full of upsets and close games.

This weekend, I'm dragging myself to my own wedding (ugh), so it looks like I'm going to go back-to-back weekends without any CMass pigskin. Crazy, I know. But, rest assured I have read through every game recap and box score I can, and reached out to several area coaches to get their opinions on what is now a jumbled mess of a Top-5.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/30/13

All State QB Andrew Smiley and the St. John's offense will have its hands full with Nashoba's defense this week.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The top two teams in Central Mass passed their tests with flying colors this past weekend, as Leominster outgunned Shepherd Hill and Doherty ran past Tantasqua. For the Blue Devils, it was just another day at the office against the Rams, but the Highlanders needed a big win to prove they belong among the region's elite.

They got that against a tough Tantasqua squad, and more, dominating all three phases of the game and solidifying their place as the favorite in Division 4.

For the rest of our Power Rankings and an update on the Player of the Year race, along with a preview of next week's Game of the Week, keep reading below.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/23/13

Leominster's Jarell Addo delivered several big hits from his safety spot in the Blue Devils' win over Lowell.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

While Leominster and St. John's both made trips to test their mettle in Eastern Mass, plenty was being decided back in the heart of the Commonwealth. Nashoba kept its winning streak alive with an impressive performance, while Shepherd Hill, Tantasqua, St. Peter-Marian and Quabbin all made their case to be ranked among the best in CMass.

Oh yeah, and Hudson proved that it's no fluke. Check out the rankings, along with our Player of the Year watch list, and Game of the Week, below.