Class AA has taken the mantle from the old Class D as the new weirdest postseason setup in NEPSAC.
Because only teams with a .500 record (either in class play or overall) are eligible for the playoffs per NEPSAC rules, this ended up ruling out four of the nine Class AA programs. It's the second straight season Class AA has failed to field a full eight-team bracket.
That being said — the five teams who made the playoffs are all strong. They include four teams in our most recent Top 10 rankings. After Worcester Academy and Darrow went down to the wire in last year's championship, both schools headline the field as the top two seeds.
Here's a look at what to expect from each of the AA playoff teams.
MORE BRACKET BREAKDOWNS:Â Class AAA |Â Class AÂ |Â Class B Large | Class B Small
1. Darrow (20-3)
Record against Class AA field: 5-1
After a surprise run to the AA title game last year, the Ducks have soared to the top of the contender tier, with their only losses to Wilbraham & Monson, plus AAA schools Dexter Southfield and Newman. This is a punishing defense that has given up 60 or more points just three times all winter, anchored by a future Division 1 college center in DD Harcourt. Central Conn. commit Jill Dingler (Storrs, Conn.) does a bit of everything on offense and is flanked by shooters and a few quick, small guards. Darrow plays with a constant chip on its shoulder and that edge has worked so far.
BRACKET TRACKERS: Class AAA | Class AAÂ |Â Class AÂ |Â Class B Large, B Small, C
2. Worcester Academy (18-10)
Record against Class AA field:Â 5-2
The defending champions have battled the injury bug, losing Sadie Metzger (Lexington, Mass.) early on and seeing stars Ella Getz (Wayland, Mass.) and Gracyn Barnes (Grafton, Mass.) get sidelined at different points. Still, the Hilltoppers have fought on with group effort, sweeping Wilbraham & Monson and Northfield Mount Hermon. Their guard depth is great and Amherst commit Makena Bailey (Lancaster, Mass.) excels as a rim-running forward. With Getz and Barnes healthy, the Hilltoppers have a high-powered offense that's still capable of going back-to-back.
3. Wilbraham & Monson (16-11)
Record against Class AA field: 4-4
The records don't tell the Titans' story nearly well enough. They missed star post player Caterina Ravosa (East Longmeadow, Mass.) with a meniscus injury for most of the season, also lost Selah Prignano (Newington, Conn.) for a brief period with an ankle injury and threw a young supporting cast into the fire. But the two seniors are healthy and sophomores like Addison Brennan (Monroe, Conn.) have stepped up. Despite the turbulence, Wilbraham & Monson has beaten Darrow and Northfield Mount Hermon, plus AAA power Tilton. The Titans are a title contender on paper; they just need to string two great games together.
4. Northfield Mount Hermon (15-10)
Record against Class AA field:Â 1-4
Northfield Mount Hermon hasn't beaten the above three seeds yet, though they've come close in nearly every matchup. This is still a group loaded with senior and upperclassmen experience. The guard trio of speedy Olivia Fleming (Windham, N.H.), bucket-getter Zariah Ottley (Rockland, Mass.) and versatile Breena Hannon (Riverside, R.I.) is one of my favorite position groups in the class. Though Molly Sisson (Rochester, Mass.) has been injured most of the year, NMH does have another impact frontcourt player in stretch forward Jocelyn Gesner.
5. Marianapolis (15-10)
Record against Class AA field:Â 1-5
Marianapolis lost senior Bella Miele to a torn ACL before the season began, but the group has still managed to take a solid step forward as a Class AA competitor. Six juniors — Sidney Anderson (Brooklyn, Conn.), Maeve Early (North Brookfield, Mass.), Jaela Hanley (Ashford, Conn.), Baileigh Kimball (Deerfield, N.H.), Grace Solari (Sturbrudge, Mass.) and Sophia Webb (Charlton, Mass.) — share most of the scoring burden, and they're each capable of leading on a given night. Marianapolis has put together multiple strong stretches this winter, including a 6-1 stretch from Jan. 24 to Feb. 13. They also scored a huge win in the regular season finale against Wilbraham & Monson, hinting that this program can hang with the elite top-four seeds.
