Newton North Dominates Walpole

By Kyle Schroeder (@kyschroeder81)

Newtonville, Mass. – With the biggest game of the season against Needham coming up on Friday, it was possible that the Newton North Tigers could take their matchup with Walpole (4-8 coming in) lightly. Newton North rejected that possibility with authority on Tuesday night, as the Tigers dominated Walpole wire-to-wire in a 76-38 win.

Before the start of the contest, Newton North’s star senior guard Ethan Wright was honored for being in the running to be a McDonald’s All-American. Once the game started, he played like one and set the tone early. Wright exploded for 13 points in the first quarter, as he was able to get in the paint at will and use his size to finish with ease.

PHOTO GALLERY: Natick vs Walpole Football

Photos by Brendan Hall (@BHallESPN)

WALPOLE - Natick made short work of rival Walpole Friday night, seizing control of the Bay State Conference in the process. Our Brendan Hall was there to provide a full recap, and these photos below.

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

Natick Dominates Walpole in Bay State Conference Clash

By Brendan Hall (@BHallESPN)

WALPOLE - The last decade of the storied Natick-Walpole rivalry has seen numerous great finishes – many of them with Bay State Conference hardware on the line – and some unforgettable talents having unforgettable games, from Ryan Izzo and Scott McCummings, to Troy Flutie, Brian Dunlap and Steve Cuqua.

But in the 2017 installment of this border showdown, the turf at Turco Field seemed to only tilt one way.

Turning in arguably its best defensive performance of the young season, anchored by two first-half interceptions returned for touchdowns, Natick dominated on both sides of the ball from the opening kick, rolling Walpole 33-8 to improve to 5-0 for the fourth time since 2012.

PHOTO GALLERY: Cohasset Girls' Lax vs Walpole in D2 State Title Game

Photos by Brendan Hall (@BHallESPN)

You can check out our full story on Cohasset's state championship win at BU, but now, take a look at these pictures from our Brendan Hall.

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

Cohasset Runs Past Walpole in Girls' D2 State Final

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

BOSTON - Walpole tried face-guarding both star Hansen sisters, and even got a fantastic performance from senior goalie Morgan Fontana (10 saves), but it wasn't enough to even slow down Cohasset, as the Skippers rolled 14-6 at Boston University's Nickerson Field, capturing the Division 2 state championship.

Cohasset (21-2) was relentless from the opening draw, putting constant pressure on the Walpole (22-2) back line, thanks to the transition brilliance of juniors Jane and Elle Hansen, and big games from Julia Placek (3G, 1A), Marina Longo (2G, 2A) and Molly Greer (1G, 2A).

MIAA Top 25 Baseball Poll: 5/15/17

BC High ace Mike Vasil helped the Eagles clinch another Catholic Conference title with a no-hitter against rival Xaverian.   Photo by Brendan C. Hall, via ESPN Boston.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state during the 2017 baseball season, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 5/15)

1. St. John’s (Shrewsbury) (12-2; Last Ranking: 1) After losing in an extra innings marathon at Xaverian, the Pioneers beat three good teams with a 40-1 run differential.

2. Central Catholic (12-2; Last Ranking: 7) Going 10-1 in the minefield that is the Merrimack Valley Conference is extremely impressive. With Sam Lara and Steve Hajjar leading this staff, the Raiders appear to be Super 8 bound.   

No. 12 Needham Hands No. 4 Walpole First Loss

Needham stood toe-to-toe with undefeated Walpole and came out on top

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

WALPOLE, Mass. - On a rain-soaked afternoon, the little things can often make the biggest difference in a heated high school lacrosse game. 

Undefeated Walpole and upstart Needham battled for two and a half quarters, trading the lead five times with four ties, but a couple of unsung heroes turned the tide to carry the Rockets in a 9-6 victory over their hosts.

Austin Shaver made 16 saves for the Rockets (6-2) while Joe Bruno controlled the Faceoff X to provide extra possessions and attack Danny McEvoy lead the scoring charge with three of his four goals in the second half, as Needham outscored Walpole, 5-1, in the third quarter to take control. 

St. John's Prep Tops Walpole in Catholic Conference-Bay State Conference Baseball Challenge

St. John's Prep Zach Begin flips the ball to first baseman Andrew Selima against Walpole Saturday.

By Jake Levin (@JakeLevin477)

BOSTON — The sweet swinging Andrew Selima and a dominant Zach Begin propelled St. John’s Prep over Walpole, 4-0, on Saturday afternoon in the Catholic Conference-Bay State Conference Challenge.

Begin twirled six shutout innings for the Eagles, giving up just one hit while walking three, and striking out nine Rebel batters.

The senior right-hander said that he felt better as the game moved along, making adjustments to the unseasonably cool temperatures at Monan Park at Boston College High School.

Walpole Lacrosse Runs Away from St. John's Prep in Creator's Crosse Final

By Marisa Ingemi (@Marisa_Ingemi)

LEXINGTON - Walpole used six straight goals in the third and fourth quarters to remain undefeated on the season with a 12-10 victory over St. John’s Prep in the finals of the Creator's Crosse tournament.

The Rebels (7-0) trailed to open the second half, then endured a three-goal run by the Eagles (3-4), but a strong possession second half carried Walpole.

Conor Foley scored three for the Rebels to lead the attack.

MIAA Top 25 Baseball Rankings: 4/18/17

St. John's (Shrewsbury) holds steady at No. 2, thanks to a loaded pitching staff.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state during the 2017 baseball season, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 4/18)

1. St. John’s Prep (5-1; Last Ranking - 1) Eagles have a stranglehold on the Catholic Conference standings early on with wins over Catholic Memorial, Malden Catholic and BC High.

2. St. John’s (Shrewsbury) (4-0; Last Ranking: 2) The Pioneers earned a huge 3-2 win over BC High, after shutting out regional rival Holy Name last week.

3. Braintree (3-0; Last Ranking: 3) The defending Super 8 champions have held serve thus far with three Bay State Conference wins. They’ll test their mettle against the host Eagles in the Bay State/Catholic Conference challenge this Saturday.

Brian Gaughan Leads Walpole in Huge Win at Xaverian

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

WESTWOOD, Mass. – After spinning eight shutout frames only to watch his team lose in extra innings to Xaverian last Patriots’ Day,  Brian Gaughan couldn’t wait to get another shot at the Hawks.

One year later, the Rebels ace earned a shot at redemption and he held to escape a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning and seal a 2-0 non league win for Walpole on the road.

Your 2017 MIAA Lacrosse Primer: Division 2

Medfield is used to celebrating, having won three consecutive D2 state title.  Photo from @Med_Lax

By Mike Abelson (@ABELS0N)

There is no more consistent program in Massachusetts lacrosse than Medfield. The three-time reigning Division 2 state champions have made high-level play on the field their calling card under head coach John Isaf.

This year the Warriors will, once again, be among those at the front of the D2 field in the quest to lift the trophy at Boston University, but Isaf is firmly planted in the present, as he will put together a team that lost three Division 1 talents last season- Kevin McCordic, Jack-Henry Vara, and John Maclean, as well as scorer Matt Trieber (Tufts) and starting goalie Kyle Gately (Hamilton).

“Number one, we’re not state champ,” Isaf said. “It’s 2017 and this team hasn’t done anything yet. We really don’t look at ourselves as state champs. This is a new team and a new season. We’re in pursuit, and we’re pursuing being the best team we can be. We have some good talent coming back.”

2017 MIAA Baseball Preseason Top 25

BC High pitcher Mike Vasil.  Photo by Brendan C. Hall, via ESPN Boston.

1. St. John’s Prep (Last Season: 20-8) Twice the runners up in the MIAA Division 1A Super 8 Tournament, the Eagles will look to break through this year behind a host of talented young pitchers, as well as a pair of lefty sluggers in Mike Yarin and Andrew Selima.

2. St. John’s (Shrewsbury) (Last Season: 18-6) The Pioneers short but talented roster remains largely in tact after a second consecutive Super 8 berth with Ian Seymour, Jack Gardner returning while University of Maryland commit Sean Burke is ready to step up.

Your 2017 MIAA Baseball Primer

Can Braintree score a Super 8 three-peat?  Photo by Brendan C. Hall, via ESPN Boston.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

Despite some existing remnants of snow from a long winter, and a cold, rainy couple of weeks, it is officially time for spring sports. With the spring season brings the return of what is sure to be an exciting handful of months across high school baseball. The “Super Eight” tournament has clearly increased the buzz with regards to baseball across Massachusetts, and with a lower Division team in Plymouth North and a Western Massachusetts team in Pope Francis both making the field last season, there are plenty of reasons to expect many twists and turns throughout this year.

So, without a further ado, here is a preview of what to expect heading into the 2017 baseball season.

VIDEO RECAP: BC High Evens Super 8 Series With Shutout of Walpole

BC High goalie Luke Garrity had a big night Tuesday.

Video by Greg Story (@StoryThruVideo)

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. - BC High evened up its Super 8 quarterfinal series with upstart Walpole, thanks to a suffocating 2-0 shutout Tuesday night. Our Greg Story was there to capture highlights and reaction from the game's biggest difference makers.

Our Mike Abelson also popped in to offer his analysis of the Eagles' big win.

Walpole Shuts Out BC High in Super 8 Slugfest

By Mike Abelson (@ABELS0N)

LOWELL, Mass. - There are no more doubts or questions when it comes to the Walpole High hockey team. The entire Commonwealth now knows, without question, that the Rebels are nothing to mess win.

A goal from Conor Foley 89 seconds into the game was all the Rebels would need, as they held off BC High the rest of the way, defeating the Eagles 1-0 in the first game of their Super 8 quarterfinal series.

VIDEO RECAP: Walpole Defeats Catholic Memorial in Super 8 OT Thriller

Video by Greg Story (@StoryThruVideo)

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. - Walpole earned one of the biggest wins in program history when Cam Martin score an OT goal to top Catholic Memorial in the late Super 8 play-in game Monday night.

Our Greg Story was there to capture highlights, and player reaction after the game. Check out his video recap below, with added analysis from our Michael Abelson.

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.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: Week 1

Quarterback Oliver Eberth (10) and FB/LB Jack Lambert should help St. John's Prep again contend for a Division 1 state championship.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The 2015 high school football season begins in Massachusetts this weekend, and dozens of teams around the Commonwealth are dreaming of making it to Gillette Stadium for the state championship games.

We kicked things off with our Central Mass Power Rankings yesterday, but now we turn our attention to the Eastern section of the state, where teams will compete across all six divisions for a shot at going to Foxboro.

Again, preseason rankings are usually worthless, but here is our best guess as to which teams rank among the best in Eastern Mass.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/21/14

Could St. John's Prep's big win over BC High push the Eagles up our Power Rankings?

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Yesterday, editor Joe Parello brought you his latest Central Mass High School Football Power Rankings, and today correspondent Mike Uva checks in with his latest Top-5 for the Eastern part of the Commonwealth.

See his rankings below.