What a season it was. As we do our final look at the MIAA Top 25, we just have to state how special this year was. There were some unbelievable performances and games throughout. Our final list is a little different. This one has a special emphasis on accomplishment. We wanted to get all eight state titlists in. Therefore, two deserving teams — Brockton and Hanover — were bumped out. In…
FOXBORO — In some ways, the Division 2 state title game against Catholic Memorial Saturday night went right to King Philip’s liking. Had you told KP coach Brian Lee that his Warriors would hold both Catholic Memorial standout running backs Datrell Jones and Carson Harwood to under 100 yards, he’d have taken that in a second. Yet it speaks to CM’s balance and overall talent level that even with its…
By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Correspondent FOXBOROUGH — St. John’s Prep relied on a dominant defensive effort to derail the high-flying Springfield Central offense and capture the Division 1 state championship, 13-0. For the Eagles, it’s their third state championship in four seasons, excluding the 2020 COVID Fall II season. Springfield Central (10-2) came into Saturday’s game averaging a shade under 52 points per game. Against in-state opponents, the Golden Eagles…
By Andrew Bluestein NEFJ Correspondent FOXBORO — The top-seeded Hull Pirates took on the No. 7 seed KIPP Academy Panthers in the Division 8 state championship at Gillette Stadium, and the Pirates did what they were not able to do a year ago. After losing to Randolph in the 2021 state final, Hull made it all the way back and ran the table, defeating KIPP, 27-6. The story of this…
Maybe it is just how he is, but Chuck Adamopoulos does not give off the impression of someone who should retire. Adamopoulos still has a bounce in his step, and approaches things with a youthful vigor and sense of humor. But this week, Adamopoulos stepped down from his head football coach position at Central Catholic. He has roamed the Raiders’ sidelines since 1997 with an impressive record of 204-79 with…
Division 5 No. 4 Shawsheen vs. No. 2 North Reading Time: Friday, Dec. 2, 5:30 pm Records: Shawsheen 12-0; North Reading 10-2 Outlook: North Reading made it to this point last year before losing to Swampscott. The Hornets returned a good nucleus and were expected to make it back again. Although North Reading has losses to Amesbury and Lynnfield, it has largely been a dominant run through the season. Leading the way for North Reading has been…
It was an eventful Thanksgiving across the Commonwealth, and even some classics. Most of the season is over, and we now turn our eyes to the eight state title games at Gillette. There is a fair amount of movement this week, not just from the games, but also some reevaluating of teams we may have misplaced earlier in the season. That sort of movement will continue as we come down the home…
WRENTHAM — Following Franklin’s thrilling, 29-28 win over King Philip on Thanksgiving morning, there was some confusion on the winning sideline. The Panthers had just beaten King Philip for the second year in a row, and they’d also won at least a share of the league title for consecutive years. What nobody seemed to know, was just when the last time Franklin had accomplished either feat. But maybe that discussion…
BOSTON — There was a wonderful sort of symmetry to the whole thing. Over the years, Brockton coach Peter Colombo has had some great quarterbacks. But his best offenses have usually come behind a mammoth offensive line and a punishing ground attack. On Wednesday night at Fenway Park, Colombo coached his last game leading the Boxers in much the same manner he’s won with other squads. Behind the running exploits…
It’s that time of year. With the high school football season in Massachusetts coming to a close, you see a number of great matchups on Thanksgiving. Some people are down on the tradition, but we at NEFJ still love it, with all its flaws. This is the last time many of the student-athletes will ever put on the pads and helmet again. For that reason alone, this is a special…