MIAA Football Playoff Breakdown: Favorites, Top Matchups, Analysis

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Favorites: #1 St. John's Prep, #3 Xaverian, #7 Springfield Central

Sleeper: No. 9 Franklin

Best first-round matchup: #9 Franklin at #8 Methuen

Longest road trip of the first round: #10 Natick at #7 Springfield Central, 73 miles

Overview: The top division is more evenly matched than ever since the MIAA playoff format changed in 2013, with no real clear favorite or dominant team. Springfield Central (7-1) is far more talented than your typical No. 7 seed, but the Golden Eagles are young at key positions. Xaverian (5-3) and St. John's Prep (7-1) can win battles up front and have the ability to run down the field to score again at Gillette, but Needham (8-0) also has one massive offensive line great defense. Franklin (7-1) and Methuen (7-1) are coming off a tough tie as they face each other in the first round and have a preseason trip on deck. BC High (6-1) has turned heads under new coach Paul Zukauskas and will look to get past No. 15 Andover (5-3) and Springfield Central or Natick (7-1) in the Round of 8 ) to compete.

The Division 1 bracket can be found here.

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Favorites: No. 1 Catholic Monument, No. 2 King Philip

Sleeper: No. 5 Wellesley

Best first-round matchup: #11 Peabody at #6 Winchester

Longest road trip of the first round: #13 North Andover at #4 Bishop Feehan, 70 miles

Overview: While Marshfield upset an injury-depleted Catholic Memorial team last year, the Knights (7-1) are healthy and energetic and seeking their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Of all the D2 programs, King Philip (8-0) could have the best chance against a strong CM team should the Warriors make their seventh trip to Gillette in the last eight seasons. Marshfield (7-1) has a unique, fast-paced offense that could cause problems if the Rams face KP in the state semifinals. Winchester (6-2) and Peabody (4-4) played an exciting game early in the season, so it will be interesting to see how the teams perform two months later. Wellesley (6-2) and No. 4 Bishop Feehan (7-1) both have versatile offenses that should make for an exciting quarterfinal matchup if they come away with a first-round victory.

View the Division 2 bracket here.

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Favorites: #1 Reading, #4 North Attleborough

Sleeper: No. 9 Milford, No. 10 Walpole

Best first-round matchup: #11 Milton at #6 Dartmouth

Longest road trip of the first round: #15 Silver Lake at #2 Billerica, 67 miles

Overview: This group is interesting for those looking for an upset, as Walpole (3-5) and Milton (3-5), last year's Super Bowl participants, lurk as double-digit seeds after rocky starts to their respective seasons. We can put Milford (3-5) in the same category as a dangerous No. 9 seed that is far better than its record suggests. Top seeds Reading (8-0), North Attleborough (6-2) and Mansfield (5-3) are battle-tested and ready to take on these challengers on the hard road to Gillette. Billerica (5-3) switched from a spread attack to a double-wing attack midway through the season and earned a decisive win over Andover in Week 9 to secure second place in the standings. Dartmouth (6-2) has had its ups and downs, with a convincing win over Barnstable followed by a double-digit loss to Bridgewater-Raynham, and will return in a first-round matchup against a Milton program that eliminated them in the quarterfinals Looking for revenge last year.

View the Division 3 bracket here.

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Favorites: #1 Duxbury, #2 Scituate

Sleeper: #5 Tewksbury, #6 Marblehead

Best first-round matchup: #10 Wayland at #7 Burlington

Longest road trip of the first round: No. 9 Tantasqua Regional at No. 8 Canton, 69 miles

Overview: Patriot League rivals Duxbury (7-1) and Scituate (8-0) have met in two of the last three Super Bowls, with Scituate winning a thriller in 2021 and the Dragons bouncing back with a shootout victory last December, to repeat this. An undefeated Grafton team (8-0) could crash this party, as it did by advancing to the 2022 Super Bowl. Marblehead (6-2) has turned its season around after a consecutive loss, Tewksbury (6-2) is as well-coached as any team in this category and Malden Catholic (4-4) is a program on the rise despite losing its last three games against Catholic Conference powers. Keep an eye on Wayland's strong defense against Burlington's Air Raid in the first round.

View the Division 4 bracket here.

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Favorites: #1 Shawsheen, #3 Foxborough

Sleeper: #5 Bishop Fenwick, #8 Newburyport

Best first-round matchup: No. 13 Medway at No. 4 Old Rochester

Longest road trip of the first round: #9 Bishop Stang at #8 Newburyport, 96 miles

Overview: This could be the year Shawsheen (8-0) breaks through to its first Super Bowl victory since 2010. Senior quarterback Sid Tildsley led the Rams to Gillette as a sophomore and posed a challenge to eventual D5 champion Foxborough in the state semifinals last year. Speaking of Foxborough (5-3), the Warriors appear to be on top of their game after injuries played a role in their 0-3 start earlier in the season. After a win over North Attleborough, Foxborough should be considered contenders for a repeat. Bishop Fenwick (7-1) is back in the postseason after being sanctioned by the MIAA last year, and the Crusaders will be on a mission to return to Gillette. Hanover (6-2) has a new lineup but is in position to push for a return to the Super Bowl, and Old Rochester (7-1) has handled every challenge well this season, with the only loss coming to Fairhaven was recorded. Newburyport (3-5) is a sleeper with a dangerous offense.

View the Division 5 bracket here.

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Favorites: #1 Hudson, #2 Stoneham

Sleeper: No. 9 St Mary's, No. 13 North Reading

Best first-round matchup: No. 13 North Reading at No. 4 Norwell

Longest road trip of the first round: #11 Dennis-Yarmouth at #6 Lynnfield, 92 miles

Overview: Stoneham (7-1) looked like a juggernaut all season before being thwarted in the second half by a surprise loss at Wakefield last Friday. The Spartans are still primed for the playoffs with their potent ground attack, but Hudson (8-0) appears to be the favorite in this division with quarterback Jake Attaway leading a large senior class into the postseason. We can't discount defending champion Fairhaven (7-1) as Justin Marques looks to build on his record playoff run from last year. Lynnfield (7-1) boasts one of the division's best passing attacks and hosts productive quarterback Jayden Barber and No. 11 Dennis-Yarmouth (6-2) in an exciting first-round matchup. St. Mary's (7-1) will hope its elite defense travels with it when the Spartans head south to face Sandwich (7-1) in the first round. North Reading (7-1) is just two years removed from a Super Bowl and is a sleeper that could gain some momentum if the Hornets can beat Norwell (6-2) in the opener.

View the Division 6 bracket here.

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Favorite: No. 1 Uxbridge

Sleeper: No. 6 Amesbury, No. 10 West Bridgewater

Best first-round matchup: #10 West Bridgewater at #7 Cohasset

Longest road trip of the first round: #14 Saint Bernard's at #3 Mashpee, 109 miles

Overview: Uxbridge (8-0) reached the Super Bowl last season with an average margin of victory of 30.9 points per game, and the Spartans are back on the rise and looking to defend their title. Kellen LaChapelle has graduated, but Camden LaChapelle is the focal point of an elite offense, and legendary coach Ken LaChapelle could lead No. 4 Northbridge (6-2) into a state semifinal game against his grandson before the teams meet on Thanksgiving meet each other. Mashpee (6-2) is a strong contender despite a narrow loss to Carver, and Cohasset (3-5) is battle-tested with six games decided by one point this season. Amesbury (6-2) has a unique triple-option offense that could bring the Redhawks back to Gillette, and West Bridgewater (5-3) can also go all out with senior Ty Holmes leading the backfield.

View the Division 7 bracket here.

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Favorites: No. 1 Randolph, No. 4 Nashoba Valley Tech

Sleeper: #7 Lee, #11 Bourne

Best first-round matchup: #11 Bourne at #6 KIPP Academy

Longest road trip of the first round: #15 Hoosac Valley at #2 West Boylston, 96 miles

Overview: The top of Division 8 is wide open, although Randolph defeated Carver 33-7 in Week 7. Randolph (7-1) has talent on both sides of the ball, with playmaker Mekhi White leading the offense. Carver (6-2) is coming off a record-setting season and still boasts a top-notch offense, with new coach Chris Pabst keeping the system ticking over. Cathedral (4-4) has played a difficult schedule in the Catholic Central League, so the Panthers can't be ruled out. Of course, defending champion West Boylston (which also won the D7 state title in 2022) is a prime contender behind a strong dual-wing attack. Nashoba Valley Tech (8-0) has outscored most opponents this season and will be a tough opponent for No. 13 TechBoston (6-2) in the first round. Bourne (5-3) is averaging 34.6 points per game and could find itself in a shootout at KIPP (5-3), which dropped 44 points to Whittier to end the season.

Check out the Division 8 bracket here.

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