Everything you need to know about the MIAA football playoffs - The Boston Globe


Everything you need to know about the MIAA football playoffs - The Boston Globe

Keep up with daily results on our scoreboard page.

You can also check out a guide to the playoffs in all fall sports here.

The first round kicks off Thursday and continues through the weekend.

The second round runs from Nov. 14-16, and the state semifinals will take place at neutral sites on Nov. 22 and 23.

Gillette Stadium will host the state finals Dec. 4-6.

Most schools, regardless of playoff status, will compete in Thanksgiving rivalry games between the semifinals and finals.

Tickets are available on GoFan, the MIAA's online ticket-sales platform. Tickets are $11.50 for general admission and $6.25 for students and seniors (age 65 and up).

Tickets to the Super Bowl championship games at Gillette Stadium will be sold through Ticketmaster for $20 each.

Here's a look at the schedule for the first round, which begins Thursday with a Division 6 matchup between Hudson and East Bridgewater.

Nate Weitzer previewed every division.

Division 1 overview: The top division is as balanced as its been since the MIAA playoff format shifted in 2013, with no clear favorite or dominant team. Springfield Central (7-1) is far more talented than a typical No. 7 seed, but the Golden Eagles are young at key positions. Xaverian (5-3) and St. John's Prep (7-1) can win battles up front and are capable of running through the field to meet again at Gillette, but Needham (8-0) also sports a massive offensive line along with a great defense. Franklin (7-1) and Methuen (7-1) receive a tough draw by facing each other in the first round, with a trip to Prep on deck. BC High (6-1) has made waves under new coach Paul Zukauskas and will look to survive against No. 15 Andover (5-3) for the right to take on Springfield Central or Natick (7-1) in the Round of 8.

Division 2 overview: While Marshfield upset an injury-diminished Catholic Memorial team last year, the Knights (7-1) are healthy and reloaded as they eye a third Super Bowl in four seasons. Of all the programs in the D2 bracket, King Philip (8-0) might stand the best chance against a powerful CM squad, should the Warriors earn a seventh trip to Gillette over the past eight seasons. Marshfield (7-1) runs a unique, fast-paced offense that could cause problems if the Rams can meet KP in the state semifinals. Winchester (6-2) and Peabody (4-4) played a thriller to open the season, so it will be interesting to see how the teams match up two months later. Wellesley (6-2) and No. 4 Bishop Feehan (7-1) both have versatile offenses that should present an intriguing quarterfinal matchup if they handle business in the first round.

Division 3 overview: This bracket is intriguing for those looking for upsets with Walpole (3-5) and Milton (3-5), last year's Super Bowl contestants, lurking as double-digit seeds after rocky starts. We can lump Milford (3-5) into the same category as a dangerous No. 9 seed that is far better than its record might indicate. Top seeds Reading (8-0), North Attleborough (6-2), and Mansfield (5-3) are battle-tested and ready to take on those challengers on a tough road towards Gillette. Billerica (5-3) shifted from a spread attack to a double-wing offense midway through the season and earned a key win over Andover in Week 9 to grab the No. 2 seed in the bracket. Dartmouth (6-2) has shown highs and lows with a statement win over Barnstable followed by a double-digit loss to Bridgewater-Raynham, and will look for revenge in a first-round matchup against a Milton program that eliminated them in the quarterfinals last year.

Division 4 overview: Patriot League rivals Duxbury (7-1) and Scituate (8-0) have met in two of the past three Super Bowls, with Scituate winning a thriller in 2021 and the Dragons biting back with a shootout win last December to repeat. An undefeated Grafton (8-0) squad could crash that party, as it did by making the 2022 Super Bowl. Marblehead (6-2) has turned its season around after opening with consecutive losses, Tewksbury (6-2) is as well-coached as any team in the bracket, and Malden Catholic (4-4) is a program on the rise despite losing its final four games to Catholic Conference powers. Keep an eye on Wayland's strong defense against Burlington's air-raid attack in the first round.

Division 5 overview: This could be the year for Shawsheen (8-0) to break through for its first Super Bowl win since 2010. Senior quarterback Sid Tildsley led the Rams to Gillette as a sophomore and gave eventual D5 champion Foxborough a challenge in the state semifinals last year. Speaking of Foxborough (5-3), it appears to be peaking after early-season injuries played a role in their 0-3 start. Coming off a win over North Attleborough, the Warriors should be considered a contender to repeat. Bishop Fenwick (7-1) is back in the postseason after getting sanctioned by the MIAA last year, and the Crusaders will be on a mission to get back to Gillette. Hanover (6-2) has a new cast of characters, but is capable of pushing for a return to the Super Bowl, and Old Rochester (7-1) has handled every challenge well this season with its sole loss coming to defending D6 champion Fairhaven. Newburyport (3-5) is a sleeper with a dangerous offense.

Division 6 overview: Stoneham (7-1) looked like a juggernaut all season before getting shut down in the second half of an upset loss at Wakefield last Friday. The Spartans are still built for the playoffs with their strong ground attack, but Hudson (8-0) looks like the favorite in this division with quarterback Jake Attaway leading a huge senior class into the postseason. We can't count out defending champion Fairhaven (7-1) with Justin Marques looking to follow up on his record-setting playoff run last year. Lynnfield (7-1) has one of the best passing attacks in the division and hosts prolific quarterback Jayden Barber and No. 11 Dennis-Yarmouth (6-2) in an exciting first-round matchup. St. Mary's (7-1) will hope that its elite defense travels when the Spartans head down south to take on Sandwich (7-1) in the first round. North Reading (7-1) is only two years removed from a Super Bowl and is a sleeper that could gain some momentum if the Hornets can upset Norwell (6-2).

Division 7 overview: Uxbridge (8-0) rolled to a Super Bowl last season with an average margin of victory of 30.9 points per game, and the Spartans are rolling again as they look to defend their title. Kellen LaChapelle has graduated, but Camden LaChapelle is the focal point of an elite offense, and legendary coach Ken LaChapelle could steer No. 4 Northbridge (6-2) into a state semifinals matchup against his grandson before the teams meet on Thanksgiving. Mashpee (6-2) is a strong contender despite closing with a narrow loss to Carver, and Cohasset (3-5) is battle tested with six games decided by one score this season. Amesbury (6-2) has a unique triple-option offense that could carry the Redhawks back to Gillette and West Bridgewater (5-3) can also pound the rock with senior Ty Holmes leading the backfield.

Division 8 overview: The top of Division 8 is wide open despite the fact that Randolph handled Carver, 33-7, in a Week 7 clash. Randolph (7-1) has talent on both sides of the ball, with playmaker Mekhi White leading the offense. Carver (6-2) is coming off a record-setting season and still has an elite offense with new coach Chris Pabst keeping the system going. Cathedral (4-4) has played a tough schedule in the Catholic Central League, so the Panthers can't be counted out. Of course, defending champion West Boylston (which also won the D7 state title in 2022) is a leading contender behind a strong double-wing attack. Nashoba Valley Tech (8-0) has rolled past most competition this season and will be a tough matchup for No. 13 TechBoston (6-2) in the first round. Bourne (5-3) averages 34.6 points per game and could get into a shootout at KIPP (5-3), which dropped 44 points on Whittier to conclude the season.

Last season, Xaverian and quarterback Henry Hasselbeck dethroned St. John's Prep in the Division 1 state final. Hasselbeck, now at UCLA, finished 7 of 13 for 101 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Hawks to a 31-25 win.

In Division 2, King Philip capped off an undefeated season with a 42-14 win over Marshfield to win its first state title since 2017, and in Division 3 Milton scored 42 straight points to capture the program's first title with a 42-21 win over Walpole.

Duxbury became a repeat champion with a 62-33 win over Scituate in Division 4, and Foxborough triumphed over Hanover for the Division 5 crown. Fairhaven claimed the Division 6 title with a 26-22 win over Salem, Uxbridge pulled away from Amesbury for its first state title in 31 years in Division 7, and West Boylston claimed the Division 8 title.

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