A look at state field, division by division

A highly competitive regular season is in the books and now it’s time for the state tournament, in which there are 213 teams across five divisions, with Concord-Carlisle (Division 1), Bedford (D2), Oakmont (D3), Cohasset (D4), and Sutton (D5) claiming the top seeds.

Preliminary games kick off Friday and state championship games are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18. Here’s a preview of each division with favorites, sleepers, players to watch, and analysis.

DIVISION 1

Favorite: No. 1 Concord-Carlisle.

Sleeper: No. 15 BC High.

Players to watch: Brady Poor (senior, Concord-Carlisle), Campbell Keyes (senior, Needham), Bruno DeSouza (senior, Weymouth), Mark Ghiu (senior, St. John’s Prep), Thomas Rooney (senior, Newton North), Owen Gallagher (senior, Winchester), Del DiBona (senior, BC High), Noah Cain (senior, Franklin), Nico Bradley (senior, Newton South). Best first-round match: No. 20 Ludlow at No. 13 Framingham. Longest road trip: No. 42 Springfield Central at No. 23 Attleboro (85 miles).

Overview: Thirteen teams in the D1 field are ranked in the Globe’s Top 20, and 21 of the 43 teams were ranked at one point this season. The loaded bracket is headlined by undefeated Concord-Carlisle, which outscored opponents, 47-4, in the competitive Dual County League. Seeded fourth, defending champion St. John’s Prep (14-1-2) and No. 2 Needham (14-2-2) join C-C as serious threats to win it all. The Bay State Conference is well represented with six teams inside the top 14, highlighted by No. 5 Weymouth (12-3-4), No. 6 Brookline (11-6-1), and No. 7 Newton North (8-5-5). Despite a potential Round of 32 showdown with Hockomock rival Attleboro, look out for No. 10 Franklin (13-0-5) and its experienced starting lineup that conceded four goals over the final 13 games. No. 3 Acton-Boxborough (121-3) and No. 8 Newton South (8-4-5) played two of the hardest schedules in the state and should be prepared for deep runs.

DIVISION 2

Favorite: No. 1 Bedford.

Sleeper: No. 11 Masconomet.

Players to watch: Brian Jones (senior, Billerica), Spencer Goss ( junior, Bedford), Alessandro Neyra (junior, Hingham), Marco Russo (senior, Masconomet), Darragh Casey (senior, Wakefield), Amir Lahkiky (senior, Melrose), Joey Carney (senior, Oliver Ames), Derrick Camara (senior, Somerset Berkley).

Best first-round match: No. 25

Duxbury at No. 8 Hopkinton.

Longest road trip: No. 36 Scituate at No. 29 Agawam, 119 miles.

Overview: Bedford jumped into the top spot in the final update of the season, thanks to a strong 9-2-5 record and the second-toughest strength of schedule in the division. The Buccaneers won their sixth straight Dual County League Foley Division title , and they’re led by juniors Spencer Goss and Leo Natalizio. Second-seeded Billerica (16-1-1) has not lost since the second game of the season (against Bedford). The Indians went 14-0-0 in the Merrimack Valley Conference and would certainly love a rematch with the Buccaneers in the final. No. 3 Hingham (17-1-0) won the Patriot League Keenan Division and will look to send longtime head coach Ken Carlin off with a title in his final year. Watch out for No. 11 Masconomet (12-2-4) — the Chieftains stumbled at the end of the season, but went unbeaten through their first 13 games.

DIVISION 3

Favorite: No. 3 Norwell.

Sleeper: No. 15 Newburyport.

Players to watch: Alex Bello (senior, Norwell), Gino Tripoli (senior, Gloucester), Wil McManus (senior, Pembroke), Gael Vera (senior, Oakmont), Brian Dunne (senior, Dedham), Lucas Bereaud (senior, Swampscott), Kaya Jackson (senior, St. Mary’s), Ryan Gasbarro (sophomore, Newburyport).

Best first-round match: No. 23 Belchertown at No. 10 Nauset.

Longest road trip: No. 41 Taconic at No. 24 Tewksbury (145 miles).

Overview: Norwell (15-2-2) enters the postseason with a win or a draw in 16 of its last 17 games, allowing just eight goals. While the Clippers, who are seeking a second state title in three years, thrive behind a defensive-oriented scheme, other D3 contenders are fueled by potent offenses. No. 1 Oakmont (15-3-0) piled up 72 goals led by star forward Vera, while No. 2 Gloucester (14-3-1) and No. 8 Swampscott (13-2-3) shined in the Northeastern Conference with prolific scorers Tripoli and Bereaud pacing their attacks. No. 4 Pembroke (14-2-2) overcame numerous injuries to capture a third straight Patriot Fisher title, but the Titans dropped a 1-0 nonleague bout on Saturday to No. 10 Nauset, another team to keep an eye on as the perennial D2 power dropped down a division. And don’t forget about No. 6 Dedham (11-3-4) and No. 15 Newburyport (12-4-2), which met in the state final last year and posted solid seasons despite roster turnover.

DIVISION 4

Favorite: No. 1 Cohasset.

Sleeper: No. 18 Abington.

Players to watch: Nathan Askjaer ( junior, Cohasset), Dillon Reilly (senior, Lynnfield), Joao Faria (senior, Rockland), Nick Stein (sophomore, Hamilton-Wenham), Max Lindo (senior, Abington), Aidan Miklasiewicz (senior, Hampshire), Nico Fasulo (senior, Frontier), Ryan Laramee (junior, Monomoy).

Best first-round match: No. 21 Stoneham at No. 12 Northeast.

Longest road trip: No. 38 Westfield Tech at No. 27 East Boston (101 miles).

Overview: There’s a slew of contenders in this 42-team bracket, with South Shore Tobin champion Cohasset (13-3-2) leading the way. The Skippers poured in 74 goals, with junior striker Askjaer breaking the program’s single-season record with 29 goals, and running mate Cian Casey also stood out. No. 2 Lynnfield (142-2) is looking to build on last year’s run to the D3 quarterfinals as forward Reilly caps his standout career. Outside of Eastern Mass., No. 3 Hampshire (15-0-3) is one of four undefeated teams left in the state and won the Western Mass. Class B championship on Monday, while No. 8 Frontier (16-1-1) made the semifinals last year. No. 6 Excel Academy (13-3-0) beat Cohasset a few weeks ago, and No. 4 Hamilton-Wenham (13-1-2) and No. 18 Abington (106-2) are dangerous.

DIVISION 5

Favorite: No. 3 Bromfield.

Sleeper: No. 8 Westport.

Players to watch: Jerry Registe (sophomore, Boston International), Will Quinlan ( junior, Westport), Atticus Anderson (senior, Rockport), Nico Sullivan (sophomore, St. John Paul II), Brendan Listzwan ( junior, Bromfield).

Best first-round match: No. 39 Granby at No. 26 Upper Cape

Longest road trip: No. 33 Lenox at No. 32 Rising Tide Charter, 159 miles.

Overview: The reigning D5 champ, Bromfield (13-4-1) is looking to repeat. Its resume includes a win over D3 top seed Oakmont, an impressive result after an early season loss to the Spartans. Sutton (13-2-3) earned the top seed; the Sammies closed the year with wins in seven of their final eight games. Boston International is the highest EMass team – the Lions lost the City League championship to Latin Academy, and they’ll look to earn hardware after a dominant 16-2-0 season.

Seventh-seeded Burke is another good City League team, as the Bulldogs tested themselves late in the year with close matches against the top seeds in D1 and D2 (ConcordCarlisle and Bedford). No. 8 Westport is the lone unbeaten team in the bracket: the Wildcats (17-0-1) dominated the Mayflower with an 85-6 goal differential.