Grafton Wins Third Straight Boys Lax Sectional Title

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

DUDLEY, Mass - The Nipmuc Warriors faced off against the Grafton Indians in the Division 3 Central/West final at Shepherd Hill Regional High on a fine evening in June. Nipmuc had a lot to prove and started out hot. At the end of the day however, Grafton was able to overpower the Warriors and hand them a 14-5 defeat.

PHOTO GALLERY: Grafton vs Hopedale Lacrosse

Photos by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Grafton handed upstart Hopedale its first loss of the season Tuesday, topping the Blue Raiders by a final score of 13-5 at Grafton High School in a critical Mid-Mass. clash.

I'll have a postgame blog up later tonight, but for now, enjoy the sights of the game. Note that you can click any image to enlarge, and launch a slideshow.

RADIO: The Local Sports Lunchbox with Worcester & Grafton Lacrosse

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

On this week's edition of the Local Sports Lunchbox, we welcomed players from two of the best teams in the Mid-Mass. lacrosse league. First, seniors C.J. Gallagher, Richie Burke and Griffin Moore called in from Worcester to let us know what to expect from WooLax. Then, Grafton seniors Tom Nicalek, Jack Fontana and Brendan Coates called in to discuss the Indians' quest for a third consecutive district title.

Plus, we run through the biggest games from last week, and preview some huge upcoming games that hopefully won't be rained out.

Continue below for all that, and more, on this week's episode on WPKZ.

Cam Powell Stands Tall as Grafton/BVT Tops Oakmont in D3A Central

By William Aubin

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Grafton/Blackstone Valley Tech will compete for state championship against South Hadley on Thursday night, thanks to sophomore goaltender Cam Powell turning aside 25 shots, as Grafton staved off the Oakmont, 5-2, to win the Central Mass Division 3A Championship Saturday at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg.

Grafton/ Blackstone Valley (16-6-1) was aided by two 2 goal performances from both sophomore forward Jake Baker and senior assistant captain Cam Thomas in the victory. Oakmont sophomore forward Ryan Peralta was the only Spartans player to solve Powell, scoring twice in his team’s loss.

Melifonwu Sticks With Syracuse, Despite Late Michigan Offer

With his mother at his side, Grafton star Ifeatu Melifonwu made it official, signing with Syracuse Wednesday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Even late interest from one of football's most recognizable coaches, and an offer to play for one of the NCAA's most prestigious programs didn't sway Grafton's Ifeatu Melifonwu.

The star athlete, who helped lead Grafton to the MIAA Division 3 state championship game at Gillette Stadium in December, officially signed with Syracuse, the school he committed to last summer, during a ceremony in the school library Wednesday.

Melifonwu's destination was one of the state's biggest questions heading into National Signing Day, as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh personally attended one of Melifonwu's basketball games earlier this month, and the Wolverines formally extended a scholarship offer last Friday, just as Melifonwu was leaving Ann Arbor for a final trip to Syracuse.

Grafton Leaves No Doubt Against West Boylston

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

West Boylston took a trip to Grafton High School Friday night to face off against the out-of-conference Indians. Grafton would take an early lead that it wouldn’t relinquish, cruising to a 37-6 victory.

Familiarity

As big a game as this was for players, the coaches wanted to give a little extra push this week. West Boylston coach Mike Ross coached Grafton for years, winning a Super Bowl in 2012, and he hasn't been forgotten in Grafton.

“Both coaches were fired up this week,” said Grafton star and Syracuse commit Ifeatu Melifonwu, whose brother Obi, now at UConn, played for Ross at Grafton.

“Coaches were really hyping up the game all week,” added defensive end Sean Deely. “It felt good to beat Coach Ross.”

Central Mass High School Football Road Trip: Grafton

Grafton has the talent to raise another trophy in 2016, but the Indians aren't looking that far ahead.

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

Ed. Note- Today we welcome our newest correspondent, Connor Evans. A current student at Bryant University, Connor was a star on Grafton's lacrosse and soccer teams during his high school days. He begins his SuiteSports career by looking at his alma mater, and how the Grafton football team will look to follow up last season's magical run to the Division 4 Central title. The Indians enter 2016 with a star Division 1 commitment, plenty of new faces, and a wide-open field in the newly-aligned Division 3 Central.

The Grafton High School football team has seen some success over the last few years, largely due to a strong sense of team unity and a “we’re-tougher-than-you” attitude that gives it the mettle to outlast most opponents. This mentality, along with a talented senior class, brought the team to the Division 4 state semifinal last year.

But now that senior class is gone, so I stopped by a Grafton practice last week to see what will be different this year.

The answer? Absolutely nothing.

Grafton's Historic Run Ends Shy of a Title

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

For the second consecutive year, Grafton just couldn't overcome the juggernaut that is Dover-Sherborn, falling to the Raiders in the D3 title game by a final score of 16-5.

It was a game dominated by the Raiders at the face-off X, as D-S junior Joe Paolatto won all but two draws on the day. Grafton junior Brendan Coates scored to make it 2-1 D-S early, but the Raiders went on an 8-0 run, aided by four man-up goals, to push the game out of reach.

I'll have full recaps up on ESPN Boston and BostonLax soon, but here are a few wandering thoughts.

Grafton to Face Dover-Sherborn for a State Title… Again

Grafton junior midfielder Anthony D'Angelo

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Grafton has been talking about getting back to the state championship game all season long, and finally the Indians are back.

For the second consecutive year, Grafton will face state power, and reigning D3 champion Dover-Sherborn. In last year's game, D-S overwhelmed Grafton, winning 14-2 in a game the Indians were happy just to be in.

Expect things to be a little different this year, as a veteran-heavy Grafton squad has its eyes on capturing the program's first ever state championship.

It won't be easy though, and the Indians know it.

Grafton to Face Hanover in Division 3 State Semifinals

Recently named an All-American, Grafton senior Chase Kapuscienski is brimming with confidence.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

For the second consecutive year, Grafton will play in a state semifinal, and for the second consecutive year, the Indians have a chance to prove themselves against some of the best competition that Massachusetts has to offer.

Last season, Grafton defeated Ipswich on a Josh Birdsall game-winner in double overtime, and this year the Indians will need to get past Hanover to reach a second straight Division 3 state championship game.

The Hanover Indians (17-4) are coming off a 20-2 dismantling of Nantucket in the D3 South final, and have proven to be one of the best teams in the state all year long. Led by a powerful attack, Hanover's offense is scoring 17 goals per game this postseason, and star goalie Noah Clapp has anchored a defense surrendering just 5.5 goals per game in the playoffs.

Postgame Blog: Grafton Sends a Message Against Tantasqua

Grafton senior attackmen Hunter Fraser (4) and Chase Kapuscienski (25).

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After splitting its season series with Tantasqua, and sharing a league title last year, Grafton left no doubt that it was the team to beat in Mid-Mass, running past Tantasqua 17-1 Thursday.

"Last year Tantasqua bought hats that said, 'Mid-Mass Champions,' and we shared the title, so that kind of ticked us off," Grafton captain Chase Kapuscienski said. "So we came in here, and we wanted to pound them into the ground, and that's what we did."

I could give you a complete game story, but all you need to know is that Grafton (4-0, 3-0 Mid-Mass) was firing on all cylinders, and played like a team on a mission. The Indians were loose during pregame and at halftime, but once the whistle blew, Grafton played with extreme focus, dominating Tantasqua (0-2, 0-2 Mid-Mass) in all phases, en route to a blowout home win.

Here are a few quick stats, and then we'll delve a little deeper.

CMass Lax Preview: The 2016 Grafton Indians

Grafton senior attackman Cole Fontana

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Expectations couldn't be much higher for Grafton this year, as the Indians return plenty of talent from the program's first ever state title game appearance. With senior leadership at every level, and several young players that came of age during their memorable run last season, Grafton is poised to be one of the best teams in Central Mass, regardless of division.

A brutal schedule again awaits Grafton, but this group seems more than up for the challenge.

Here's a closer look.

Grafton's Run Ends in D3 State Final

Junior attackman Cole Fontana scored a pair of goals in Grafton's D3 state title game appearance against Dover-Sherborn.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Grafton's historic season came to an end Friday in the Division 3 state final against a powerful Dover-Sherborn squad.

The Indians came out fighting, winning the game's first two faceoffs, but couldn't create any legitimate scoring opportunities on either possession. It was a rough start to Grafton's first ever state championship game, and the experienced Raiders, making their fifth consecutive title game appearance, took advantage.

Grafton to Face Massive Challenge in D3 State Final

Goalie Cadrin Msumba (22) and poles Tom Nicalek (3) and Youki Azuma clamp down on Ipswich Monday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Bruce Lerch (@blerch27)

Ed. Note- Bruce Lerch of BostonLax.Net and The Boston Herald has been kind enough to provide me with a breakdown of Grafton's opponent, Division 3 mainstay Dover-Sherborn. You can find his analysis right after my look back at Grafton's season.

The Grafton Indians will make their first ever state finals appearance today, and will conclude a long and arduous journey that has seen them battle injuries, a brutal schedule, and some bumps in the road along the way.

Facing one of the toughest schedules in Division 3 Central/West, the Indians scored a huge win over D2 Central power Algonquin in their second game, but the win came at a cost. Star junior attackman Chase Kapuscienski broke his foot, and has been playing on a bad wheel ever since. Grafton has seen the injury bug hit the rest of its team, with senior captain pole Connor Evans go down for an extended period, and at times dealing with as many as seven players out of the lineup simultaneously, five of them starters.

Postgame Blog: Grafton Earns First Ever State Finals Appearance

Grafton celebrates after defeating Ipswich in Double OT of a Division 3 state semifinal.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Nothing has come easy for Grafton this year, but a double-overtime goal by Josh Birdsall against Ipswich Monday sent the program to its first ever state championship game.

Here is your reminder that this blog is just my wandering thoughts on the game. If you'd like a full recap, along with highlights (trust me, you wanna see these highlights), head over to BostonLax.


Now, onto the blog.

Grafton to Play in D3 State Semifinals

Goalie Cadrin Msumba and the Grafton poles are coming off one of the best defensive performances in the state.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Grafton is the last team standing for Central Mass lacrosse this postseason, and the Indians are just one win away from playing for a state championship.

Let's take a look back at how Grafton got here, and a look ahead at what awaits them tonight in the state semis.

2015 CMass Lacrosse District Finals Preview

Grafton will be looking for revenge, and a district title, against Mt. Greylock Saturday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After a thrilling semifinal round, only two Central Mass teams remain alive in the MIAA lacrosse tournament.

I won't waste any more time on intros, let's get right into what it will take for Algonquin and Grafton to win district championships.

CMass Lax Power Rankings: 5/4/15

Algonquin sophomore Zach Skowronek scored the game-winner for the T-Hawks against EMass rival Hingham last week.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Another week and another set of Central Mass Lacrosse Power Rankings are now in the books.

This week a new school makes its first ever appearance in our Top-5, and a couple of Mid-Wach A squads take a tumble after rough stretches. All teams are hitting the home stretch of the regular season as they fight for tournament position, so let's not waste any more time and get to our brand new rankings.

Postgame Blog: St. John's Runs Past Grafton

St. John's attack Jared Ward looks for space against Grafton.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

On a rainy, windy, chilly afternoon in Shrewsbury, host St. John's overcame a sloppy start to route Grafton 10-0 and put the rest of Central Mass lacrosse on notice.

The Pioneers win came in a game that featured the Top-2 teams in our Central Mass Lacrosse Power Rankings, and featured an avalanche of a third quarter that saw St. John's win every face-off of the period and rattle off seven goals.

"Coach (Terry Leary) harps on assisted goals, so we really brought that through in the third quarter and that's what got us through," St. John's senior Jared Ward said. "First quarter, we were doing a lot of one-on-one stuff. We weren't moving the ball, it was really just a stagnant offense. But, once we get one in transition it usually comes. So, when it rains it pours, they say."

CMass Lax Power Rankings: 4/19/15

Algonquin senior Alex Sabel (22) scored an overtime game-winner against rival Shrewsbury last week.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Welcome to a special holiday edition of our Central Mass Lacrosse Power Rankings. Due to the fact that tomorrow is a Marathon Monday, and that I will be attending a game between two of the best teams in the region (more on that later), I felt it would be best to release these rankings a half-day early.

Without further ado, here are this week's Power Rankings, along with some notes about some of the big games this week.