By Tyler Amaral
NEFJ Correspondent

Massachusetts and Connecticut finally joined in on the fun, kicking off the football season last weekend. Week 1 featured many intriguing storylines and non-league matchups across the Bay State. Week 2 will deliver more of the same as coaches continue to challenge their teams in the non-conference portion of the schedule, hoping to boost their power rating.

Let’s take a quick trip around New England and look at the Top 20 MIAA games and more interesting matchups from the other five states and the NEPSAC:

Massachusetts

St. John’s Prep at Central Catholic: A heavyweight matchup between two of the top five teams in the state. St. John’s Prep won last season’s state semifinal matchup 48-7. Expect this game to be much closer.

Springfield Central at North Attleborough: Fun non-league game between two of the better public school programs the state has to offer.

Marshfield at Mansfield: Both teams started the season off with impressive road victories. The Marshfield passing attack versus the Mansfield secondary is strength versus strength.

Milton at Natick: Big early season showdown between two of the top programs in the Bay State Conference. Milton is looking for its first win after losing the season opener to Marshfield.

Christian Brothers Academy (NY) at Catholic Memorial: Despite losing eight players to NEPSAC schools, the Knights remain a top five team in the state. Catholic Memorial should win by multiple scores in its first of two interstate games this fall.

Xaverian at Everett: This longtime rivalry has been one-sided as of late, with Xaverian dominating, though this could be the best Everett team in years. Freshman quarterback Michael Walsh is a name to remember.

Milford at King Philip: Crossover action in the Hockomock League. Milford impressed in week 1, dominating Framingham. King Philip suffered a rare regular season loss to Walpole.

Andover at Chelmsford: Andover is better than last week’s loss to Catholic Memorial would indicate. Chelmsford is a dark horse in Division 2 led by lineman Seamus Harrington.

Tewksbury at Methuen: Arguably no team in the state made more of a statement in week 1 than Tewksbury; the Redmen pounded Foxborough, 41-14 on the road. Methuen is looking to get on track after losing to North Andover.

Danvers at Melrose: Danvers junior running back Zach Fultz is one of the best players on the North Shore. Melrose looked the part in week 1, beating Reading by three scores.

Scituate at Norwell: The Patriot/South Shore League matchups are usually fun to watch. Grayson Foley (Scituate) and Jack Luccarelli (Norwell) are arguably the two best players on the South Shore this fall.

Abington at Hingham: Another Patriot versus South Shore League matchup. Abington has a stable of backs and a promising quarterback in Michael Reilly. Hingham turned heads with a 35-0 win over Hanover last week.

Barnstable at Minnechaug: These teams could see each other again in November. Barnstable is terrific up front. Minnechaug can attack teams through the air.

Shawsheen at Lynnfield: The Rams own the state’s longest winning streak at 28 games, dating back to November 2023. Lynnfield is much improved from last year’s three-win team.

Billerica at Westford Academy: Billerica is big and physical. The Indians will be a factor in Division 2.

Swampscott at Lynn English: Terrific matchup between two strong North Shore clubs. Lynn English is flying under the radar a bit, and is coming off an impressive road win over Marblehead.

Walpole at Foxborough: Walpole made a statement in week 1 over King Philip. Foxborough is looking to get back on track after the blowout loss to Tewksbury.

Hanover at Duxbury: Both teams enter week 2 looking for their first points of the season. Duxbury’s defense impressed in week 1 versus Scituate. The Dragons offense must protect the ball.

Wahconah at Lee: The best small-school matchup of the week. Wahconah is coming off a rare down season. Lee is in the upper echelon of Division 8 teams.

Malden at Peabody: An underrated matchup featuring two incredibly fun offensive talents in Jayden McGuffie (Malden) and Dominik Mercier (Peabody).

Connecticut 

Fairfield Prep at New Canaan: Excellent early season matchup in Connecticut. New Canaan looks like the best team in the state in the early going.

Maine

Bonny Eagle at Massabesic: Massive test for Massabesic at home. Bonny Eagle is in the top tier of teams in the state.

New Hampshire

Londonderry at Manchester Central: Division 1 in New Hampshire is wide open. Big opportunity for Londonderry to make a statement on the road.

Rhode Island

Bishop Hendricken at St. Ray’s: Hendricken is off to an 0-2 start against out-of-state competition. The Hawks are still one of the top two teams in the state and should get in the win column this weekend.

BC High at La Salle: La Salle is the best team in Rhode Island right now, and one of the best teams in New England.

Vermont

Lyndon Institute at Fair Haven: Fair Haven has emerged as one of the state’s top teams in the early season.

NEPSAC

Williston Northampton at Tabor: Tabor is a juggernaut and the best team in New England. It’s the beginning of the final chapter for Virginia Tech-bound quarterback Peter Bourque.