NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Matt Karakoudas knew his Beverly team could be one of the best boys teams in MIAA this season. So, the coach is putting his Panthers to the ultimate test this week at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic.
The verdict? The tournament isn’t over yet, but Beverly’s convincing 74-58 win over Andover – one of the hottest teams in the state to start the season – in Sunday’s semifinals served as a reaffirmation of Karakoudas’ instincts. The Panthers advanced to Tuesday night’s championship game at Merrimack College, where they’ll meet Central Catholic, another contender in Division 1.
“I knew we could play with anyone in the state,” Karakoudas said. “I think Andover is an exceptional team. I don’t know if anybody was playing better than them. …
“I think what you see in this tournament with all these teams, this could be a state championship type game. It wouldn’t shock me if a couple of these teams matched up in the D1 final. That’s why you play in this tournament.”
