Fall 2024 State Championship Lookahead: Football

The Fall 2024 MIAA championship season is winding down, with champions already crowned in Golf, Swimming, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Cross Country and Soccer.

The last sport on the championship stage is Football, with eight more trophies set to be handed out at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Two games will be played Wednesday, December 4, with three more apiece on Thursday, December 5 and Friday, December 6.

Here is a look at what is ahead:

Division 7: Wednesday (5:30 p.m.)
Uxbridge High School vs. Mashpee High School

Uxbridge, the No. 1 seed in the Division 7 bracket, will be the first of seven teams looking to repeat as a champion from 2023. The Spartans toppled Amesbury (42-16) on this stage a year ago, but their only two previous appearances were back-to-back in Central Mass. Division 3 in 1991-92.

No. 3 Mashpee has not been back to Gillette since taking three consecutive titles from 2015-17, all in different divisions. The Falcons also have an Eastern Mass. Division 4 crown from 2011.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Uxbridge – beat Saint Paul Diocesan (48-17), Gardner (42-0), Northbridge (28-7) … Mashpee – beat St. Bernard’s (47-24), Amesbury (30-20), Clinton (28-22).

Division 6: Wednesday (8 p.m.)
Hudson High School vs. Fairhaven High School

Hudson, the No. 1 seed, has only one Super Bowl victory to its credit, when it won Division 2 Central in 1991. The Hawks are making their first appearance at Gillette in their seventh championship game overall (first since 2011).

No. 3 seed Fairhaven is the team looking to make it back-to-back after beating Salem (26-22) a year ago. The Blue Devils are perfect in their four championship appearances, having also won titles in 1991, 1994 and 2000.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Hudson – beat East Bridgewater (45-14), Sandwich (28-21), Norwell (21-14) … Fairhaven – beat Dennis-Yarmouth (45-20), Lynnfield (36-34 in OT), Swampscott (42-13)

Division 4: Thursday (3 p.m.)
Duxbury High School vs. Scituate High School

No. 1 seed Duxbury has appeared in each Division 4 Super Bowl in the statewide tournament era (since 2021), winning the last two, including a record-setting 62-33 triumph over Scituate in last year’s title game. The Dragons will be aiming for their third Super Bowl victory in a row and eighth overall in 11 appearances, all since 1997.

No. 2 seed Scituate not only will be looking to avenge last year’s loss between Patriot League rivals, but to get back on the winning track it enjoyed in 2021, when it also edged Duxbury. The Sailors split their other two championship appearances, including a victory in 2018.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Duxbury – beat Holliston (25-0), Canton (30-27), Tewksbury (28-21) … Scituate – beat Melrose (41-7), Wayland (28-0), Grafton (14-3)

Division 1: Thursday (5:30 p.m.)
Xaverian Brothers High School vs. Needham High School

No. 3 seed Xaverian Brothers is aiming to defend its championship from 2023, when it edged Catholic Conference rival St. John’s Prep (31-25). Overall the Hawks are making their 16th championship appearance with nine total victories to date.

Needham, the No. 4 seed, is at the other end of the spectrum. The Rockets have just one previous Super Bowl appearance in program history, a 21-7 loss to Boston College High in 2011. Needham is the lone school among the 16 competing this week that has never won a championship in football.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Xaverian Brothers – beat Brockton (41-6), Leominster (35-20), Boston College High (31-14) … Needham – beat Wachusett Regional (49-13), Central Catholic (31-7), St. John’s Prep (22-14)

Division 2: Thursday (8 p.m.)
Catholic Memorial High School vs. King Philip Regional

After falling a round short last season, No. 1 seed Catholic Memorial is back in the title game and meeting King Philip for the third time in four years. The Knights won both matchups in 2021 and 2022, and their only other wins among seven total appearances came in 1973 and 1978, both in Eastern Mass. Division 2.

No. 2 seed King Philip is here for the fourth season in a row and looking to repeat its 2023 championship, when it beat Marshfield (42-14). In addition to the previous losses to CM, the Warriors won titles in 2016 (Division 1A) and 2017 (Div. 2), with a loss in 2018 (Div. 2).

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Catholic Memorial – beat Quincy (32-0), Bridgewater-Raynham (48-14), Wellesley (49-7) … King Philip – beat Arlington (40-0), Barnstable (42-20), Marshfield (34-15)

Division 8: Friday (3 p.m.)
Randolph High School vs. West Boylston High School

Randolph, the No. 1 seed in this year’s bracket, has made only one previous Super Bowl appearance in program history. But the Blue Devils made it count, taking the Division 8 championship with a 20-14 victory over Hull.

West Boylston has much more championship experience, making its third straight appearance and fifth overall. The No. 2 Lions have never lost in a Super Bowl and are going for their third straight crown after winning Division 8 a year ago (41-7 over Carver) and Division 7 in 2022 (29-6 over St. Bernard’s).

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Randolph – beat Quaboag Regional (67-6), Narragansett Regional (40-8), Nashoba Valley Tech (28-12) … West Boylston – beat Hoosac Valley Regional (29-12), Lee (35-3), Carver (36-14)

Division 5: Friday (5:30 p.m.)
Shawsheen Technical vs. Foxborough High School

No. 1 seed Shawsheen is back on the final stage for the second time in three years, and looking to avenge its 2022 title game loss to North Reading (44-28). The Rams split the other two Super Bowl appearances in program history, winning in 2010 (Division 6 over Blue Hills) and falling in 1978 in the old Eastern Mass. format (Division 3).

Foxborough, the No. 3 seed, has been right at home just down the street. The Warriors beat Hanover (48-21) for the Division 5 title a year ago, but before that had not played in a title game since 2006. Foxborough has five championships all-time in nine previous appearances.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Shawsheen – beat Gloucester (56-6), Newburyport (42-0), Old Rochester Regional (28-7) … Foxborough – beat Danvers (27-0), Dedham (42-10), Hanover (14-7)

Division 3: Friday (8 p.m.)
Mansfield High School vs. North Attleborough High School

The showdown of Hockomock League rivals is the only game of the week in which neither team was at Gillette a year ago. It's also the only regular-season rematch, with North Attleborough taking home the 14-10 victory on October 25.

No. 3 seed Mansfield last was here in 2019, when it beat Lincoln-Sudbury (35-0) for the Division 2 crown. The Hornets are making their 12th appearance overall, having gone 8-3 in their previous games.

North Attleborough dropped a 35-28 decision to Marblehead for the Division 3 title in 2021. The No. 4 seed Red Rocketeers have not won a championship since 2002, a 44-40 offensive showdown against Swampscott in Eastern Mass. Division 3. North Attleborough also is making its 12th Super Bowl appearance overall, with seven total wins.

ROAD TO GILLETTE: Mansfield – beat Doherty Memorial (42-17), Dartmouth (14-6), Walpole (42-28) … North Attleborough – beat Woburn Memorial (35-7), Westborough (42-7), Reading Memorial (42-20)