BeantownHoops Blog

Boys Div. I - #1 Madison Park vs. #2 Central Catholic
Boys Div. II - Falmouth vs. Salem
Boys Div. III - #8 Wareham vs. Bedford
Boys Div. IV - #4 New Mission vs. Cathedral
The marquee game will be in the DI final with #1 and #2 squaring off against each other, but as a basketball fan you got to love Falmouth and Salem in DII.  Both teams were not favored to make it this far and now one of them is going to play for a state championship…..In the DIII final #8 Wareham is the favorite, but Bedford could give them all they can handle.  This might be the most entertaining game as both teams play a fast, uptempo style and like to shoot the three……#4 New Mission is an overwhelming favorite in DIV.  The Titans have two losses on the season, but could easily be undefeated.  If Cathedral can keep it within ten points going into the fourth they might have a chance, but they will have to play their best game all year…..Back to DI, the inside play will determine the winner in this one.  Jimmy Zenevitch and Carson Desrosiers lead Central, while Madison Park big man David Campbell leads a group of talented bigs for the Cardinals.  It will be the second match-up of #1 and #2 this season, previously Madison Park faced then #2 New Mission in the Boston City Final.
Girls Div. I - #2 Andover vs. Mansfield
Girls Div. II - #1 Oliver Ames vs. #10 Melrose
Girls Div. III - #4 Pentucket vs. #15 Archbishop Williams
Girls Div. IV - #16 Cohasset vs. Manchester-Essex
It seems that #2 Andover wins this one going away, but don’t think Mansfield can’t pull off the upset.  The Hornets must utilize Jess Eason down low on offense and they have to make someone other than Nicole Bourdreau and Natalie Gomez beat them…..The DII final will be a good one as #1 Oliver Ames looks to extend its win streak to 24 straight.  #10 Melrose has good size down low to match-up with Lauren Battista so guard play will be at a premium for both teams……Michigan-bound Val Driscoll will have to be on top of her game if #15 Archies wants to beat #4 Pentucket in the DIII final…..#16 Cohasset has been the class of DIV all year and should have no problem with upset-minded Manchester-Essex.

It’s not surprising that the Mansfield Girls have made it this far. Obviously they are talented, but playing in a tough Hockomock league has made them playoff ready. They will give Andover a good game on Tuesday…..Andover’s third win vs. Central Catholic this season……There are two reasons why Andover wins: Natalie Gomez and Nicole Boudreau. They are fierce competitors and will do whatever it takes for their team to win. Scary part is that Natalie is a junior and Nicole is a sophomore (Gomez 26 points and Boudreau 25, that’s 74% of their scoring in the win)……Always like to see players come through at the free-throw line in the final seconds. Good for Central’s Katie Zenevitch who had to make one free-throw with 1.9 seconds left to send it to overtime…..I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad thing, but Madison Park can just turn it on whenever they want. Did the same thing tonight, almost toying with Mansfield…..David Campbell of MP is just a great high school basketball player. He’s steady and does his job every time I have seen him play. A game high tonight with 29 points…..St. John’s Prep is already good, but watch out DI teams next season. SJP does not start one senior on its team…..I know that Carson Desrosiers is a DI player, but I’m not sure that Jimmy Zenevitch is not as valuable to Central’s success this season.  He has shown the ability to knock down jumpers and he does a real nice job of establishing post position…..Pat Connaughton of SJP keeps impressing each time I see him play, valiant effort tonight….. #1 Madison Park vs. #2 Central Catholic for the DI Emass Final on Monday.

Boys Division I North

Original prediction: Central Catholic over Lynn English

Fan poll: Central Catholic 75% St. John’s Prep 25 %

New prediction: Sticking with my original pick, Central Catholic by six, 60-54.  Final Score - Central Catholic 74 St. John’s Prep 62

Boys Division II North

Original prediction: Belmont over North Andover

Fan poll: Reading 67% Salem 33%

New prediction: Way off in this bracket as the favorites were upset early. I’ll take Salem in a close one, 52-51.  Final Score - Salem 62 Reading 53

Boys Division III North

Original prediction: Watertown over Wayland

Fan poll: Lynn Tech 51% Bedford 49%

New prediction: Once again, the upset bug took out my predicted winner. If Bedford hits their threes they are very tough to beat, I think they make them in this one, Bedford by four, 62-58.  Final Score - Bedford 73 Lynn Tech 67

Boys Division IV North

Original prediction: New Mission over Winthrop

Fan poll: New Mission 78% Winthrop 22%

New prediction: This one was easy to predict as both New Mission and Winthrop were the class of this bracket. I love Winthrop’s competiveness, but New Mission is just way too talented. New Mission by ten, 70-60.  Final Score - New Mission 70 Winthrop 38

Boys Division I South

Original prediction: Madison Park over Newton North

Fan poll: Madison Park 89% Mansfield 11%

New prediction: Madison Park is #1 for a reason. They have leadership at the point, quickness on the perimeter, and tremendous inside play. Mansfield was able to out quick Newton North, but now they face a team that is quicker, longer, and more athletic. Mansfield will play tough, but just not enough to keep up with MP. Madison Park 80 Mansfield 72  Final score - Madison Park 72 Mansfield 60

Boys Division II South

Original prediction: Scituate over Whitman-Hanson

Fan poll: Milton 83% Falmouth 17%

New prediction: It is going to be hard to go against the defending DII champs Milton in this one. They have the experience and have played outstanding in the playoffs thus far. Falmouth has surprised and should not be taken lightly, but Milton will prevail. Milton 53 Falmouth 48.  Final Score - Falmouth 51 Milton 50

Boys Division III South

Original prediction: Wareham over Cardinal Spellman

Fan poll: Wareham 57% Cardinal Spellman 43%

New prediction: Wareham has been destroying teams in their conference and their two losses on the year were to #5 St. John’s Prep (in which they couldn’t hold a 16 pt. second half lead) and to #13 East Boston without one of the best players playing. Spellman has also been up to the task this season with only one loss. This should be a good one, Wareham by seven, 77 to 70.  Final Score -Wareham 78 Cardinal Spellman 71

Boys Division IV South

Original prediction: Cathedral over Westport

Fan poll: Cathedral 76% Westport 24%

New prediction: Again, I can’t go against my original prediction right? Cathedral just has too much quickness in the backcourt for Westport. Cathedral by eight, 62-54.  Final Score - Cathedral 66 Westport 49

Girls Division I North

Original prediction: Andover over Central Catholic

Fan poll: Andover 58% Central Catholic 42%

New prediction: Looking at the two teams on paper, it would seem that Central is the better team. They have size and length to go along with quickness to easily match-up with Andover, but have lost twice this season to them. I don’t know if Central can get over the mental obstacle in this one, Andover by seven 61-54.  Final Score - Andover 69 Central 65

Girls Division II North

Original prediction: Melrose over Arlington Catholic

Fan poll: Melrose 50% Arlington Catholic 50%

New prediction: This is a pretty even match-up especially down low. Whichever team hits their three’s in this one will be the winner. Melrose in a squeaker, 60-59.  Final Score - Melrose 67 Arlington Catholic 54

Girls Division III North

Original prediction: Pentucket over Stoneham

Fan poll: Pentucket 65% Bishop Fenwick 35%

New prediction: Fenwick was not sharp in their win over Stoneham, but found a way. However, Pentucket is the class of Division III this season and should end up the season undefeated. Pentucket, but closer than most people think, 52-47.  Final Score - Pentucket 58 Bishop Fenwick 47

Girls Division IV North

Original prediction: New Mission over Pope John

Fan poll: Manchester-Essex 51% Fenway 49%

New prediction: Another upset bracket, as the favored Titans lost in the first round. Fenway has been criticized all season, especially outside the City, and I think it has been a motivator for them in the playoffs. Motivation continues in a hard fought game, Fenway 50 Manchester-Essex 47.  Final Score - Manchester-Essex 53 Fenway 36

Girls Division I South

Original prediction: New Bedford over Wellesley

Fan poll: Durfee 53% Mansfield 47%

New prediction: One team’s magical playoff run is going to have to end in this game as both teams have outplayed their higher ranked opponents. But these two teams are not Cinderella’s by no means as they both have been ranked at one time in the Beantwonhoops.com Top 25. The difference will be Mansfield’s Colleen Hooper whose slashing and outside shooting have been steady for the Hornets all season. Mansfield 54 Durfee 46.  Final Score - Mansfield 60 Durfee 50

Girls Division II South

Original prediction: Oliver Ames over Fontbonne

Fan poll: Oliver Ames 74% Fontbonne 26%

New prediction: Just like on the boys side, Oliver Ames is #1 for a reason. This will probably be their toughest challenge yet facing the #6 Ducks, but they just have too much talent. Oliver Ames by ten 60-50.  Final Score - Oliver Ames 55 Fontbonne 52

Girls Division III South

Original prediction: Archbishop Williams over Old Rochester

Fan poll: Archbishop Williams 74% Ashland 26%

New prediction: Archies has been rolling and there is no reason to believe they can’t continue that against Ashland. Sticking with the original prediction as always, Archies by nine, 61-52.  Final Score - Archbishop Williams 61 Ashland 47

Girls Division IV South

Original prediction: Cohasset over South Shore Christian

Fan poll: Cohasset 72% Nantucket 28%

New prediction: Cohasset just keeps winning. Twenty-three straight wins and make it twenty-four after this one. Cohasset rolls, 57-47.  Final Score - Cohasset 58 Nantucket 49

What a week so far of the state playoffs.  I was on hand for #11 Acton-Boxborough’s win over #12 Cambridge and #10 Mansfield’s win over #6 Newton North.  Both games were not exactly the most well played of games, but when there is so much on the line, with big crowds, media, etc. the final outcome is all that matters.  A-B has a tough test against #2 Central Catholic tonight and Mansfield will have to face either #1 Madison Park or #9 Brockton, both of whom can match-up with the speed and quickness of the Hornets……On the girls side, what a match-up in the D2 South Finals coming up.  #1 Oliver Ames will square off against #6 Fontbonne with both teams coming in with a record of 22-1…..Don’t forget about the Mansfield Girls, who after being ranked as high as #9 in the Beantownhoops polls this season, are on a nice playoff run in the DI South.  They will face #8 Wellesley tonight in the semis…..By now most of you have heard about the suspension of #3 Lynn English’sRyan Woumn for tonight’s game against #5 St. John’s Prep.  This is not good for L.E. as they face a solid SJP team.  Let’s see if they can win without their star point guard…..Speaking of the DI North, although A-B and SJP are the underdogs, these teams are here for a reason.  They are both well coached, have go to players inSam Longwell and Pat Connaughton, and have a toughness about them.  I won’t be surprised at all if both of these teams win tonight…..One of my disappointments this season was the lack of a student body at some of the games this season, but the playoffs have been a different story.  Great crowds at  the recent games and I even felt bad at the A-B/Cambridge game when I saw people outside of the gym trying to get a glimpse of the game because the game was sold out.  It’s so important for our sport and it has been wonderful to see……More big games this week as teams will be heading to the state championships after this weekend.  Be sure to get to a game and please get there early!

Well we’re under way and no major shake-ups as of yet.  All the ranked boys teams have won thus far and only one ranked girls team, Lynn English, has fallen……My first Division pick fell last night as South Boston defeated Watertown.  After coming off of their biggest win of the year over rival Belmont, the Red Raiders looked flat and Southie just played loose.  I’ve been down this road before as a coach and is frustrating when you’re supposed to win and don’t, but one thing is constant about high school basketball, if you give a teamconfidence in a game, that team plays better than what they showed all year and that is what happened last night with South Boston……What a thrill it was to cover the Weymouth vs. Xaverian game on Monday.  Both teams struggled last season and just to be in the playoffs, let alone win a playoff game,  was a big accomplishment.  It was fun basketball to watch, too bad one team had to lose…..It will be interesting to see if the Lynn English boys are affected by all the controversy surrounding the team coming into the playoffs.  They will either use it as a rallying point or let it distract them.  It doesn’t look like a distraction early as they defeated Malden in the first round……It looks like the Andover Girls and Central Catholic Girls are on a collision course for the DI North finals.  If they meet it would be the fourth meeting of the year, but this time, someone goes home…..A quick thought on Senior Nights.  I received some emails asking about how I did Senior Night when I was a coach so here it is.  First and foremost, the Seniors need to be recognized with their parents on the court in some fashion.  I always played the Seniors first in the game and if I had more than five I would sub the Seniors in first.  The rule after that was simple, they played as long as they were leading, but if they found themselves down more than six points, I would go back to my regular rotation.  But a lot of planning went into this night before the first game.  I only kept Seniors who I knew would contribute.  If I did keep one that was not expected to be in the rotation, he was a kid who was just happy to be on the team and I talked about playing time with him and his parents before the season started.  The problem that most coaches face is that usually the Senior night game is against a rival or it could still have playoff implications.  I’ve been fortunate as a coach to be part of some great Senior night wins (two of my last three were one overtime win and a four overtime win against ranked rival teams) where the Seniors played great.  I don’t think their is a right way to do it, but I do still think you have to play the game to win……Some great games this weekend, be sure to go out and support your team, and if your team is out, go out and support high school basketball in our state.

Boys Division I North

The Favorites – #2 Central Catholic, #3 Lynn English

Watch out for – #12 East Boston, #8 Cambridge

Final two teams - #2 Central Catholic vs. #3 Lynn English

Who will win it? – #2 Central Catholic

Boys Division I South

The Favorites – #1 Madison Park, #6 Newton North

Watch out for – #10 Brockton, #11 Mansfield

Final two teams - #1 Madison Park vs. #6 Newton North

Who will win it? - #1 Madison Park

Emass Final - #1 Madison Park over #2 Central Catholic

Boys Division II North

The Favorites – #15 North Andover, #17 Masconomet

Watch out for – Woburn, #20 Belmont

Final two teams – #15 North Andover vs. #20 Belmont

Who will win it? - #20 Belmont

Boys Division II South

The Favorites – #22 Whitman-Hanson, #25 Milton

Watch out for – #23 Scituate

Final two teams - #22 Whitman-Hanson vs. #23 Scituate

Who will win it? - #23 Scituate

Emass Final - #23 Scituate over #20 Belmont

Boys Division III North

The Favorites – Hamilton-Wenham, Wayland

Watch out for – Bedford, Watertown

Final two teams – Watertown vs. Wayland

Who will win it? – Watertown

Boys Division III South

The Favorites – #7 Cardinal Spellman, #9 Wareham

Watch out for – #16 Medway, #21 Norwell, #24 Abington

Final two teams - #7 Cardinal Spellman vs. #9 Wareham

Who will win it? - #9 Wareham

Emass Final - #9 Wareham over Watertown

Boys Division IV North

The Favorites – #4 New Mission, #19 Winthrop

Watch out for – Manchester Essex

Final two teams - #4 New Mission vs. #19 Winthrop

Who will win it? - #4 New Mission

Boys Division IV South

The Favorites – Westport, Avon

Watch out for – Cathedral

Final two teams – Westport vs. Cathedral

Who will win it? – Cathedral

Emass Final - #4 New Mission over Cathedral

Girls Division I North

The Favorites – #2 Andover, #3 Central Catholic

Watch out for – #5 Westford, #15 Peabody, #18 Lynn English

Final two teams - #3 Central Catholic vs. #2 Andover

Who will win it? - #2 Andover

Girls Division I South

The Favorites – #8 Wellesley, #11 New Bedford

Watch out for – #9 Newton South, #10 Brockton, #16 Newton North

Final two teams – #8 Wellesley vs. #11 New Bedford

Who will win it? - #11 New Bedford

Emass Final - #2 Andover over #11 New Bedford

Girls Division II North

The Favorites – #13 Melrose, #17 Reading

Watch out for – #12 Arlington Catholic

Final two teams – #13 Melrose vs. #12 Arlington Catholic

Who will win it? - #13 Melrose

Girls Division II South

The Favorites – #1 Oliver Ames, #6 Fontbonne

Watch out for – #7 Foxboro

Final two teams – #1 Oliver Ames vs. #6 Fontbonne

Who will win it? –#1 Oliver Ames

Emass Final – #1 Oliver Ames over #13 Melrose

Girls Division III North

The Favorites – #4 Pentucket, #22 Stoneham

Watch out for – #19 St. Mary’s, #23 Ipswich

Final two teams – #4 Pentucket vs. #22 Stoneham

Who will win it? – #4 Pentucket

Girls Division III South

The Favorites – #20 Archbishop Williams

Watch out for – Coyle & Cassidy, Burke, Cardinal Spellman

Final two teams – #20 Archbishop Williams vs. Old Rochester

Who will win it? - #20 Archbishop Williams

Emass Final– #4 Pentucket over #20 Archbishop Williams

Girls Division IV North

The Favorites – Pope John, #14 New Mission

Watch out for – Whittier

Final two teams – Pope John vs. #14 New Mission

Who will win it? – #14 New Mission

Girls Division IV South

The Favorites – #21 Cohasset, South Shore Christian

Watch out for – Hull, Nantucket

Final two teams – #21 Cohasset vs. South Shore Christian

Who will win it? - #21 Cohasset

Emass Final - #14 New Mission over #21 Cohasset

The state playoff seedings will be out this week, so this will be the last edition of the regular season notebook, but of course there will be a playoff notebook for the duration of the playoffs…..Emasssports.com has taken over the role of ESPN’s Joe Lunardi for the playoffs and has come out with their own bracketology. Check it out at emasssports.com…….Some surprises and disappointments as the regular season ends, here is my list:

Surprises

1. Weymouth Boys: After going winless last season, Coach Jim Dolan’s team had a .500 season and qualified for the state playoffs. In addition, they have a nice young nucleus and should be even better next year.

2. Medford Boys: Coach Anthony Faradie’s team won three GBL games in the past two seasons and won four this year. The team has a 12-8 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs.

3. Foxboro Girls on opening night: In what was supposed to be just another notch in their belt to start the year, but current #1 Oliver Ames fell to Foxboro on opening night. The win propelled Foxboro to a solid 17-3 season, finishing in second place in the tough Hockomock league.

4. Pat Connaughton, St. John’s Prep: Going into the season, everyone knew that SJP would be a tough team and that Connaughton was a solid player. But I don’t know if all the pundits truly expected this type of season. Connaughton already has reached 1,000 points as a junior and has been putting up huge numbers leading SJP to an 18-2 record and a #5 ranking. In a loaded DI North, SJP will have to play big, but as long as Connaughton is there they can beat anyone in that division.

5. Belmont Boys: Although struggling of late, nobody expected the Marauders to win the Middlesex league. Getting ranked as high as #4 this year, Belmont has been led by the play of Senior Andrew Musler, Junior Luca Ladan, and Sophomore John Dillon.

6. Undefeated Girls teams: No matter what league a team is in, it is still very difficult to go undefeated in the regular season. This season saw three girls teams accomplish that feat with #2 Wellesley, #5 Pentucket, and #20 Cohasset.

(Editor’s note: Wellesley lost its perfect season on Thursday night losing to #23 Newton North)

Disappointments

1. Officiating: Never in my wildest dreams would I want to do their job so they are commended for doing it, but I covered four games this season where officials decided the games in the final minutes. The results of two of those games changed the playoff fortunes for the teams that lost and that is the disappointing part. Being a high school coach for fifteen years, I know where officials need to be to make certain calls and in these games the calls were made from refs not being at the right place. Again, I credit the officials that do this and take the verbal punishment on a nightly basis, but it was too bad that seasons had to end because of a refs call.

2. MIAA playoff system: The brackets are not even out yet and I’m already complaining. I vented in the last notebook and gave my way of doing it so I won’t expand on it more. It just needs to be fixed.

3. Student sections: This is not a statewide epidemic, by no means, but I’ve been to a number of ranked teams games and there was no student section to be found. Credit does go to my favorite fans at Newton North who are very involved in the game and to some great fan sections at Central Catholic, Wareham, Belmont and Franklin, but as a whole the students are just not getting out there like they used to. I know there are other schools out there as well, but overall it has been lacking.

4. Television Coverage: The local channels do a good job of promoting their teams, but we desperately need TV coverage to keep our sport moving forward. Doesn’t it make sense that the Comcast tournament be broadcast on Comcast? At least the championship games should have been on. What about the Emass Finals at the Garden or the State Finals? If I had the money and equipment I would have a Beantownhoops.com Game of the Week on TV, I just hope someone or some group can step up to make this happen.

5. Split Games on a Friday: I wish leagues would stop splitting their boys and girls games on the same night. For example, I covered the Franklin/Mansfield girls game and the boys teams were playing at the same time at Franklin. To quote one Franklin parent that was sitting close to me, “Why can’t we just play in the same gym back-to-back or have one team play Thursday and one on Friday?” My point exactly.

Looking forward to seeing the brackets this week and good luck to all the teams in the state tournament.

Last week the members picked 19 of 26 correct.  How did they do in the twenty games Friday?
Boys:  9-1
Girls:  6-4
Total:  15-5
Overall:  34-12
Boys Games
1. Boston City: Boston English 25% vs. #4 New Mission 75%
2. Cape Ann: #16 Masconomet 35% vs. #15 North Andover 65%
3. Catholic Central: Arlington Catholic 15% vs. Cathedral 85%
4. Commonwealth: Whittier 70% vs. Shawsheen 30% - wrong pick
5. DCL: Concord-Carlisle 35% vs. Wayland 65%
6. Hockomock: #20 North Attleboro 45% vs. #14 Mansfield 55%
7. MVC: Lawrence 15% vs. Andover 85%
8. Middlesex: Watertown 55% vs. #12 Belmont 45%
9. NEC: Lynn Classical 70% vs. Revere 30%
10. TVL: Hopkinton 10% vs. Medfield 90%
Girls Games
1. Bay State: Milton 45% vs. Dedham 55%
2. Cape Ann: Amesbury 55% vs. Newport 45%
3. Catholic Central: St. Clement 25% vs. Lowell 75%
4. DCL: Lincoln-Sudbury 95% vs. Boston Latin 5%
5. Hockomock: #1 Oliver Ames 100% vs. Franklin 0%
6. Middlesex: #18 Reading 60% vs. #25 Stoneham 40%: wrong pick
7. MVC: Methuen  70% vs. Lowell 30%: wrong pick
8. NEC: Beverly 10% vs. #8 Peabody 90%
9. TVL: Medway 55% vs. Ashland 45% : wrong pick
10. Non-league: Austin Prep 20% vs. Medford80% : wrong pick

Another great week of high school hoops in Massachusetts culminating with Brockton’s fifteen point win over previous #1 and unbeaten Lynn English.  The Bulldogs loss made room for the last undefeated Boys team to take the #1 spot, Central Catholic.  Right after the posting of the new Top 25, Central Catholic’s loss against Rhode Island power, Bishop Hendricken was reported…..Let’s quickly recap how the top boys teams have done to quiet some of the controversy about who is the real #1 team - Losses:  Lynn English - lost to Brockton; Brockton -  lost to Stoughton; Central -  lost to Hendricken; New Mission -  lost to East Boston; Madison Park -  lost to East Boston.  Games against ranked teams:  Lynn English:  Winthrop, Brockton; Brockton - Newton North, Lynn English;  Central - North (ranked in Central Mass), Hendricken; New Mission - Hendricken, East Boston, Scituate; Madison Park - East Boston (twice)…..Before you send me emails about updated records and standings, I am not changing anything for Excluded games.  I understand it’s part of the system, but I think it is an absolute farce.  I don’t blame the coaches or athletic directors for this, I think the fault lies with the MIAA regulations.  Let teams set their schedule how they want to and have every game count.  Here’s my proposal to clear up the nonsense:
1.  Teams have to play a minimum of 18 games and can play up to 22 games.
2.  Teams can play in a tournament or shootout that will not count towards their regular season total, and can play up to three games in that tournament.  In essence, a team can play 25 games if they schedule 22 and play in a holiday tournament.
3.  To qualify for the playoffs, the system that is in place remains, except for the Sullivan rule.  If a team is in D3 playing against D1’s and D2’s, the coaches still have the ability to schedule enough games to qualify.  Let me give you an example:  The Middlesex league currently plays 18 regular season games.  With the new format, a team can still schedule four other opponents and play in a holiday tournament for three more.  If a school wants to schedule easy, they can still win seven games and just have to win three league games.
4.  Seeding for the playoffs will be determined by coaches vote.  This is how my former state of Illinois does it, and although it is not perfect, it’s pretty damn close.  All the the teams that qualify for the playoff will meet in their respective Division.  Coaches must submit their records and who they played in advance and copies of the records are given to each coach.  At that point, coaches are given five minutes to state their case for their ranking.  All the coaches will then vote on where each team should be.  Votes are tabulated and then presented to the group on how each coach voted.  Two representatives from the MIAA are there to make sure that the voting is done properly with integrity and then the seedings are established.  If a coach tries to rank his buddy’s team high and they don’t deserve it, the MIAA officials have the right to cancel that coach’s vote and place teams accordingly if there is a huge discrepancy.
5.  The MIAA will have the final say on how the bracket is set-up and will release the official playoff bracket two days after the coaches seeding meeting.
Just a thought. The playoffs are just around the corner, everyone have a great week!

We didn’t have a Girls Conference Call on Tuesday like normal so we could hold a special conference call today.  Our members were sent a ballot of thirteen boys and thirteen girls games and they picked their favorites.  Here are the results (picks are highlighted in yellow):  Winning team is italicized and underlined.
How did they do?
Boys: 10-3
Girls: 9-4
Overall: 19-7

Boys Games
1. Atlantic Coast: Marshfield 60% vs. Falmouth 40%
2. Bay State: Brookline 75%vs. Dedham 25%
3. Big Three: #7 Brockton 100% vs. Durfee 0%
4. Cape Ann: #18 North Andover 55% vs. Wilmington 45%
5. Catholic Central: Arlington Catholic 45% vs. St. Mary’s 55%
6. Catholic Conference: BC High 20% vs. Catholic Memorial 80%
7. Commonwealth: Whittier 30% vs. #24 Chelsea 70%
8. DCL: Westford 40 % vs.#14 Acton-Boxborough 60%
9. GBL: Malden 55% vs. Medford 45%
10. Hockomock: #16 Mansfield 40% vs. #10 Franklin 60%
11. MVC: #2 Central Catholic 90% vs. Lawrence 10%
12. Middlesex: Reading 20% vs. #4 Belmont 80%
13. TVL: Bellingham 60% vs. Holliston 40%
Girls Games
1. Atlantic Coast: Falmouth 30% vs. Marshfield 70%
2. Bay State: #11 Newton North 45% vs. #2 Wellesley 55%
3. Big Three: #23 Durfee 25% vs. #15 Brockton 75%
4. Cape Ann: #20 Ipswich 90% vs. North Reading 10%
5. Catholic Central: #16 St. Mary’s 30% vs. #10 Arlington Catholic 70%
6. DCL: Weston 60% vs. Bedford 40%
7. EAC: #25 Coyle & Cassidy 80% vs. Martha’s Vineyard 20%
8. GBL: Cambridge 35% vs. Somerville 65%
9. Hockomock: Franklin 45% vs. Mansfield 55%
10. Middlesex: Watertown 20% vs. Wakefield 80%
11. NEC: #13 Lynn English 90% vs. Revere 10%
12. Patriot: Hingham 65% vs. Scituate 35%
13. South Shore: Hull 55% vs. #22 Cohasset 45%

In a week that was seeming non-eventful, with the Top 25 teams winning easily, it turned quickly with Saturday and Sunday’s games.  The #4 Andover Girls defeated previous #1 Central Catholic for the second time this season and take a 2-1 season series lead.  They still can meet again in the DI North playoffs……The #6 New Mission Boys made easy work  of #17 Scituate.  The Titans only loss was by two to #15 East Boston, but they were without their star point guard Osmel Odena who was attending to personal matters……The #7 Brockton Boys took down then #3 Newton North it what could be a preview of the DI South finals….. I said “could  be” because the #10 Franklin Boys are back on a roll after getting their revenge win over #22 North Attleboro and are back in sole possession of first place in the Hock…..In the Battle of Arlington on Sunday, the Arlington Boys defeated AC, but the AC Girls defeated Arlington…..Four undefeated boys teams left with #1 Lynn English, #2 Central Catholic, #3 St. John’s Prep, and #4 Belmont.  Oh by the way, #1, 2, and 3 are all in the DI North…..On the girls side, there are five undefeated teams with #2 Wellesley, #6 Fontbonne, #8 New Bedford, #9 Pentucket, and #22 Cohasset…..Our third #1 Girls team of the year was crowned this week with #2 Oliver Amesmoving to the top spot after Central Catholic’s loss to Andover. O.A.’s only loss was to Foxboro in the first game of the season and since then have ran the table.  As an O.A. parent told me after that game, “I guarantee you they will not lose another game the rest of the regular season.”  He is looking quite prophetic at this point……Big match-up on Tuesday in the boys side of the GBL, as #11 Cambridge will face Medford.  Cambridge is currently in first place with a one game lead over Medford…..Danny V of the Boston Herald has posted the line-up for the Comcast tournament on Feb. 13th and 14th.  As everyone knows around here, Danny V always gets the latest high school information to the fans and helps keep our sport in the spotlight, keep up the great work that you do Danny…….Can’t end this edition of the notebook without saying something about the Lynn English/Winthrop incident.  It is the last thing the game of basketball needs at this point.  Already facing an uphill battle for popularity, the game takes a hit when you hear of fights breaking out at games.  It doesn’t matter who was to blame because it happened none the less.  Basketball is unique in that the fans are really part of the game since they are so close to the playing area, but schools need to do a better job of controlling these situations.  Let’s be honest, we can look at the schedule at the start of the season and point to  games that are high profile and are going to need extra security and help because of the amount of fans and magnitude of the game.  At the very least you would think the A.D.’s could go to our site or any other site that ranks teams and see when they match-up it is going to draw interest, such as Lynn English and Winthrop.  I hope that these type of incidents can be avoided because it takes away from the most important part of the game, the game itself.  The L.E./Winthrop game was a close battle through three quarters, until the Bulldogs pulled away late.  Unfortunately, all everyone is going to talk about is the fight and not the play of the kids on the court.