MIAA Playoffs Set After Final Games

The final regular season games for Massachusetts high school football concluded on Saturday. The official playoff brackets were released on Sunday afternoon. This development determines which teams will compete in the postseason and which will move to consolation matches.

In Division 1, Central Catholic defeated Haverhill 43-36. Cody Arsenault carried the ball seven times for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff for a score and intercepted a pass. Caden Smith threw for 128 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for two more scores.

St. John’s Prep beat Catholic Memorial 42-35 in another Division 1 contest. Maxwell Parent rushed for 235 yards on 25 carries and scored twice. Chris Vargas threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Franklin defeated Taunton 21-12 with Owen Essam scoring three total touchdowns.

Newton North won its Division 1 match against Braintree 34-29. Domenic Busa rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns in that game. Durfee defeated Brockton 21-7. Matt Sherry passed for 81 yards and two touchdowns while Ahli Cantave rushed for 127 yards and a score.

Division 2 saw Westford Academy defeat Newton South 47-12. Cam Croom rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown, while Brett Moran scored four total times. Waltham beat Boston Latin 50-21 with Jake Racine rushing for four touchdowns. Winchester defeated Belmont 35-0, and Billerica won over Methuen 48-35.

In Division 3, Milton defeated Weymouth 27-20. Jayden Dubois rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns in that contest. Mansfield beat King Philip 14-7, and Marshfield defeated Whitman-Hanson 39-20. Masconomet won over Marblehead 28-20 with Cruz Zizza throwing for 302 yards.

Divisions 4 through 8 produced several dominant performances. Scituate defeated Hanover 49-7 in Division 4, with Grayson Foley rushing for 200 yards and five touchdowns. Northeast won against Greater Lowell 50-24 in Division 5. Bellingham beat Medway 21-6 in Division 6, and South Shore Voke defeated Upper Cape Tech 45-8 in Division 7.

Prep school teams also played Saturday as they seek NEPSAC bowl spots. St. Mark’s defeated Thayer Academy 41-35. Jack Cullinan passed for 266 yards and four touchdowns in that game. Middlesex beat Roxbury Latin 35-21, and Dexter Southfield defeated Avon Old Farms 14-0.