MIAA Football: Week Eight Picks for Eastern Mass. Playoffs, Central/Western. Mass Home Stretch

North Attleboro is hoping to get back to Gillette, but will face one of the stiffest challenges of the week against a red-hot Whitman-Hanson team.

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612), Featuring Joe Parello (@Herewegojoe)

Throughout this season, SuiteSports has taken the liberty of releasing our picks for the top slate of games on Thursday, so we figured now that the postseason is upon us, there's no reason for us to change course.

Have no fear, our complete breakdown of the Div. 7 and 8 EMass. tournaments will be out tomorrow morning. For now, however, our editors have their picks for the top Eastern Mass. postseason games and those out in Central and Western Mass. that carry the biggest playoff implications.

Last week, Matt added another game to his advantage finishing 7-2 for the week while Joe ended at 6-3.

Here is how the standings shakeout as we head towards the postseason:

Feld: 50-15
Parello: 44-21

Now, for this week's picks!

Div. 1 South: No. 8 BC High at No. 1 Xaverian, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: I know Feld is gonna try to convince you that BC High can pull the upset against a vulnerable X squad, but I just don't buy it. Xaverian's depth carries it to the second round.


20-10, Xaverian

Feld's Pick: Two weeks ago, this was a no-brainer but with Mike Saliba and Trevor Carroll both down for the Hawks the door is open for BC High to potentially become the second eight seed to knockoff a top-dog. That said, Xaverian is at home and I'll never count them out on Clapboard Street.

10-7, Xaverian

Div. 1 South: No. 5 Brockton at No. 4 Franklin, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: It feels weird to be picking against Brockton this early, but Franklin's offense is absolutely rolling right now, and I've seen little from the Boxers to make me think they can keep up.

27-17, Franklin


Feld's Pick: I am all-aboard the Franklin train after last week's thrilling, 31-24 win over Attleboro. Nick Gordon is poised for a breakout postseason.

30-14, Franklin

Div. 2 South: No. 5 Barnstable at No. 4 Wellesley, Saturday 3pm

Parello's Pick: Both these teams have a lot going for them, but I like Barnstable to go on the road and pull off the (minor) upset.

27-21, Barnstable

Feld's Pick: In as close to a toss-up as you are going to get, Wellesley benefits from the slick conditions that prevent Barnstable's spread offense from generating significant momentum as the Raiders advance to the sectional semi-finals.

23-20, Wellesley

Div. 3 South: No. 8 Stoughton at No. 1 Duxbury, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: Well, I picked the Dragons to win the section, so I'm pretty sure that means I have to pick them here...


28-14, Duxbury

Feld's Pick: This is a trap-game for a top seed if I've ever seen one. Earlier in the season, Duxbury struggled with a gritty Plymouth North team and this Stoughton unit has an awfully similar makeup. The Knights probably can't muster enough offensively, but expect their defense to keep them in it for all four quarters.

16-7, Duxbury

Div. 3 South: No. 5 Whitman-Hanson at No. 4 North Attleboro, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: W-H has outscored its opponents 89-6 the last three weeks, so I guess you could say they're entering the bracket with some momentum. I see that continuing against a physical NA group.

16-10, Whitman-Hanson

Feld's Pick: Whitman-Hanson has regained its form after a midseason rut, but picking against North Attleboro at Community Field is akin to picking against the Patriots when they're up at halftime. The Red Rocketeers receive the necessary boost from Ryan Clemente and the pass rush coupled with the home crowd to push them over the top.

20-13, North Attleboro

Div. 5 South: No. 6 Dennis-Yarmouth at No. 3 Scituate, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is the most wide-open bracket in the state. With that in mind, why don't we start things with a little chaos and an upset? Gimme the Dolphins on the road.

27-24, Dennis-Yarmouth

Feld's Pick: Scituate begins its march towards a sectional title with a win over D-Y in a high-scoring affair.

38-30, Scituate

Div. 3 North: No. 6 Belmont at No. 3 Danvers, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: Belmont isn't a bad upset pick here, but Danvers took a really good Marblehead team to the wire last week. That level of competition will have the Falcons ready for Friday night.

35-20, Danvers

Feld's Pick: After struggling down the stretch, Danvers gets its groove back in time for the postseason with quarterback Brendan Treacy returning in stlye.

24-13, Danvers

Nashoba at Shrewsbury, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: Nashoba is better than its showing last week against underrated Wachusett, but Shrewsbury is as talented as anybody in Central Mass.

27-24, Shrewsbury

Feld's Pick: In a game with massive postseason implications for both teams, Shrewsbury continues its string of high-level offensive performances and puts itself in contention to grab a top two seed in Div. 3 Central.

30-13, Shrewsbury 

St. John's (Shrewsbury) at Marlboro, Friday 7pm

Parello's Pick: St. John's has really hit its stride and, while Marlboro is solid, the Panthers don't have the horses to keep up with the Pioneers' high-powered offense.

35-21, St. John's


Feld's Pick: This is a tough spot for St. John's as they try to give itself a chance at the top seed in Div. 3 Central. In a battle of competing styles, St. John's with its high-octane offense and Marlboro with its rock solid defense, Colin Schofield continues to showcase his big play capability to lift the Pioneers to their sixth straight win.

30-15, St. John's