By Mukala Kabongo NEFJ Correspondent DANVERS – St. John’s Prep looks to return to Gillette Stadium with a loaded offense led by Ohio State commit Christopher Vargas. The Eagles kicked off their first practice with an emphasis on playing with a sense of urgency. Here’s a few things that stood out during Day 1 of camp for Prep: Quarterback – Earlier this month Vargas announced his commitment to play football…
New era for UNH starts Friday night
The Sean Goldrich Era is just days away from officially getting started. UNH alum and the newest head coach takes over for Ricky Santos, but expectations remain high for the program. That’s what happens when the standard has been set for decades in Durham. The Wildcats don’t have to wait long to see how things go in game action, traveling to Albany for a CAA rivalry game right out of…
Nationally-ranked Rams ready for Week 0 opener
It’s hard to believe it, but football season officially kicks off this week. The two-time defending CAA champions and eighth-ranked team in the country heading into the season resides in Kingston, Rhode Island. The Rams will make the trip up to Merrimack to face the Warriors in a non-conference game on Friday night. With national eyes now on them, the Rams are no longer flying under the radar. Instead, URI…
Massachusetts Day 1 Camp Visits – Central Catholic
By Mukala Kabongo NEFJ Correspondent LAWRENCE – It’s clear that senior leadership will pave the way for Central Catholic during the 2026 season under new head coach John Dubzinski. New Face Leading the Way – After taking a year off, Coach Dubzinski returned to the field, bringing in his many years of coaching experience at North Andover. During the Raiders’ first practice, Dubzinski – who replaced coach John Sexton -…
Norman opens first season at Brockton with a message of hope & high expectations
BROCKTON- For newly appointed Brockton High School head football coach Mike Norman, stepping into the top job at one of the country’s most historic high school football programs isn’t just a career milestone—it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
Patriots trade WR Kayshon Boutte to Houston for safety Jaylen Reed & 7th-round pick
Steven Senne/AP The New England Patriots have finalized a trade sending wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans. In exchange, the Patriots acquire second-year safety Jaylen Reed alongside a 2028 seventh-round draft pick originally belonging to the New Orleans Saints. For Houston, the transaction fills a crucial positional vacuum created during joint practices, when projected starter Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Boutte arrives in Houston coming off…
Weymouth’s Monteiro-Cooper embraces football & capitalizes on his talent
WEYMOUTH- For Tyandre Monteiro-Cooper, football wasn’t an immediate obsession; it was a craft that had to be unlocked. What began as a game eventually transformed into a life-defining pursuit, fueled by a realization of his own potential and an undeniable desire to compete under the bright lights of high school sports. “I decided to commit to playing football because I could see that if I just put in a lot of hard work I could be able to get an opportunity to play at an elite level in college on scholarship,” Monteiro-Cooper said. “Football is just a great game that is a mix of strategy, discipline, willpower, brotherhood that I wanted to be apart of and i always wanted to play in Friday night lights!”
McFarland ready to lead St. Johnsbury back to the top in Vermont
ST. JOHNSBURY- Maddox McFarland took the reins of the St. Johnsbury Academy offense as a sophomore last season, an honor carrying immense weight under head coach Rich Alercio and the program’s rich tradition of signal-callers. Stepping into that leadership role as an underclassman presented a steep learning curve, but McFarland turned the inherent pressure into the foundation of his growth.
Massachusetts Day 1 Camp Visits – Xaverian
By Mike Sidhly NEFJ Correspondent WESTWOOD – For the last few seasons, Xaverian football has owned MIAA Division 1 winning three consecutive state titles after its 41-35 victory against St. John’s last year. Now gunning for their fourth in a row, Xaverian kicks their season off on September 11th against Bishop Feehan. Focusing On The Present – For coach Al Fornaro and his staff, the focus remains in the here…
NEFJ Preseason Top 25 MIAA Poll
It is the first day of the 2026 MIAA football season and with that comes the first batch of New England Football Journal rankings. There are no surprises at the top. There is a clear top four in Xaverian, St. John’s Prep, Springfield Central and Catholic Memorial heading into the fall. What other teams cracked the preseason edition of the MIAA top 25?