ESPN Boston's MIAA football Top 25

Team Name	Record	Last week's ranking	Notes
1. Mansfield	(3-0)	2	Hornets are the fifth team in as many weeks to assume the top spot in the land, coming off a convincing 35-14 victory over Hockomock rival North Attleborough, led by Miguel Villar-Perez's shiftiness and Brendan Hill's dominance on defense. Now the trick is, with Attleboro coming up this week, can the Hornets break the ESPN Boston Curse?
2. Everett	(2-1)	4	Crimson Tide move up two spots following 35-14 defeat of St. John's Prep. Apparently head coach John DiBiaso used the bye week wisely, installing some new wrinkles to the offense that haven't been seen in ages. Finally getting running back Isaiah Davis cleared to play no doubt helps, too.
3. Springfield Central	(2-1)	5	Another easy night for the Golden Eagles, who cruised to a 49-0 rout of Holyoke. They haven't surrendered a point since the Everett loss on Sept. 6, outscoring the opposition 98-0 the last eight quarters. Old nemesis Longmeadow is on tap this week.
4. St. John's Prep	(2-2)	3	Even worse than the loss to Everett, the Eagles lost the pound-for-pound best player in the state, running back Johnathan Thomas, to a knee injury in the second half. If he's out for any amount of time, let's just say that completely changes the team's dynamic.
5. Xaverian	(2-1)	1	One week after a 49-13 rout of Bridgewater-Raynham elevated the Hawks to the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2010, they fell in a last-second, 15-14 decision at Barnstable in which they led by eight with six minutes to go.
6. Leominster	(3-0)	6	Blue Devils made easy work of Shepherd Hill, getting another productive night out of Neil O'Connor in a 41-14 icing of the Rams. Next up is a visit from upstart Wachusett.
7. Brockton	(2-1)	7	Boxers ground out 225 rushing yards in a 26-12 win over Catholic Memorial. This week's battle with long-time foil BC High could be a trap game  and potentially the first of two meetings.
8. Natick	(3-0)	8	The Redhawks' receivers continue to drop like flies  Alex Hilger (shoulder) is the latest  but it's all about "next man" up in Natick. Seniors Scott Warnock and Mike Abbruzzese combined for 169 receiving yards and four scores in a 35-14 win over Wellesley.
9. Bridgewater-Raynham	(3-1)	9	Trojans got back on the right foot after a forgettable blowout loss, shutting out New Bedford, 32-0, behind hard running from tailback Brandon Gallagher (20 carries, 232 yards, 3 TD).
10. Barnstable	(2-1)	9	At long last this is the Barnstable we were in praise of during the preseason, when they were ranked No. 12. The Red Raiders delivered one of the season's biggest upsets in a 15-14 win over Xaverian, clinched with Dereck Pacheco's field goal. Barnstable has cleaned up a lot defensively since the blowout loss to Dennis-Yarmouth in the opening week, and cornerback Derek Estes has been one of the best coverage DBs of this first half.
11. St. John's (Shrewsbury)	(2-1)	11	You won't find a better ending than what unfolded Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field, where Mike McGillicuddy returned a kickoff 65 yards with time expired for a walk-off 20-14 win over rival Fitchburg. Next, they'll look to end Nashoba's 29-game active win streak, best in the state.
12. Duxbury	(2-1)	12	Dragons defense looked sharp in 29-0 shutout of Silver Lake, getting to the quarterback for six sacks and seven hurries. Next up is a visit to rival Hingham on Saturday.
13. Central Catholic	(3-1)	14	Raiders opened MVC Large play in style, stifling their Thanksgiving rival Andover, 26-7. Following bye week, they'll get Lowell in a highly-anticipated battle between the two teams widely considered the league's best.
14. Plymouth South	(3-0)	13	Dylan Oxsen again toughed it out for 191 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the Panthers' 21-14 win over archrival Plymouth North.
15. Westfield	(3-0)	15	The Bombers kept rolling in a 35-22 win over Springfield Putnam with Ben Geschwind surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark again to go along with two rushing touchdowns from Cody Neidig.
16. Lowell	(3-1)	16	After getting back on track with a 32-6 thrashing of Billerica, the Red Raiders have a bye week to prepare for a pivotal MVC showdown with Central Catholic.
17. Tewksbury	(3-0)	17	The Redmen successfully opened MVC play with a 34-13 win over North Andover, with Johnny Aylward throwing for two scores.
18. Doherty	(3-0)	18	Jahkari Carpenter provided the biggest play in a game full of them with a 95-yard punt return in the Highlanders' 33-7 victory over Tantasqua.
19. King Philip	(3-0)	19	It again was the Joe Johnston show (157 rushing yards, 2 TD and a TD reception) in the Warriors' 41-6 drubbing of Taunton. A visit from North Attleborough is up next in the Hockomock gauntlet.
20. Westwood	(2-1)	20	Bo Berluti threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the Wolverines' 35-7 win over Medfield. Next up is our ESPN Boston Game of the Week matchup against Holliston.
21. Cardinal Spellman	(3-0)	21	The Cardinals slipped past Archies, 21-7, with Matt Anastasi running for 130 yards on 20 carries. Another pivotal Catholic Central duel with Bishop Fenwick looms this week.
22. Needham	(2-1)	22	The Rockets seem to have righted ship quickly following their Week 1 loss to Westwood, outscoring their last two opponents (Walpole and Newton North) by a combined 67-18 margin.
23. Attleboro	(3-0)	23	Tommy Burns brought the 'D' with three interceptions in the Blue Bombardiers' 37-20 win over Franklin. We'll see how far they've come with a visit from No. 1 Mansfield on Friday. Can they make it FIVE in a row?
24. Nashoba	(3-0)	24	The Chieftains shut out Wachusett, 14-0, to run their state-best winning streak to 29 games, but will need to tackle St. John's (Shrewsbury) on Friday to extend.
25. Walpole	(2-1)	25	Rebels got back in the 'W' column with a 49-20 romp over Dedham. A visit to Wellesley is next on tap Saturday.

Last 10 Out: Arlington (3-0), Agawam (3-0), Bishop Fenwick (3-0), Boston Cathedral (4-0), Concord-Carlisle (3-0), Holliston (4-0), Hudson (3-0), Marblehead (4-0), Methuen (4-0), Nauset (3-0).