By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff Kickoff: A turbulent week off the field finally comes to a close for the UMass Minutemen who travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs. Interim head coach Shane Montgomery will do his best to lead a team against a powerhouse Georgia program looking for style points to add to their College Football Playoff resume. 1st Down: Minutemen true freshman quarterback AJ Hairston may not have…
MIAA D1 State Semifinal: (4) Needham 22, (1) St. John’s Prep 14 – Williams, Schreiber take Rockets to Gillette
BURLINGTON – This was a year in the making. In 2023, Needham made an incredible and unexpected run to the Division 1 state semifinals before losing to Xaverian, one game shy of Gillette. The Rockets – particularly the returning seniors – weren’t going to let the opportunity pass them by twice. Behind 144 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown from Aidan Williams and a game-sealing interception from Ben Schreiber,…
MIAA D5 State Semifinal: (1) Shawsheen Valley Tech 28, (4) Old Rochester Regional 7 – Rams roll to Gillette
Paul Vozzella NEFJ Staff SCITUATE – For the third year in a row, No. 1 Shawsheen Valley Tech topped No. 4 Old Rochester Regional in the playoffs, this time with a dominant 28-7 victory in the MIAA Division 5 state semifinals. Shawsheen (11-0) advances to the D5 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium against Foxborough. The Rams established a presence early on, scoring on the first drive of the game when…
MIAA D3 State Semifinal (4) North Attleborough 42, (1) Reading 20 – Frisoli leads Rocketeers to upset & Super Bowl
Andrew Guindon NEFJ Staff ASSABET VALLEY – North Attleborough quarterback Chase Frisoli had a career day, rushing for 311 yards and four touchdowns—with one passing touchdown—as the No. 4 Rocketeers defeated No. 1 Reading 42-20 in the D3 MIAA state semifinals on Friday night. Frisoli attributed his success to his offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the entirety of the night. “I got all of the stats,…
MIAA D3 State Semifinal: (3) Mansfield 42, (10) Walpole 28 — Hornets book Gillette trip
By Jared Keene NEFJ Staff TAUNTON — Victory tasted sweet, but on Friday night, redemption — not necessarily revenge — tasted even sweeter for Mansfield. Last year, the Hornets came oh so close to beating Walpole and advancing to the Division 3 semifinals. But the Timberwolves had other ideas, scoring a touchdown in the final 30 seconds to emerge victorious and end Mansfield’s postseason. Fast forward a year. The way……
Rhode Island D1 State Championship: Bishop Hendricken 24, La Salle 21 — It’s the Hawks’ state again
By Charlie Adams NEFJ Staff CRANSTON — You’d think watching the same two teams compete for the state championship for the 11th time in 14 years would be stale. Friday’s game showed that this rivalry has far from run its course. No. 1 Bishop Hendricken appeared in its 16th straight state championship, defeating No. 2 La Salle for the ninth time. A late field goal earned the Hawks its 19th……
MIAA D2 State Semifinal: (1) Catholic Memorial 49, (5) Wellesley 7 — Knights pull away
By Mukala Kabongo NEFJ Staff WESTON — Catholic Memorial punched its ticket to Gillette Stadium for the fifth time in seven years after a 49-7 victory over Wellesley. Last year Catholic Memorial had a chance to get back to the state championship game for a third straight year but those hopes came to an end at the hands of Marshfield. This season the Knights focus was getting back to the……
MIAA D2 State Semifinal: (2) King Philip 34, (3) Marshfield 15 — Ground game powers Warriors
By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff BRIDGEWATER — Second-seeded King Philip stuck to a familiar script Friday night in Bridgewater. The Warriors controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball — winning the rushing battle 299-76 — and winning the game 34-15 over No. 3 Marshfield in a rematch of the 2023 state title game. The Warriors are heading to their seventh state title game in the last……
Only thing standing between Harvard & 1st outright Ivy League title since ’14 is ‘The Game’
One win. That’s all that stands between Harvard and the program’s first outright Ivy League title in a decade. That win will have to come against archival Yale in the 140th edition of The Game at historic Harvard Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Harvard clinched a share of the title for the second straight year last weekend, but there was no celebration. That’s because last season, the Crimson clinched a share…
Rhode Island State Championship Preview
Courtesy of the RIIL It is championship weekend in Rhode Island we have got you covered. Here is our preview of each game, including picks. State Championship Game #1 Bishop Hendricken vs. #2 LaSalle Academy: The LaSalle, Hendricken state title game match up is an annual tradition in the Ocean State. Both teams boast talented rosters once again. The Hawks are led by quarterback Daniel Lynch and Sebastian Lora. The……