Central tops in Div. 1 North
Pentucket team to beat in Div. 2
Needham opened some eyes with its run to the Division 1 South finals last year.
This time, no one should be surprised to see a repeat performance.
The Rockets returned several key players from that run and should be considered one of the favorites. The road won’t be an easy one as a possible quarterfinal contest against either Oliver Ames or Walpole will be tough. Newton North is yet another team capable of making noise.
Bridgewater-Raynham is the top team on the upper half of the draw with good reason, starting with Dream
Teamer Shay Bollin.
In Div. 1 North, Central Catholic’s hopes took a hit with the injury to standout guard Nadeshka Bridgewater, but there is plenty of talent around for the Raiders to make another deep tournament run. MVC rival Chelmsford is talented and keep an eye on a dangerous Masconomet squad.
Woburn turned in another solid season and will be tough to defeat. Cambridge is very talented and has the ability to beat anyone, while Billerica is the proverbial tough out.
Defending Div. 2 state champion Pentucket is the heavy favorite to come out of the North section. Wilmington should provide a challenge in the upper half of the draw, while Marblehead, Saugus and Newburyport will battle it out on the lower half of the draw.
In the South, Foxboro acquitted itself very well in the challenging Hockomock League and features a topnotch scorer in Katelyn Mollica.
The game can be said for Norwood, a defensiveminded team which excelled in the Tri-Valley League.
The Patriot League has a pair of legitimate contenders in Hingham and defending sectional champion Pembroke. Old Rochester, Falmouth and Nauset are also solid teams who can break through in the section.
St. Mary’s captured the Div. 3 North title last year en route to an appearance in the state final. The Spartans are more than prepared for another deep run into the postseason. Amesbury would love another crack at a St. Mary’s team, which rolled to a 40-point win late in the season. Bishop Fenwick and Lynnfield could be a very interesting opening round tilt.
Could this be the year someone snaps Archbishop Williams’ run of Div. 3 South sectional titles at seven? The Bishops had their ups and downs during the season, but no one should sleep on Matt Maloney’s crew.
Clearly, the teams with the best shot at unseating Archbishop Williams would be a pair of South Shore League teams in Rockland and Norwell, each of whom went 18-2.
The same can be said in Div. 4 South as Cathedral has been the dominant program under Clinton Lassiter. Carver reached the sectional final last year and shouldn’t be overlooked, while Westport is loaded with young talent.
Fenway and Matignon waged a spirited battle in the Div. 4 North final last year and both appear earmarked for another trip to the final. Maimonides, Northeast and upstart Malden Catholic would love to make its mark here.