Franklin Knocks off St. John's Prep, Becomes Lowest Seed to Win First Two Super Eight Games

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Franklin made program history on Wednesday, but with a win on Saturday they have now made Super Eight history.

With the No. 7 Panthers and No. 3 St. John’s Prep tied 4-4 in the top of the eighth, Scott Elliot drilled a two-out three triple into right centerfield to give Franklin a 7-4 lead. After Mike Yarin launched a two-out two-run home run to right to pull the Eagles within one, Panthers’ ace Jake Noviello came on and induced a groundout to second base as Franklin defeated St. John’s Prep, 7-6, on Saturday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium.

The win advances Franklin to the Super Eight semifinals on Wednesday night. They are the lowest seeded team ever to advance to the winner’s bracket portion of the semifinals.

MIAA Boys' Basketball Tournament: Divisions 1 and 2 State Championship Previews

For the first time ever, two league opponents will square off for the MIAA Boys' Basketball Division 1 title. Hockomock rivals Franklin and Mansfield split their season series, and have been as evenly matched as two programs can be the last few seasons.    Photo by Eamon Convey.

 By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

The MIAA Basketball season will conclude in Springfield on Saturday with a total of eight state championship games.

Over at the Mass Mutual Center, the Division 1 and 2 Boys' and Girls' state finals will commence, while across the way at Springfield College the Division 3 and 4 games will take place.

SuiteSports' will have complete coverage from both venues, but before then, let's break down each of the four divisions.

Here are our previews, players to watch, and picks from the Division 1 and 2 boys' state finals. Check back tomorrow for previews from the Division 3 and 4 games.

Higgins Stands Tall for Barnstable Hockey against Franklin; Marshfield Tops Duxbury

By Jake Levin (@JakeLevin09)

Buzzards Bay, Mass. — Conor Higgins put together about as solid a freshman season as the Barnstable Red Raiders could have hoped for from their goaltender.

Higgins posted a very respectable 2.36 goals against average, and an .855 save percentage, picking up one shutout during his first year on the varsity. His shutout was an impressive one, against the defending Division 3 State Champion Old Rochester/Fairhaven Bulldogs, but that was in December.

How would he fare against a high-flying Franklin Panthers team that put up 80 goals – sixth most in Division 1 – in the regular season?

Pretty darn well, it turns out. Higgins turned aside all 32 shots he faced to help a Ryan DiPilato first period goal stand up as No. 14 Barnstable (10-8-3) stunned No. 3 Franklin, 1-0, on Wednesday night.

MIAA Boys' Basketball Tournament: Central and West Sectional Picks

Marlboro big Chris Doherty has the Panthers primed for a deep tournament run.

By SuiteSports Staff

On Friday afternoon, the MIAA released the basketball pairings for the 2018 State Tournament Central Sectionals.

That was followed up Saturday morning with the release of the pairings for the West, which was completed via the Walker System.

In Division 1 Central, Franklin looks like the favorite to win its second straight sectional title, but red-hot Wachusset, Doherty, and traditional power St. John’s (Shrewsbury) all could derail the Panthers.

Chris Doherty and Marlboro are hoping to reach the state final for the first time since Doherty’s freshman year, but a potential sectional semi-final matchup with Milford could pose a significant challenge.

Keefer Delivers In Clutch to Send Cambridge Into The State Tournament with a Win

By: Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Cambridge, Mass. – In the waning moments of its final regular season game, Cambridge showed flashes of their two-time defending champion selves. 

With the Falcons and visiting Franklin tied at 49 and less than two minutes to go, Aidan Keefer connected on a baseline jumper to push Cambridge in front by two. At the other end, meanwhile, Cambridge’s defense took control and came away with three consecutive stops.

Khai Smith (9 points, 12 rebounds) and Jhyko Neal each split trips to the free throw line and the Falcons held on for a 53-49 win over Franklin at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School.

For a while, it looked as though Keefer’s game winning jump shot was never going to be a possibility.

Edgehill, Mahon Lead the Way as Franklin Tops New Bedford

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Franklin, Mass. - While the Whalers tried to set the pace, it was Franklin that lit up the scoreboard.

Chris Edgehill scored 24 points, while Paul Mahon chipped in 18 more, to lead Franklin past visiting New Bedford, 76-65, in the semifinals of the Harvey Nasuti Basketball Classic at Franklin High School.

The Panthers advance to play No. 1 Tech Boston in the championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m.

PHOTO GALLERY: Mansfield Hoops top Visiting Franklin

Photos by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

You can read a full recap of Mansfield's big win over Franklin here, and check out some photos of the Hornets grabbing the lead in the Hockomock Kelley-Rex below.

Note that you can click any image to enlarge and launch a slideshow.

Tournament Tease: Cambridge, Newton North Headline Loaded Slate of Friday Night Games

Newton North star Ethan Wright throws one down.   Photo by Eamon Convey.

It may only be the second week in January, but Friday night will certainly feel like tournament time for many teams across Massachusetts.

A bevy of matchups are sure to appeal to even the most casual fan as in some cases historic league rivalries are set to tipoff while in others a top non-league showdown is in order.

Four matchups standout, as No. 4 Cambridge vs. No. 11 Newton North, No. 9 Mansfield vs. No. 7 Franklin, Catholic Memorial vs. No. 8 BC High, and No. 3 Lowell vs. No. 19 Lawrence, combine to feature seven teams in our latest MIAA Basketball Top-25 poll including five in the top-10.

Offensive Explosion Leads Franklin Past Catholic Memorial

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

Franklin, Mass. - It was the night that Franklin head coach CJ Neely had been waiting for.

Through its first five games of the season, the Division 1 state finalist Panthers had been struggling offensively, scoring more than 60 points just once.

On Thursday night that all changed as, led by Matt Elias’ 16 points and, 10 total three-pointers the, Panthers took down Catholic Memorial, 74-60, in front of an electric crowd at Franklin High School.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 2

Senior Jorge Torres has Western Mass power Springfield Central flying high in the season's early goings.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/18)

1. Needham (2-0; Last Week - 3) In a tough opener on the road, Thomas Shaughnessy and the experienced Rockets looked every bit a championship contender, running past St. John’s Prep, 72-62.

2. St. John's Prep (1-1; Last Week - 1) Dropping the opener to a Needham team that brings back several key pieces after a state semifinals appearance last year is nothing of which to be ashamed. 

3. Franklin (1-0; Last Week - 5) The Panthers continued to dominate Hockomock League competition with a 55-36 win over Milford, led by a career-high 28 points from sophomore guard Chris Edgehill.

A Brief 2017-18 MIAA Hoops Primer

Franklin returns a ton of talent and, now, experience, making the Panthers a favorite to get back to the state championship game.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

Ed. Note- Our statewide Top 25 is currently posted, as the first full week of MIAA hoops is now in the books. With that in mind, our Matt Feld figured he would give a brief overview of how he sees things shaking out across all divisions of MIAA basketball.

Ed. Note Part 2- A previous version of this story listed Tech Boston as D4 instead of D2. We regret the error and have corrected it.

Needham surprised many last season with their run to the Division 1 South Sectional championship.

This season, the Rockets will not fly under anyone’s radar.

Xaverian Lax Upsets Franklin in D1 South Matchup

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

FRANKLIN, Mass. –  Xaverian boys’ lacrosse struggled through a brutal regular season schedule and finished below .500 at 8-10, but the Hawks qualified for the tournament under the Sullivan Rule after winning a share of the Catholic Conference.

On Sunday evening, the 12th seed demonstrated that records don’t tell the full story, as they upset fifth-seeded Franklin, 8-7, in a Division 1 South matchup. 

Ritchie's Game-Winner Lifts St. John's (Shrewsbury) Past Franklin in 2OT

By Ryan Bowman (@_ryanbowman_)

SHREWSBURY - Dawson Ritchie scored the game-winner in a thrilling 12-11 double overtime victory for St. John's (Shrewsbury) over rival Franklin. The win boosted St John's record to 12-2 and added another major win to the Pioneers' resume, and dropped Franklin, the Hockomock Kelley-Rex champions, to 11-3 overall.

This was one of the most anticipated games of the season for both teams, and the game lived up to the hype. St. John's opened up the scoring with two goals early in the first quarter, before Franklin responded with a man-up goal. The game really opened up in the second quarter, which was plagued by Pioneer penalties and Franklin converting on the man-up opportunities.

PHOTO GALLERY: St. John's (Shrewsbury) Lacrosse Nips Franklin in 2OT

Photos by Ryan Bowman (@_ryanbowman_)

We will have a story up soon from the Pioneers' thrilling 12-11 victory over Franklin, but until then, enjoy these images captured earlier today in Shrewsbury by our Ryan Bowman.

The Suite 16: Our MIAA Boys' Basketball All-State Team & Award Winners

Division 1 state champion Cambridge is well-represented on our All-State team and among our Award Winners.

By SuiteSports Staff

Another MIAA boys' basketball season has come to a close, and SuiteSports is proud to unveil its first ever All-State Boys' Basketball Team and Award Winners. The team and awards below were selected by a number of editors and reporters from across the state. But, if you feel the need to yell at anybody, you can find editor Joe Parello on Twitter here.

While we certainly encourage debate about our picks, we will not tolerate attacks on individual kids in the comments section. Please, keep it classy folks.

PHOTO GALLERY: Franklin and Springfield Central Play an Overtime Classic

Photos by Brendan C. Hall (@BHallESPN)

WORCESTER, Mass. - Holy cow did Franklin and Springfield Central play an all-timer in Wednesday's Division 1 state semifinal at the DCU Center.

The Panthers advanced to the state championship with a 60-54 overtime victory, in a game that featured a freshman going on a one-man 8-0 run over the final 40 seconds of regulation, double-digit blocks from the losing team, a buzzer-beater that was waved off (and a celebration that was for not), and a back-and forth overtime period.

Yeah, it had a little bit of everything, so continue below for images from one of the craziest games in recent memory.

Note that you can click on any photo to enlarge it to full size.

Franklin Defeats Springfield Central in Wild Finish of D1 Semifinal

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

With 40 seconds remaining in Wednesday night's D1 state semifinal at Worcester's DCU Center, Western Mass champ Springfield Central held an eight-point advantage over Central Mass champion Franklin, and appeared ready to play for a state championship in its home town.

Those thoughts were all dashed, seemingly in an instant, as Franklin freshman Chris Edgehill went on a one-man 8-0 run to force overtime, where the Panthers would ultimately prevail 60-54.

But there was much more to it than that, because the waning moments of regulation produced one of the craziest sequences you will ever see on a basketball court.

MIAA Boys' Hoops State Semifinal Preview: Division 1

Franklin sophomore Jalen Samuels could again be an X-factor for the Panthers.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We've reached the final four in each division of the MIAA boys' basketball tournament, and that means a battle for Eastern Mass, plus a clash of the best from Central and Western Mass in each bracket.

We've got you covered with previews of each division as we head into the home stretch of Mass Madness.

Division 1 Eastern Mass Final

Needham (20-4) vs. Cambridge  (22-0)

Players to Watch:
Needham – Thomas Shaughnessry, Jr., SG, Will Cooper, Jr., F, Matt Shaker, Sr., SG.
Cambridge – Jakigh Dottin, Sr, PG, Daniel Rymer, Sr., F, Dimon Carrigan, Sr., C.

Date/Time/Location: March 15th, 6 pm, WPI

Franklin Nips St. John's in OT for First-Ever Sectional Title

Photo by Ryan Bowman.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

WORCESTER, Mass. - After three consecutive years of losing to St. John's (Shrewsbury) in the Division 1 Central tournament, Franklin finally broke through, edging the Pioneers 67-64 in an overtime thriller at Worcester State, capturing the first sectional title in program history in the process.

Leading 65-64 with just nine seconds remaining, Franklin (21-2) was a stop away from the state semifinals. It turns out, the Panthers got two.

PHOTO GALLERY: Franklin Defeats St. John's in D1 Central Final

Franklin senior Connor Goldstein soars into the lane against St. John's.

Photos by Ryan Bowman (@_ryanbowman_)

Franklin finally got over the hump, defeating old nemesis St. John's (Shrewsbury) to capture the Division 1 Central championship.

We'll have a full recap up later, but here are some fantastic images from the game, captured by photographer Ryan Bowman. Note that you can click any image in this story to enlarge it to full size.