Rival revival in final
Franklin, Mansfield meet again for D1 title
One thing we know will happen today in Springfield — the Hockomock League will take home its first Division 1 state boys basketball title since 1998.
Hockomock League rivals Mansfield and Franklin will meet for the third time this afternoon (5:45 p.m. at MassMutual Center), but this time the winner will cart home the school’s first Div. 1 title. The teams split the two regular-season meetings, with Franklin winning the first contest, 67-52, and Mansfield evening the score with a 59-47 triumph.
In the Div. 2 state final (1:15 p.m., MassMutual), Boston City League champion TechBoston will be looking to cap a memorable season when it tangles with Taconic. The Bears have been led by the trio of Walter Dew-Hollis, Maurice Works and Shamar Moore, while the upstart Braves will lean heavily on its only senior, point guard Javier Osorio, as well as 6-foot6 sophomore Mohammed Sanogo in the paint.
Watertown makes its first appearance in the Div. 3 state final since 2011 when it meets Easthampton (3:30 p.m., Springfield College). The Raiders relied on the brilliant play of senior forward John Korte and senior guard Julio Fulcar to knock off St. Mary’s and Burke to
get to the final against an Easthampton team which features a top-notch backcourt in Art Moynihan and Sopie Pak.
Pope John looks to unseat defending champion Maynard in the Div. 4 state championship game (11 a.m., Springfield College). Catholic Central Small MVP Angel Price-Espada is a dynamic point guard, while backcourt partner Mehki Collins and forward Michael Thompson can score. Maynard will rely heavily on Corey Olivier, its terrific guard.
On the girls side, the Div.1 state final (3:30 p.m., MassMutual) is a rematch of last year’s final in which Springfield Central ran away from Braintree in the fourth quarter. The teams met in the opener this season, with the Golden Eagles rolling to a 63-46 victory.
Much like the Div. 1 final, the Div.2 girls final (11 a.m. at MassMutual) pits two teams that are no strangers to one another. Foxboro and Hopkinton met twice during the regular season with the teams splitting the contests — Foxboro winning the first game, 52-38, while Hopkinton bounced back with a narrow 55-54 win.
Archbishop Williams will be looking to defend its Div. 3 state title (5;45 p.m., Springfield College) when it meets a Hampshire squad led by a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Katy O’Connor and Katelyn Pickunka.
In the Div. 4 final (1:15 p.m., Springfield College), a tested Coyle & Cassidy looks to finish a strong season by taking care of Monson.