Newton North got the glass slipper to fit at just the right time last year to turn in an improbable run to a Division 1 state title as the No. 31 seed.
The Tigers will hope some of that magic carries over this fall with standout defender Peter Reale, Giga Bat-Erdene, Lorenzo Grimaldi and Owen Knapp all back and with that Cinderella experience under their belts.
But repeating as champions will be a monumental challenge for Newton North given the absolutely loaded Div. 1 field.
Just navigating the Bay State Conference will be tough enough as Needham, which defeated Newton North in its season opener, boasts an extremely skillful bunch led by Avery Brodsky, Matteo Neretti and Austin Williams. Weymouth has revenge on its mind after exiting in the first round last season and the strong duo of Mason Fasoli and Gabe Rey, who combined to score 21 goals in 2024, will help the Wildcats try to carry out that mission.
St. John’s Prep has an immense amount of talent at its disposal with three-year starter and All-State goalie Matt Droggitis back along with James Minor helping anchor the Eagles defense. St. John’s Prep also gets a boost with UMass commit Garrison Murphy returning after missing most of last season with an injury.
Mark Whitehouse takes over at BC High for legendary coach Billy Ryan and will look to Killian Doherty, Ethan Pham and Ryan Daley to make his first season a successful one. Xavieran will challenge in the Catholic Conference as well with the Hawks spearheaded by center midfielder David Carreiro and goalie Alex Todorov.
Newton South’s defense looks to be as strong as it was a season ago, when the Lions allowed only seven goals. Star center back Oliver Helmling returns while Ronen Heimlich and Callum Morgan serve as sparks for the offense. Concord-Carlisle figures to be a contender yet again with the talented Cooper Balfour and Mike Jantzen paving the way.
Lowell will be in the mix with Ikaro Da Silva returning in net while perennial Middlesex League powers Arlington, Lexington and Winchester can never be counted out.
In Division 2, Oliver Ames takes aim at a four-peat and has a great shot at accomplishing the feat due to the stellar all-around play of Nick Babanikas and a terrific goalie in Zack Gilson. Josh Braz Ferreira gives the Tigers an offensive punch, too.
Hockomock League rival Mansfield, which is coming off one of its best seasons, will try to knock OA off its throne. The Hornets will go as midfielder Brandon Gardner goes while Troy Lasbury-Casey is a top-notch keeper.
Hingham looks to get back to the state final with a deep 15-player senior class featuring Patriot League All-Star Spencer Coppola while Ryan Murtagh and Jack Monroe are expected to make valuable contributions in the midfield. Wakefield, which made runs to the Final Four each of the last two seasons, will be in the mix as well.
Dover-Sherborn looks to remain atop Division 3 as the Raiders return seven starters, including All-State midfielder Caio Dos Santos. Brothers Wesley and Winston Bunn are key playmakers back for D-S while Hamilton Tsen is a defensive anchor.
Medfield will contend with D-S and already took down the Raiders in an early-season matchup. Max Tillmann is only a sophomore but a rising star, and the dynamic play of Sebastian Brooke and Jackson Dodge will greatly assist the Warriors.
Norwell comes off of a second straight state final appearance and the Clippers have gone an astounding 75-7-10 since 2021. Bret Amorosino, Ben Garland and Noal Simmons are critical pieces for the Clippers as they have to deal with the graduation of 17 players from last year’s team.
Dedham suffered a great deal of turnover as well but do have Joe Vaughan back in the defensive midfield while Dighton-Rehoboth eyes a third straight trip to the state semifinals after graduating 13 seniors.
In Division 4, Cohasset celebrated its first state title last season but the Skippers now have to figure out how to replace the 16 players that graduated from that squad. Connor Thornton and Mike Giglio will help solve that issue.
Lynnfield made back-to-back runs to the state final but also lost a wealth of experience along the way. But the Pioneers retained All-State midfielder Rocco Scenna, who compiled 17 goals and 15 assists last season and is one of four starters returning.
East Boston has what it takes to be a dangerous team thanks to the well-balanced play of Helio Spinola and David Alas.
The Boston City League should also be well-represented in Division 5 with Boston International, TechBoston and Dearborn all capable of making deep runs.
