The path back to the pinnacle was littered with obstacles.
There were challenges along its route.
However, St. John’s Prep entered the season as the Boston Herald’s top-ranked lacrosse program for a reason, and the Eagles validated things in dramatic fashion.
Michigan commit Luke Kelly sniped the game-clinching tally in overtime June 14, as St. John’s Prep knocked off its primary rival in BC High to claim its fifth consecutive Div. 1 boys lacrosse championship (an 8-7 victory).
Do we see a reform in the MIAA’s power rankings following St. John’s Prep’s journey? For much of the year, the school struggled to climb to the top of the association’s Div. 1 tier due to how out-of-state games were implemented in its formula. It was clearly a motivating factor for the school, which continued its recent dynasty.
Billerica fans were clamoring for respect all spring, and deservedly so. The Indians dropped their season-opener to Lincoln-Sudbury, then responded by winning 22 consecutive games. The school met its toughest challenge in rival Reading. After Billerica blew an 11-4 halftime lead, the score was deadlocked at 16-all in the final seconds. Jackson Gearin netted the game-winning tally with nine ticks remaining as the Indians staved off the comeback bid to win their first state championship since 2001.
Scituate was the Div. 3 runner-up in 2024. This year, the Sailors embarked on a miraculous journey to their first championship since 2009. Led by a playoff run for the ages from Willy Robinson, the school overcame a late three-goal deficit to top No. 4 Dracut in overtime, stunned top-ranked Medfield in the semifinals (an 11-9 win), then dispatched No. 3 Falmouth in the finals with a convincing 9-4 victory.
The Div. 4 boys lacrosse field was the South Shore League’s to lose. Third-seeded Norwell clashed with a longtime foe in No. 1 Cohasset for some hardware. Propelled by a heroic performance by Matt Panttila (four goals), the Clippers rolled to an 11-6 win over their biggest rivals, and were able to win their third state title in four seasons.
The Div. 1 girls lacrosse tournament was filled with intensity from start-to-finish, with highlights daily. Concord-Carlisle emerged with a title, defeating Kassidy Carmichael and Westford Academy during a wild 8-6 finish. Scarlett Mirak and Karleigh Mutch were catalysts for the Patriots all season long.
For nearly a decade, Walpole had been chasing history, but had continuously fallen short of its ultimate goal with four Div. 2 runner-up finishes. This year, the Timberwolves bucked that trend, pulling away in the second half for a 16-11 win over Reading in the 2025 championship. It was the first title for Mike Tosone in his tenure at Walpole, which began in 2012. The school’s senior captains were heroes in the title bout, as UMass commit Caitlyn Naughton and Babson-bound Jenna Wong sniped four goals apiece to shoulder the load. Ava MacLean also tallied four goals herself in the victory.
Few can say they have had as memorable a year in high school athletics as Izzy Kittredge has. The junior standout delivered another stunning performance (six goals) in the Div. 3 girls lacrosse championship, as top-seeded Medfield cruised to an 18-8 romp of No. 2 Newburyport in a finals rematch from 2024. The win solidified the school’s position atop the divisional rankings, which Medfield had held for the majority of the year. Kittredge had also led Medfield to a Div. 2 girls basketball championship just a few months earlier with a 28-point outing in the title game (a 62-20 win over Worcester South on Mar. 15).
The Div. 4 girls lacrosse tournament was decided by a pair of South Shore League schools, and there were countless storylines surrounding the championship game. Led by a go-ahead goal in the closing moments from senior captain Charlise Cox and a game-saving stop in net with just over a minute to play from Charlotte Pithie, the Clippers were able to topple top-ranked Cohasset in an epic 9-8 finish. The state championship was the first for inaugural Norwell coach Laura Callahan, who took over the program this past winter. Ironically, she stepped in for former Clippers head, Kara Connerty, who coached Cohasset to a runner-up finish on the opposing sideline.
