Eastern Mass. high school football teams in Divisions 1-8 will find out who they’ll be playing in the postseason as the annual MIAA football tournament seeding meeting gets underway from the MIAA headquarters in Franklin. The Globe has correspondents Jake Levin and Dan Shulman reporting live from the meeting. The top eight EMass teams in each division’s section qualify for the tournament, which begins with quarterfinal games on Friday, Nov. 1. and Saturday, Nov. 2. View the official brackets here.
Trio of unbeatens
In Division 6 South, three teams went undefeated during the regular season — Cardinal Spellman (6-0), Rockland (7-0), and Ashland (7-0). Spellman earned the top seed with a 21.50 rating and will host No. 8 Norwell. Rockland narrowly missed the top seed, as the Bulldogs had a 20.57 rating and received the No. 2 seed. They’ll host No. 7 Greater New Bedford. Third-seeded Ashland (19.86) will host No. 6 East Bridgewater. Thirteen total teams across all 16 EMass sections enter the postseason undefeated.
Division 6 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Cardinal Spellman (6-0, 21.50)
2. Rockland (7-0, 20.57)
3. Ashland (7-0, 19.86)
4. Old Rochester (6-1, 19.43)
5. Apponequet (5-2, 16.06)
6. East Bridgewater (4-3, 13.60)
7. Greater New Bedford (4-3, 13.57)
8. Norwell (4-3, 13.14)@GlobeSchools
Title defense begins
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All four EMass teams that won a state championship in 2018 are back in the postseason. Division 1 champion St. John’s Prep earned the No. 2 seed in D1 North and will host No. 7 Lowell. In Division 2, defending champ North Andover (4-3) is the No. 4 seed and hosts No. 5 Westford. Scituate, the defending Division 5 champion, went 4-3 and has the No. 8 seed in the South. The Sailors will play top-seeded Canton (7-0). Stoneham, last season’s Division 6 champion, went undefeated in 2018, but 5-2 this season. The Spartans are the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Austin Prep in the North quarterfinals.
MIAA Football Tournament Storylines (1)
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
*D1 - CM and SJP on collision course again; CM could face BC High in 2nd rd.
*D7N - Manchester-Essex gets the one-seed after a tough go over the past few years.
*D4S - Norwood gets a No. 4 seed and a home playoff game!@GlobeSchools
MIAA Football Tournament Storylines (2)
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
*D6S - 3 unbeaten teams top the bracket
*D5S - Canton/Scituate 2018 Sec. Final rematch in 1st round
*D4N - 2 unbeatens top that bracket
*Brackets with all winning records: D5S, D6S, D8S, D7N@GlobeSchools
Narrow margin
In Division 4 North, both Melrose and Revere went 7-0. Melrose earned the top seed as the Red Raiders’ rating was 0.43 points higher than Revere’s, 19.00-18.57. Melrose will host No. 8 Burlington (3-4) and the No. 2 Patriots get No. 7 Dracut (3-4).
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Losing ground
A total of 35 of the 128 EMass playoff teams got into the postseason with a losing record. That’s 27.3 percent of the total qualified teams, and an increase from 24 playoff teams with a losing record a year ago. Five teams with winning records didn’t get in, four of which are in Divsion 6 South.
Full pairings
Division 1 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Catholic Memorial (7-0, 21.57)
2. Franklin (5-2, 15.71)
3. Brockton (4-3, 14.74)
4. BC High (4-3, 14.31)
5. Framingham (3-4, 10.91)
6. Newton North (3-4, 10.80)
7. Attleboro (3-4, 9.29)
8. Needham (2-5, 8.11)
Division 2 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Natick (7-0, 19.71)
2. Mansfield (6-1, 19.57)
3. King Philip (6-1, 17.57)
4. Wellesley (6-1, 17.14)
5. New Bedford (6-1, 15.97)
6. Barnstable (5-2, 14.71)
7. Marshfield (5-2, 13.83)
8. Bridgewater-Raynham (3-4, 11.34)@GlobeSchools
Division 3 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Hingham (6-1, 16.43)
2. Duxbury (5-2, 16.06)
3. Stoughton (6-1, 15.29)
4. Walpole (3-4, 10.57)
5. Milford (3-4, 10.00)
6. Whitman-Hanson (2-5, 9.74)
7. Plymouth North (3-4, 8.71)
8. Bishop Feehan (2-5, 7.74)@GlobeSchools
Division 4 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Milton (7-0, 19.00)
2. Plymouth South (6-1, 15.54)
3. Nauset (5-2, 12.86)
4. Norwood (3-4, 11.23)
5. Silver Lake (3-3, 11.10)
6. Dighton-Rehoboth (2-5, 9.43)
7. Hopkinton (2-5, 9.17)
8. Westwood (2-5, 8.57)@GlobeSchools
Division 5 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Canton (7-0, 19.57)
2. Holliston (6-1, 18.71)
3. Somerset-Berkley (5-2, 14.63)
4. Foxborough (4-3, 13.91
5. Norton (5-2, 13.86)
6. Hanover (5-2, 13.74)
7. Medfield (4-3, 13.37)
8. Scituate (12.89) @GlobeSchools
Division 6 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Cardinal Spellman (6-0, 21.50)
2. Rockland (7-0, 20.57)
3. Ashland (7-0, 19.86)
4. Old Rochester (6-1, 19.43)
5. Apponequet (5-2, 16.06)
6. East Bridgewater (4-3, 13.60)
7. Greater New Bedford (4-3, 13.57)
8. Norwell (4-3, 13.14)@GlobeSchools
*Correction:
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Cohasset (5-2, 16.91)
2. Abington (5-2, 15.94),
3. Case (6-1, 15.54),
4. Mashpee (4-2, 14.33)
5. Nantucket (4-3, 12.63),
6. Seekonk (4-3, 11.74),
7. Southeastern (3-4, 9.54)
8. Bellingham (2-5, 9.06)@GlobeSchools https://t.co/ByZj58t8ZM
Division 8 South
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. West Bridgewater (7-0, 16.71)
2. Old Colony (6-1, 16.29)
3. South Shore Voc-Tech (4-3, 14.43)
4. Tri-County (5-2, 14.34)
5. Randolph (4-3, 12.89)
6. Blue Hills (4-3, 11.71)
7. Upper Cape (4-3, 11.23)
8. Hull (4-3, 10.57)@GlobeSchools
Division 1 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Central Catholic (6-1, 19.74)
2. St. John’s Prep (6-1, 18.34)
3. Andover (5-2, 15.31)
4. Everett(6-1, 15.29)
5. Acton-Boxborough (5-2, 13.71), 6. Methuen (4-3, 12.37)
7. Lowell (3-4, 10.71)
8. Lexington (2-5, 8.14).@GlobeSchools
Division 2 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Reading (6-1, 18.00)
2. Lincoln-Sudbury (5-2, 16.86)
3. Masconomet (5-2, 13.71)
4. North Andover (4-3, 13.31)
5. Westford (3-4, 8.74)
6. Newton South (3-4, 8.71)
7. Waltham (3-4, 8.51)
8. Chelmsford (2-5, 7.66).@GlobeSchools
Division 3 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Danvers (7-0, 22.57)
2. Tewksbury (6-1, 18.11)
3. Concord-Carlisle (7-0, 17.43)
4. Winchester (6-1, 15.74)
5. Lynn Classical (5-2, 12.43)
6. Beverly (4-3, 12.29)
7. Lynn English (5-2, 12.14)
8. Belmont (3-3, 11.03)@GlobeSchools
Division 4 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Melrose (7-0, 19.00)
2. Revere (7-0, 18.57)
3. Wayland (5-1, 16.90)
4. North Reading (6-1, 16.57)
5. Marblehead (5-2, 14.91)
6. Wakefield (4-3, 12.60)
7. Dracut (3-4, 11.23)
8. Burlington (3-4, 10.00)@GlobeSchools
Division 5 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Pentucket (6-1, 18.71)
2. Bedford (7-0, 16.14)
3. Lynnfield (6-1, 13.86)
4. Swampscott (5-2, 13.49)
5. Weston (4-3, 11.00)
6. Newburyport (2-5, 9.17)
7. Amesbury (2-5, 7.43)
8. Somerville (2-5, 7.40)@GlobeSchools
Division 6 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Shawsheen (6-0, 19.00)
2. Greater Lowell (6-1, 17.14)
3. Bishop Fenwick (6-1, 16.57)
4. Stoneham (5-2, 15.77)
5. Austin Prep (4-3, 11.57)
6. Ipswich (3-4, 10.89)
7. Whittier (4-3, 10.57)
8. Northeast (2-5, 10.37)@GlobeSchools
Division 7 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Manchester-Essex (5-1, 15.07)
2. Greater Lawrence (4-3, 14.80)
3. Lowell Catholic (6-1, 13.97)
4. Nashoba Tech (5-2, 13.57)
5. Latin Academy (5-2, 13.31)
6. O’Bryant (4-2, 11.50)
7. St. Mary’s (4-3, 11.20)
8. Georgetown (4-3, 11.17)@GlobeSchools
Division 8 North
— Dan Shulman (@DanielRShulman) October 27, 2019
1. Lynn Tech (5-2, 15.23)
2. TechBoston (5-2, 13.54)
3. KIPP Academy (5-2, 13.14)
4. Keefe Tech (3-4, 10.71)
5. Boston English (3-4, 9.23)
6. Charlestown (2-4, 6.77)
7. Roxbury Prep (1-6, 5.43)
8. Matignon (1-5, 5.17)@GlobeSchools
Brandon Chase can be reached at brandon.chase@globe.com. Correspondents Dan Shulman and Jake Levin contributed to this report.