ESPN

A source told ESPNBoston.com this afternoon that two more Class of 2013 recruits will be joining the UMass football program as walk-ons: Running back Shadrach Abrokwah of St. John's of Shrewsbury, and athlete Mike Rapoza of New Bedford High.

The 5-foot-8, 205-pound Abrokwah was one of the state's most productive backs last fall for the Pioneers, as they advanced to the MIAA Division 1 Central Super Bowl. In 2012, his first season as the Pioneers' full-time starter, he carried the ball 213 times for 1,540 yards and 22 touchdowns, with just one fumble; he also caught 21 passes for 437 yards and two more scores. Abrokwah has reportedly run a hand-timed 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range.

Rapoza was one of the more decorated quarterbacks from the South Coast region in 2012, most notably winning the Otto Graham Award as the best overall player in Southeastern Massachusetts. He threw for 15 touchdown passes, ran for two more, kicked 20 extra points, and was among the Whalers' leading tacklers at linebacker.

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Ben White has proven over the last couple of years that he is quite capable of pitching in any situation which presents itself. Spot the senior a six run lead and it is a near-certainty the opponent is done for.

Such was the case on Monday when St. John’s of Shrewsbury jumped on rival St. Peter-Marian for six runs in the first two innings, en route to an 8-1 triumph.

While the Pioneer offense did its job, the day belong to White. The tall, lanky righthander was in control throughout during his seven innings of work on the mound, holding the Guardians to just one hit while striking out 13.

"This game is always a big rivalry game for us," said White. "It has gone back many years. That team always competes and I know all of those guys over there. My catcher Scott (Manea) called a great game and my defense was strong behind me when I needed them to be. I was throwing my slider, my change up and my two-seamer and we just continued working it in the zone and it worked today."

St. John’s (3-1) took advantage of some early wildness from SPM righty Zach Zona. The UMass-bound senior, who tossed a no-hitter against Burncoat in his previous outing, got off to a rocky first inning by hitting a pair of batters sandwiched around a walk to load the bases with none out. Zona, who played for St. John’s his first two years before transferring to SPM last season, then issued another walk to Jake Byrne forcing in the Pioneers’ first run. Owen Shea and Joey Evangalista followed with RBI singles to make it 3-0.

Zona’s woes continued the following frame. He walked Mike Sullivan and, with two out, he induced a Byrne grounder to short. What should have been the final out instead resulted in shortstop Cam Frederick misplaying the ball to keep the inning alive. Shea followed that up by launching an 0-1 pitch deep over the left field fence to put St. John’s up by six.

"Zach was off with his control early on," Guardians coach Ed Riley said. "I give him credit for gutting it out there until he was relieved in the sixth. But when you fall behind after giving up three runs in the first and three more in the second against a quality pitcher like that, it is tough to comeback. Ben threw a great game for them and hats off to him."

The six runs proved to be more than enough ammunition for White, who will play at Holy Cross next season. White thoroughly mesmerized the SPM line up all afternoon. The Guardians lone hit came in the second on a Jon Roy infield single. From there, White retired the next 15 batters before a pair of errors in the seventh cost him the shutout as SPM (1-4) was able to get a run across.

"It was important for us to get going offensively,” said Pioneers coach Charlie Eppinger. "We felt our pitching and defense would take care of itself but we needed to score. We know Zach well having spent his first two years here at St. John’s and we know he’s a very good pitcher. That’s why we knew it would be important for us to get some runs off of him early.

"Ben is our ace this year. Last year he was our No. 3 and was sort of hidden behind two of our other pitchers. This year he is going to pitch in some big games for us from now to hopefully June. I thought today he worked hard and kept his composure. He was in control and Scott did a real nice job guiding him from behind the plate."

St. John’s added solo runs in the fifth and seventh innings. In the fifth, Micah Cummins delivered an RBI single and in the seventh, with the bases full, Guardian reliever Danny Bushe plunked Kevin Quinlivan to drive in the eighth run.

SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- The mindset of Brandon Bingel is quite simple. The St. John’s Prep pitcher knows his out pitch is a fastball and over his career here it has worked effectively. But against St. John’s Thursday afternoon, Bingel knew the Pioneers were sitting dead red on his fastball and decided to change his repertoire up a bit.

The Bryant University-bound right-hander mixed in a change up and a tight slider which kept the St. John’s hitters off-balance long enough to earn a 2-1 victory at chilly Pioneer Field.

“I felt all of my stuff was on today,” said Bingel, a senior. “Usually I like to go fastball until a team shows me they can hit it. I knew (St. John’s) was a good hitting team so I decided to go with my slider and change which they really couldn’t hit so it worked out.”

After losing their season opener to defending Division 1 state champ Xaverian, the Eagles (4-1) have now rolled off four straight victories. This one, however, was far from easy.

With this contest tied 1-1 through five innings, Prep scored the eventual game winner in its half of the sixth. Tyler Noe was plunked by Pioneer starter P.J. Browne. The junior lefty’s day was done at that point despite putting forth a strong outing by scattering three hits and fanning five.

Reliever Jacques Boilard was called upon to keep the game deadlocked. Noe stole second and advanced to third on a ground out. Senior Nick Bragole then grounded a single up the middle plating Noe with the go-ahead run.

Having scored 22 runs in its first two games, St. John’s (2-1) went down unceremoniously over the final two innings as Bingel earned the complete game victory, surrendering five hits and striking out 11.

“Brandon had all three of his pitches going today,” longtime Prep coach Pat Yanchus said. “St. John’s is a very good team and always gives us a good game. There weren’t a lot of hits today but we took advantage of the ones we got.”

The Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third. Natty Cabral opened with a double to left and was bunted to third by Alex Moore. Cabral came home moments later on Tommy Buonopane’s fielders choice.

St. John’s answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. A bloop single by Micah Cummings was followed up by an opposite field Kevin Quinlivan double to left. With two runners in scoring position, Tom Petry grounded a single to left to plate Cummings. But Bingel avoided further trouble by striking out Mike Sullivan and Scott Manea ending the threat.

“Obviously Bingel is a heck of a pitcher,” Pioneers coach Charlie Eppinger said. “We had some opportunities in that third inning and then in the fifth when Cummings led off with a double but we couldn’t get a bunt down to advance him and we ended up failing to score in that inning. If you can’t score in situations against a team like that it is going to come back to bite you and today it did.”

Defending Division 1 state champion Duxbury opens another season as the No. 1 team in our initial MIAA boys' lacrosse poll Top 25 poll.

The Dragons, despite losing 10 Division 1 recruits off of last year's team, are deep again and looking for their 10th state title in the last 11 years. They will surely face a stiff challenge from Lincoln-Sudbury, which checks in at No. 2, and boasts a host of Division 1 talent in its own right. Last year's Division 1 state runner-up Needham begins the season at No. 3

CROWDED IN D2
Once again, the Division 2 race should be one to watch. Defending state champion Concord-Carlisle gained the highest ranking by a D2 team, peaking at No. 5. But they'll field challenges throughout the year from a bunch of D2 teams huddled in the Top 10. Hingham claims the No. 6 spot, followed by Catholic Memorial (No. 7), Reading (No. 9) and Medfield (No. 10).

The Central Mass competition in the division will also be tightly contested with defending sectional champion Algonquin (No. 16), but look for Grafton to make a push, starting out at No. 18, and No. 23 St. John's (Shrewsbury) is always a force.

There is one lone Division 3 representative in our initial poll, with defending state champion Dover-Sherborn appearing at No. 13.

Attackmen:
Tyler Bogart, Soph., Catholic Memorial
Jordan Dow, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Jay Drapeau, Jr., Westford Academy
Brandon Jaeger, Sr., Dover-Sherborn
C.J. LoConte, Sr., Duxbury
Andrew Melvin, Sr., Medfield
Nick Menzel, Jr., Archbishop Williams
Nico Panepinto, Sr., Needham
Robbie Pisano, Sr., Needham
Tyler Reilly, Sr., Grafton
Andrew Smiley, Jr., St. John’s (Shrewsbury)

Midfielders:
Kevin Bletzer, Jr., Catholic Memorial
Will Blumenberg, Soph., Concord-Carlisle
Caleb Brodie, Jr., Hingham
Alec Brown, Sr., Wakefield
Tucker Ciessau, Sr., Scituate
Dan Delaney, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Henry Guild, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Carson Hart, Sr., Wayland
Davis Kraft, Sr., Algonquin
Matt LaCroix, Sr., Westfield
Drew O’Connell, Jr., St. John’s Prep
Mikey Panepinto, Jr., Needham
Kieran Presley, Sr., Amherst
Bryan Rotartori, Sr., Grafton
Jack Wheeler, Jr., Xaverian

Long-stick Midfielders:
Nick Brozowski, Jr., Concord-Carlisle
Mike Elcock, Jr., Needham
D.J. George, Sr., Arlington Catholic
John Sexton, Jr., Lincoln-Sudbury

Defensemen:
Evan Boynton, Sr., Concord-Carlisle
Tim Gillis, Soph., Cohasset
Brian Uva, Sr., St. John’s Prep
Luc Valenza, Sr., Foxborough
Jay Walsh, Sr., Duxbury
Tyler Weeks, Sr., Andover
Ian Yanulis, Sr., BC High

Goaltender:
Andrew Blood, Jr., Walpole
Matt Comerford, Sr., Reading
Ryan Goodall, Sr., Dover-Sherborn
Nick Marrocco, Jr., Duxbury
Giles Ober, Sr., Algonquin
Jake Reynolds, Jr., Scituate
D.J. Smith, Sr., Billerica
Robert Treiber, Jr., Medfield
Tighe Van Lenten, Sr., Masconomet

In the biggest game of the year in MIAA hoops, the Division 1 state title game, it seemed as if the sophomores were hitting all the big shots. With hundreds of Mansfield fans directly behind the basket screaming and waving, Putnam sophomore Ty Nichols nailed two free throws with eight seconds left in overtime to seal the Beavers’ first state title in school history.

But let’s not forget how the game got to that point. Rewind to the end of regulation.

Mansfield sophomore Ryan Boulter put on one of the gutsiest performances that we saw all season. After he was fouled on a three-point attempt with five seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Boulter went to the line with an opportunity to tie the game and send it into overtime. Miss one, and his team, in all likelihood, would lose the game.

Not only did Boulter hit all three free throws, he did so without ever taking his eyes off the rim -— not even to catch the bounce passes that came from the referee following each of the first two free throws. He sent the game into overtime, then hit a three-pointer from the wing to give Mansfield the lead.

Following a four point swing by Putnam, Boulter put the team on his back one last time -— draining a three-pointer to tie the game with just seconds to go in overtime. Enter Nichols, and game over.

While Putnam’s entire team circled around their trophy in the pressroom after the game, a few of Mansfield’s players sat across the room waiting to be interviewed. Boulter fought back tears. Brendan Hill -- a sophomore who was Hockomock League MVP and considered to be a Division 1 prospect in both football and basketball -- stared at the floor, head in hands.

While listening for Putnam senior KayJuan Bynum talk about the pride that Springfield has in basketball, I couldn’t help but glance over at Hill and Boulter across the room. Both fierce competitors with unbelievable poise, they sat in the shadows of the pressroom while Putnam’s players hugged each other in celebration.

That was the ringing overtone talked about for days following the state title game: Mansfield will be back.

It was the same reaction seen on the floor of the Tsongas Center only a week earlier. After a crushing defeat to a more experienced Central Catholic team, Lynn English sophomore guard Stevie Collins pulled his jersey over his face as the final buzzer sounded, hiding tears from watching Central Catholic celebrate the Division 1 North championship.

The playoff run was an unexpected one for the Bulldogs, and English can be expected to be back next year. With Collins’ classmates Johnny Hilaire (6-foot-6 forward) and Erick Rosario (6-foot guard) both returning, as well as juniors Freddy Hogan and Danny Lukanda, expect a big run from English once again. The Bulldogs' run to the North final almost wasn’t possible, mainly because of 20 points from Everett sophomore Gary Clark in the quarterfinal match -- a high-scoring, back-and-forth match that left English the 94-87 victors.

English, Putnam, and Mansfield, and Everett are not alone in boasting talented young players, though. Statewide, the MIAA’s depth in the 2015 and 2016 classes is one of the best we have seen in recent memory.

***

DAVIS, COLLINS LEAD LONG LIST OF POINT GUARDS

Collins leads a long list of talented floor generals in the 2015 and 2016 classes. Those included (and very close behind him) are Lowell sophomore Kareem Davis, who ignited one of the state’s most exciting offenses this year; New Mission's Randy Glenn, a left-handed playmaker who was pivotal in helping the short-handed Titans make a run to the Boston City League championship; St. Peter-Marian freshman Makai Ashton, a fearless point guard who is considered to be the best long-term guard prospect in the Worcester area; and Melrose frosh Sherron Harris, whose "on-court killer" style of play is scarily similar to his cousin, Cushing Academy star Jalen Adams.

-- St. John's (Shrewsbury) sophomore Davon Jones has more big-game experience than any of the point guards listed above, as he has helped lead Bob Foley’s Pioneer squad to WPI each of the last two years. As mentioned with Hill, Jones is considered to be a Division 1 football prospect.

-- Boston English freshman Ernie Chatman will win a lot of games for Boston English over the next three years, Chatman is a great ballhandler who is also lightning quick and a great floor leader.

-- Along with Glenn and Chatman, Brighton freshman Javaughn Edmonds will make a major impact in the Boston City League in the coming years. Edmonds will be looked to to step in and help fill in some of the production missing from departing ESPN Boston Mr. Basketball Malik James.

***

MIAA’S TOP PROSPECT HEADS FORWARDS

There is no question who has the highest ceiling of any player in the MIAA. It is Springfield Central’s 6-foot-8 sophomore Chris Baldwin. A sureshot Division 1 prospect who can block shots, rebound at a high rate, and score in a variety of ways, Baldwin will make sure Central remains one of the state’s best hoops programs after making the Western Mass. Division 1 championship game once again this year.

St. Peter-Marian freshman Greg Kuakumensah will have big shoes to fill next year for the Guardians, especially as they soon graduate forward Tim Berry, the heart and soul of their offense. Kuakumensah, the younger brother of Brown University forward Cedric Kuakumensah, will join Ashton in what should be a very bright future for St. Peter-Marian. At 6-foot-4, he is a great shot blocker like his older brother, but is also tremendous athlete and competitor.

-- SPM isn’t the only squad returning a talented young duo though. Brighton, the Division 2 state champion, will, alongside Edmonds, return 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Jason Jones, who played a lead role in helping the Bengals to their first Boston City League championship.

-- Andover's 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Connor Merinder was limited in minutes this year as he recovered from a severe wrist injury. However, he was able to recover by playoff time and led the Warriors to the Division 1 North semifinals, knocking off Medford and St. John’s Prep in order to do so.

-- For all the attention to the prospects at larger Division 1 and 2 schools, keep an eye on 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Jake Wisniewski out of Quaboag. After averaging over 20 points per game for Quaboag this past year, the already-experienced post scorer is one of the state’s top prospects in Division 3. A talented forward at Division 3 New Leadership, 6-foot-6 freshman Davidson Pacheco, will take his talents elsewhere after averaging 10 points per game this year, what with the expected closing of the Springfield-based charter school.

***

MOBLEY, JUDSON CAN MAKE IT RAIN

Newton North sophomore Tommy Mobley was one of the state’s most feared scorers this year, leading the Tigers to a 20-4 record and picking up Bay State Carey MVP. Mobley and St. John’s Prep sophomore guard Ben Judson showed that they can be two of the MIAA’s best scorers again next year. Like Mobley, Judson’s three-point range extends all the way out to 25 feet—as both were known to drop a barrage of three-pointers on opponents this year, heavily guarded or not.

New Mission's Juwan Gooding, New Bedford's Tyree Weston, and Catholic Memorial's Guilien Smith, were all early exits from the state tournament this year. But as three of the MIAA’s most talented pure scorers in the 2015 class, they’ll be back for big runs next year. Smith and Gooding are finesse guys who use their quick first step to get to the rim, while Weston uses his sculpted frame to overpower opponents and score inside-out.

-- One other Springfield product to keep an eye on is Cathedral sophomore Darrick Boyd. The young, talented sharpshooter scored 19 points per game this year, leading Cathedral to a 13-9 record. Danvers sophomore Vinny Clifford, also a dead-eye shooter, will be looked at to be a leader for the two-time defending Division 3 state champion. Clifford, the younger brother of Merrimack College forward Mike Clifford, was an integral piece this year for a team led by Eric Martin, Nick Bates, and Nick McKenna.

-- Yet another two-sport star, Wakefield sophomore Bruce Brown, helped the Warriors make a deep run in the Division 2 North tournament this year, eventually falling to a deeper, more experienced North Andover team. Brown is an elite athlete who, at his best, is nearly unstoppable because of his upper body strength. On the football field, Brown caught seven touchdown passes as a wide receiver last fall.

-- Two 14-seed over 3-seed upsets in the first round of the Division 1 North tournament should be remembered going forward. Freshman Saul Phiri’s heroics in a first-round upset win helped lead Haverhill past Westford Academy, while frosh Keyshaad Dixon’s three-pointers sparked perhaps the most surprising win of the first round, as Braintree knocked off heavily-favored BC High.

-- St. John's (Shrewsbury) freshman Adham Floyd, was a very important piece for the Pioneers’ run to the Central Mass. Division 1 title game, starting several games during the season. Bishop Feehan freshman Mike Nelson, a teammate of Floyd's with the Shooting Stars AAU program, showed great poise in leading his team to an impressive run in the Division 3 South tournament, falling narrowly in the quarterfinals to eventual D3 South champion Martha’s Vineyard.

***

Picking the Super Team for this year's ESPN Boston MIAA All-State Team sparked as much debate as any Super Team selection in recent years. The statewide parity, talented young players bolting to prep school, and lack of scholarship-level talent in the upper classes forced careful consideration and a never-ending debate about picking out the MIAA’s elite upperclassmen.

However, with the amount of freshmen and sophomores who made a name for themselves on a big stage this year -- the instant-classic Division 1 state final between Mansfield and Putnam being the prime example -- it's likely we won’t spend too much time worrying about the pipelines of scholarship-level talent coming up the ranks in MIAA basketball.

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Even as he heard his coach from the sidelines clamoring for him to hold the ball, not shoot, St. John's Kenny Harrington couldn't resist instinct.

"I clearly had an off night shooting, but shooters shoot," the senior guard said with self-awareness. "So I kept looking for my shot. Davon [Jones] found me down in the corner, and I took advantage."

The result was eight seconds of chaos that won't soon be forgotten. The Pioneers held on for a 52-51 win over Algonquin in the nightcap of the Division 1 Central semifinals, at the hallowed Harrington Auditorium on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to advance to next Sunday's district finals at the same venue. But it was how it got to that final score that will be talked about for quite some time.

Harrington's initial attempt in the possession, a layup through traffic, hit iron and was tapped out to the top of the key, where the sophomore Jones cradled it away from an Algonquin defender. From there, Jones took two dribbles and kicked out to the left corner, where Harrington had drifted for the dramatic shot with eight seconds to go. That gave the Pioneers a 52-48 lead.

The ensuing inbounds pass was immediately heaved upcourt to Algonquin's Brandon Lukoff, who dribbled to the top of the key and dished to senior Brad Canova at the left wing. Canova sank the open three, and fell to the floor as he got contact from a St. John's player on the way down. Not enough contact was induced to call a foul, the officials determined -- to the chagrin of Tomahawk players, coach Brian Doherty, and just about everyone else in the building there to support Algonquin.

Fans stayed in their seats to protest loudly for several minutes, and Doherty had some choice words for the officials as police escorted the referees off the court.

"It's not worth commenting on officials," Doherty said. "It is what it is. You can't change it. They know what they did, I can't change it, so hey, move on. I don't comment on officials."

Asked in a follow-up question whether he felt there was enough contact to initiate a foul call, Doherty replied tersely, "I've got video I'm going to show them. That's all I'm going to say."

All that, of course, shouldn't overlook what was an otherwise climactic moment of redemption for Harrington, who struggled mightily tonight. Prior to his last-second shot, Harrington was 1-for-13 from the field.

Confirming Harrington's tale that he was told not to shoot, St. John's coach Bob Foley had a few laughs as he recounted the moment.

"I don't want to say that, but you're right," he said. "Well, it was 17 seconds to go, and we're ahead one point with a new shot clock. So yeah, I kinda said to take it out, and all of a sudden, bang."

With a dash of sarcasm, Foley quipped, "Yeah, good shot Kenny," adding with a chuckle, "Sometimes it's good when kids don't listen to you."

The Pioneers took command early in this one, taking a 36-21 halftime lead and going up as much as 20 (41-21) early in the third quarter. But the Tomahawks turned in quite the rally, outscoring the Pioneers 30-11 over the final 14 minutes of play.

Six-foot-8 sophomore A.J. Brodeur (17 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks) dominated on the defensive end early, registering four blocks in the first quarter and racking up seven rebounds by halftime, but he was only 4-for-11 from the field in the first half. Brodeur encountered similar struggles in the second half (2-for-7), but facilitated a terrific high-low game in the half-court, flashing in the post to generate open perimeter looks for Canova (14 points) and sophomore Michael Stamas (11).

"We knew what they were going to do in the second half was lay back, and we didn't shoot well at all in the first half," Doherty said. "I knew if we picked up our shooting a little bit, they're going to double A.J. harder, then he's just got to kick it. We talked alot about just attacking."

Jones led the way with 11 points for the Pioneers. Junior Charlie Murray, freshman Adham Floyd and junior T.J. Kelley all added 10 points apiece in the winning effort.

BOYS
1st Team
F – Liam Coughlin, Sr., Catholic Memorial
F – Brian Pinho, Sr., St. John’s Prep
F – Ara Nazarian, Soph., Malden Catholic
D – Casey Fitzgerald, Soph., Malden Catholic
D – Matt Foley, Sr., Springfield Cathedral
G – Peter Cronin, Sr., BC High

2nd Team
F – Sam D’Antuono, Soph., Hingham
F – Mike Kelleher, Sr., Central Catholic
F – Cam Owens, Sr., Wilmington
D – Bryan Nelson, Jr., St. John's (Shrewsbury)
D – Jack Williams, Sr., Springfield Cathedral
G – Drew Foley, Jr., Wilmington

GIRLS
1st Team
F – Alison Butler, Sr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
F – Jane Freda, Sr., Hingham
F – Kayla Smith, Sr., Woburn
D – Cassandra Connolly, Sr., Woburn
D – Annie Messuri, Jr., Acton-Boxborough
G – Courtney Davis, Jr., Woburn

2nd Team
F – Kaleigh Finigan, Sr., St. Mary's (Lynn)
F – Hannah Murphy, Sr., Duxbury
F - Adrieanna Rossini, Soph., Arlington Catholic
D – Tatiana Doucette, Jr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
D – Alexx Good, Sr., Falmouth
G – Maddie Scavotto, Soph., Falmouth

WHO COULD BE THERE
Aside from those named to our first two teams, there are a plenty of deserving candidates across the state that made for some very hard decisions.

Here's a peak at few players who were on the cusp and who are worth keeping tabs on as we near tournament time:

Tom Besinger, Sr. F, BC High: His two-goal performance in Saturday night's comeback win over Catholic Memorial tells you everything you need to know about the shifty center.

Eddie Pratt, Sr. F, Xaverian: It wouldn't be too outlandish to say that you could make a strong case for the power forward (15-11-26) as the Catholic Conference MVP.

Jack Kilty, Sr. F, Medway: Don't let the fact that the Mustangs play in D3 detract from his resume (17-17-34); he could skate on any line in the state.

Nick Rolli, Sr. D, Malden Catholic: It's been an up-and-down year for the Lancers, but the blue-liner is a steadying force, playing on all units.

Alex Buckley, Sr. G, Newburyport: In terms of shots seen, it's hard to beat his 94.8 save percentage.

Tim Birarelli, Soph. G, Beverly: The Panthers' offense gets a lot of the pub, but the second-year backstop has been a revelation this year as they've surrendered just 10 goals on the season.

Brittani Lanzilli, Jr. F, Medford: After transferring back from St. Mary's, she'll lead the Mustangs as far as they can go.

Maggie Layo, Jr. F, Sandwich: Among the leading scorers in the state (11-33-44), she's a huge part why no one will want to cross paths with the Blue Knights in D2.

Hannah Wright, Sr. D, Arlington: As close to a shut-down blue-liner as you'll find in MIAA hockey this year.

Shannon O'Neil, Sr. G, Austin Prep: Perhaps the toughest decision to make among all of them in a particularly good year of goaltending in the girls' game. A 97.2 percentage and six shutouts is about as good as it gets.

In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jonathan Green of St. John's High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Green is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from St. John's High School.

The 5-foot-10, 145-pound senior raced to his second straight Division I individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:29.6. A three-time First Team All-State selection, Green earned second place at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships, crossing the line in 15:36.8. He went on to finish 22nd at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 15:45.

Green has maintained a B average in the classroom. A devoted parishioner in his church community, he has volunteered locally as a youth cross country and track and field coach.

“I am extremely impressed by everything I have seen from Jonathan Green,” said Brian Wallace, head coach at Wachusett Regional High. “We have competed against him quite a bit and he always approaches the sport with class in addition to being an exceptional runner.”

Green has verbally committed to an athletic scholarship at Georgetown University beginning this fall.

Green joins Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Wesley Gallagher (2011-12, Pembroke High School), John Murray (2010-11, Shrewsbury High School), Patrick McGowan (2009-10, Mansfield), Mike Moverman (2008-09, Oliver Ames), and Robert Gibson (2007-08, Brookline) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.

***

Here are the winners from the five other New England states:

CONNECTICUT: HENRY WYNNE, STAPLES

The 6-foot-3 senior raced to the State Open championship this past season with a time of 15:49. Wynne also captured the Class LL state title, also in 15:49, and finished first at the Wickham Park Invitational, the Windham Invitational and the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Championships.

Wynne has maintained a 3.20 GPA in the classroom. A student ambassador in his school, he has volunteered locally on behalf of community road races.

“You won’t find anyone who works harder or is more dedicated to reaching his goals,” said Staples head coach Laddie Lawrence. “He’s established several school records and he’s knocking on the door of several more.”

Wynne has verbally committed to an athletic scholarship at the University of Virginia beginning this fall.

RHODE ISLAND: TREVOR CAWLEY, CUMBERLAND

The 5-foot-8 senior raced to the All-State Meet individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:39.47, leading the Clippers to fifth place as a team. A First Team All-State selection as named by the Providence Journal and Rhode Island Track Coaches Association, Crawley also won the Class A individual title in 15:52.20. Crawley captured second place at the New England Championships with a time of 16:14.21, placed sixth at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships in 15:47.3 and finished 38th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He concluded his senior season unbeaten against Rhode Island competition.

Also a track standout, Crawley has maintained a B average in the classroom. In addition to participating in the National Guard’s youth leadership program, he has volunteered on behalf of Cumberland’s recreation department, where he has also donated his time as a youth track and soccer instructor.

“Trevor is a very dedicated, internally motivated young man,” said Cumberland head coach Thomas Kenwood. “He wants to win and pushes himself each and every day in practice and races. He is goal-oriented, sets high standards for himself and so far has attained the goals.”

Crawley remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: JEREMY BRASSARD, COE-BROWN NORTHWOOD ACADEMY

The 6-foot junior raced to the Meet of Champions individual title this past season with a time of 15:46.1. Also the Runner of the Year as named by the Union Leader, Concord Monitor, Foster’s Daily Democrat and New Hampshire Cross Country Coaches Association, Brassard also won the Division II individual championship in 16:08. Brassard captured a state-best 19th place at the New England Championships in 16:52.77 and finished 74th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championships in 17:11.7. He concluded the regular season unbeaten against New Hampshire competition.

Also a track standout, Brassard has maintained a B average in the classroom. In addition to donating his time as part of food drives and community cleanup efforts, he has volunteered locally on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America, the Special Olympics, Court Appointed Special Advocates and The Way Home, an affordable-housing non-profit.

“Jeremy has overcome challenges not only to become one of the best athletes in the Northeast, but more importantly, has learned the value of citizenship and has given back tenfold,” said Coe-Brown coach Tim Cox. “Running-wise, while working a full-time camp counselor job away from home this past summer, Jeremy would do most of his training at 5 a.m. This is what separated him athletically from his peers.”

Brassard will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

MAINE: DANIEL CURTIS, ELLSWORTH

The 5-foot-11 junior raced to the Class B individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:47.52, leading the Eagles to fourth place as a team. Also the Runner of the Year as named by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Curts placed 17th at the New England Championships in 16:49.88 and finished 25th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships in 16:20.8. He captured third place at the 2010 and 2011 Class B state meets in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Also a track standout, Curts has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. In addition to donating hundreds of hours as a summer camp counselor, he has volunteered at the annual Mount Desert Island Marathon and as part of Welcome to My Home, a homelessness outreach and advocacy initiative.

“With his enthusiasm and work ethic, people just follow him,” said Ellsworth athletic director Jay Brown. “He’s a leader on the team. Along with Dan being a great athlete, he’s a great representative of our school. He’s so appreciative of all his accolades and everything he’s achieved. By the same token, he’s an ambassador for our school. The things he’s done are great for us. He gives our school a great name. He doesn’t have a bad quality about him.”

Curts will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

VERMONT: DANIEL GROSVENOR, MONTPELIER

The 5-foot-8 senior raced to the Division 2 individual state championship this past season with a time of 16:39.3, leading the Solons to fifth place as a team. Grosvenor finished 10th at the New England Cross Country Championships and captured 13th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships. He earned victories at the Essex Invitational, the Woods Trail Run and the Northern Vermont Athletic Conference Mountain Division Championships.

Grosvenor has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as an elementary school mentor and a wilderness safety instructor. He has also served on his school’s student council.

“Daniel had an extraordinary 2011, his first year running cross country, and he made significant improvement this year as a senior,” said Montpelier coach Tim Noonan. “He was committed, enthusiastic and a hard worker throughout the season.”

Grosvenor remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 boys basketball poll this afternoon. To find the complete poll, CLICK HERE.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Poll does not reflect Monday's results)

Some notes and observations about this week's poll:

Debuts for Westford, Algonquin: Two teams make their debuts this week, in Westford Academy (24) and Algonquin (25). For the former it's the Grey Ghosts' first appearance of the 2012-13 season. For Algonquin, it's an historic first, the Tomahawks' first foray into the Top 25 in our poll's three-year history. Stigmatized by a perceived weak schedule, the 8-0 Tomahawks had a dominant showing on Friday against a quality Fitchburg squad, winning by 20 points. They're also speared by a breakout campaign by 6-foot-6 sophomore post player A.J. Brodeur, who is one of Central Mass.'s leading scorers with 17 points per game.

City loses another squad: Hard to believe just a month ago, there were six Boston City League teams in the poll, following Dorchester's surprise upset of Madison Park. Both those teams quickly fell out in the ensuing weeks, and now Charlestown joins them on the list of teams dropping out. It was a less than inspiring week for the Townies, who barely skirted by Latin Academy, then finished the week out with losses to West Roxbury (56-50) and St. Peter-Marian (74-66).

New Mission (2), Brighton (12) and East Boston (15) are the three Boston City League teams representing this week.

Historic week for St. Peter-Marian: In a week that few saw coming, St. Peter-Marian knocked off Catholic Memorial, St. John's of Shrewsbury and Charlestown in a span of six days. For that effort, the Guardians shot up the poll, from No. 25 to No. 14, this week. How long that lasts, however, remains to be seen. The Guardians took one on the chin tonight from unranked Whitinsville Christian, 64-49. The Crusaders themselves sit on the outside looking in, getting notice in the "Last 10 out" section this week.

MVC dominance: For the first time this season, all four of the Merrimack Valley Conference teams in the poll sit in the Top 10. Central Catholic remains No. 1 for the third straight week, followed by Andover (7), North Andover (9) and Lowell (10), the latter of which dropped eight spots following an upset by North Andover on Friday.

Here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:

Merrimack Valley - 4
Boston City League - 3
Catholic Conference - 3
Central Mass. Conference - 2
Hockomock - 2
Mid-Wach A - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Dual County - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1

This week's high school basketball podcast is up. To hear it, CLICK HERE.

You can also download the podcast off of iTunes.

ESPN Boston High Schools editor Brendan Hall and correspondent Chris Bradley discuss an upset-minded week of high school hoops, including St. Peter-Marian's wins over Catholic Memorial and St. John's of Shrewsbury. We also take an early peek at Friday's monster slate of matchups -- let's call it "Separation Friday" -- and take a brief peek at the upcoming Hoophall Classic in Springfield.

NOTE: This podcast was recorded on Thursday afternoon

CANTON, Mass. -- When the first period ended and the score was only 1-0, it felt as though No. 15 Arlington Catholic has missed a golden opportunity to put away its Catholic Central League rival and claim two points.

Archbishop Williams relied on goalie Joe Vinay’s 16 first-period saves to stay in Saturday night’s physical encounter at the Canton Sportsplex and finished with a strong couple of periods to earn a 1-1 tie.

In fact, Archies (4-2-3) had the best chances to win the game in the third period.

On a quick transition off a Vinay save, junior Mike Jessman paused to allow a defender to slide by before ringing a shot off the crossbar. With 1:46 remaining in the game, the Bishops (4-2-3, 1-0-2) were awarded a power play, but were stymied by aggressive Arlington Catholic defending and a great kick save by goaltender Bryan Hunt.

Cougars head coach Dan Shine credited his penalty kill unit for being able to hold on to the point in the final moments and noted that his team practices blocking shots to be prepared for those situations.

“It’s been a strength of ours all season,” he said. “It’s nice when you know that you have guys that specialize in something and they specialize in that. They love it and they thrive on it and they love to block shots. We keep track of those stats and I’m sure someone has taken the lead tonight.”

Sophomore forward Ryan Spagnoli wasted no time giving Arlington Catholic (4-1-3, 2-0-2) the lead when he took hold of a rebound and roofed the opening goal inside the opening 30 seconds. The first period was a shooting gallery for AC, which outshot Archies 17-5, but could not find a way past an inspired Vinay (29 saves overall).

Archies head coach Derackk Curtis spoke afterwards about how important the play of his senior goalie was in keeping the team in the game.

“To be honest with you, he has been playing awesome this year,” Curtis said. “He kept us in the game. That’s what a good goalie does. He gave us an opportunity to get back in the game and maybe even win it.”

After the intermission, Archies stormed back into the game with a strong second period. They outshot AC 9-5 in the period and took the initiative to keep the puck in the Arlington Catholic zone. The pressure paid off when sophomore Tyler Bradford stole the puck at the blue line and slid a shot under the pad of Hunt to tie the game at one apiece.

Curtis admitted to having some choice words for his team at the break and was pleased to see a reaction in the final two periods.

“You look at the maturation process of the players and sometimes the kids come into the game not fully committed to playing the game,” he explained. “I want to be clear with the kids that if they go out and play to their full potential, they have the opportunity to do great things. We have a good hockey club and we had to figure it out.”

Shine also praised the Archies goaltender and credited his opponents for making it a great league game.

“I thought that it might come back to bite us that we didn’t pop another one,” he said of Vinay. “Give credit to their goalie, I think he played terrific. I thought we played very, very well. It was a great game between two real good hockey teams. We’ll both be in the mix come the end of the season.”

Arlington Catholic will travel to Worcester on Monday to face off against St. John’s (Shrewsbury) and Archbishop Williams will host St. Mary’s (Lynn) on Wednesday.

With the majority of teams about a third of the way through their regular season schedule, we reflect on individuals who have stepped up for their team when the lights are bright, underclassmen who have exceeded expectations, and breakout players to keep an eye on for the rest of the season. Included also are comments from opposing MIAA coaches, on the condition of confidentiality.

***

REASSERTING THEIR TALENT

Nate Anderson, 6-7 Sr. F, New Mission
Anderson’s improvement has been well documented this year, especially in his rebounding and effort on the defensive end of the floor. New Mission lacked floor leadership last year, as seen with their early bounce from the Division 2 North tournament, but Anderson has stepped up in a big way this year for the Titans, who have perhaps the toughest schedule in all of MIAA hoops. How far supremely-talented New Mission goes in this tournament this year will ride largely on the shoulders of their senior forward.
Opposing coach’s take: “I always thought Nate was talented and wondered why he never played more. He’s about 6-6, 6-7, which is a center at this level, but he handles the ball and is mobile like a guard. Now that he is a senior and he has become older, more experienced, and is coming out of his shell, I think he has the potential to be dominant.”

Sam Dowden, 6-5 Sr. F, Andover
Expectations were high for Andover coming into this season, with several veteran guards back and one of the area’s more formidable frontcourt duos in Dowden and sophomore Connor Merinder. Merinder has been out of action since mid-December with a wrist injury, and since then Dowden has stepped up in a big way for the Golden Warriors. Andover sits at 5-2, with their only losses coming by a point to top-ranked Central Catholic and by ten to second-ranked Lowell. Dowden has led them in scoring and rebounding thus far, but he and the Warriors have their toughest challenges ahead of them with four MVC teams ranked in the top 15.
Opposing coach’s take: “A matchup nightmare because he can post up against smaller players and is extremely skilled on the perimeter when you try to match up with a bigger player on him. Sam never seems to get rattled or take bad shots during a game. Plays the game the right way and is always a class act on and off the court.”

Tyler Nelson, 6-2 Jr. G, Central Catholic
Nelson is the most dangerous shooter in the state, undoubted and no questions asked, but what has made him stand out so far this year is how versatile he has become. Playing AAU this summer with BABC, Nelson had a significant opportunity to improve his ball handling, his ability to run an offense, and his defensive reliability. At the end of last season Nelson’s name was always came accompanied by remarks about his shooting ability, but he has become one of the better all-around scorers in the area and a reliable floor leader for Coach Rick Nault.
Opposing coach’s take: “I think he's very crafty. I think that he has high IQ. You cannot relax at any time, because he'll knock down three's. If you over-close on him, he's crafty enough to take that extra dribble and get by you and make a play for somebody else or use his pull-up. So that's what I'd say, very crafty, intelligent, high IQ, smart basketball player.”

Derek Collins, 6-1 Sr. G, North Andover
Yes, another sniper from the Merrimack Valley. Collins came back and is having a solid year for the Scarlet Knights after missing the majority of last season with a back injury. North Andover is one of the best teams in Division 2 this year, currently sitting at No. 14 in ESPNBoston.com's poll, and while their strongpoint is in their frontcourt with Isaiah Nelsen and Chris Bardwell, Collins prevents other teams to be able to double down on Nelsen and Bardwell very often because that would leave the sharpshooting Collins open in his favorite part of the floor.
Opposing coach’s take: “Extremely confident player who can take over the game at any point. Derek has learned how to move without the ball which makes him a much more dangerous offensive player. As a 6-2 guard Derek is much bigger and stronger than most guards he matches up with so he is able to to use his size and strength to score in the paint.”

Riyadh Asad, 6-1 Sr. G, West Springfield
Springfield Central got a lot of the pre-season hype following their 24-1 state championship season, starting this season at No. 1 in our preseason poll. However, West Side has emerged in the opening weeks of the season as the potential favorite in Western Mass. Division 1, and Asad is a big reason why. He’s averaging just over 21 points per game and has shown to be one of the best guards in Western Mass. With Central looking particularly unreliable early on, we could be in for an adventure in Western Mass the rest of the way, and if Asad can keep up with his high-scoring efficiency, West Springfield is a team to keep an eye on from here on out.
Opposing coach’s take: “Asad is one of the more talented players in western Mass. His ability to create and make shots is what stood out to me. He's also been working on his off ball movement ( using screens, cutting hard. etc) which will carry over well for him at the next level. Preparing for him you have to tell your team to be prepared at all times because he loves to shoot!”

Brendan Hill, 6-5 Soph. F, Mansfield
Mansfield is one of the favorites to take Division 1 South, and Hill is a big reason why. Also a football star, Hill’s strong hands, crafty footwork, and innate competitiveness have translated to the basketball court this winter season, as perhaps the most reliable player on one of the best teams in the state. Hill got minutes last year as a freshman, but really broke out this summer playing for BABC, where he was able to work on his post moves and improve his outside shot.
Opposing coach’s take: “Brendan Hill is the most unselfish player in the MIAA. I don't know what kid comes off a summer playing with BABC and doesn't demand the ball every possession. He's a raw Pat Connaughton without the athleticism. He can stretch you, suck the help in and make the right kick out almost all the time. He can dominate offensively but has to get stronger to absorb the banging he will have to take in the Hock league.”

***

FRESH ON THE SCENE

Kareem Davis, 5-8 Soph. G, Lowell
Like any sophomore, he needs to continue to hit the weights so that he doesn’t get pushed around by stronger guards, but Davis has proven to be one of the state’s best young point guards. Lowell sits as the second-ranked team in the state right now, with a showdown on Jan. 18 with top-ranked Central Catholic coming up quickly. Going up against one of the state’s best guards in that game in Tyler Nelson, we’ll soon see how for real Davis is.
Opposing coach’s take: “Kareem is an excellent ballhandler who sees the floor well. He has complete confidence in his abilities and isn't afraid of anything. What makes him hard to cover is that not only does he push the ball up the floor so quickly, but he can also shoot.”

Adham Floyd, 6-1 Fr. G, St. John's (Shrewsbury)
In going through the top 25 poll, there are few freshmen, if any, who are bringing more to their team right now than Floyd; through six games, he is the Pioneers’ second-leading scorer with 9 points per game. With senior captain Ken Harrington out injured for the near future, St. John’s will somehow need to make up for that productivity in the backcourt – the crafty freshman will take his lumps, but he’ll be better for it in the Division 1 tournament, where the Pioneers are infamous for out-executing their opponents.
Opposing coach’s take: “Adham is a very talented young man who works hard on his game. He has a very good skill set. He can handle the ball with both hands, he rebounds well and is not afraid to take the big shot. He also plays with poise beyond his years...He is going to be a handful for years to come.”

Ben Judson, 6-4 Soph. F, St. John's Prep
Judson’s coming-out party was Friday night against BC High, where the sharpshooting sophomore led the Prep with 20 points on their way to their most important win of the season -– he had five threes. This St. John’s Prep team has bought into Coach Sean Connolly’s system and has no problem scrapping on defense; if Judson can continue his standout scoring performances, this team is a legitimate contender to knock off Central Catholic in Division 1 North.
Opposing coaches’ take: “He really didn’t get a lot of time last year, they had a lot of older guys and he had to wait his turn. But already this year he has been one of the best shooters in the area. He’s big and long for a guard. If he gets bigger and improves off the dribble, we’re talking about a scholarship-level player.”

Giulien Smith, 6-1 Soph. G, Catholic Memorial
Smith has been the scorer that Catholic Memorial needed this season, especially after the Knights graduated two thousand-point scorers in Dan Powers and Matt Droney. The crafty left-hander has been one of the state’s biggest breakout stars thus far, scoring 21 against Lincoln-Sudbury, 16 against Rhode Island power St. Raphael’s, and exploding for 28 points in a win over Bay State Conference favorite Newton North. The Knights have emerged as a legitimate top 10 team behind Smith, and have the potential to stay in the top 10 from here on out if their high-scoring sophomore can keep up his effort.
Opposing coach’s take: “He’s a terrific player, and is really, really smooth. He shoots it, handles it, gets to the basket, has great poise and a pretty good tempo to he’s game. I think he’s got a big upside.”

***

PLEASANT SURPRISES

Allijah Robinson, 6-7 Jr. F, Charlestown
He’s bounced around high schools, but it appears that Robinson has found his niche and is becoming quite the on-court leader at Charlestown. With forward Freddy Oliviera playing the post, Robinson has had the opportunity to play his more natural position on the wing -– where he can create his own shot and beat defenders to the rim off the dribble.
Opposing coach’s take: “At 6-foot-7, Alijah Robinson is clearly a matchup problem for any opponent in the state. I was impressed by his nice shooting stroke. Once he beefs up a little more and bangs inside more, he will be even more of a force than he already is.”

Charles Collins, 6-0 Sr. G, BC High
On most other teams in the state, Collins would be a star. The Eagles have their scorer in Jameilen Jones, but so far Collins has been the perfect complement to his good friend and backcourt mate. His outside jumper needs improving, but Collins has been a floor general for BC High at point guard, often showing to be an extension of Coach Bill Loughnane on the floor. Because of his high basketball IQ, matched with his gifted athleticism, he is one of the more college-ready prospects in the state.
Opposing coach’s take: “Charles Collins is a consistent jump shot away from being the MIAA’s most versatile player. He can beat you many ways off the drive as well. He is a coaches’ point guard because he can not only put offensive pressure on another team, defensively he can take an opposing teams’ point guard completely out of his game.”

Drew Healy, 6-7 Sr. C, Lowell
Healy can block shots, hit the mid-range jumper, he rebounds at a high rate, and he runs the floor like a deer. Lowell has one of the most talented assortment of guards in the state, and Healy’s low post skills make it difficult for opposing defenses to focus on one or two players. Veteran guards always win ballgames in the MIAA, but when thrown together with a 6-foot-7 big man with standout upper body strength, this Lowell team has state title potential written all over it.
Opposing coach’s take: “Drew is interesting because he is nowhere near Lowell's top option. He played limited minutes in the Greater Lowell Holiday Tournament, but is very effective when he is on the court. He rebounds well and blocks shots well. He would score much more if Lowell focused on him in the paint and got him the ball. I understand why -- Jonathan Perez and the other Kareem Davis are the focus of the team.”

Alex Cooper, 6-6 Sr. C, Wachusett
If you’re Central Mass. team trying to earn respect, the one and only way to do that is to beat St. John’s, and behind Cooper, the Mountaineers did just that, knocking off the Pioneers last week at the Laska Invitational. Cooper’s game isn’t always pretty, but he seems to have a knack for getting it done when Wachusett needs him the most, getting double digits in both points and rebounds in wins over St. John’s and Doherty. Wachusett shot up the polls to No. 8 after beating the Pioneers, but they have plenty of challenges ahead, with Algonquin, Worcester South, Brockton, St. John’s, BC High, and Cambridge still on their regular season schedule.
Opposing coach’s take: “He doesn't get outworked. For what he lacks in skill, he makes up for in hustle, and he leads by example.”

Dakari Hannahwornum, 6-7 Sr. F, Dorchester
26 points and 28 rebounds. Yes, you read that correctly, Dorchester’s standout big man put up 26 and 28 when they beat previously-ranked Madison Park on Dec. 21. Hannahwornum can be an X-factor for the Bears in their run to a Division 2 South title, especially with his ability to take over games from the low block and overpower teams on the glass. Dorchester has been the breakout team in the Boston City League this year, and behind their skilled big man, they have the talent to be in a game with any given team in the state on any given night.
Opposing coach’s take: “He’s raw but has good potential, he needs to go to a juco or a D2 [college] where they can work with him year round. He erases a lot of defensive mistakes by tossing shots away from the rim.”

BROCKTON, Mass. –- Some kind of rebuilding period would’ve been fair to expect for the No. 19 Brockton High boys basketball team this season, after they graduated four of five starters and all but three varsity players from last season’s Div. 1 state finalist squad.

Even with Jahleel Moise, Jamal Rueben and 2012 ESPN Boston Super Teamer Sayvonn Houston –- all stars for the Boxers last season -– currently playing significant minutes as freshmen in college programs, Brockton has proven early on that this won’t be a year to rebuild, but instead reload.

That trend continued Friday night when they bested defending Div. 1 Central Mass. champ St. John’s of Shrewsbury, 59-51, behind a suffocating defensive attack that limited the Pioneers (4-2) to just six first quarter points.

“This was a very good win –- we’re very pleased with the way we’re playing defense right now,” said Brockton coach Bob Boen. “It was a very nice win. St. John’s is always good and they came in 4-1. They almost always play for the state championship, so to beat them is a very good win here. And it was the defense again. We’re playing very good defense.”

The Boxers (4-2) closed out the first on an 8-0 run and held a 13-6 lead. They’d never trail again.

“We were missing our captain (Ken Harrington) and only senior because he got hurt,” said Pioneers coach Bob Foley. “It took us a while to get adjusted. Usually Harrington score seven or eight points early in a game and sets the tone. Without him out there we didn’t score early.

“From then on, we played them pretty even -– and probably even outscored them a little bit.”

Brockton used a balanced scoring attack in which nine different players scored in the win. Only Ridge Francisque reached double figures, and he didn’t score his 10th and final point until he knocked down a pair of free throws with just eight seconds left in the game.

Boen’s team continued a trend of attacking from the perimeter, lofting 3-pointers any time they got an open look. They knocked down seven of them in all.

Nisre Zouzoua, back after missing a couple games with injury, was second on the team in scoring with nine points, including a pair of long 3-pointers in the win.

Jaylen Blakely chipped in eight points, four assists and three rebounds, Ian Wade added seven points, Marcus Curry notched six points, Shakeen Smith finished with five points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steal and Avalon McLaren connected on a pair of 3-pointers and had three steals in the win.

Despite only hitting two field goals in the fourth quarter, the Boxers sealed the win by connecting on 11 of 14 free throws down the stretch. For the game, they shot 21-for-27 from the stripe -– a trend Boen is happy to see.

“We made some three’s tonight -– some key three’s,” Boen said. “I’ve been saying all year we’re a very good shooting team and that’s finally starting to come around.

“We do have better shooters this year. At the end of the game, we’ve three fantastic free throw shooters in Wade, Zouzoua and Blakely. They’re all great. Curry is a pretty good foul shooter and Francisque is a pretty decent foul shooter also. At the end of the game, it’s nice to have five guys out there who you expect to knock down two out of two shots.”

With Harrington sidelined, junior Charlie Murray stepped forward to keep things close for St. John’s. With the offense struggling to get going early on, Murray poured in eight points in the second quarter alone. He finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and a pair of assists in the defeat.

“Charlie does his job,” Foley said. “Charlie is not the greatest athlete –- he’s not a jumper and he’s not the greatest athlete but he finds a way in the pivot to wiggle his way free and get his shot up there. He’s always looking for the basketball and he did this for us last year too.”

Sophomore center Stephen Palecki fueled a fourth quarter comeback, as St. John’s narrowed the gap to just five points with under four minutes to go. Palecki notched eight of his 13 points in the final frame. He also pulled in eight rebounds in the loss. Brockton had several chances late to put the game out of reach, but a stretch of poor shot selection too early into the shot clock gave the Pioneers a chance to climb back into it.

“That was a little frustrating tonight and it was a little frustrating against Providence Classical the other night," Boen said. "We still don’t quite understand what’s supposed to be done at the end of the game. We still think any decent shot we can get up is one we want to take at that point. I’ve been trying to tell them that if you’re ahead 10 points with three minutes to go, you start to think about the clock a little bit.”

We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 boys basketball poll this morning, following a busy week of Holiday tournament basketball. To see the poll, CLICK HERE.

A few notes and observations about this week's poll:

Wachusett makes giant leap: Following an impressive win over St. John's of Shrewsbury in the Laska Yuletide Invitational Final on Saturday night, Wachusett leapfrogs into the Top 10, at No. 8, up 15 spots from a week ago. The Mountaineers opened up with a 7-0 run on the Pioneers and made it stick, pulling away 55-43 for the win. With the loss, St. John's falls seven spots to No. 10.

St. John's loss, combined with New Mission's win over Mansfield in the Shooting Touch Shootout, created a shuffle in the Top 5. Central Catholic and Lowell retain the top two spots respectively, but Mission jumps up five spots to No. 3, followed by Danvers (4) and Mansfield (5).

City Takes a Dip: Last week, a record six Boston City League teams made the Top 25, following Dorchester's surprise 20-point victory over Madison Park. This week, both Dorchester and MP fell out of the poll following losses -- Dorchester to Melrose, and MP to O'Bryant. Once again, such is the bittersweet ballet that the newly-aligned Boston City League has created. One minute, you're on top of the world. The next, you've been humbled right back down to size.

Notable Newcomers: Springfield Central's surprise stumble from preseason No. 1 to "Last 10 Out" in a mere three weeks has made room for several newcomers this week. West Springfield makes its long-awaited debut at No. 20, followed by Worcester South (23), Everett (24) and Springfield Putnam (25).

Here is how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:

Boston City League - 4
Merrimack Valley - 4
Catholic Conference - 3
Hockomock - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Greater Boston - 1
Inter-High - 1
Middlesex - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1