Patch Picks: High School Football Predictions

Duxbury over Beverly — It's time for a reality check for the surprising Panthers. In your last three games you've beaten teams that don't throw the ball. Somerville's Elijah Jeffreys has 5 TD passes, Tewksbury's Jay Connolly has 11, and Billerica's Zac Burns has 13. Now you're facing Duxbury's Bobby Maimaron, the state's all-time leader with 115 touchdown passes including 30 this fall. Beverly hasn't seen anything like Maimaron and it will show on Saturday.

Hanover over Triton — Yes, Triton has scored 46 and 42 points in last two wins but Hanover's defense is unlike anything the Vikings have seen. Just ask defending champion Holliston, which was held to 7 points in the South final last week. The only reason you don't know more about Hanover is that the Indians play in the same league (Patriot) as Duxbury.

East Bridgewater over Nipmuc — The Vikings survived a scare from South Shore rival Norwell in the South final and almost blew a chance to make up for last year's Super Bowl loss. Now refocused, EB will hammer a good CMass team and get a second chance to leave Gillette as champions.

Mashpee over Brighton — There's no doubt that Brighton is one of the best offensive teams in the state, with point totals of 32, 64, and 52 in the playoffs. But in Lynn Tech, Lowell Catholic, and Mystic Valley Brighton hasn't faced anyone particularly good. That will change Saturday. Mashpee beat two weaker Mayflower League teams to start the playoffs, but the Falcons' win over Seekonk in the South final was legit. Mashpee plays in the South Shore League and from beginning to end the competition is tougher than in the city.

Millis over Latin Academy — This one again comes down to picking one league over another, rather than focusing on the teams. Millis plays in the Tri-Valley League, one of the most competitive in the state. LA must play the same mistake-free football that it did in the semifinal win over O'Bryant. But Millis isn't O'Bryant and LA's challenge is even greater.

Maynard over Turners Falls — There are only 9 undefeated teams left in Massachusetts and two of them meet in this game. The difference here is the Maynard defense. The Tigers give up just 8.6 ppg, the third-lowest point total of any team left in the playoffs. And because I can hear your question, here goes ... Turners Fall is located in Montague.

Last week, 3-7; season 51-43