The two best teams in the state will face off at Tsongas Center
One-seeded Franklin took down four-seeded Central Catholic in the D1 semifinals on Monday night. They advanced to the Massachusetss High School State Championship, where they will face Newton North. The third-seeded Tigers managed to defeat the seventh-seeded Springfield Tuesday night and will now gear up for their toughest matchup yet, Franklin.
In Franklin versus Central Catholic, the game was close most of the way through. The Panthers continued to show why they are the one-seed and handled business as the game was coming to an end. Senior Captain Caden Sullivan continues to be a great player for his squad and is establishing his case on the MIAA D1 first team. He had a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds and scored them when it mattered. He had scored half of his points in the fourth quarter, pulling his team to a 52-44 victory. His teammates, Joe Conlan and Justice Samuels, gave great support in the win as well. Conlan had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Samuels had 10 points and 4 blocks, rounding out the Panthers' scoring. Central Catholic played an exceptional game with star player Javi Lopez scoring 15, but once again, Franklin ramped up their defensive play in the fourth quarter, allowing only 8 points.
"Our team has been built, made and trusted on defense from start to finish. We've been priding ourself on championship details," Franklin Head Coach CJ Neely said to Milford News. "I told the guys, if you want to win, you've gotta do all the dirty work."
That is exactly what they did, and they are being rewarded for it. In the past ten years, Franklin has advanced to the state championship three times, not including this year. In each year, 2024, 2018, and 2014, they came up short. This year, they will look to break that streak against Newton North.
Newton North took down Springfield Central late on Tuesday night 53-49, and what an incredible run it was for the Golden Eagles. They put up an incredible fight and went farther than any team likely imagined. In such a close battle, Teagan Swint once again pulled through with a monster game for Newton North. He secured a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Tigers and led his team to yet another victory in this year's tournament. Newton North returns to the state championship for the first time since 2022, where they lost to BC High School.
The two powerhouse schools will battle at the Tsongas Center of UMASS Lowell in a star-studded matchup for the MIAA D1 trophy. The 21-1 Franklin Panthers will take on the 20-1 Newton North Tigers, seeking to establish themselves in high school basketball history.
Published Mar 12, 2025
TYLER ROURKE
Tyler is a Digital Media and Journalism student at Endicott College, expected to graduate with his Bachelor's degree in 2026. He has experience covering a variety of sports for multiple newspapers. including The Salem Times and Gloucester Daily Times. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.