These teams were tops in their field
Taunton’s reign atop Division 1 baseball continued in the 2023 season.
Behind a perfect blend of talent and experience, the Tigers captured the state title for the second straight year and the third time in four years, outlasting Hockomock rival Franklin in a championship game rematch.
Taunton sits atop the final Globe Top 20 baseball rankings, with Franklin right behind at No. 2. The theme of rematches and repeats also persisted in Division 2 with Milton stopping King Philip again. No team was hotter over the final month of the season than Medfield, which won 15 of 16 before suffering a heartbreaking 12inning loss to Oakmont in the Division 3 final.
Seekonk turned last year’s state final loss into motivation and captured the Division 4 title, while the 11 players on Bourne’s roster were enough to win the first Division 5 crown in school history.
Softball
Behind a formidable attack and dominant work in the circle from junior lefthander Sam Lincoln, three-time defending Division 1 champion Taunton finishes atop the rankings once again. Fellow Division 1 powers King Philip, Central Catholic, and Peabody are close behind.
Burlington rounds out the top five after capturing the program’s first state title in Division 2. Joseph Case is sixth after finishing the season with a stunning 24-1 record and earning the Division 4 crown for the first time since 2001.
With the help of senior ace Cassidy Machado and senior Alex Welch, Middleborough plowed through Division 3 for its first title, taking the seventh spot. Somerset Berkley debuts following a stellar run to the D2 semifinals, upsetting Billerica.
Norton capped a stellar campaign with a trip to the Division 2 championship game.
Boys’ lacrosse
While it was a close and thrilling matchup, top-ranked St. John’s Prep (22-1) surged past Catholic Conference rival BC High (20-3) for a third straight Division 1 state title, proving that the private schools still rule in the highest division.
Powerhouse public school programs impressed in the other three divisions, though, with Reading (22-1) rolling to its second D2 state title and first since 2018. Norwell (19-3) and Cohasset (20-3) were the favorites in D3 and D4 all season, and the Clippers pulled off a repeat championship while the Skippers avenged a heartbreaking loss in the 2022 state semis to secure their first title since 2018.
In defeat, D3 finalist Falmouth, D4 finalist Sandwich, and D2 quarterfinalist Nauset showed that the Cape region was well represented in the playoffs. North Andover, Billerica, and Chelmsford finished in a logjam atop the Merrimack Valley Conference and sit together in our final poll, with Chelmsford coach Sean Wright announcing his retirement after another strong season.
Girls’ lacrosse
Notre Dame (Hingham) takes the top spot following a spectacular undefeated season (25-0) and a Division 2 state title. Lincoln-Sudbury outlasted No. 3 Westwood in the D1 final to cement its first state title in 35 years and a No. 2 final ranking. Franklin (20-4), which gave Westwood a terrific battle and nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback, was fourth.
Division 3 champion Newburyport and Division 4 champion Dover-Sherborn — two of the most consistent, balanced teams — were fifth and sixth. Reading, Wayland, Norwell, and Medfield rounded out the top 10. Foxborough’s, Walpole’s, and Wellesley’s bodies of work earned spots in the top 13. No. 14 Central Catholic leapfrogged No. 15 Chelmsford after winning the head-to-head tournament clash. Ipswich was No. 16 after advancing to the championship and nearly winning. Cohasset, Hingham, Duxbury, and Pentucket all pieced together strong seasons to round out the top 20.
Boys’ tennis
Lexington finished off its unbeaten season (25-0) with a dominant 5-0 victory over Brookline in the Division 1 final. St. John’s Prep was dealt two losses this season season — both 3-2 setbacks to Lexington — but was No. 2 in the final poll ahead of D1 runner-up Brookline. Division 2 state champion Duxbury finishes at No. 4, followed by two repeating state champions in No. 5 Weston and No. 6 Wayland, which defended their state titles in Division 4 and 3, respectively.
Division 1 state semifinalist Wellesley was No. 7, followed by No. 8 Acton-Boxborough and No. 9 Concord-Carlisle. Division 3 runner-up Dover-Sherborn rounded out the top 10. Three new teams cracked the final rankings after strong postseason performances; No. 15 Bedford reached the Division 3 semifinals, No. 18 Newton North made the Division 1 quarterfinals, and No. 20 Lynnfield was the Division 4 runner-up.
Girls’ tennis
After surviving a scare from top-seeded Boston Latin en route to a convincing 4-1 victory over Lincoln-Sudbury in the Division 1 state final, Lexington claimed the top spot after defending its state title. Boston Latin finishes No. 2 after being dealt its only defeat in a 3-2 loss to Lexington in the state semifinals, and Masconomet finishes No. 3 after defending its Division 2 state title to cap a second consecutive undefeated season.
Division 1 runner-up Lincoln-Sudbury is No. 4, ahead of No. 5 Newburyport and No. 6 Hamilton-Wenham, both of which defended state titles at Division 3 and 4, respectively. Division 1 state semifinalist Acton-Boxborough is No. 7, followed by No. 8 Wellesley and No. 9 Winchester, two teams that reached the Division 1 quarterfinals. Division 2 state semifinalist Bishop State completes the top 10 after reaching the Division 2 semifinals.
Boys’ volleyball
All eyes were on Needham from the start of spring, and the Rockets (27-0) never let the pressure get to them. They rattled off a third straight perfect season, culminating in a third consecutive state championship, and held the No. 1 ranking throughout.
The hierarchy behind Needham was constantly shifting, but Newton North’s run to the D1 final earned the Tigers the No. 2 spot. St. John’s Shrewsbury, Brookline, and Natick follow out of Division 1, putting four Bay State Conference powers in the top five. Brookline’s run as a No. 11 seed was particularly impressive, beating third-seeded Natick and sixthseeded Acton-Boxborough in its surge to the semifinals. Milford and O’Bryant charged to the D2 semis as the best teams in the bracket from Eastern Mass.
In total, seven of nine EMass conferences had representatives in the final Globe Top 20, plus independent Milford. Lincoln-Sudbury snuck into the last spot by knocking out Andover via a first-round tournament victory, highlighting an 8-3 stretch to close the year.