After much anticipation, debate, and discussion, the 2021 MIAA statewide football tournament pairings were released Monday afternoon, utilizing a new power ranking system Power Rankings to seed 16 teams in all eight divisions.
The 128-team field, 40 less than when the MIAA playoffs were last held in 2019, will kick off with first-round games on Friday night.
The MIAA state finals are scheduled for Dec. 1, 2, and 6 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
DIVISION 1
Seeds: 1. Franklin (8-0); 2. Central Catholic (7-1); 3. St. John’s Prep (6-2); 4. Xaverian (6-2); 5. Springfield Central (6-1); 6. Wachusett (7-1); 7. St. John’s (Shrewsbury) (4-4); 8. Methuen (6-2); 9. Everett (7-0); 10. Taunton (4-4); 11. Andover (5-3); 12. Lawrence (4-4); 13. Brockton (3-5); 14. Shrewsbury (4-4); 15. Weymouth (5-3); 16. Braintree (4-4).
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Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Lawrence at Springfield Central, 6; Shrewsbury at St. John’s Prep, 6; Andover at Wachusett Regional, 7; Braintree at Franklin, 7; Brockton at Xaverian, 7; Everett at Methuen, 7; Taunton at St. John’s, Shrewsbury, 7; Weymouth vs. Central Catholic at Veterans Stadium, Lawrence, 7.
DIVISION 2
Seeds: 1. Catholic Memorial (7-0); 2. Milford (6-2); 3. King Philip (6-1); 4. Marshfield (7-1); 5. Lincoln-Sudbury (7-0); 6. Mansfield (5-3); 7. Natick (7-1); 8. Bishop Feehan (7-1); 9. Reading (8-0); 10. North Andover (3-5); 11. Barnstable (6-2); 12. Wellesley (6-2); 13. Beverly (4-4); 14. Chelmsford (6-2); 15. Hingham (5-3); 16. Woburn (6-1).
Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
North Andover at Natick, 6; Reading at Bishop Feehan, 6; Barnstable at Mansfield, 6:30; Woburn at Catholic Memorial, 6:30; Beverly at Marshfield, 7; Chelmsford at King Philip, 7; Hingham at Milford, 7; Wellesley at Lincoln-Sudbury, 7.
DIVISION 3
Seeds: 1. Marblehead (7-0); 2. Billerica (7-1); 3. North Attleborough (4-3); 4. Plymouth South (6-2); 5. Westfield (6-1); 6. Milton (6-2); 7. Hanover (6-2); 8. Masconomet (6-2); 9. Walpole (5-3); 10. Minnechaug (5-3); 11. Dartmouth (6-2); 12. Fitchburg (5-2); 13. Stoughton (3-5); 14. Plymouth North (5-3); 15. West Springfield (5-3); 16. Norwood (6-2).
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Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Walpole at Masconomet, 6; Dartmouth at Milton, 6:30; Fitchburg at Westfield, 7; Minnechaug at Hanover, 7; Norwood at Marblehead, 7; Plymouth North at North Attleborough, 7; Stoughton at Plymouth South, 7; West Springfield at Billerica, 7.
DIVISION 4
Seeds: 1. Scituate (7-1); 2. Duxbury (6-1); 3. Foxborough (7-1); 4. Grafton (8-0); 5. Tewksbury (6-2); 6. Middleborough (6-2); 7. Danvers (3-5); 8. Ashland (8-0); 9. Northampton (6-2); 10. Wayland (4-4); 11. Wilmington (5-3); 12. Bedford (7-1); 13. Marlborough (5-3); 14. Newburyport (4-4); 15. Worcester South (6-2); 16. East Longmeadow (4-4).
Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Bedford at Tewksbury, 7; East Longmeadow at Scituate, 7; Marlborough at Grafton, 7; Newburyport at Foxborough, 7; Northampton at Ashland, 7; Wayland at Danvers, 7; Wilmington at Middleborough, 7; Worcester South at Duxbury, 7.
DIVISION 5
Seeds: 1. North Reading (7-1); 2. Swampscott (8-0); 3. Bishop Fenwick (6-2); 4. Pentucket (6-2); 5. Old Rochester (5-2); 6. Austin Prep (4-4); 7. Dover-Sherborn (7-1); 8. Pittsfield (6-1); 9. Norton (6-1); 10. Watertown (5-3); 11. Hudson (7-1); 12. Northeast (6-2); 13. Triton (3-4); 14. Maynard/Advanced Math and Science (6-2); 15. Apponequet (3-4); 16. Fairhaven (6-2).
Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Fairhaven at North Reading, 6; Norton at Pittsfield, 6; Apponequet at Swampscott, 7; Maynard/Advanced Math and Science at Bishop Fenwick, 7; Northeast at Old Rochester, 7; Watertown at Dover Sherborn High, Dover, 7.
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Sat., Nov. 6 — First round
Triton vs. Pentucket at Haverhill Stadium, 12; Hudson at Austin Prep, 1:30.
DIVISION 6
Seeds: 1. Stoneham (8-0); 2. Abington (7-1); 3. St. Mary’s (7-1); 4. Rockland (6-1); 5. Winthrop (4-4); 6. Medway (5-3); 7. Norwell (4-4); 8. Blackstone Valley (4-2); 9. Oakmont (5-3); 10. Sandwich (4-2); 11. Bellingham (4-4); 12. South Hadley (4-4); 13. Easthampton (7-1); 14. Boston English (4-2); 15. St. Paul (4-3); 16. Seekonk (3-4).
Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Medway at Bellingham at 6; Boston English vs. St. Mary’s at Manning Field, 6; Easthampton at Rockland, 6; Sandwich at Norwell, 6; Seekonk at Stoneham, 6:30; St. Paul at Abington, 7; South Hadley at Winthrop, Winthrop, 7.
Sat., Nov. 6 — First round
Oakmont at Blackstone Valley Tech, Upton, 1.
DIVISION 7
Seeds: 1. Wahconah (8-0); 2. Amesbury (6-1); 3. Hamilton-Wenham (6-2); 4. Northbridge (7-1); 5. West Boylston (7-1); 6. Cohasset (5-2); 7. Mashpee (6-2); 8. Clinton (4-3); 9. Latin Academy (6-1); 10. Nantucket (4-2); 11. Blue Hills (7-1); 12. St. Bernard’s (4-3); 13. Greenfield (6-2); 14. Leicester (4-4); 15. East Boston (6-1); 16. Lunenburg (5-3).
Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Nantucket at Cohasset, 6; East Boston at Amesbury, 7; Greenfield at Northbridge, 7; Latin Academy at Clinton, 7; Lunenburg at Wahconah 7; St. Bernard’s at West Boylston, 7.
Sun., Nov. 7 — First round
Leicester at Hamilton-Wenham, 2.
TBA — First round
Blue Hills at Mashpee, TBA.
Division 8
Seeds: 1. Hoosac Valley (7-1); 2. Ware (8-0); 3. Palmer (7-1); 4. Hull (6-2); 5. Manchester Essex (7-0); 6. Quaboag (8-0); 7. Lee (5-3); 8. Lowell Catholic (5-3); 9. Narragansett (7-0); 10. Randolph (4-4); 11. Oxford (6-2); 12. KIPP Academy (7-1); 13. Millis (3-5); 14. Brighton (4-3); 15. Old Colony (5-2); 16. Lynn Tech (3-4).
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Fri., Nov. 5 — First round
Millis at Hull, 6; Brighton at Palmer, 7; KIPP Academy at Manchester Essex, 7; Lynn Tech at Hoosac Valley, 7; Narragansett vs. Lowell Catholic at Chelmsford High, 7; Old Colony at Ware, 7; Oxford at Quaboag Regional, 7; Randolph at Lee, 7.
For updated scores and highlights, go to bostonglobe.com/schools.