The season is in full swing as the Christmas tournaments are wrapped up and teams are starting to show how good they really are. Teams such as BC High, Austin Prep, and Xaverian have all won their Christmas tournaments solidifying them as true contenders. Lets see where everyone sits as we ring in 2019:
1. BC High: Coming off a huge win against #4 Pope Francis, the Eagles were crowned champions of the Pete Frates Winter Classic. There is no doubt as of right now that the Eagles are the best team in the state, but a they face another big test against #3 Xaverian.
2. Austin Prep: Moving up seven spots from last week are the Cougars. They are coming off an impressive showing Christie Serino tournament as they knocked off #7 St. Marys Lynn and # 5 Hingham. Still undefeated on the year, Austin Prep now looks forward to a matchup with Central Catholic.
3. Xaverian: The Hawks are champions of the MHL Cup and did it in impressive fashion knocking off St. Johns (S) in the first round and then defeating #9 Marshfield in a 2-1 game in the championship. Xaverian looks like serious contenders this year, but that will be tested with a matchup with #1 BC High on Wednesday.
4. Pope Francis: The Cardinals move one spot down in the rankings this week after a tough 5-4 loss to #1 BC High in the championship game of the Pete Frates Winter Classic. The Cardinals have had an extremely difficult schedule so far, but face off against # 18 Arlington this Thursday as they look to get back in the win column.
5. Hingham: The Harbormen had a shocking 4-0 loss at the hands of #2 Austin Prep in the Christie Serino championship game. Hingham looks to get a big win over # 9 Marshfield in their contest on New Years Eve, which will be a game between two of the best public schools in the state.
6. St. John’s Prep: I mentioned last week how the Pete Frates tournament could be big for the Eagles and it was with a tie against #1 BC High (lost in overtime). They leave the Christmas tournament with two ties and move forward to play Reading in their next contest.
7. St. Marys Lynn: Finishing third in the Christie Serino tournament was not the best case scenario for the Spartans, but they will take it. They were knocked off in the first round against #2 Austin Prep, but then followed it up with a win over Malden Catholic. They face off against Arlington Catholic in their next contest.
8. Archbishop Williams: Still undefeated are the Bishops as they sit with two wins and two ties. With a tie to #10 Falmouth and a win over Westford Academy in the Ray Kenney tournament, the Bishops move forward to play St. Peter Marian in their next contest.
9. Marshfield: Finishing second in the MHL Cup was a tough pill to swallow after the Rams fell to the #3 Xaverian Hawks in a one goal championship game. They leave the tournament with zero wins, one loss, and one tie (shootout win over #11 Framingham). A matchup with #5 Hingham has potential to catapult Marshfield’s season forward as they play on New Years Eve.
10. Falmouth: Flying under the radar so far are the Clippers as they sit with only one loss on the year. They have wins over Wellesley, Coyle & Cassidy, and a tie against #8 Archbishop Williams. They square off against a good Bridgewater-Raynham team on New Years Eve in their next game.
11. Framingham: Finishing in third place in the MHL Cup left the Flyers with one win and one tie in the tournament, a very good showing. They defeated St. Johns (S) in the consolation game giving them momentum leading up to their next game against Wellesley on January 2nd.
12. Winchester: The Sachems are rolling so far coming off big wins against #15 Needham and Lincoln-Sudbury. Their next game is against a good Reading team as Winchester looks to keep their one loss season going.
13. Melrose: New to the rankings are Melrose as they still sit undefeated on the season. Their only blemish is a tie to #18 Arlington. They are off for a few days as their next contest is January 5th against Stoneham.
14. Duxbury: The Dragons are also new to the rankings as they are coming off an Island Creek Oyster Cup championship. They defeated Braintree and Natick on their way to lifting the Oyster Cup. They look forward to a January 7th matchup with #5 Hingham that will be a huge test for Duxbury.
15. Needham: The Rockets remained in the same spot in the rankings this week. They suffered a tough loss to #12 Winchester but bounced back with a win over #20 Newburyport. They face off against #16 Catholic Memorial in their next game.
16. Catholic Memorial: The Knights hosted their own Christmas tournament this break that they won outright with victories over Bishop Feehan and Xavier (CT). They needed these victories to get back on track and look to keep it going versus #15 Needham.
17. Barnstable: The Red Raiders are coming off of wins over Burlington and Milton to put them at 3 wins and 2 losses on the season. Their next matchup is against Coyle & Cassidy, a team that tied #9 Marshfield earlier in the season.
18. Arlington: Sitting on their win over Reading on December 22nd are the Spy Ponders. They did not participate in any Christmas break tournaments as they have had a lot of time to prepare for their next matchup that is against #4 Pope Francis.
19. Mansfield: A shocking loss to Shrewsbury was a big setback for Mansfield. They were all the way up at #5 in the last edition of the rankings. They still sit at a very impressive six wins and only one loss on the year. It is now time to rack up more consecutive wins for the Hornets as they have their eyes set on a January 5th matchup with Canton.
20. Newburyport: Down seven spots are the Clippers as they are coming off of a loss to #15 Needham. With four wins and only that one loss, Newburyports next game is against #7 St. Marys Lynn.
Best of the rest: Braintree, St. John’s (S), Billerica, Waltham, Reading.