The Road to Gillette has one more stop for high school football teams in Massachusetts.
The MIAA state semifinals, aptly referred to as the Final Four, will be played Friday and Saturday at neutral sites across the state with title-game tickets at Gillette Stadium on the line in all eight divisions.
There are some absolute gems on the docket, powerhouse teams with championship aspirations ready to duke it out for a spot in Foxborough Dec. 4, 5 and 6.
With that in mind, here are five games this weekend that you won’t want to miss:
Springfield Central vs. Xaverian
The two-time defending Division I champion Hawks have a huge challenge on their hands in the form of Springfield Central, as both teams have visions of hoisting a state championship at Gillette next month.
No. 3 Xaverian (8-2) will meet No. 2 Springfield Central (9-1) on Saturday at noon in a game to be played at Milford High School. The two teams met on Sept. 26, a 28-20 Golden Eagles victory. Central also won the 2024 regular season meeting by an identical 28-20 score. Of course, that didn’t deter the Hawks, which went on to win the state title for the second year in a row.
Central’s lone loss this season was a 36-35 defeat in the opener against top-seeded St. John’s Prep, while Xaverian’s two losses were to Springfield Central and Central Catholic (28-27).
St. John’s Prep vs. Central Catholic
The other Division I semifinal game should be a doozy as well, as No. 1 St. John’s Prep (10-0) meets No. 5 Central Catholic (7-3) on Friday at 6 p.m. at Burlington High School.
St. John’s Prep has won three of the last six Division I Super Bowls contested, and the Eagles are one of nine unbeaten teams left in the state across all eight divisions. They also won the regular season meeting with Central Catholic, 47-21, back on Sept. 19.
Central Catholic has played a difficult schedule and has a win over Xaverian to its credit. The program last played in a state final in 2021, losing in the Super Bowl to Springfield Central.
Archbishop Williams vs. Foxborough
One of the most intriguing semifinals happens in Division V, where undefeated Archbishop Williams (10-0), the No. 6 seed, will look to take its storybook season into the state finals.
Standing in its way? That would be No. 2 Foxborough (8-2), which is looking to stay home and play for a state title at Gillette next month. The program has been to the last two Division V state finals, winning the 2023 crown and falling last year to Shawsheen Tech.
Archbishop Williams freshman QB Hudson Garrity, who holds Division I offers from UMass and Syracuse, has keyed the program’s surge this fall. The Bishops were 2-8 last year but have gone 10-0 to start 2025, including last week’s road win at No. 4 Hanover.
The game is set for Saturday at noon at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.
Lee vs. West Boylston
A Division VIII rematch sees three-time defending state champion West Boylston (8-2) battling undefeated Lee (10-0) on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Holyoke High School.
The teams played in last year’s quarterfinal round, a 35-3 West Boylston victory, but the second-seeded Wildcats hope to turn the tide and earn a spot in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2011.
No. 3 West Boylston has been the class of Division VIII in recent years, and the Lions will look to ride a strong defense against Berkshire County’s top team.
King Philip vs. Malden Catholic
No. 12 Malden Catholic (5-5) will try to keep its upset streak going when it meets top-seeded and unbeaten King Philip (10-0) in the Division III semifinal round on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Bridgewater Raynham High School.
The Lancers played a dynamite Catholic Conference schedule against powerhouses like St. John’s Prep, Xaverian and Catholic Memorial. They won’t be intimidated by the Warriors, which have reached the Super Bowl every year but one since 2016. Malden Catholic won road games at No. 5 Marshfield and No. 4 Hingham to book a spot in the semifinal round.
King Philip has been among the most dominant teams in the MIAA this fall, rolling to a 10-0 record and the No. 1 seed in Division III after dropping down from Division II this season.
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