MIAA Football Playoffs: 128 Teams Lock In Brackets for Gillette Stadium Run
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released Division 1 through 8 seeds, setting home-field advantages for the Round of 16 and 8.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
The 128-team bracket for the MIAA football tournament is set, with the path to Gillette Stadium now defined for the eight Super Bowls scheduled for December 3 through 5. The release of the Division 1 through 8 seeds establishes the home-site advantages for the Round of 16 and Round of 8, where higher seeds host lower seeds.
Incumbent champions hold the top spots in four divisions. St. John’s Prep (8-0) leads Division 1, while Catholic Memorial (6-2) tops Division 2. In Division 4, two-time defending champion Scituate (8-0) holds the No. 1 seed. Shawsheen (7-0) heads Division 5, aiming for a third consecutive title as the top seed.
Division 3 features a stacked field with Mansfield (7-1) receiving the top seed. Division 6 offers multiple viable paths to the championship, with top-seeded Norwell (7-1), No. 2 Hudson (8-0), No. 3 Fairhaven (8-0), and No. 6 Fairhaven (8-0) all listed as favorites. The source notes that all three Fairhaven and Hudson teams have appeared at Gillette Stadium in the past two years.
Division 7 presents a tight race at the top. Cohasset (5-2) is the defending champion and holds the No. 1 seed. However, undefeated Tyngsborough (7-0) and St. Bernard’s (8-0) have claimed the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively, positioning themselves as strong contenders.
In Division 8, the dynamic has shifted from last year’s dominance by West Boylston. Randolph (6-2), which ended West Boylston’s run with its second Super Bowl title last fall, enters this season with the No. 2 seed. West Boylston (4-4) is now seeded ninth. Undefeated Lee (8-0) holds the top seed, while Nashoba Valley Tech (6-1), Lynn Tech (6-1), and Cape Cod Tech (7-0) are noted as key contenders.
The first round games will begin on November 5 and 6, with many matchups still to be scheduled. St. John’s (Shrewsbury) plays Brockton on Thursday, November 5, at 6 p.m., and Central Catholic hosts Everett on Friday, November 6, at 6 p.m. Other confirmed early games include Leominster hosting Haverhill on Friday at 7 p.m., Peabody hosting Lincoln-Sudbury on Friday at 7 p.m., and Westford hosting Quincy on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
All 128 teams are now accounted for in the bracket. The higher seeds will host the Round of 16 and Round of 8 at their home sites. The specific dates and times for the remaining games are to be announced by the MIAA.
