The MIAA state tournament always throws some curveballs into my perception of the state hierarchy. This year was no exception.
Our top-ranked team entering the playoffs lost in the Div. 3 semifinals. With the No. 1 ranking up for grabs, two schools — championship winners Medfield and Wachusett — made strong cases for the spot.
Elsewhere in these rankings, one team made a dramatic return following a semifinal run, and one team debuted in the last list of the season. We'll also take a quick look at the talent graduating and which squads should contend in 2025-26.
Here's how our final Top 10 of the season shakes out.
1. Medfield (23-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Medfield demolished what I believed was the best postseason bracket in Division 2. The Warriors won all five of their games by 18 or more points, including a 62-20 thumping of Worcester South in the final that is the largest margin of victory in MIAA championship history. Medfield beat opponents by an average of 30 points per game this season with one in-state loss to Foxboro. This unit, with a starting five that can all dribble, shoot and pass, was dominant.
The scary part: the Warriors only graduate two seniors and one starter in Jailen Annigeri.
2. Wachusett (24-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Wachusett has a legitimate case for the top spot. Unlike Medfield, the Mountaineers did not lose in-state. They also beat the toughest championship foe, Bishop Feehan, in a 55-54 classic. I'm nitpicking at Wachusett's overall schedule and some of its state tournament hurdles, but this team was awesome and made me look silly for not ranking it at the start of the winter.
The Mountaineers graduate four seniors but return four starters, including their fast-rising Big Three of Jae Scott, Sophie Gibbons and Teegan Lanpher. Pencil this squad in as a 2025-26 Division 1 favorite.
3. St. Mary's (25-3)
Previous ranking: 3
The Spartans secured their third Division 3 championship in the last four years with a gritty, 46-38 victory in the final over Norwell. I didn't give enough credit during the season to this defense. During the 2025 portion of the schedule, the Spartans allowed more than 50 points just three times in 18 games, locking down great teams like Norwell, Cathedral and Whitman-Hanson.
Bella Owumi is only a sophomore. St. Mary's graduates two senior starters in Reese Matela and Juliana Conte, but the Spartans are still super young with only two projected seniors. These top three teams should contend for best overall squad in MIAA next winter — and St. Mary's will go head-to-head with Medfield as a Division 2 newcomer.
4. Bishop Feehan (23-4)
Previous ranking: 4
The Shamrocks' loss in the Div. 1 title game shouldn't overshadow their recent run of three state final appearances (one title) in three years. Maddy Steel did her best to persevere through multiple stress fractures in her foot during the postseason, but it unfortunately cost her major minutes late in the championship. The Tufts-bound senior, along with Brown commit Charlotte Adams-Lopez, have defined Feehan's stellar backcourt play during their years of success. Feehan also graduates starters Lily Singer and Sam Carlson.
Next winter will be a re-tooling year, but Mollie Mullen represents a great pillar as a two-way shooting guard, along with Shannon LaMorticelli and Addison Frenette.
5. Norwell (23-2)
Previous ranking: 6
The Clippers don't end up with a trophy, but they should feel proud of their second straight season that resulted in a Div. 3 championship appearance. That included a massive win against Foxboro in the semifinals, a rematch of last season's final. Seniors Maddie Oliver and Reagan Dowd represent one of the state's top dynamic duos. Dowd will play at Hamilton, and though Oliver has not committed to a school yet, she has quite a few options.
Norwell also graduates senior rotation players Paige Maguire and Holly Pantilla. Sophomore Alex Cassidy and freshman Adrienne Dowd will help sustain the winning next winter.
6. Foxboro (22-2)
Previous ranking: 1
Foxboro was without its second-best player in center Addie Ruter during the postseason, and her absence was felt when Norwell dominated on the boards in the Div. 3 semifinals. Kailey Sullivan, who scored 24 points in the loss despite battling foul trouble, is in the conversation for best overall season in the MIAA. She has not announced college plans yet but headlines a graduating senior class that includes Ruter and starting forward Ava Hill.
Foxboro has quality guards coming back led by Adrianna Porazzo and Alaysia Drummonds. The Warriors will also be returning to Division 2 with the MIAA's realignment for next season.
7. Cathedral (19-5)
Previous ranking: 7
Another team moving up (to Division 3), the Panthers wrapped their Division 4 dominance with a third consecutive championship, their seventh in 10 years. Hijjah Allen-Paisley scored 20 points to cap her high school career as the star and team anchor. In total, Cathedral graduates a whopping 10 seniors, also including steady shooter Malani Smith and starting center Karilyn Perez-Guerrero. The program should be an immediate Div. 3 contender though, headlined by explosive athletes Keyona Raines and Tamia Darling.
8. Braintree (21-3)
Previous ranking: NR
This was a special season for Braintree, which went from 11-11 last year to 21-3 and a berth in the Div. 1 semifinals, the team's first since 2019. Beating Woburn in the quarterfinals was a massive statement that this program is back to compete against the elite. Braintree does lose a large group of seniors headlined by standout center Frankie Spadorcia. But a returning core including Frankie Mazzini and Eva Downing should help Braintree stay near the front of the division next year.
9. Woburn (22-2)
Previous ranking: 10
Woburn lost a 43-40 war with Braintree in the quarterfinals as two of the state's top defenses went toe-to-toe. The Tanners' Middlesex League unbeaten streak is now up to four consecutive seasons and they remain a Div. 1 stalwart. However, their two team leaders, Mckenna Morrison and Shannon McCarthy, are seniors, with Morrison recently announcing her next chapter at Flagler College. The Tanners will need to find leaders on offense.
10. North Quincy (20-4)
Previous ranking: NR
North Quincy debuts in our Top 10 just in time after reaching the Division 2 semifinals for what's believed to be the first time in program history. I had kept an eye on the Raiders all season, but I don't think I've given them on-record credit yet. Coach Liana Cunningham did an unbelievable job with this young team, which rode a 10-game win streak through the playoffs and beat Notre Dame (Hingham) in the quarterfinals before running into Medfield.
The Raiders had balance and could lean on several different contributors in a given game. Maeve Powers, A'laya Colbert and Tabby McDonough are sophomores and just a few of the breakout names. The Raiders could be a legitimate title threat against Medfield next winter.
The next five: Springfield Central, Worcester South, Central Catholic, Whitman-Hanson, Notre Dame (Hingham)
