The last tournament preview and prediction is here and it is the most anticipated, the Super 8! Let’s see how this one could play out:

Favorites:

BC High: Not much has to be said about the Eagles to make them a favorite in this tournament. They have made the Super 8 24 out of their last 25 seasons and have won the tournament in back-to-back seasons. They finished second in the Catholic Conference and are 5-3-3 against the rest of the Super 8 this season.

Arlington: It has been five straight Super 8 appearances for Arlington as they enter as the top seed in the tournament. They are the first public school to be the top seed in the Super 8 since Winchester in 2001, who was also coached by John Messuri. Arlington last won the Super 8 back in 2017 with their overtime win over Central Catholic. Their only loss of the season is an early season loss to Pope Francis.

Pope Francis: Well, at some point Pope Francis needs to capture this Super 8 title, right? They lost the past two seasons in the championship against BC High, with last years loss being in the fourth overtime. They are 3-3-1 against teams in this years Super 8 and enter not having lost a game since February 1st.

Sleepers:

Burlington: Burlington barely squeaked past Hingham in the Super 8 play-in game this past Sunday. They last appeared in the Super 8 in 2018, when they lost to Pope Francis. They won the division 1 championship back in 2013. Drawing BC High in the first round is tough, but remember this is a 2-loss elimination tournament.

Xaverian: Xaverian has one of the most talented rosters in the state. Entering the season, they were a big favorite for this year’s Super 8. They might not have the 1 seed, but they are in and very alive in the tournament. Last year, they made a splash in the Super 8 by advancing all the way to the semi-finals, where they lost to BC High. Matt Ryan leads the way for them with 34 points.

Best First Round Matchup:

#4 St. John’s Prep vs #5 Xaverian: These teams met twice this year and St. John’s won both games in decisive fashion. If it was not for these two losses, Xaverian could be the top seed in the Super 8. Both teams enter with strong records. St. John’s is 4-3-3 against Super 8 teams and Xaverian is 2-4-2. These Catholic Conference rivals should have an awesome game in store for everyone.

My Bracket Prediction:

WINNER’S BRACKET:

FIRST ROUND:
#1 Arlington over #8 Framingham
#4 St. John’s Prep over #5 Xaverian
#2 BC High over #7 Burlington
#3 Pope Francis over #6 Catholic Memorial

QUARTER-FINALS
#1 Arlington over #4 St. John’s Prep
#2 BC High over #3 Pope Francis

SEMI-FINALS
#2 BC High over #1 Arlington

1-LOSS BRACKET:

PRELIMINARY
#5 Xaverian over #8 Framingham
#7 Burlington over #6 Catholic Memorial

FIRST ROUND
#3 Pope Francis over #5 Xaverian
#4 St. John’s Prep over #7 Burlington

QUARTERFINAL
#3 Pope Francis over #4 St. John’s Prep

SEMI-FINAL
#3 Pope Francis over #1 Arlington

OVERALL CHAMPIOSNHIP:
#2 BC High over #3 Pope Francis