MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 3

Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 1/1)

1. Needham (5-0; Last Week - 1) The Rockets handled Xaverian, 65-41, on Dec. 30 to remain undefeated heading into the New Year.

2. St. John's Prep (4-1; Last Week - 2) Huge wins for Prep over Lawrence (97-92 in OT) and Central Catholic (80-68) to take the Commonwealth Motors Classic at Methuen High over the weekend.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 2

Mansfield's student section had plenty to cheer about in a huge win over Newton North.

 Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/25)

1. Needham (4-0; Last Week - 1) Rockets remain undefeated after earning a tough win over upset-minded Natick. 

2. St. John's Prep (1-1; Last Week - 2) A pre-Christmas showdown with Andover will have to wait until Wednesday, Dec. 27 as the Eagles look to move above .500 early in the season.  

3. Central Catholic (1-0; Last Week - 6) The Raiders finally opened with a 63-36 win over Haverhill last Thursday. They’ll take on Bishop Guertin (NH) in the Commonwealth Motors Classic Tournament at Methuen High on Dec. 27.

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.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Preseason Poll

Newton North's Ethan Wright (left) and Needham's Thomas Shaughnessy will again look to lead their teams deep into MassMadness.

 Our (sorta) preseason rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/11)

1. St. John's Prep (Last Season: 16-6) With a 6-foot-8 center in Tommy O’Neil and an elite wing in 6-foot-3 Nate Hobbs, the Eagles have the weaponry necessary to make a run at a Catholic Conference title and potentially a state championship.  

2. Newton North (Record Last Season: 17-7) Prized prospect Ethan Wright decided to stay at Newton North and he’ll have a lot more help this year, with young talents Noah Neville and Aaron Cooley ready to step up in supporting roles.   

3. Needham (Last Season: 20-5) Thomas Shaughnessy returns after putting on a show in the state tournament last winter, leading the Rockets to their first sectional title and competing valiantly against eventual champion Cambridge in the state semifinals.

MIAA Football Top 25: The End of 2017

Our final rankings of the best MIAA football teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/5)

1. Everett (12-0; Last Ranking – 1) One of the greatest teams in state history, the Crimson Tide wrapped up back-to-back state titles with another convincing win, handling Xaverian 35-10 in the nightcap Saturday at Gillette Stadium. While other teams had great seasons, Everett as our statewide No. 1 was a no-brainer, given the Tide's year-long dominance, and sheer level of talent across the board.

PHOTO GALLERY: Melrose vs. Nashoba at Gillette

Photos by Samson Egilman (@Seaglemaniac)

FOXBOROUGH - We will have a full recap of Melrose's D4 title game win over Nashoba up soon, but first check out these pictures by Samson Egilman from the 11am game at Gillette.

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

Peter Oliver Returns from Injury for St. John's (Shrewsbury)'s D3 Super Bowl Win

FOXBOROUGH - St. John’s (Shrewsbury) senior running back Peter Oliver expected to watch the MIAA Division 3 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium from the sidelines.

But one day before the Pioneers' state finals date against North Attleborough, Oliver received clearance from doctors after X-rays revealed that his broken fibula, suffered in a Week 3 win over Leominster, had healed.

Oliver, who has received interest from multiple Division 1 schools, compiled 387 yards and four TDs on just 31 carries through two-and-a-half games this season, and the senior gave the Pioneers a jolt in his return.

Previewing The MIAA State Football Championships: Divisions 1 & 8

Can Everett capture a second state title in a row? The Tide has plenty of new faces since last year, but still plenty of championship caliber talent.

 By SuiteSports Staff

We finish our series of MIAA state championship previews with the largest and smallest divisions in the Commonwealth. For any of our past previews, click below, and continue on for breakdowns of Everett vs Xaverian and Hoosac Valley vs Millis.

Divisions 2 & 3
Divisions 4 & 7
Divisions 5 & 6

Jeremy Soule Runs Wild to Carry Middleborough Into D6 Super Bowl

By SuiteSports Staff

Woburn, Mass. - Nothing was going to stop Jeremy Soule from leading the Middleboro Sachems to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1983, and he knew it.

The 5-foot-8 senior running back burst for a 76-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage at Woburn High on Friday night, setting the tone in a 27-14 victory over Stoneham in the Division 6 EMass final.

Postgame Blog: St. John's Wins Shrewsbury Bowl, Advances to State Semifinals

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

SHREWSBURY — The CMass Championship featuring cross-town rivals St. John's (Shrewsbury) and Shrewsbury High School came with some hype, but what started out as a hot contest would soon turned into a landslide as the Pioneers of St. John’s would cruise to a dominant 36-14 victory over the Colonials.

Stoneham Upends Hamilton-Wenham in Division 6 North Final

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

The moment was all too familiar for Stoneham.

One week after coming from behind to knockoff Shawsheen Tech, the Spartans did it again as star running back Tre Pignone engineered a game-winning, 12-play, 62-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run courtesy of Christos Argyropoulos, to give No. 2 Stoneham a 20-18 win over No. 1 Hamilton-Wenham in the Division 6 North Sectional Final on Saturday afternoon.

The win gives Stoneham its second sectional title in three years.

Pignone, who was part of the Spartans team two years to go that fell to Holliston in the state semi-finals, noted how his team is awfully familiar with pressure moments.

Springfield Central, Wahconah and Hoosac Valley Capture Western Mass Crowns

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

HOLYOKE - Championship games are not supposed to play out this way. The collective thinking is that these are the best teams representing their district. On paper that may be correct. But on the field? Not so much.

That was never-more evident than during Saturday's Western Mass. finals, in which all three contests transcended into lopsided affairs. Springfield Central, Wahconah Regional and Hoosac Valley each made bold statements in terms of how easy they made things look. All three clubs dominated in their respective tilts and find themselves one victory away from earning a trip to Gillette Stadium to compete in the state Super Bowls.

Everett Starts Fast and Hangs On to Down Central Catholic in D1 North Final

From Left: Jacob Miller, Helber, Dwayne Binns, Anthony Norcia, Jason Maitre, Jaden Mahabir pose with the MIAA Division 1 North championship trophy.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

Some say that repeating as a state champion is the hardest feat to accomplish in high school sports. So far to date, that has not been the case for Everett.

On a frigid night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Crimson Tide offense fired on all cylinders as quarterback Jake Willcox threw four first half touchdown passes to lead No. 3 Everett to a 37-29 win over No.1 Central Catholic in the Division 1 North Sectional Final.

The Crimson Tide will now look to defend their Division 1 crown when they take on Xaverian in a rematch of last years Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on December 2nd.

Willcox (17-for-26, 308 yards, 4 TDs) played behind Jordan McAfee a season ago and noted how special it is to be the focal point this time around.

Lincoln-Sudbury Continues Run to D2 Super Bowl

By Brendan C. Hall (@BHallESPN)

SUDBURY – The Lincoln-Sudbury Warriors’ 2017 campaign has been defined by some uncharacteristically lopsided victories in all shapes and sizes.  And yet to put this one in perspective, head coach Tom Lopez couldn’t find a better defensive performance than what took place on the frigid Myers Field turfFriday night. North Andover quarterback Jake McElroy (205 scrimmage yards, TD) made plenty of noise evading the Warriors’ front seven, but the Scarlet Knights also turned the ball over on downs twice in the red zone, while L-S churned out a monster drive late to cap a 27-7 win and capture its first MIAA Division 2 North Final.

Xaverian Crushes Catholic Memorial, Advances to D1 Super Bowl

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

WESTWOOD — Over the course of the first five years of the new MIAA playoff format only one program has represented Division 1 South.

For the fifth straight time, Xaverian is headed to the Super Bowl as behind 167 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception from Ikechukwu Irabor the No. 3 Hawks downed No. 5 Catholic Memorial, 35-7, in the Division 1 South Sectional Final on a winter night at Xaverian Brothers High School.

The Hawks (6-3) will be looking to win their third state championship in five tries.

North Attleboro Throttles Duxbury in D3 South Final

By Jake Levin (@JakeLevin477)

NORTH ATTLEBORO — Back-to-back years of playoff frustration at the hands of Duxbury melted away for the North Attleboro Red Rocketeers on Friday night, as they romped the third-seeded Dragons, 35-0, in the Division 3 South title game.

More aptly, North Attleboro (9-1) put a deep freeze on Duxbury (8-2) – temperatures were in the 20s at kickoff – thanks to a prolific running attack and timely passing game.

Melrose Edges Marblehead For Third D4 North Title Over Last Four Years

By Brandon Chase (@BrandonNChase)

Melrose — Isaac Seide seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time for the Melrose football team.

Need a big play to energize a stagnant drive? No problem. Looking for a momentum-thwarting stop in a key situation? Seide will cover that, too.

The junior two-way threat was the focal point of the Red Raiders’ 28-20 win over Marblehead Friday night in the Division 4 North final. Behind Siede’s 244 yards rushing on 27 carries and three touchdowns, Melrose captured its third sectional title in four seasons.

Shane Frommer Leads King Philip Back to D2 Super Bowl

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

WRENTHAM — As Shane Frommer exited the postgame huddle with his teammates, his pads were covered in blood. Full smiles, panting in excitement through the freezing cold air, the King Philip running back could not have cared less about the red on his gold and green uniform.

In a near replica of last year's sectional final, Frommer ran for 203 yards and three touchdowns on Friday night to lead No. 1 King Philip to a 29-19 win over No. 3 Bridgewater-Raynham in the Division 2 South Sectional Final at King Philip Regional High School.

The win advances the defending state champion Warriors (10-0) to their second straight Super Bowl while also increasing their winning streak to 23 games.

Middleboro Outlasts Old Rochester in Division 6 South Final

By Nate Rollins (@n_rollins1)

Mattapoisett -- If we learned anything Friday evening, it’s that the Middleboro offense is explosive.

Playing at a frigid David S. Hagen Memorial Field, the fifth-seeded Sachems went on a 21-0 run that spanned roughly 12 minutes, opening a three-score lead, and never looked back en route to a 30-21 triumph over second-seeded Old Rochester in the Division 6 South Sectional final.

Middleboro (8-2) will meet the winner of Hamilton-Wenham (9-0) versus Stoneham (7-2) (Saturday, Nov. 11, 1 p.m.) in the D6 state semifinals next Friday.

MIAA Football Top 25: Week 9

Mansfield enters our Top 25 after opening the playoffs with a win against rival Marshfield.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. Please note that, now that the playoffs have started throughout the state, these will be our final rankings until after the state championship games in December. (Updated 10/29)

1. Everett (7-0; Last Week – 1 ) St. John’s Prep arrived late and started slowly, while the Crimson Tide erupted for 35 points in the first half of a decisive first-round victory, earning head coach John DiBiaso his 300th career win in the process.

2. BC High (8-0; Last Week – 2 ) Eagles cruised past Taunton, 34-0, in the first round and will host Catholic Conference rival Catholic Memorial this Friday.

3. Central Catholic (8-0; Last Week – 3) Hanging 44 points on Acton-Boxborough is expected from this high-powered Raiders offense, but a 44-0 shutout indicates once again that Central is a complete team.