RECAP & PHOTOS: Nashoba edges Shepherd Hill for First Playoff Win Since 2011

By Andrew Bowman (@andrew_bowman5)

Ed. Note- Continue below for even more photos for the Chieftains and Rams. Note that you can click any image to enlarge and launch a slideshow. 

Bolton, Mass. - The host Nashoba Chieftains started their 2018 playoffs with a bang Tuesday night, defeating the Shepherd Hill Rams 13-7 for the program’s first tournament win since 2011.

In the first quarter, it took senior stand-out Bryce Chaput, who had 63 goals in the regular season, only 26 seconds to score the opening goal for the Chieftains. His goal was countered, however, by goals from Shepherd Hill’s Anthony Detarando and Tristan Pietz.

It was all Nashoba after that, as sophomore middie Sam Vanasse scored to tie the game, and then junior attackman Rory Boots nipped the top corner as the clock expired. After a quarter, the Chieftains led 3-2.

Seide Carries Melrose Past Nashoba for Division 4 Championship

By Eamon Convey (@eamonconvey)

FOXBOROUGH - The Melrose Red Raiders (13-0) came to Gillette Stadium for the MIAA Division 4 Super Bowl with 24 seniors, all of whom hoped to avenge back-to-back Super Bowl losses at Gillette in 2014 and 2015 to the Dartmouth Indians.

Avenge they did, courtesy of a 21-0 shutout victory over the Nashoba Chieftains (10-2), in a game where the Red Raiders ran all over their opponent, and delivered their longtime head coach Tim Morris a Super Bowl trophy.

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.

Previewing the MIAA State Football Championships: Divisions 4 & 7

Will it be three state championships in a row for Mashpee, or can underdog Blackstone Valley Tech shock the state?

By Jake Levin (@JakeLevin09)

Our Matt Feld kicked MIAA football championship week off with a preview of both Friday night games at Gillette. You can check out that preview of the Division 2 and Division 3 title games here, and continue below for Jake Levin's breakdown of the D4 and D7 championships.

Division 4 Super Bowl

Nashoba (10-1) vs Melrose (12-0), 11 am

The second game to kickoff in Foxboro Saturday pits the Nashoba Chieftains out of the D4 Central bracket against the Melrose Red Raiders, who will be representing the North.

With no Division 4 West region, one sectional champion from the Division 4 ranks receives a bye each year. This season, it was the Central’s turn, and Nashoba likely needed all the rest it could get after a thrilling 21-19 overtime victory over Marlboro in the regional final.

The Chieftains are back at Gillette following a one-year absence, making their return to a stadium where they won the old Division 2 Super Bowl in 2015. With 16 seniors on the roster, several players have experienced being on the hallowed turf in Foxboro.

Your MIAA Football Week 7 Headlines

Hingham and Duxbury played a memorable, and controversial game for the Patriot League Keenan crown.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

For Eastern Massachusetts, the regular season is officially in the books, and on Sunday morning the postseason pairings were announced at the MIAA headquarters in Franklin.

Meanwhile, in Central and Western Massachusetts, one more week of regular season football remains before they get their playoff portion of the schedule underway a week from Friday.

Upon initial review, there are handful of entertaining week one playoff matchups, including No. 5 Whitman-Hanson and No. 4 Stoughton in Div. 3 South, as well as No. 5 Marshfield and No. 4 Mansfield in Div. 2 South.

Before we get to those opening round contests, as well an exhilarating week eight that is sure to come out of Central and Western Mass, let’s take a look back at week seven.

Duxbury Squeaks out 10th Consecutive Patriot League Keenan Title

Early Saturday afternoon it looked as though Hingham was on its way to snapping Duxbury’s streak of nine straight Patriot League titles.

Nashoba Grinds Out Win Against Marlboro

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

MARLBOROUGH - Things were not going well for Nashoba Regional during the first half of its crucial Mid-Wach B encounter against Marlborough. Averaging nearly 30 points per game in their first three outings, the Chieftains found the road a lot tougher to navigate against a resilient Panther defense.

Accumulating just 42 yards of offense over the first half was certainly not going to get it done. But, Nashoba made some quick adjustments at the half, and saw the running game show vast improvement, with the defense following suit, as they managed to escape Kelleher Field with a dramatic 14-13 triumph Thursday night.

Nashoba Outmuscles Groton-Dunstable on Opening Night

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

BOLTON - The unexpected second half fireworks show wasn't the only thing lighting up the Nashoba Regional skyline Friday night. The Chieftains offense and defense combined to put on a pretty good light show of their own. Racking up 310 yards of offense, Nashoba opened its season with a flurry, blanking Mid-Wach B Divisional counterpart Groton-Dunstable, 34-0.

Two years removed from winning the Division 2 Super Bowl, the Chieftains, at least early on, appear primed to make another run on Gillette Stadium come December. Although one game is hardly a defining example, nonetheless, this team has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball but, like most clubs, the Chieftains are taking the one game at a time approach.

But starting the season 1-0 can certainly set a precedent of greater things to come.

Fagan Does it All for Shepherd Hill Softball in Upset of Nashoba

Shepherd Hill's Cayley Fagan excelled both in the circle as a pitcher, and in the batter's box for the Rams.

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)


BOLTON - Three errors in one inning, which resulted in three runs by the opposition had many guessing if Shepherd Hill was in over its head during Saturday's Central Mass Division 1 quarterfinal against Nashoba Regional.

Coming in as the underdog, few gave the sixth-seeded Rams much of a shot against the third-seeded Chieftains. Adding to that belief was the fact that, only a week ago, Nashoba blanked Shepherd Hill in its regular-season finale.

But the postseason can be a different animal. Playing with a nothing to lose attitude, the Rams continued to force the issue throughout by staying close. As the game wore on, Shepherd Hill's confidence level continued to rise. Inside its dugout, there was a growing belief that they could get the job done.

Indeed. Cayley Fagan's solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, off of Nashoba starting pitcher Taylor Colvin, was the difference as Shepherd Hill prevailed 4-3.

Central Mass Lax Power Rankings: Week 7

Grafton junior goalie Matt Nicalek

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Like I said last week, it's too late in the year for lengthy introductions, but this week does bring a new No. 1 team in our Power Rankings, and the league races across Central Mass are starting to stabilize.

Continue below for this week's Top 10.

RADIO: The Local Sports Lunchbox, Recapping Winter Sports

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

On this week's episode of "The Local Sports Lunchbox" we recap all the state championship action from last weekend.

WPKZ's Daniel Beaulac joins me to recap Nashoba's boys' basketball state championship game, and Shrewsbury hockey's Matty Ward and Pat Shaughnessy call in to talk about their thrilling undefeated championship season.

Plus, I recap Maynard's Division 4 boys' basketball championship. For all that, and more, continue below.

Brighton Too Much for Nashoba in D2 State Title Game

Photo by Nate Weitzer.

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Throughout the season, the Division 2 Central champion Nashoba Chieftains would use a big third quarter to pull away from their opponents.

On Saturday afternoon in the Division 2 State final, it was the Brighton Bengals who dominated play in the third period, as they outscored Nashoba (21-4) 24-4 in the third quarter, en route to an 82-58 victory at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The Bengals (23-5) won their first state championship since 2013, and the second title during the eight-year tenure of head coach Hugh Coleman.

RECAP & PHOTOS: Nashoba Pulls Away From Longmeadow To Advance To D2 State Final

Scroll to the bottom for more photos, and click any image to enlarge. All photos by Brendan C. Hall.

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

WORCESTER, Mass. - Throughout the season, the Nashoba Chieftains have found their rhythm on both sides of the ball after halftime, especially in the third quarter, to pull away from their opponents.

In the Division 2 State semifinal against Longmeadow, it took Nashoba (21-3) a little longer than usual, but the Chieftains outscored the Longmeadow Lancers (18-5) 25-16 in the fourth quarter en route to a 68-58 victory on Monday night at the DCU Center in Worcester.

MIAA Boys' Hoops State Semifinal Preview: Division 2

After falling in the state semifinals last year, Whitman-Hanson will look to break through against Brighton this season.

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

We've already previewed both semifinal games in Division 1, so now it's time to dig into both the Eastern Mass title game, and Central/West state semifinal in Division 2. It's too late in the year for lengthy introductions, so let's get right to it.

Division 2 Eastern Mass Final

Brighton (21-5) vs. Whitman-Hanson (19-3)

Players to watch:
Brighton – Jordan Galloway, Sr., PG, Tyrone Perry, Sr., SF, Jerrod Clark, Sr., C. 
Whitman-Hanson – Nikko Raftes, Sr., SG, Luke Tamulevich, Sr., SG, Sean Leahy, Sr., SF.

Date/Time/Location: March 13th, 7:30 pm, TD Garden

Nashoba Pulls Away from Rival Groton-Dunstable to win D2 Central

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Midland Wachusett B League was arguably the best league in Central Mass and, perhaps, one of the deepest in the state this season. Four of the five teams (Westborough, regular-season league champion Marlborough, Nashoba, and Groton-Dunstable) qualified for the MIAA Division 2 Central State tournament.

Mid-Wach B was well represented in the sectional final, with Nashoba and Groton-Dunstable facing off for a chance to win a sectional tournament and advance to the state semifinal.

On Saturday night at WPI, the Nashoba Chieftains (20-3) took down the Groton-Dunstable Crusaders (19-4), 59-47, giving Nashoba its first sectional tournament title since 1977.

Previewing the MIAA Boys' Hoops D2 Sectional Finals

Jerrod Clark and the Brighton Bengals have had some pep in their step this tournament season.

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

We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the MIAA boys' basketball tournament, and the next few days will see sectional championship games played across all 16 sections.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves with all that. Here's our preview of the four sectional finals in Division 2. If you would like to read our Division 1 sectional final previews, you can find them here.

Westboro Gets Payback Against Nashoba in Clark Tournament Semis

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

WORCESTER, Mass. - Having already suffered two defeats at the hands of Mid-Wach B rival Nashoba, Westboro decided to play Thursday night's Clark Basketball Tournament semifinal against the Chieftains with no worries or reservations.

"We basically decided that all the pressure was on (Nashoba)," Westboro coach Brian Willar said. "They're the ones that have to beat us a third time, they're the defending (Clark Tournament) champions."

While Westboro (14-7, 3-5 Mid-Wach B) may have been relaxed, the Rangers certainly weren't low energy. Westboro got to the line against Nashoba (17-4, 6-2 Mid-Wach B) an astonishing 31 times, connecting on 24 free throws, and fought the older, larger Chieftains to a 30-30 tie on the boards.

It was that energy, plus the outstanding play of sophomore twin brothers Mike and Matt Doherty, which helped Westboro pull away from Nashoba, 68-41, and advance to Saturday's tournament final.

Short-Handed Marlboro Holds Off Nashoba for Mid-Wach B Title

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - Even with one of their best players sidelined, the Marlborough Panthers used tight defense and sharp three-point shooting to knock off the Nashoba Chieftains, 54-50, on Friday night in Marlborough.

With their second win over Mid-Wach B and Division 2 Central rival Nashoba (12-3, 4-3 Mid-Wach B), Marlborough (13-3, 7-1 Mid-Wach B) clinched its second consecutive Midland-Wachusett B regular-season title.

Marlborough head coach Scott Bauman called winning Mid-Wach B “a great accomplishment.”

The Panthers had to play their division rival without the services of star junior center/forward Chris Doherty, who has now missed two straight games due to the flu, according to Coach Bauman.

The Local Sports Lunchbox: Shrewsbury Hockey, Nashoba Wrestling and More

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We had a fantastic Local Sports Lunchbox earlier today on WPKZ, and if you missed it live, you'll definitely want to check it out now. We were joined by Shrewsbury hockey stars Matty Ward and Liam Quinlivan, who will look to help Shrewsbury hockey avoid the "Joe Parello jinx" (the last two weeks our guests came into the show undefeated, then suffered multiple losses immediately thereafter) against rival Algonquin Saturday.

We also had SuiteSports reporter Jason Siegel on the show to talk Central Mass hoops, and gave out our weekly awards, which included Nashoba wrestler Lucas Cordio, who may be the best athlete in Central Mass you've never heard of.

All that, and more, in this week's episode below.

Nashoba Hands Groton-Dunstable its First Loss

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

GROTON, Mass. -  On Friday night at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School, the Nashoba Chieftains showed that they learned something from their tough loss against Marlborough on Tuesday.

On Friday night in Groton, the Chieftains (8-1) handed the Groton-Dunstable Crusaders their first loss of the season, 55-46.

Fourth Quarter Explosion Pushes Nashoba Boys Hoops Past Algonquin

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.- The Nashoba Chieftains took down the Algonquin Tomahawks, 72-61, in a physical game on Tuesday night in Northborough.

Despite winning by 11 points, it was Algonquin (1-2), not Nashoba (3-0), who controlled most of the game.