The home stretch of the high school football season has arrived in Massachusetts. Following a wild semifinals week and an amazing Thanksgiving slate, the Herald’s Sweet 16 rankings had another shuffling.
Some consistent schools, such as Xaverian, capitalized during impressive matchups and earned bragging rights with a trip to the Super Bowl looming. Others saw things come to a halt, but still made their presence felt during an incredible fall campaign.
One question remains. Who will accomplish the ultimate dream of winning a state title? Sixteen teams will be squaring off at Gillette Stadium, Dec. 4-6, looking to do just that.
1. Xaverian: Following impressive wins against Springfield Central in the Div. 1 semifinals (36-22) and St. John’s Prep on Thanksgiving (21-18), the Hawks (10-2) reclaimed the top spot in the Herald’s Sweet 16. Now, Al Fornaro and his squad will look to finish the job.
2. St. John’s Prep: For most of the year, the Eagles (11-1) held a firm grasp on the No. 1 spot in the rankings. They suffered a slight setback in their Turkey Day bout with Xaverian, as a miraculous comeback attempt fell just short. However, Jordan Toribio, Maxwell Parent and their teammates will have an opportunity for final say when the Catholic Conference rivals clash for a second time Dec. 6 at Gillette.
3. Catholic Memorial: The Knights (9-2) have looked unstoppable during their Div. 2 playoff run, and cruised past a previously unbeaten Winchester team (49-0) to clinch another trip to the Super Bowl. Then they captured their latest Pumpkin Bowl crown with a 48-27 drubbing of rival BC High on Thanksgiving behind Kise Flannery (three touchdowns). Should Catholic Memorial win Saturday, it would mark the fourth state championship for the school since 2021.
4. King Philip: Despite a frantic moment in the Div. 3 semifinals, the Warriors (12-0) stayed alive with a wild 21-13 win over a Cinderella team in No. 12 Malden Catholic. They followed things up with authority on Thanksgiving, running away with a 49-19 romp of Franklin. Brian Lee’s squad can complete a perfect season with a win over another bitter foe – North Attleboro.
5. Springfield Central: The Golden Eagles (9-2) fell short to the reigning Div. 1 state champion in Xaverian (a 36-22 loss) last week, concluding another great season. Barring anything unforeseen, however, they will be welcoming back two of the top players in New England for their senior years. Quarterback Jareth Staine and running back Isaiah Rogers are slated to return next fall.
6. Tewksbury: The last time the Redmen (12-0) had a fall like this one came back in 2013, when they completed a perfect season. Following a 35-6 romp of Canton in the Div. 4 semifinals, Brian Aylward’s team will look to match that with a win over Scituate in the state final.
7. Bishop Feehan: The Shamrocks staged an incredible rally to knock off Bridgewater-Raynham in the Div. 2 semifinals (31-27 victory). Then they pulled away for a 34-13 Thanksgiving Eve win over Bishop Stang with Brayden Nassaney (206 yards, three touchdowns passes) pacing the charge. Next up will be the ultimate test, a matchup with Catholic Memorial for the state crown.
8. Shawsheen: Make it 26 straight wins for the Rams (12-0), two coming in the past week alone. After defeating North Reading (22-14 overtime victory) to advance to the Div. 5 Super Bowl once again, Al Costabile’s group rolled to a 49-16 drubbing of Arlington Catholic on Thanksgiving Day.
9. North Attleboro: The reigning Div. 3 champions (10-2) erupted for an eye-opening 43-29 victory over third-seeded Milton last week behind Frankie Strachan (173 yards rushing, four touchdowns).
10. Amesbury: Justin Dube was the hero for the Redhawks (12-0) in the Div. 7 semifinals, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in a 20-14 victory over Clinton. They will attempt to clinch their first championship since 2008 when they take on Cohasset at Gillette.
11. Foxboro: Facing an undefeated Archbishop Williams team in the Div. 5 semifinals, the Warriors (9-3) made a statement during a 31-0 shutout. Jack Taft had three touchdowns during an epic performance.
12. Winchester: The Red and Black (11-1) saw their incredible run at a Div. 2 state championship stunted when they fell to state powerhouse Catholic Memorial in the semifinals. However, they made history on Thanksgiving during a 28-14 victory over Woburn. Led by Ronan O’Connell (224 yards passing, four touchdowns) and Ted Budreski (112 yards receiving, four touchdowns), the school captured the Middlesex League (Liberty) title for the first time since 1990.
13. Cohasset: Led by the tandem of Michael Wildfire and Gus Greene, the Skippers (10-2) returned to the Div. 7 Super Bowl for the first time since 2021 with an outstanding 35-15 win over Northbridge in the state semifinals.
14. Norwell: Jack Luccarello has emerged as one of the state’s top players. The junior took over the Div. 6 semifinals in the final quarter with three touchdowns rushing, as the Clippers (9-3) rallied for a 21-7 win over reigning state champion Hudson. Despite a tough loss to Hanover on Thanksgiving, Jason Pithie’s team will face Fairhaven at Gillette.
15. Scituate: For the fourth time in five seasons, the Sailors (10-2) punched a ticket to Gillette with a 34-21 win over No. 4 Duxbury in the Div. 4 semifinals. Herb Devine and his staff opted to rest their starters in the second half on Thanksgiving during a lopsided loss to Hingham, but could be better prepared moving forward as they take on undefeated Tewksbury next.
16. Randolph: The Blue Devils (11-0) have averaged 39.63 points per game, and knocked off top-ranked Nashoba Tech (20-12 win) in the Div. 8 semifinals. Mekhi White scampered for two touchdowns and sealed the win with an interception. Now the senior running back and his teammates will prepare for a Super Bowl rematch with West Boylston.
On the sideline: Fairhaven, West Boylston, Bridgewater-Raynham, Milton, Archbishop Williams, Duxbury, Central Catholic, Canton, North Reading, Hudson
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