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With a shakeup through the top 10 of our latest MIAA boys' lacrosse Top 25 poll, Acton-Boxborough seized the moment and claimed its highest-ever ranking.

Coming off wins over Dual County League rivals Lincoln-Sudbury and Westford Academy in the last week, the Colonials vaulted to No. 4.

The back end of the poll also has a distinctly new look, with three newcomers occupying the final spots. Mansfield (No. 23) makes its first-ever lacrosse poll appearance while Newton North and Norwell also came in the back door at Nos. 24 and 25, respectively.

There were plenty of shakeups to this week's softball Top 25 poll.

Four new teams snuck into the top 10, including Hudson (No. 6), Fairhaven (8), Central Catholic (9) and Bellingham (10).

Four more teams found their way into the poll for the first time as well. Minnechaug checks in at No. 15, following a comeback win over Agawam. Shrewsbury climbed back in at No. 18 while Newton North (21) and Grafton (24) each made debuts.

The high school lacrosse season kicks off this week for many top teams across the state.

Here is our preseason MIAA boys' lacrosse All-State team, as compiled by ESPNBoston.com staff and correspondents.

Attackmen:
Kevin Blair, Sr., Hingham
Peter Crane, Sr., Wellesley
Seamus Connelly, Sr., Duxbury
Jeff Desko, Sr., St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Jackson Finigan, Sr., Concord-Carlisle
Paul Hellar, Sr., Duxbury
Matt McIver, Sr., Andover
Cabot Noyce, Sr. , Norwell
Nico Panepinto, Jr., Needham
Joey Pasquale, Sr., Weston
Connor Roddy, Sr., Medfield
Cam Slatton, Sr., Billerica

Midfielders:
Dan Delaney, Jr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Alex Eaton, Sr., Westford Academy
Kurt Hunziker, Sr., Masconomet
Jonathan Lee, Sr., Hopkinton
Kyle Livingstone, Sr., Cohasset
Drew O’Connell, Soph., St. John's Prep
Billy Polk, Sr., Dover-Sherborn
Mark Riley, Sr., Needham
Oliver Saffery, Sr., Wellesley
Kyle Soroka, Sr., Acton-Boxborough
Tim Towler, Sr., Masconomet

FOGO:
Clay Richard, Sr., Medfield

Long Stick Middies:
James Burke, Sr., Duxbury
Reilly Naton, Sr., Duxbury

Defensemen:
Henry Bumpus, Sr., Concord-Carlisle
Ryan Cassidy, Sr., Wellesley
Pat Hannigan, Sr., Hanover
Jay McDermott, Sr., Duxbury
Nate Menninger, Sr., Newton North
Matt O’Keefe, Sr., Duxbury
Max Randall, Sr., Duxbury
Paul Tocci, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Brian Uva, Jr., St. John's Prep
Ian Yanulis, Jr., BC High

Goaltenders:
Jonathan Barton, Sr., BC High
Henry Buonagurio, Sr., Duxbury
Connor Darcey, Sr., Wellesley
Jared Fong, Sr., Weston
Doug Gouchoe, Sr., Concord-Carlisle
Miles McCarthy, Sr., Catholic Memorial
D.J. Smith, Jr., Billerica
Greg Stamatov, Sr., Foxborough

Needham High athletic director Micah Hauben recently announced that Stephanie Magni has taken over the head coaching duties of the Rockets varsity softball team.

Here's more from the release distributed from the athletic office:

"Coach Magni is a graduate of Newton North High School, where she was a two-sport varsity athlete as a field hockey player and an all-league member of the softball team. She went on to excel at Nichols College in both sports and was named the school’s Athlete-of-the-Year in her Junior and Senior years. After earning her Business Degree with a concentration in Sports Management from Nichols, Stephanie joined the Regis College staff, where she served as an assistant softball and field hockey coach and earned her Master’s Degree in Communications.

This past fall she was named the Interim Head Field Hockey Coach at Regis and helped lead the Pride to their first ever New England Collegiate Conference Championship. In her time at Regis, Coach Magni coached six all-conference athletes."

THE SUPER TEAM

Guard – Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
An exceptional athlete gifted with a tenacious motor, and one of the state's most dynamic scorers, the 5-foot-11 Calixte was the driving force behind the Black Knight's run to the Division 2 Eastern Mass. final, and asserted himself as the state's premier point guard. For his junior season, he averaged 19 points and six assists, and was named a Hockomock League All-Star. Calixte also stands out on the gridiron for the Black Knights' football squad.

Guard – Tyrese Hoxter, Jr., Charlestown
After playing in the shadows of former All-Stater Akosa Maduegbunam a year ago, the 6-foot-3 Hoxter thoroughly burst onto the scene and had a monster campaign for the Townies, leading them to the TD Garden floor for the first time since 2005 before bowing out to Brockton in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final. This season he averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Guard – Tyrell Springer, Sr., Springfield Central
After falling short of a state title two seasons ago with New Leadership, the 6-foot-2 Springer led Central to the DCU Center floor this season where the Golden Eagles captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991. The centerpiece of one of the state's most athletic lineups, Springer averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, seven assists and 7.3 steals. He is undecided on college plans.

Forward – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
The 6-foot-8 Layman was one of the most dominant players in Massachusetts this season, with the ability to score both inside and out, as the Warriors set a school single-season record for wins (18) before suffering a surprise upset in the Division 2 South quarterfinals. In 21 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 16 rebounds, 5.8 blocks, 3.2 assists and three steals. He closes his career with with 1,752 points, 1,098 rebounds and 391 blocks, giving him career averages of 20.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists. This is his second appearance on the Super Team; he also captured the Hockomock League's MVP for the second straight season. Layman, who was named ESPN Boston's "Mr. Basketball" earlier this week, is ranked the nation's No. 62 overall senior by ESPN, and will continue his career next season at the University of Maryland.

Center – Sayvonn Houston, Sr., Brockton
A nightly double-double machine, Houston established himself as one of the state's most dominant true centers, making life difficult down low as the Boxers went 23-3 and made their first Division 1 state final appearance since 1985. He saved his biggest performances for the biggest stages, such as his 20-20 night in the Division 1 South semifinals, or his 22-point, 13-rebound effort in Brockton's overtime win over Charlestown in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final at TD Garden. Houston is undecided on college plans.

BEST OF THE REST

Jalen Adams, Soph. G, Melrose
Quickly rising as one of the Bay State's most complete scoring guards, the 6-foot-1 Adams took home Middlesex League MVP honors after averaging 21 points per game. He led the Red Raiders to an 18-2 regular season record, before they fell to state runner-up Brighton in the Division 2 North semifinals. Adams has already declared that he will be transferring to Wilbraham & Monson Academy next season, where he will reclassify to the Class of 2015.

Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G, Brockton
Like Houston, the 5-foot-11 Blakely saved some of his best performances for the crunch time in the playoffs, such as his eight-assist performance in the Boxers' win over Catholic Memorial. Blakely distributed evenly to Brockton's talented shooters and post players, as they went 23-3 and reached their first state final appearance since 1985.

Matt Droney, Sr. F, Catholic Memorial
A terrific shooter, the 6-foot-4 Droney was named the Catholic Conference's MVP after a season of averaging 20.7 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. He also became the eighth player in school history to surpass 1,000 points earlier this season. The Canton resident will be doing a post-graduate season next year at the Taft School in Connecticut.

Darien Fernandez, Jr. G, Wareham
The 5-foot-7 waterbug demonstrated a tenacious motor in leading the Vikings to their second Division 3 Eastern Mass. Final appearance in three seasons. Wareham was the state's last unbeaten before losing to state champion Danvers. For the season, Fernandez averaged 24 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and five steals, and recorded three triple-doubles. He needs just 45 points next season to reach 1,000 for his career.

Rony Fernandez, Sr. G, Charlestown
Fernandez was one of the most outstanding point guards of the MIAA tournament, leading the Townies to a thrilling win over Lexington in the Division 1 North final before bowing out to state runner-up Brockton in the Eastern Mass. Finals. For the season he averaged 16 points and seven assists. He is undecided on college plans, but is currently fielding interest from Division 1 programs such as Maine, Northeastern and Hartford.

Joey Glynn, Sr. F, Cardinal Spellman
The 6-foot-5 Abington resident did it all this season for the Cardinals, averaging a double-double (18.5 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, 2.2 blocks) as they lost to Eastern Mass. runner-up Wareham in the Division 3 South semifinals. For his career, Glynn scored 1,425 points. He will continue his career next season at Bentley University.

Steve Haladyna, Sr. G/F, St. John’s Prep
One of two repeat All-Staters, the 6-foot-3 Haladyna was unable to lead the Eagles deep in their Division 1 state title defense, but he still leaves the Danvers campus as one of its most decorated basketball stars. He averaged 22.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, both team highs, and for his career he finishes with 1,392 points -- second all-time on Prep's scoring list. The South Hamilton resident will continue his career next season at Tufts University.

Malik James, Soph. G, Brighton
The 6-foot-1 James elevated his game when the Bengals needed it most, as they made their first state final appearance in school history, falling to Mahar in the Division 2 title game. For the season, James averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds as the Bengals won their first-ever Eastern Mass. title.

Jameilen Jones, Jr. G, BC High
BC High's season came to an unexpected halt as the Eagles loss in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament, but the 6-foot-2 Jones has established himself as one of Eastern Mass.'s premier two-way players. For the season, he averaged 17 points and eight rebounds as the Eagles went 15-6.

Zach Karalis, Sr. G, North Andover
The 6-foot-1 Karalis was one of the driving forces for the Scarlet Knights, who went 21-2 and reached the playoffs an unprecedented 47th straight time. For the season he averaged 15.9 points and shot 46 percent from the field, to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Karalis will continue his career next season at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Kevin LaFrancis, Sr. C, Acton-Boxborough
After a stellar season in leading the 21-2 Colonials to a Division 1 North semifinal appearance, the 6-foot-6 LaFrancis was named the Dual County League's MVP. He averaged 19.5 points and eight rebounds this season, and finishes his career at A-B with 1,012 career points. He is undecided on college plans.

Alex Lopez, Sr. G, Springfield Commerce
The 5-foot-10 Lopez led the Valley League in scoring for the second straight season, averaging 22.3 points as the Red Raiders went to the Division 1 Western Mass. Finals and took state champion Springfield Central to the wire. He led Western Mass. in field goals made (185) and total points (512). Lopez is currently undecided on college plans.

Damian Lugay, Sr. G, Weymouth
The 6-foot-2 Lugay led the Wildcats to a second straight 17-win season, before they were bounced in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament. For the season he averaged 18.1 points and just under four assists, and leaves Weymouth as a two-time First Team All-Bay State Conference. Lugay is undecided on college plans.

George Merry, Sr. C, Danvers
At 6-foot-7, Merry was a force at both ends of the floor for the Falcons, known for his ability to redirect shots as much as his scoring touch. He averaged 16.1 points, eight rebounds and 6.6 blocks as Danvers captured its first Division 3 state championship in school history. Merry is currently undecided on college plans, but showing interest from several schools in Divisions 2 and 3.

Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Tasked nightly with locking down the opposition's top scorer, Middleton established himself as one of the state's premier on-ball defenders. Middleton averaged 16 points per game for the Black Knights, who won the Division 2 South title before bowing out to state runner-up Brighton in the Eastern Mass. championship at TD Garden. Middleton also stars on Stoughton's football squad.

Matt Mobley, Sr. G/F, St. Peter-Marian
One of state's most pleasant late-blooming surprises, the 6-foot-3 Mobley was one of the leading scorers in Central Mass. as the Guardians made it all the way to the Division 1 Central Final. For the season, he averaged 23.2 points in leading SPM to its most successful season under head coach Marcus Watson. Mobley finished his career at SPM with 1,175 points, and will do a post-graduate season next year at Worcester Academy.

Tyler Nelson, Soph. G, Central Catholic
The 5-foot-11 Nelson established himself as one of the state's premier shooters, as the Raiders made it to the Division 1 North semifinals before bowing out to champion Charlestown. He averaged 15.5 points and four assists this season, shot 42 percent from three-point range, and 91 percent from the free throw line.

Colin Richey, Jr. G, Whitinsville Christian
After winning a Division 3 state title a year ago, the 6-foot Richey nearly led them back, as the Crusaders lost in the final seconds to state runner-up St. Joseph Central in the state semifinals. For the seaosn, Richey averaged 16.8 points, 6.7 assist and 6.3 rebounds for the Dual Valley League champions.

Kamari Robinson, Jr. F, Springfield Central
The 6-foot-5 Robinson was a rock underneath for the Golden Eagles, who captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991 and third overall. He was a nightly double-double threat this season, averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists, as Central went undefeated in Massachusetts.

Michael Thorpe, Sr. G, Newton North
The Tigers went run-and-gun this season, and the 5-foot-11 Thorpe kept them thoroughly going. One year after reaching the Division 1 South finals, he nearly led them back, before losing to state runner-up Brockton in the semifinals. He was named the Bay State Conference's MVP, with averages of 15 points and four assists. Thorpe will continue his career next season at Emerson College.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MARCUS MIDDLETON, STOUGHTON
The kind of on-ball pressure Middleton provided nightly to some of the state's premier scorers can take its toll physically, but he was routinely up to the task. As teammate Aaron Calixte saw a barrage of double-teams and box-and-one's, Middleton did his part at the other end, hedging off screens and staying one one's hip, chasing them all over the floor. As much praise as Calixte will get in this unprecedented season for the Knights, an equal amount must be thrown Middleton's way.

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
G – Marcus Middleton, Jr., Stoughton
G – Anthony Hodges, Sr., Holy Name
G – Darien Fernandez, Jr., Wareham
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
C – George Merry, Sr., Danvers

COACH OF THE YEAR
HUGH COLEMAN, BRIGHTON
The Bengals lost their best player before the start of the tournament, and backpedaled into the playoffs with uninspiring losses to Acton-Boxborough and Madison Park. Yet in the end, they were one step away from the school's first-ever state title. Coleman is an unabashed disciple of the legendary Jack O'Brien, and staples of those historic Charlestown squads are sprinkled all over the program. Not only has Coleman done a remarkable job bringing the team to heights never before reached in his three seasons at the helm, but this is a program that will be dangerous for the next few years.

RUNNERS-UP:
Paul Connolly, Newton North
Dean O'Connor, Franklin

FINALISTS:
Kevin Brogioli, Wareham
John Gallivan, Stoughton
Reggie Hobbs, Lexington
Malcolm Smith, East Boston
Chad Softic, Mahar
John Walsh, Danvers
Dennis Wilson, Madison Park

BOSTON -- Correspondent Lucas Shapiro has highlights from last night's Division 1 South semifinals, at UMass-Boston's Clark Athletic Center.

Brockton beat Newton North, 49-44, in the first game. In the second game, Madison Park survived a furious Franklin rally to win 63-60. Both teams will face each other in the D1 South Final on Saturday night at this same venue.

BOSTON -- It almost slipped away from them.

With 42.7 seconds to go in its Division 1 South Tournament contest against Newton North, what was Brockton’s 15-point halftime lead was down to a meager two points.

Jamal Reuben drove the lane looking for an easy layup, but was called for a charge, putting the ball back in North’s hands. The sea of orange-clad Tiger fans erupted in approval as both teams headed to their respective benches during a timeout.

After two failed possessions where it could have tied the score, North fell to Brockton 49-44 to advance to Saturday’s Division 1 South Finals at this same venue, UMass-Boston's Clark Athletic Center.

Coming out of the timeout, there was a feeling of potential overtime in the air. After being down 29-14 at halftime, Newton North (19-4) had stormed back to cut the lead to two due to timely 3-point shooting and defensively solving Brockton’s big man Sayvonn Houston.

He had 15 points and 12 rebounds at halftime, most of which were put-backs and second-chance points he got while planted deep in the paint. He was limited to five points and eight rebounds in the second half due to double, and sometimes triple-teams when he was given the ball in the post.

“I was just trying to get position on everybody (in the first half) and work hard, rebound the ball, and when they fed me I just tried to score before the double-team came,” said the 6-foot-6 senior.

“They were all over me in the second half. They were triple-teaming me. I tried to get my team involved by getting the ball and kicking the ball back out to not try and force a shot, but just be there for the rebounds and to play defense.”

As North brought the ball over halfcourt, it was looking to get a clean look from the outside. It wanted to avoid going inside against Houston, as it had for most of the game, and risk getting its shot blocked.

Barry Santana (eight points, six rebounds) got a shot up, but it was off target and Houston pulled in one of his 20 rebounds. He was fouled by Luke Westman coming down with the ball, which put him at the free throw line because his team was in the bonus.

He made one of two, making the score 47-44 with 22 seconds left. Brockton (21-2) coach Bob Boen called a timeout to prepare his team for the ensuing North possession. If his team could hold on for a few more seconds, it would be one step closer to the ultimate goal of a state championship.

The North strategy was simple: get an open look at a three-pointer, since there was no guarantee it would get another possession if it went for a quick basket or couldn’t get a quality look at the basket.

For Brockton, it was a matter of figuring out who was going to take the shot. As the ball moved around the perimeter, North’s Michael Thorpe (nine points, six rebounds) looped around and caught a pass on the three-point line with a straight shot at the basket. As he spotted up to shoot, a Brockton defender leaped to block the shot, forcing Thorpe to move a step and a half to his left.

That gave Reuben enough time to try and make a play to disrupt the shot. He was able to get a hand on it, and Jaylen Blakely (seven points, three rebounds, three steals) was immediately fouled as he tried to take the ball back the other way.

He made both free throws, and now Brockton is on to the next one.

Sealing Sayvonn (sort of): North had absolutely no answer for Sayvonn Houston throughout the first half. He used every bit of his four-inch height advantage to control the boards and to out-muscle defenders down low. North’s inability to have an answer for him forced them to the outside for a majority of the first half. Combine that with their shots not finding the bottom of the net, and it went into the half with only 14 points.

In the second, the defense made a conscious effort to double and triple-team him every time he got the ball in the low block. He was forced to dish the ball away when he did get the ball. Also, in an effort to pull him away from the basket, Luke Westman and Santana, the two players Houston primarily guarded, set up on the perimeter. Because they both can shoot effectively from the outside, he had to follow them out. This left the immediate area around the basket open for baseline drives and backdoor cuts, which North used to help it get back in the game.

By the end of the game, Houston still made his mark with his 20 points and 20 rebounds.

“That was a very typical game for Sayvonn, that’s what he’s been doing all season,” said Boen. “Our gameplan was to go to him early. Often, we weren’t able to do that because Newton played defense on him. Luckily, he was able to collect those rebounds and put quite a few in. I don’t think he got a lot of them off our plays, I think most of those he got he collected and put in. That’s what he’s done all season.”

In good hands: Thorpe was the right person to take the last shot for Newton North. The senior is used to the pressure of the post-season, having been there last season when North made its run to the sectional finals. He had made three 3-pointers earlier in the game. However, Brockton was well aware of his credentials, and planned to defend him accordingly.

“We knew that they want the ball in his hands at the end of the game,” said Reuben. “We switched up our defense. Originally, Jaylen (Blakely) was playing him in the first half, then we switched to me on him and I gave him a lot of trouble. We knew he wanted to shoot.”

“I was expecting him to take the last shot,” said Houston. “We all know Thorpe’s their go-to guy. He’s a great player, so we all tried to collapse on him, double-team him, triple-team him, because they were setting screens for him a lot.”

With the way Brockton almost surrendered its lead late in the fourth quarter, it was difficult to figure out exactly what the catalyst was that allowed North to get back in the game. Even though its shots fell more that they did earlier in the game, it was not that simple a reason.

“I can’t really say what the difference was,” said Reuben. “We knew we had to keep up the intensity, and we knew that we just had to keep going and keep playing, but I guess they just made a couple of good baskets and we just had to stay focused. I think it was a focus thing, but we picked it up.”

Boen agreed that it was more mental than physical.

“Sometimes when you get ahead by 15 (like we did at halftime), you stop being aggressive on offense,” he said. “They stopped Sayvonn, which had been our go-to once we became unaggressive, and everyone else became a little unaggressive, and suddenly we’re not scoring that many points in the second half.”

“Once they got that surge, all the momentum was theirs. We made a couple of big plays, which gave us the ability to regroup a little. The defense made one or two stops in a row, which was big because we weren’t stopping them at all.”

NEWTON, Mass. -- Thirty-two minutes.

That was the lesson Newton North coach Paul Connolly screamed to his team as he put his starters back in the game during a timeout with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter and his team ahead ahead by 22 points.

It was what some would call a head-scratching move with the game seemingly in hand. However, he knew if his team wants to make a deep run in this years Division 1 South MIAA basketball playoffs, it has to realize that not every game will be like its 75-49 victory was Thursday over Marshfield.

“At this point in the season, playing in March, it’s a tough man contest,” he said after the game. “I thought we were the tougher team tonight.”

North (18-3) jumped out to an early lead behind intense ball movement and quality outside shooting from its guards. Both teams started the game with full-court pressure on the other, but North was successful in breaking the attempted trap defense and working the ball up the floor quick enough to find the open man who was vacated by the Marshfield (13-6) pressure.

Other times, Connolly would instruct his team to get the ball to one of the better ball handlers and then he told the rest of the team to clear out down the floor, taking the defense with them and leaving the ball handler one-on-one. That proved much easier to handle than a full team press.

One of those isolated players was Michael Thorpe, who finished the game with 21 points and six rebounds. Occasionally, after Thorpe got the ball in his hands, Connolly called isolation plays for him, which allowed him to dribble and maneuver his way into space, whether it be in the paint or on the perimeter.

“Coach sees mismatches and he calls them and when your number is called, you just have to play,” said Thorpe. “Everybody’s ready to step up when their number gets called.”

Marshfield tried everything to slow down the North attack, but nothing seemed to work. Whether it was a full-court press or a 1-2-2 zone, North just could not be slowed down.

“I thought the biggest thing for us was we were reacting to any change in defense they made,” said Connolly. “I knew (Marshfield coach Bob) Fisher was going to throw some things at us. He threw some man-to-man’s, some 1-3-1’s, some 1-2-1-1, run-and-jump, box-and-one, so we prepared for everything.”

The leading scorer for Marshfield was junior Alex White, who had 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Well-Rounded: An interesting statistic for the rest of Division 1 South top notice is that eight different North players scored Thursday night. Making the most of its bench will be key for the team as it moves forward and encounters teams that could potentially overwhelm them because of its lack of height.

“It’s wonderful knowing that one through eight can score,” said Thorpe. “It’s a big threat. Other teams can’t just sit down on one person, they can’t go box-and-one on one person because somebody’s going to step up and score. It’s a huge threat for us and makes a lot of teams worry when they play us.”

Sealing Them Off: While it had an explosive night offensively, North was also able to clamp down on Marshfield defensively and not allow them to get easy looks inside the paint. The Rams were able to get some short-range jump shots, but for a large portion of the game, it was only able to take perimeter shots or off-balance shots near the basket.

That, coupled with North’s ability to attack the glass, led to more scoring opportunities to take advantage of.

“Late in the season, we started to get away from our defense,” said Thorpe. “The last couple weeks of practice, we just always worked on our defense because that’s our staple. We came out and sent a message to the rest of the tournament by only letting up 49 points that we’re going to play defense this time.”

Up Next: Newton North, the No. 5 seed, will play the No. 13 seed New Bedford on Saturday. The Whalers knocked off No. 4 seed North Quincy tonight, 67-58.

With only one day of practice before game day, it would seem like Connolly’s team would be going into it blind since the teams did not play each other during the regular season. However, thanks to an experienced and forward-thinking coach, that is not the case.

“We’ve scouted everybody,” he said. “Everybody in Division 1 South, we have seen once, maybe twice. We’ve done our homework. I’ve been down this road before. We’ve done it before so we know what it takes. We do our homework and we do our job. I have an assistant coach, Tom McKniff, who has been at Newton North for 31 years, and he scouts everybody. He goes everywhere.”

He did not want to look too far down the road, though.

“We have one game, that’s it,” he said. “The best thing right now, as a coach in March, is to be able to go into the locker room and to tell your guys that you have practice tomorrow. On any given night now, one coach has to go in and there’s tears, and there’s long bus rides home. So it’s nice and we feel fortunate. We earned it, we deserved it, and I think we’re good enough to advance on. We have one more game and one more practice, so we’ll go from there.”

Still trying to wrap your head around Needham's shocking 66-34 win over No. 6 Newton North?

Perhaps this will help clear things up. Correspondent James Walsh has video highlights from Thursday's big upset, courtesy of The Needham Channel. This marks the Rockets' first win over North since 2008 and the Tigers' first Bay State Conference loss since Feb. 4, 2011, to Wellesley.

We've updated our MIAA Boys Basketball Top 25 poll this afternoon, and for the third consecutive week we have a new No. 1.

Brockton, after beating previous No. 1 Catholic Memorial last Friday at the buzzer in arguably the year's most thrilling finish, take the No. 1 spot for the first time in poll history. It's also the first time in poll history that a team has risen to the No. 1 spot after starting the season unranked.

The Boxers, who have reeled off 12 straight wins since losing by double-digits to BC High in the first week of the season, get the nod at the top spot over No. 2 Springfield Central due to strength of schedule. Prior to the win over the Knights, Brockton beat No. 6 Newton North in overtime, and knocked previously-ranked Mansfield out of the polls with a convincing double-digit victory. Springfield Central's best wins to date are over cross-city rivals Commerce and Cathedral.

Central Catholic moves up to No. 3, while CM falls three spots to No. 4 following the Brockton loss, and Brighton enters the top five for the first time in poll history.

Elsewhere, Charlestown climbs back into the Top 10 after falling out of the poll a month ago. With Rony Fernandez and Omar Orriols back, and Tyrese Hoxter appearing to be over his wrist injury, the Townies are returning to the elite form they showed in the first month of the season.

Franklin makes its debut in the polls at No. 24, while St. Peter-Marian returns to the polls at No. 25 following a thrilling quadruple-overtime win over Quabbin last Friday.

As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com

February is that time of the season when you find out what teams are truly made out of. In Sunday’s matchup between Brockton and Newton North, both teams showed why they could each be dangerous teams when March comes around.

Brockton won the contest, 71-65, in overtime. After digesting the game, here are some observations about both of these teams, who will both likely enter the Division 1 South Sectional as favorites.

Brockton’s Defense

Defense is arguably Brockton’s best asset. Jahleel Moise’s jumping ability and Sayvonn Houston’s size make it nearly impossible for players to drive in the lane. This was especially true at the start of their game against Newton North. Brockton’s defense forced Newton North to be a jump shooting team and since the Tigers’ shots were not falling, they took an early lead.



Defense pushes teams far in the playoffs. However, basketball is played on two ends of the floor. While Brockton’s defense is superb, there offense leaves a lot to be desired.

Brockton’s Offense



After watching this clip, one would think there is nothing wrong with Brockton’s offense. It is not so much that they are a bad team offensively. Obviously, they were good offensively in this game because they won. It is more about how they are scoring.

They do a wonderful job of scoring in the paint, getting put backs, and burning defenders off of isolation plays. The only issue: that is the only way they score. There are never any plays run for a basket or jump shots made for that matter.

Newton North is not a big team or an athletic team, so Brockton can get away with this type of scoring. When they play a more athletic or bigger team, this type of offense simply will not work in March.

X-Factor: Jaylen Blakely

In March, it is critical to have players who can create off of the dribble. Jaylen Blakely is that type of player.



Blakely does a great job of getting looks for his big man and making big shots. That being said, Blakely’s biggest weakness is his decision making.



Blakely turns the ball over at a high rate and takes bad shots often. If he can focus on playing under control, he has the capability of pushing Brockton far in the playoffs.

Newton North Offense

Newton North always has talented go-to options, which is why they are always a dangerous team in March. They might not have the Anthony Gurley or Greg Kelley on their roster this year, but the duo of Mike Thorpe and Luke Westman are not too shabby. They are two players who compliment each other well and play smart all of the time.



The Tigers rely on those two to do most of their scoring along with many of their sweet shooting role players. When their shots were not falling, Newton North struggled. The key for them will be for role players to knock down open shots when they get them.

X-Factor: Tommy Mobley

In the third quarter, one role player did exactly what Newton North needs in order for their offense to be effective. Freshman Tommy Mobley knocked down three outside shots. This was the point in the game where Newton North came back and made it a close game.



Mobley has an unusual yet highly effective shot. He might only be a freshman, but he does a good job of moving without the ball and knocking down tough shots. This type of role player is key, especially when fighting while down.

The only issue is that he is a freshman and makes the mistakes that all freshmen make. To rely on a young player is always a risky proposition for teams looking to make a deep run in March.

Conclusion

Brockton and Newton North are dangerous teams for very different reasons. The Boxers do a great job of beating teams with their size and athleticism. They are great on defense and make teams have to play their tough brand of basketball. The key for them will to force teams to turnover the ball and score in transition.

As for Newton North, they don’t have the size or talent of past years but they have a team of players that play well together. In this game, they finally showed their main flaw: defense. They are not a bad defensive team, but when they play bigger or more athletic teams, they run into serious problems.

Neither team is perfect, but both have assets that can push them far in March.

WEYMOUTH, Mass. -- Players from the Weymouth basketball team looked up at the scoreboard at their home gym as they headed into the halftime break, glanced at the 34-9 score, and dipped into the locker room to the chorus of a "single digits" chant from the visiting Newton North student section.

Then the Wildcats came out swinging, and cut the Tigers' lead to single digits, outscoring them 41-19 over the first 11 minutes of the half to close the gap to 55-50. But some key transition basket from two clutch seniors, and a dagger 3-pointer from a promising freshman, put the finishing touches on a 73-63 Newton North victory that puts the Tigers in control of the Bay State Conference's Carey division.

And so just 48 hour after losing a thriller in overtime to red-hot Brockton, the Tigers quickly rebounded with one of their strongest performances of the season's second half.

"We knew they were going to make a run. Basketball is a game of runs," North head coach Paul Connolly said. "Ours was early, theirs was in the middle, and we hung on and did what we had to do. We're in their gym, they're not going to lay down. You've got some tough, tough, city-type athletes here in Weymouth. That's a really good team, so for us to come in their gym, play the way we played early, was terrific."

To put it bluntly, the Wildcats (13-2, 12-2) couldn't buy a bucket in the first half, going 4-for-23 from the field and 0-for-7 from the free throw line. Between a plethora of shots that hit iron, and a mix of 2-2-1 and diamond-and-one presses from the Tigers (15-1, 13-0), the Wildcats appeared overwhelmed at first.

But they came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, opening with a 12-3 run, ending the third quarter with a Khary Bailey-Smith breakaway two-handed slam that energized the home crowd, and eventually cutting North's lead down to 55-50 with five minutes to go.

"We talked about not handling their press well, and about getting in the middle and reversing it," Weymouth head coach Jim Dolan said of the half-time adjustments. "We didn't do a good job of that in the first half, and a much better job of it in the second half. But our guys didn't quit. Newton North is a great program, and you can't spot anybody a 25-point lead, nevermind a Newton North lead."

North responded down the stretch with clutch performances from its biggest playmakers to ice this one. Down low, senior forward Barry Santana (20 points, 17 rebounds) stepped out to the wing and hit Luke Westman with a backdoor touch pass. Westman picked up the foul in the process, and converted the three-point play, to make it 59-50 with just under four minutes to go.

A few possessions later, Santana took a high entry lob over the top from freshman Tommy Mobley for a wide-open lay-in; he followed up the next trip down with a layup off a pick-and-roll with Michael Thorpe (20 points) to make it 65-54 with two minutes left.

Mobley then put the clamps down on this one with a dagger 3-pointer from the left wing, off a long pass from the opposite corner by Westman, to make it 68-57 with 1:37 to go.

Damian Lugay led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points, while junior Connor Deegan added 13.

Oye Como Va: Since the Tigers won back-to-back MIAA Division 1 state titles in 2005 and 2006 by pushing a fast pace with an NCAA Division 1 backcourt of Anthony Gurley (Wake Forest/UMass) and Corey Lowe (Boston University), they have had a size luxury. From the 6-foot-8 Greg Kelley (currently a sophomore at Yale) to 6-foot-8 Tevin Falzon (a post-graduate a Winchendon who has signed with Sacred Heart) to his younger brother Aaron (who has since transferred to St. Mark's), it had been a gradual switch to a halfcourt-oriented offense.

In 2011-12, the Tigers present a dramatically different look in the frontcourt, with the 6-foot-2 Santana being counted on for a role once owned by players nearly half a foot taller than him. For once unable to rely on a shot-blocking big man behind the play for help, this guard-heavy lineup loves to run up and down the court

It was Santana's five rebounds in the first quarter that enabled the Tigers to push such a tempo in transition and open with a 12-2 run that set the tone for the night. On both ends, the undersized Santana does the dirty work underneath night after night, in spite of his guard-like frame.

"I thought the difference in the game at so many levels was Barry," Connolly said. "Barry was so active all night long. He was on the glass, loose balls, defensively, he easily had a double-double tonight. He kept balls alive for us."

Thorpe said Santana is "an animal."

"He's just always going, no matter what," Thorpe said. "He gets so excited for these games, and just loves to go. Nobody's going to stop him, he doesn't like to lose, and when we lost to Brockton (on Sunday) he took it really hard. He made sure to make a statement coming out tonight. I love playing with him."

Thorpe stepping up: Connolly commented on Thorpe's play over the last week and half, stressing that the Emerson-bound senior has "really shown some great point guard ability."

"He's really, really solid," Connolly said. "I get on him in terms of turnovers, missed assignments sometimes. But he takes it, he's real coachable. His point guard ability in the last couple of weeks has really elevated."

Also playing a motivating factor? Public perception.

"You've kind of just got to step up," Thorpe said. "You know people are talking about you, 'Newton North this, Newton North that'...coming into the season, people were like 'Oh, Newton North doesn't have any size', blah blah, 'They're going to be mediocre at best'. Then we blow the head off, we win our first 14 games and [now] people are like 'Whoa, Newton North is this'."

'Mobley Time', part 2: Last month, we introduced the term "Mobley Time" on this blog to characterize St. Peter-Marian senior swingman Matt Mobley and his knack for explosive late-game performances. Perhaps Tommy Mobley, North's promising sharp-shooter of a freshman, could be the heir apparent.

The 15-year-old Mobley, brother of former North star and Yale sophomore Greg Kelley, has been known to put up as many as 1,000 jump shots in a day. It shows on the court; there are few freshman seen at the MIAA level with not only stout confidence in his shot, but mastery of it -- a repeatable follow-through, perfect 60-degree arc, soft touch and quick release.

Mobley didn't enter the game until the fourth quarter tonight, and it's probably hard for the unfamiliar to believe that the shot he took seems so automatic coming off his hands. But just ask his coaches and teammates what it's like playing with him.

"It's a blessing, just to have him coming off the bench," Thorpe said. "You know when it goes up, it's going in. It's beautiful to have a kid like that."

Said Connolly, "He's fearless, he's a real weapon for us. He's got a great attitude, he's real, real coachable."

BROCKTON, Mass. -– The Brockton Boxers wasted no time sprinting out of the gates in their contest with visiting Mansfield, with an 18-2 run to start the game.

Fueled over that span by eight points from Jahleel Moise and seven from Jean Thomas, they never looked back, knocking out the Hornets, 69-48.

“We played great at the start of the game,” said Brockton head coach Bob Boen. “We came out and played tough defense, we got the very big lead, I think we maybe made Mansfield lose a little bit of confidence there. They are a very good team. After that, it was kind of a struggle, back-and-forth, pretty even game. But we never let them get back in striking range.”

Brockton (12-1) again received a solid effort from 6-foot-6 senior center Sayvonn Houston, who recorded his second straight double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. When Mansfield (10-6) pulled to within 11 in the second quarter, Houston showed off his elite talent by heaving a full-court pass to a streaking Moise, who slammed it home.

“What really worked for us was inside and playing tough defense on them,” Houston said. “We know that everyone on that team can shoot. We had to get out and harass the shooters and get back on defense.”

After Houston’s court-long pass to Moise, he recorded a block on the other end, and then he went on to score the game's next six points to extend the lead back to 19.

“Sayvonn has been big and strong all year,” said Boen. “Again tonight [he] was able to clear himself some space, rebound the ball, and put it back in even he’s being pumped, and pushed and guys are landing on him. He’s strong enough that he can take a hit and still put the ball in the basket.”

The Boxers were able to convert offensive boards into points. Their athleticism showed at the other end, totaling eight blocks, but it really shined through in their transition game. The Hornets were never able to get a break, while the Boxers consistently pushed the ball.

Moise finished with 14 points and three blocks, while Thomas added eight boards.

“Jean’s very active,” Boen added. “He was able to get to a couple balls that maybe Sayvonn got a finger on and they were loose. Jean was able to jump up and get them and lay them back in. I think he got one that he flipped up a quick shot and missed, and Jahleel got it and he missed, and Sayvonn got it and laid it in. Between the three of them, they did a very nice job on the offensive boards.”

Confidence boost: Just two days removed from a thrilling overtime victory over previously-unbeaten Newton North, the Boxers were facing another Division 1 South tournament-bound team. Not only was Brockton able to take down the defending South champions, they were able to take the game by a comfortable margin.

“Well it’s a big game to beat these tournament teams,” said who. “We’re in a stretch here were we’re playing four tournament teams in a row. Each one does something a little different. I told these guys that Mansfield has been to the Boston Garden the last two years so their sort of the top program south of Boston. You have to go and beat them and show people we can beat anybody.”

Houston echoed the sentiments of his coach.

“It’s a really big win and confidence booster,” Houston said. “We knew we had to come here ready to play, you know what I mean, don’t let up. We’re going to keep working hard.”

A Bright Spot: Mansfield was coming off one of its worst shooting performances of the season Friday night against Hockomock rival King Philip. Although the shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, the Hornets were able to keep pace throughout the rest of the game, even outscoring the Boxers in the third quarter.

Mansfield’s Greg Romanko is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points a game, and finished the game with 14 points –- tied for the team-high with freshman Brendan Hill.

Now the Hornets will return to league play with a chance of securing the Kelley-Rex season crown with wins over Attleboro and Franklin.

We've updated our statewide MIAA Boys Basketball Top 25 poll this afternoon, and with Central Catholic taking a tumble we've got a new No. 1 for just the second time this season.

Catholic Memorial, on the heels of an emotional win over archrival BC High last Friday night, takes over the top spot for the first time in poll history. It also marks the first time in poll history that neither Central Catholic nor St. John's Prep has held the top spot, with the two flip-flopping spots several times over the last season and a half.

The last time Central Catholic was dethroned from the top spot, Prep lasted one week before taking losses to BC High and Catholic Memorial. Can the CM Knights right the trend?

Meanwhile, Springfield Central moves up to its highest position ever, No. 2, following another solid week that included a win over Springfield Commerce. Stoughton, Brockton and Central Catholic round out the top five in respective order.

Brighton moves up to the No. 6 spot, while Newton North falls four spots to No. 7 following the loss yesterday to Brockton. King Philip (8), New Mission (9) and Acton-Boxborough (10) round out the Top 10.

At the bottom of the order, Lowell makes its return to the Top 25, at No. 22, following the Red Raiders' upset of Central Catholic on Friday. Falmouth (23) and Wareham (24) also make their debuts this week.

As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.

BROCKTON, Mass. — Brockton’s lack of free throw shooting was a big reason that Newton North was able to erase a 15-point first half deficit, but when the Boxers absolutely needed a pair from the stripe they got it.

Sayvonn Houston hit two clutch free throws with 16.3 seconds left to force overtime, and the Boxers (11-1) rushed away from the Tigers in the extra session to seal a 71-65 win at Staff Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.

“It was necessary,” said Boxers head coach Bob Boen. “I don’t know if that’s what I have to tell him, but we need him to make those shots. Yes, we had shot very poorly and you wouldn’t have want to bet that we were going to make those two the way that we had been shooting. But he made two big shots and we had to have them.”

Houston was fouled after a free throw from Michael Thorpe gave the Tigers a 61-59 lead in the waning moments of the fourth. The Boxers big man had good form on both free throws and they were no-doubters to tie the game.

“I had to calm down and knock down my free throws,” said Houston, who scored 12 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

Houston was 2-for-6 from the line before making his final two, and the Boxers finished 50 percent from the line in the game and went 15-of-30 in the second half to let the Tigers get back into the game.

The Tigers had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but watched as a rushed 3-pointer in the corner from Tim Stanton hit off the rim with only 1.1 seconds left to get it off.

Jamal Reuben scored five points in the extra session and the Boxers held the Tigers to one field goal and two free throws in the final four minutes of play to run away with the game.

Boxers' Athletes Stand Out: It’s easy to see that the Boxers are probably the most athletically gifted team in Div. 1 South — which will be one of the deeper divisions in all of the tournament.

Houston is a force inside that many teams won’t be able to matchup with, but Jahleel Moise brings a knack for being a menace to anyone coming down the lane. The 6-foot-3 Moise is an athletic wing and he had a complete game with eight points, nine blocks and six rebounds in the victory.

“I said to someone the other day that Jahleel is the most amazing shot blocker that I’ve ever seen at Brockton High,” said Boen. “I’ve been here 29 years now as a JV coach and varsity coach. He gets about that many blocks every game. He gets off his feet so quick and really sees the ball well. He’s the best shot blocker that we’ve ever had by far.”

Tamed Tigers Wake Up: Paul Connolly wasn’t quite sure what team he was looking at in the first quarter — and most of the first half. His Tigers needed a heave at the buzzer by Luke Westman to score seven points in the first quarter and fell down by as much at 15 in the second.

But Connolly’s bunch clawed its way back into the game when it looked like it just wasn’t possible.

Thorpe scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and freshman Tommy Mobley hit three big 3-pointers — including the one in the beginning of the fourth quarter that gave the Tigers their first lead.

“We were down 15-4 to start the game,” said Connolly. “That’s not the team that I’ve coached in the last 14 games. I was disappointed early in the game, as disappointed as I’ve been coaching. But now as I sit here I’m really proud of my guys because we battled.”

The Tigers are now 14-1 on the season.