The SuiteStars: Our 2017 MIAA All-State Football Team

By SuiteSports Staff

SuiteSports is proud to unveil its second ever MIAA All-State football team, compiled with the input of our many contributors who hustled across the state all season long, and numerous coaches across the Commonwealth.

Please keep in mind that we do have an "athlete" category, so be sure to check there before you freak out that your favorite player didn't make the team.

One rule we're going to lay out here: We encourage debate and discussion, and we'd love to hear who you think we "snubbed." However, we ask that you avoid personal attacks on players. It's not a good look, and all personal attack comments will be deleted.

Finally, be on the lookout for our Award Winners, including our Player of the Year, which will be posted tomorrow. Until then, scroll down and check out this season's SuiteStars!

Your Massachusetts High School Football Primer

It's baaaaaaaaack!!!

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

High school football is finally back here in the Bay State, and SuiteSports has you covered with team previews, player profiles, a preseason All-State team, and our first MIAA Top 25 of 2017.

Check out all of our season-opening coverage below, and be sure to check back for even more as we drive down the #RoadtoGillette.

Top 25 MIAA Football Rankings: Week 6

St. John's (Shrewsbury) quarterback Steve Bucciaglia and the Pioneers edged crosstown rival Shrewsbury Friday night.

Ed. Note- Each week SuiteSports will unveil our list of the Top 25 teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. List compiled by former ESPN Boston Assistant Editor Nate Weitzer. (Updated 10/10)

1. Duxbury (5-0; Last Week  –  1) Regional rival Silver Lake gave Duxbury a fight during the first half of their Week 5 tilt, but the Dragons offense exploded once again on their way to a 55-14 victory.

2. Xaverian (4-1; Last Week  –  2) With a 28-7 win at Brockton last Friday, the Hawks have now bested the Boxers in 10 of the last 11 meetings between these historic rivals. This victory came with a little extra significance, as it was the 200th win of head coach Charlie Stevenson’s career.

3. Billerica (5-0; Last Week  –  3) No let down for the Indians after their emotional comeback win over Everett in Week 4. Billerica bested North Andover, 35-8, to remain undefeated.    

Friday Five-Pack: 5 HS Football Games to Watch in Massachusetts

By John Sarianides (@xnojoe)

Ed. Note- Our Massachusetts football guru John Sarianides is back with five games to watch during Week 5 of MA high school football. Here are the biggest games of the week.

Xaverian at Brockton

The Hawks have gotten their defensive swagger back since a 22-21 week two loss at Bridgewater-Raynham a few weeks back. Xaverian has shut out Barnstable and Catholic Memorial in back-to-back weeks, and A.J Ryan and company will look to make the Boxers their third shutout victim of the season.

Despite their struggles thus far this season, you can never count out the 2-2 Boxers. They can run the football and they are physical. They will look to pound the football and run right at the Hawks.
Games like this come down to big plays. Whichever team can hit a couple of big plays and use them to generate offense, will win this game. It is easy to overlook the Boxers, but that would be a mistake.

This is a rivalry game. Brockton will come to play.

Catholic Memorial at St. John's Prep

Top 25 MIAA Football Rankings: Week 5

How high will quarterback Zach Burns and Billerica climb after a huge win against Everett?

By SuiteSports Staff

Ed. Note- Though ESPN Boston High Schools is no more, SuiteSports is thrilled to welcome a few former members of that team, including former Assistant Editor Nate Weitzer.

Each week, Nate, myself, and our other correspondents and colleagues across the state will rank our Top 25 teams in Massachusetts high school football. After all, just because ESPN Boston High Schools is done, that doesn't mean we should stop doing our Top 25 every week. For now, our "Last Week" ranking will refer to where each team stood in ESPN Boston's final poll. 

Anyways, onward to our first ever statewide Top 25!

10 Takeaways from Week 2 of Massachusetts HS Football

Leominster held on against Oakmont last week, but the Blue Devils will have to play their best game to top BC High Friday.

By John Sarianides (@xnojoe)

Ed. Note- Our resident Mass football guru John Sarianides is back with his biggest takeaways from a wild weekend of high school football across the Commonwealth.

1. I can’t say I’m surprised that Bridgewater-Raynham beat Xaverian. The Trojans are physical on both sides of the ball, and Dan Buron’s teams have done a great job of ball-controlling teams through the years.

2. Central Catholic beat St. John’s Prep with defense and a solid running game. I know most people think it’s the Bret Edwards show offensively, but the Raiders are way more than that.

Friday Five-Pack: 5 HS Football Games to Watch in MA

Holliston quarterback Jack Barrett has the Panthers poised for another state title run.

By John Sarianides (@xnojoe)

Ed. Note- SuiteSports is thrilled to welcome John Sarianides to the team. John also contributes to ESPN Boston and Boston Herald Radio, and has an extensive teaching and coaching record in Massachusetts. Each Friday, John will give us his games to watch, then each Monday he'll give us his biggest takeaways from the week that was.

Welcome aboard, John!

Billerica at Andover

This will be a great game coached by two of the best spread coaches in the state. Both teams run the spread offense, but the two offenses are philosophically different. Billerica runs a physical version of the spread. Indians coach Duane Sigsbury loves to pound the ball and control the clock.

Conversely, Andover likes to play fast and throw it all over the yard with quarterback E.J. Perry and wide receiver Dan Gemmell.

As we saw last week against BC High, however, playing fast can be a problem if you're not converting third downs and scoring points. Andover had issues with BC High's physicality last week, and I think they'll have a tough time with Billerica up front. If the Warriors don't score first and get Billerica out of their comfort zone, they could be in for a long night.

Fixing Massachusetts' High School Football Playoffs

Holliston celebrating a Division 4 state championship at Gillette Stadium last December.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Yesterday the Football Committee of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) voted to amend its statewide football tournament. The vote comes just two years after the new statewide plan was implemented in 2013, and expands the field from six divisions to eight.

Prior to 2013, Massachusetts did not crown true state champions. Instead, the season culminated with 18 sectional "Super Bowl" champions every year, with teams winning titles in Eastern, Central and Western Mass, but never beyond their respective region.

The new system has faced resistance ever since its inception for a number of reasons. Namely, it rendered Thanksgiving Day rivalries meaningless for many teams, especially those playing in the state title games. It also made selling tickets difficult for teams that missed the playoffs. Those schools now had to play a "non-playoff" schedule against unfamiliar opponents with no real stakes.

But it also began playoff football sooner, and awarded six true state championships, with each title game being played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. For all its flaws, the system was delivering on its promise of allowing all the best teams to play for state titles in the Patriots' house.

Now, both of the system's current strengths will be eliminated, while the fundamental issues still remain.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: Week 3

Xaverian may have the best secondary in the state, led by senior corner Coby Tippett. Photo courtesy of ESPN Boston.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We already covered the Heart of the Commonwealth yesterday with our Week 3 Central Mass Power Rankings, now let's move east where a few teams continued to impress, while a few others got back on track.

I won't waste any more time with introductions, let's just get to this week's Top-10.

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Joe Gaziano

 By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed. Note- We continue our month-long look at the top football recruits in Massachusetts with a profile of Northwestern bound defensive end Joe Gaziano. Mike Uva takes a look at ESPN Boston's 2014 Mr. Football from Division 1 state champion Xaverian.
-Joe

Joe Gaziano

Defensive End
Xaverian Brothers High School
6'4'', 245 lbs.
College Choice: Northwestern
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Drew Jean-Guillaume

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue today with one of the most overlooked players in the state this year, Shepherd Hill athlete Drew Jean-Guillaume.

Drew Jean-Guillaume

Shepherd Hill Regional High School
Athlete (QB, RB, DB)
5'10'', 200 lbs.
College Choice: Central Connecticut State
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Davon Jones

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue today with explosive athlete Davon Jones, a two-way star for St. John's (Shrewsbury) who used his closing speed and leaping ability to dominate as both a safety and a receiver for the Pioneers.

Davon Jones

St. John's High School (Shrewsbury)
Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
5'10'', 180 lbs.
College Choice: Boston College
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Jahkari Carpenter

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue our rundown today with Doherty running back Jahkari Carpenter, a human highlight-reel who helped the Highlanders win the 2013 Division 4 state championship, and rushed for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior in 2014.

Jahkari Carpenter

Doherty Memorial High School (Worcester)
Running Back
5'7'', 160 lbs.
College Choice: Doing a Post Grad Year at Bridgton Academy in Maine.
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Mark Wright

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles on some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue our rundown today with one of the state's most prolific running backs ever, Auburn's Mark Wright.


Mark Wright

Auburn High School
Running Back
5'8'', 170 lbs.
College Choice: Undecided (Leaning toward a Post Grad year at Maine's Bridgton Academy. Hearing from UMass, New Hampshire, Sacred Heart, Marist & Wagner)
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Brian Dunlap

Photo courtesy of Brendan C. Hall and ESPN Boston.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed. Note- We continue our month-long look at the top football recruits in Massachusetts with a profile of Harvard commit Brian Dunlap. Mike Uva has more on the prolific Natick receiver, who bounced back from injury to dominate Massachusetts high school football again in 2014.

-Joe

Brian Dunlap

Natick High School
Wide Receiver
6'1'', 180 lbs.
College Choice: Harvard
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Jake Burt

Photo courtesy of Brendan C. Hall and ESPN Boston

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed. Note- We continue our month-long look at the top football recruits in Massachusetts with a profile of Boston College bound tight end Jake Burt. Mike Uva, a St. John's Prep alum himself, has more on the SJP tight end, who excels as a receiver, thanks to translating his basketball skills to the gridiron.

-Joe

Jake Burt

St. John's Prep
Tight End
6'5'', 230 lbs.
College Choice: Boston College
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Aaron Monteiro

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue our rundown today with beastly Brockton lineman Aaron Monteiro.


Aaron Monteiro 

Brockton High School
Offensive/Defensive Lineman
6'6'', 305 lbs.
College Choice: Boston College
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Lukas Denis

Photo courtesy of Brendan C. Hall and ESPN Boston.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed. Note- Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We begin today with Everett star Lukas Denis, one of the most highly recruited players in the Commonwealth for the Class of 2015. Correspondent Mike Uva has more on the Crimson Tide play maker.

-Joe

Lukas Denis

Everett High School
Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
6'1'', 180 lbs.
College Choice: Boston College
Senior Highlights

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profiles Coming in the New Year

Brockton lineman Aaron Monteiro is one of several MA football players going D1 in 2015.

 By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We are happy to announce that between January 4th and National Signing Day (February 4th), our SuitePreps section will be churning our recruiting profiles on many of the Massachusetts high school football players that will be continuing their careers at the next level.

Our initial group of players can be found below, and please note that this is not an exhaustive list of every MA player taking their game to the college ranks. Rather, it is a collection of players I have seen enough of to profile.

If you are a Massachusetts high school football player and are playing in college next year (at any level), feel free to Tweet me @HerewegoJoe, or email me at jparello86@gmail.com to spread the good news.

Central Mass HS Football All-Stars and Award Winners 2014

No running back in the state has gained more yards the last two years than Auburn's Mark Wright.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We've already broken down the best teams in Central Mass with our postseason Power Rankings, but now we honor those individual players who excelled in the Heart of the Commonwealth.

Here are your 2014 Central Massachusetts High School Football SuiteStars and Award Winners.

Quarterback

1. Koby Schofer, Jr. Northbridge
2. Drew Jean-Guillaume, Sr. Shepherd Hill
3. Connor Bassett, Jr. Littleton

Schofer and Bassett each led their teams to Gillette as run/pass threats, while Jean-Guillaume did most of his work on the ground in Shepherd Hill's Double Wing. All three of these guys were the main reason their team advanced deep into the playoffs, and each powered an offense that scored over 32 points per game.