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Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prep hex strikes again: BC High lacrosse falls to St. John's Prep in OT in Div. 1 final
BOURNE -- Looks like the law of averages has been repealed. Or maybe it just feels that way for the BC High lacrosse team. You would think that if you keep running into the same opponent in a huge playoff spot year after year that eventually it would stop being their time all the time and it would, in fact, become your time at some point. Advertisement The odds would seem to favor a change in the power structure, but it hasn't happened yet. Matched up yet again with nemesis St. John's Prep in the Division 1 state championship game, BC High again came up agonizingly short on Saturday afternoon at Mass. Maritime Academy's Clean Harbor Stadium. Top-seeded BC High staged a brilliant comeback, forcing overtime by scoring a pair of goals (by Murphy Belvin and star attackman Nick Emsing) in the final 69 seconds. But St. John's Prep senior midfielder Luke Kelly capped off the first possession of OT with a goal that gave Prep an 8-7 win and a fifth straight state crown. "My oldest brother Michael was a senior when we won the first one," Kelly said. "It means everything to keep the tradition alive and try to finish what those guys started in 2021 and before that." More: With another state title, rugby took BC High senior Mikey Smith to places he never imagined Advertisement Prep had beaten BC High in the Div. 1 final in 2021 (by an 11-7 score), 2022 (11-5) and 2023 (16-14) before switching things up a little by eliminating the Eagles in the semis last spring before topping Needham in the final. Prep also won both regular-season meetings with BC High this spring and last spring. "It's always a dogfight with these guys," Kelly said. "They know what we're doing offensively, we know what they're doing offensively. It's just a battle of attrition, who's going to grind it out." More: Scituate boys lacrosse's long journey ends with a Div. 3 state title Suffice to say, BC High has built up a deep reserve of motivation for next year, when the Catholic Conference foes collide again. Advertisement "We all sign up for it by playing sports, right?" BC High coach Marcus Craigwell said of the Prep hex. "There's gotta be a winner and a loser. It's all about preparation. It should set the next year up in terms of what (the returning players) expect. It might be Prep again (in the final). It might be Prep the next 10 years. We just don't know. Unfortunately, we came up on the short end (again). But they shouldn't hang their heads." Luke Kelly of St. John's Prep scored the winning goal in overtime as Prep defeated BC High, 8-7, in overtime in the MIAA Division 1 state championship on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Mass Maritime Academy BC High (19-4) came out flying, grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first four minutes as Emsing sandwiched a pair of goals around one by sophomore FOGO Jackson Ketchen. Ketchen's goal came straight off a faceoff win just 4 seconds after Emsing's opening tally. Was No. 2 Prep (22-1) surprised by the early flurry? Advertisement "Little bit," Kelly said. "They were getting some groundballs, winning some faceoffs. It's a state championship, two best teams in the state. They're going to score some goals. We gotta get it back." Prep certainly did that, roaring back to score six straight goals to take a 6-3 lead into halftime. Cam McCarthy got Prep on the board midway through the first quarter, and the champs outscored BC High 5-0 in the second quarter on goals from Ryan McCarthy, Madden McGowan, Bo Minogue, Josh Haarmann and Mac Crawford. BC High slowly turned the tide in the second half, outscoring Prep 4-1. Emsing completed his hat trick midway through the third quarter to halt Prep's scoring binge. Beckett Lee put Prep ahead 7-4, but Jacob Adams struck to get BC High within 7-5 heading into the fourth quarter. "Hot start," Craigwell said. "We gave them a different look, and then they settled into it. We had to battle. We won the first (quarter), they won the second, we won the third and fourth." Advertisement Belvin made it 7-6 with 1:09 left, and Emsing netted his fourth of the day with just 28 seconds left to tie it up. "With 2 minutes left we could have bagged it in, down two," Craigwell said. "But we plugged away and stayed consistent. Couldn't have asked for a better effort." BC High appeared to have all the momentum heading into the extra period, but they never touched the ball. "We were just staying calm," Kelly said of Prep's mental approach to OT. "We've been working on relaxation for the past 45 days, I think. So just staying calm and keep playing (assuming) it's going to come. We've worked too hard to lose it. We knew we were going to win." Advertisement That they did, as Kelly fired a bullet just over the right shoulder of BC High junior goalie TJ Emsing (Nick's brother), who had made a pair of saves just before Kelly's final statement. Could he have written a better ending to his Prep career? "No, I don't think so," Kelly said. "I started out as a water boy in the program seven years ago. I love this team. Coach (John) Pynchon has made me the man I am today. I love St. John's so much. To end it like this is magical." This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: BC High lacrosse rallies late but falls in OT in Div. 1 state final
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'They took us on a journey': Braintree baseball proud of playoff run to state final
WORCESTER -- Don Fredericks still would have been proud. And who knows, maybe he had something to do with it. Fredericks was the head coach for the Braintree High baseball program's first three state crowns (1972, 1984, 1989) -- highlights of a glorious two-decade reign in the dugout that saw him win 337 games and 11 Bay State Conference championships. Fredericks passed away at the age of 79 last spring, and his old team decided to honor him this season with a memorial tournament in his name. Advertisement The Wamps staggered into that four-team get-together in the midst of an injury-riddled slump, but perhaps their old boss sent them some mojo from the Great Ballpark in the Sky. Braintree won the tournament (which was played at BC High due to field conditions), beating Westwood and the hosts, and used that momentum as a springboard into an unexpected playoff run. "When we got to that tournament, that's when all that momentum started," Wamps coach Bill O'Connell said. "We started believing." A four-game romp through the postseason brought them to the precipice of what would have been the program's sixth state crown, the most ever by a Massachusetts high school baseball team, according to MIAA record keeping. In the end, it wasn't to be as Chelmsford busted loose for six runs in the top of the ninth inning Friday night to post an 8-2 win in the Division 1 state final at Polar Park. "Amazing season," O'Connell said near the third-base dugout as the eighth-seeded Wamps (16-9) glumly watched the 14th-seeded Lions (19-8) hoist the trophy. "They took us on a journey. They took the whole community on an unbelievable journey. They played great. That's a very good (Chelmsford) team. They had 15 hits. They were challenging us every inning. We held them off for as long as we could." Advertisement More: 'Another chapter to a great story': Moquin pitches Silver Lake softball into Div. 2 final That Braintree was even here was a victory of sorts as the Wamps had slumped badly late in the regular season, weighed down by injuries that claimed star pitcher Max DeRoche (Tommy John surgery) and Peter Brooks (hamstring tear). Brooks made it back in time for the playoffs and had a big night in the title game, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. More: 'Best feeling in the world': Norwell girls lacrosse captures Div. 4 title from Cohasset With DeRoche sidelined, Braintree went with a two-man pitching rotation down the stretch as senior right-hander Connor Grieve and sophomore lefty Luke Joyce swapped complete games back and forth. Joyce almost made it five CGs in five playoff rounds, but he eventually ran out of gas with one out in the seventh and gave way to Matt Rodgers. Advertisement "Luke made some pitches to get out of some serious jams," O'Connell said. "Luke pitched his butt off. He gave us everything he had on short rest." Braintree's Sean Canavan, center, cheers on Matt Rodgers during a game in the Division 1 state championship at Polar Park in Worcester on Friday, June 13, 2025. Braintree was resilient but just could not take enough advantage of its opportunities in the final. After Rodgers' RBI single in the sixth knotted the score at 2-2, the Wamps had a pair of golden chances to win the title in walk-off style as they got the leadoff runner on in both the seventh and eighth innings. Each time, Chelmsford starter Matt Stuart (bound for Div. 1 Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina) was up to the task, striking out Owen Donnelly (1-for-4, run) to end the seventh with runners on first and second and fanning Joyce to end the eighth with a runner on second. The Wamps went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of ninth, obviously deflated by Chelmsford's knockout blow in the top of the top of the frame. Advertisement "We just couldn't get the big hit," O'Connell lamented. "We had opportunities to score; we just couldn't get it done against a (future) Division 1 (college) pitcher. We battled all day." Braintree jumped out in front 1-0 as Grieve singled home Donnelly in the third, driving an 0-2 pitch the other way to short right field. Grieve was coming off a huge day in the semifinals, having gone 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs in an 8-3 win over King Philip at LeLacheur Park in Lowell earlier in the week. That had prompted O'Connell to dub him the MVP of the playoffs. Braintree's Peter Brooks, right, celebrates with Michael Ryan a game in the Division 1 state championship at Polar Park in Worcester on Friday, June 13, 2025. Chelmsford struck for two fluke runs in the fifth as Braintree let a two-out pop fly along the first-base line fall in as two runners scampered home. Undeterred, the Wamps tied it back up before eventually succumbing in the ninth as Chelmsford strung together four hits, two walks (one intentional), a hit batter and a sac fly to send 10 men to the plate, ending Braintree's dream of its first crown since winning back-to-back Super 8 titles in 2015 and 2016 with O'Connell in the dugout. Advertisement "This is my fourth state championship (appearance)," said O'Connell, whose 2014 team lost in the Super 8 championship game. "Those other teams were loaded. I told the guys in the locker room today, 'I'm so proud of you guys because you're just a bunch of sandlot players. Just a bunch of guys who battle together.' The teams in the past had ridiculous talent. These guys just battled and it's amazing what they did this year." "We're not the most talented team," agreed senior first baseman Sean Canavan, who will play at UMass-Lowell, "but we had great chemistry and we just wanted it more." A talented senior class -- Grieve, Canavan, Donnelly, Rodgers, Cam Crook and Colin Kacey -- will be hard to replace, but the Wamps will bring back a slew of talent next spring to try again. "The future is very bright here," sophomore shortstop Michael Ryan said. "We'll be back next year." This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Braintree baseball falls to Chelmsford in MIAA state championship
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
See how South Shore high school teams fared in MIAA state championships this weekend
The past weekend was jam packed with high school state-championship action. There were 11 South Shore sports teams represented in the MIAA State Championships from Saturday to Sunday in softball, baseball, boys and girls lacrosse, and boys rugby. Advertisement Miss any of it? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's a recap of all the weekend's championship events featuring South Shore sports teams. BC High, Hanover rugby take home championships Hanover won the Div. 2 state championship going away, taking down Brookline in dominant fashion, 59-7 on Saturday. It was the program's second state title since winning the inaugural MIAA-sanctioned rugby title in 2017. BC High won it's fifth title, a state record, in a close 13-7 win over rival Xaverian in the Div. 1 championship, also on Saturday. More: With another state title, rugby took BC High senior Mikey Smith to places he never imagined Advertisement More: Hanover High boys rugby caps dominant season with state title Duxbury boys tennis beats Westborough in trilogy No. 4 Duxbury swept No. 7 Westborough in the third consecutive meeting between the teams in the Div. 2 state championship on Sunday. More: 'They loved every minute': Led by singles star, Duxbury boys tennis claims D-2 state title Norwell girls lacrosse outlasts Cohasset Norwell edged Cohasset 9-8 Thursday, with the game-winner coming from senior Charlise Cox with 2:42 remaining. It was the program's first state title since 2018. More: 'Best feeling in the world': Norwell girls lacrosse captures Div. 4 title from Cohasset Norwell boys lacrosse cruises past Cohasset in Div. 4 title game The Clippers completed the sweep of the lacrosse state championships with the boys team win over Cohasset on Saturday. Matt Panttila scored 4 goals to help the Clippers claim a third state championship in four seasons, beating the Skippers, 11-6. Advertisement More: 'We rose to the occasion': Norwell boys lacrosse rallies past Cohasset to win state title Scituate boys lacrosse avenges 2024 state finals loss Scituate claimed its first state championship win since 2009 on Saturday with a 9-4 win over Falmouth. The Skippers avenged last season's loss to Medfield in the state final. More: Scituate boys lacrosse's long journey ends with a Div. 3 state title Silver Lake softball captures first Div. 2 title Lakers' all-time strikeouts and home run leader Delaney Moquin stared again in the final against No. 3 Bedford Saturday, hitting a first-inning two-run homer and striking out 12 to win, 4-0. Advertisement More: Silver Lake softball wins first ever Division 2 state championship BC High boys lacrosse falls short to St. John's Prep again The No. 1 Eagles fell in a heartbreaking 9-8 overtime loss in the Div. 1 state championship to No. 2 St. John's on Saturday. It was BC High's fifth consecutive loss to St. John's in the playoffs. More: Prep hex strikes again: BC High lacrosse falls to St. John's Prep in OT in Div. 1 final Braintree playoff run ends in title game loss to Chelmsford Braintree ripped off a run to the state final despite battling a plethora of injuries, but fell to Chelmsford 8-2 in the Div. 1 championship held on Friday. The game was tied into the ninth inning, but Chelmsford scored six consecutive runs in the top of the inning to seal the win. More: 'They took us on a journey': Braintree baseball proud of playoff run to state final This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore high school state championship recap
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With another state title, rugby took BC High senior Mikey Smith to places he never imagined
MILTON — When Mikey Smith first joined the BC High rugby team, his goal was to improve his skills for the football season. He had no idea where rugby would take him. Four years later, Smith now graduates as a two-time state champion. He'll continue to play the sport at United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, along with teammates Brennan and Braxton Blind. Advertisement 'I've got to go to South America and play,' said Smith. 'I've got to play with some incredible people, learn from incredible coaches. I'm so grateful for the game, it's opened so many doors for me.' On Saturday, June 14, at Curry College, Smith helped lead the Eagles past Xaverian, 13-7, in the Division 1 state championship. The Eagles own a state-record five titles since it became an MIAA sport in 2017. For Smith and rugby, it was not love at first sight. 'It didn't immediately click,' said Smith, who also became a Patriot Ledger Football All-Scholastic as a center and defensive end. 'I really only joined it to get better at football, I feel like that's a lot of people's start. I really didn't enjoy it until the first game. Then after the first game, that's when (I was like), 'Yeah, this is for me.'' Battling the conditions On Saturday, the Eagles battled through damp conditions and a tense few final minutes to hold off rival Xaverian to retain the state championship. BC High also defeated the Hawks in a 40-38 thriller for last year's state title and won a 36-35 contest on April 30 this season. Boston College High School's captain Mike Smith holds the trophy as he celebrates with teammates at the conclusion of their state championship game against Xaverian Brothers High School at Curry College on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Trailing 13-0, Xaverian finally broke through with two minutes remaining on a try from captain Luke Bell. A conversion kick from Benjamin Kramer cut the deficit to 13-7. Advertisement But the Eagles held on to raise the trophy. 'Whether we win by 1 point or 100, it doesn't matter, we've just got to find that one extra gear,' said BC High coach Paul Carty. 'The defense stepped up today, which was awesome.' The Eagles came in averaging nearly 57 points per game, including a 68-14 win over three-time defending Div. 2 champ Weymouth in the semifinals. Saturday's weather pushed the final in a more defensive direction. 'Maybe not the style we most want to play, but I think these guys would play in a volcano, a hurricane or a tornado,' said Carty. 'They love each other and they love playing.' Advertisement More: 'Dream come true': BC High rugby brothers follow in father's footsteps, commit to West Point More: FOLLOW LIVE: MIAA high school boys and girls rugby state championships BC High scored first when senior Charlie Thomison converted a penalty kick to put the Eagles up 3-0. 'He looks like a horse galloping through the field,' said Carty of Thomison. 'He doesn't swerve or cut. He just goes. He's become a lot more of a leader this year.' 'It feels better than the first time,' said Thomison of repeating as state champions. Freshman Cillian O'Callaghan pushed the Eagles' lead to 8-0 on a try with 21 minutes remaining in the first half. Max Ford tacked on a try in the second half to push the lead to 13-0. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: BC High defeats Xaverian in MIAA Division 1 rugby state championship
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
St. John's Prep emerges from epic OT battle with BC High with fifth straight Division 1 boys' lacrosse title
Related : Advertisement BC High (19-4) took a 3-0 lead through four minutes, but Prep (22-1) shut down a prolific offense over the next 26 minutes, 31 seconds, with Ryan McCarthy, Madden McGowan, Bo Minogue, Josh Haarmann, and Mac Crawford scoring during a 6-0 response in the second quarter. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Our offense is super balanced and our defense is super deep,' said Prep senior captain Sam Wilmot. 'I just love this team so much because we do it together. We really embody what team means.' St Johns Prep's Cam McCarthy (9) celebrates the Division 1 championship with a kiss. Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo Junior goalie Mattheus Du Plessis produced 16 saves behind stellar play from Wilmot, Jack Weissenburger, and Nick Schibli, but Prep's offense stalled down the stretch, as top-seeded BC High clawed back with a pair of dramatic goals from Murphy Belvin and Nick Emsing (3 goals) in the final minute to force overtime. Advertisement After All-American FOGO Will Crawford won the opening draw, and McGowan and McCarthy had their shots denied by BC High goalie TJ Emsing (13 saves), Kelly was able to seal the deal. 'It's always dogfights with [BC High],' said Kelly, whose Prep team won a 7-6 overtime battle in the regular season. 'It's just a battle of attrition, who is going to grind it out, and I think that showed today.' St Johns Prep's Charlie Angell hoists the trophy. Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo Both Kelly and Wilmot had older brothers star for Prep during a dynastic run that now includes 53 straight wins against in-state competition. Both seniors and Pynchon credited members of the 2020 and 2021 classes for setting the foundation that allows the program to dominate annually. Like Kelly's brother, Mike, and Sam Wilmot's brother, Charlie, both graduated in 2021, winning title as seniors 'From day one, this is our goal,' said Wilmot, who is committed to Richmond. 'Obviously we take it one step at a time, but we try to max out the days every year. We remember how good this feels and that's why we work all year for it.' BC High and St. John's Prep couldn't have been closer this season, twice going to overtime. Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo BC High midfielder Charlie Clair takes a shot on St. John's Prep goalie Mattheus Du Plessis. Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo St. John's Prep teammates Luke Kelly (25) and Owen White (15) enjoyed the title at Mass. Maritime. Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo Nate Weitzer can be reached at
