Massachusetts High School Football Playoffs: What to Look For

The MIAA football playoffs begin in Eastern Mass. this weekend. You know the best teams -- Duxbury, Xaverian, Falmouth, Tewksbury, etc., but there's more to the postseason than meets the eye. Here's a look at the storylines this weekend and beyond.

34 teams with losing records?

When the MIAA created the current format four years ago the primary goal was to give more students an opportunity to compete in the playoffs. If a soccer, basketball, or baseball team went 10-10 it made the tournament. But football? Those playoffs were limited to the elite few. And when the Football Committee voted in 2015 to expand from six to eight divisions, each needing eight teams, it meant one thing -- a lot of bad football teams were going to make the postseason. There are 34 teams with losing records competing, including six with 2-5 marks. Most will be gone after this weekend and left to wonder, was it worth it?

Happy campers

What do Andover, Lexington, Acton-Boxboro, St. John's Prep, Central Catholic, and Methuen have in common? These six Division 1 North competitors are thrilled that Haverhill (6-1) is facing Everett (5-2) in a first-round D1 North matchup. The undisputed best game of the weekend pits two teams that could easily win the North, not to mention the Division 1 Super Bowl title. But on Halloween, one of them will be gone, much to the delight of the other three winners. Haverhill's only loss was to St. John's Prep on opening weekend while Everett's two losses were both by 3 points, one to Xaverian, one to Billerica.

Two South teams going in different directions

After the first month of the season there was little doubt BC High was the best team in Division 1 and probably the entire state. The Eagles were 4-0 and scoring an average of 44 points per game. But since then BC High has come crashing back to earth, which is good news for Braintree, its first-round opponent and a team heading in the opposite direction. While BC High has lost two straight, the Wamps (4-3) have won two in a row while scoring an even 100 points in those games. Do you like upsets? Then head to Dorchester Friday and watch Braintree beat BC High.

Round 2 is scheduled for ...

If you liked watching last weekend's Billerica vs. Tewksbury mud bowl, then keep Nov. 11-12 open for the rematch. Billerica should beat Concord-Carlisle this Friday and then handle the winner of the Masconomet/Waltham game. Tewksbury won't break a sweat beating Medford Saturday, and then should face Beverly (which opens against Somerville), a good team that will at least make Tewksbury work for it. The grumbling on the Billerica sidelines last week centered on a different result if the weather was better. Anyone have a forecast for Nov. 11-12?

Here's how Newton North wins the South

With three Catholic Conference teams in Division 1 South the road to the Super Bowl is filled with landmines. But check out the brackets. Newton North faces an offensively challenged Brockton team on Saturday and should win. The Tigers then get the winner of the Braintree/BC High game. With BC High trending down, it's possible there could be a Bay State Conference rematch between Newton North and Braintree in the semifinals. On Oct. 7, the Tigers beat Braintree, 36-33. That's two playoff games and neither against a Catholic Conference team. And if that happens, Xaverian should be waiting in the final. One game, winner take all.

Beware B-R

Ignore the fact that Bridgewater-Raynham is the No. 6 seed in Division 1A South. The five teams seeded above them, including first-round opponent Natick, all know B-R is dangerous. The Trojans first got our attention when coach Dan Buron was suspended for the first game for using inappropriate language. But that headline was quickly replaced when B-R beat Xaverian, 22-21, stopping the Hawks 25-game win streak. Yes, B-R has three losses but they were to unbeaten Duxbury, unbeaten Dartmouth, and most recently St. John's Prep (5-2). Natick has a near-impossible task ahead: beat B-R, then possibly two unbeaten teams in Wellesley and King Philip.

Duxbury eyes doubleheader

Can the Green Dragons win a Super Bowl and give quarterback Bobby Maimaron a state record? Duxbury has a maximum of five games left to play (four playoff, plus Thanksgiving), with Game 5 the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. At 7-0, and with every ranking in the state agreeing they're No. 1, it's not a stretch to predict a state title -- although Dartmouth fans might object. Maimaron currently stands at 103 career touchdown passes. Ten more and he'll pass Troy Flutie's record of 112. The senior quarterback is averaging three a game. Should the record fall at the home field of another famous quarterback, that would be a super finish to a great career.

Set the over/under at 80

We can't remember the last time two teams that averaged more than 40 ppg met in a playoff game. But that's what will happen when Andover heads to Lexington for Friday night's quarterfinal game. Andover (3-4) is averaging 41.3 ppg while Lexington (7-0) is at 41.1. Not surprisingly each team is led by a great quarterback. EJ Perry has thrown 28 touchdown passes this fall for Andover while Lexington's Sal Frelick checks in with 15. Frelick also leads Division 1 in scoring with 14 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Andover, this one will probably come down to defense. The Golden Warriors give up 37 ppg, the worst total for any playoff team.