Entering the season, John Pynchon wasn’t exactly too sure what to make of his group.
Sure, St. John’s Prep was coming off back-to-back Div. 1 boys lacrosse championships, and he knew there was potential. But the Eagles had lost so many key pieces he worried if a three-peat was truly possible.
Turns out it was. St. John’s Prep (22-1) is now officially in the midst of a dynasty, having knocked off BC High to win the crown again.
The latest title bout between the two Catholic Conference foes proved to be the most epic, as Johns Hopkins commit Jimmy Ayers (five goals, assist) and junior star Jake Vana (four goals, two assists) combined to rally the Eagles from a four-goal fourth quarter deficit to an unforgettable 16-14 victory. In doing so, St. John’s Prep avenged its lone MIAA loss of the season, and added another piece of hardware to the trophy case.
Most pundits were saying that if there ever was a year for Reading to win the Div. 2 title, it was this one. The Rockets (22-1) delivered on their expectations, as the trio of Cullen, Finn and Robbie Granara took the state by storm. They lost just one game all season, falling to the Div. 1 runner-up in BC High in April.
After knocking off the reigning state champion with a 10-8 win over Longmeadow in the Final Four, Reading coasted by Duxbury during a 9-4 victory in the title game. It was the first championship for the program since 2018. Despite missing one of their leading scorers in Ethan Haggerty (broken wrist), Robbie Granara stood up in his place, scoring a pair of goals to cap his stellar high school career.
Few Div. 3 programs were able to handle Norwell in 2023. The Clippers dropped only three games all year, two of which came against Div. 1 powerhouses (Lincoln-Sudbury, Xaverian) and the third against the Div. 4 champion, Cohasset. Then, Austin Shea, John Mullen and their classmates embarked on one of the most dominant runs in recent tournament history, outscoring opponents at a 78-22 clip. Then, top-ranked Norwell knocked off an upstart program in seventh-seeded Falmouth, 10-4, in the championship to cap an epic year.
Cohasset (20-2) captured the Div. 4 title with an 8-4 victory over a perennial championship contender in second-seeded Sandwich. It was the school’s first lacrosse crown since 2018, when the Skippers ruled the Div. 3 ranks under the old MIAA playoff system.
There has been plenty of debate as to whether or not the MIAA should install a Super Eight field for all sports, but you’d have to believe that one should almost certainly be considered for lacrosse. At least now, given the switch to a statewide tournament. Since the move, the Catholic Conference has dominated the Div. 1 ranks with two schools consistently battling it out for the crown. Compare that with the decade prior to the pandemic, when a public school won seven of 10 possible championships at that level, with Lincoln-Sudbury enjoying a sustained run of success. Could a Super Eight quell the scenarios where we see the “chalk” teams cruise to titles? It’s entirely possible, if not probable. The statewide tournament might present the best championship matchups, but the road there, particularly in this sport, can sometimes be considered a cruise for the premier programs.
This year, the state decided to look into selecting championship locations conducive to where the participating schools themselves were situated, rather than just picking dates at specific colleges scattered around the Commonwealth. The move was met with a mixed response, with the girls playing their title games at Babson College. Meanwhile, the boys played their finals at Burlington High School. While the choice may have seemed unorthodox to some, the local venue proved to be a great host spot, and the title games all went off without a hitch for the most part. While a return to using colleges in Eastern Mass. might be preferred for some fans, the choice to pick neutral stadiums based on where the schools are is definitely a policy the MIAA should look at keeping in-place. Convenience is key, and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense for two teams from the North or South Shore to make the pilgrimage to Worcester for a showdown.
It appears that lacrosse diehards have officially adjusted to the new statewide lacrosse power ranking system. There was plenty of confusion as everyone became acquainted with how the ratings were determined, and where their school truly belonged. Ultimately, the cream rose to the top in 2023, with the top-rated programs having the most success. While minor tweaks will continue to be made with the system itself, it looks like the state has found a winning format for the foreseeable future.
Liam Appleton, Cohasset
Joe Bartolotta, Medfield
Charlie Booras, Norwell
Tim Collins, Medfield
Fisher Gadbois, Essex Tech
Michael Garrity, Hingham
Aidan Gibbons, Billerica
Cullen Granara, Reading
Henry Hasselbeck, Xaverian
Nate Hoffman, Hingham
Declan Lee, Cohasset
Cam McCarthy, St. John’s Prep
Shane McDonnell, BC High
Cam McKenna, Hingham
Will Morse, Norwell
Avery Richardson, Sandwich
Oliver Rice, Norwell
Willy Robinson, Scituate
Cole Rodgers, Sandwich
Braeden Sutton, Medfield
Kameron Tremblay, Billerica
Jake Vana, St. John’s Prep