Opening week of the 2025 high school football season is here, and it promises to be another successful campaign for the South Shore.
The area returns tons of talent, with perennial powers reloading and a number of teams looking to surprise this fall.
Deep playoff runs and Super Bowl appearances have been commonplace for local schools in recent years, especially those in the Patriot League.
READ: The 2025 WATD High School Football Broadcast Schedule is here!
In 2024, each division of the Patriot League sent a school to Gillette Stadium, with Scituate and Duxbury clashing in the Division 4 title game.
Marshfield and Hanover both also reach the state semifinals in another banner year for the league.
Heading into 2025, several teams figure to be in the mix for not only league titles, but state championships in their respective divisions.
We previewed the entire upcoming season in the Patriot League on the Sports Exchange. Listen to a full breakdown below.
Keenan Division
For the first time since 2008, the Duxbury Dragons failed to take home the Keenan Division crown in 2024. Instead, it was the league’s newest member, Marshfield, who claimed the title with a Thanksgiving Day throttling of the Dragons.
The Rams are dealing with heavy attrition this year, however, with a deep Class of 2025 including Bill Wilhelm Award finalist Tor Maas and semifinalist Davin True now off to the college ranks. Duxbury, on the other hand, returns a bevy of talent, and will look to reclaim control of the division.
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Hingham was the last team to beat Duxbury for the division title prior to Marshfield. With third year starter Jake Varholak back at quarterback, weapons like JT Reale and Chase Beighley, and a year under the belt for head coach TJ Byrne, the Harbormen are ready to vault themselves right back into the title conversation.
Elsewhere in the league, Plymouth North and Silver Lake both return starting quarterbacks in seniors Jake Turchinetz and Sean Barry. Playoffs could well be on the horizon for both these teams.
Whitman-Hanson has one of the most exciting groups of playmakers in head coach Zach Botehlo’s tenure, and are looking to reassert themselves in the division.
Fisher Division
The story of the 2024 season was Scituate’s perfectly dominant run; a scorched earth run to the Division 4 state title that would make William Tecumseh Sherman blush.
Gone is Bill Wilhelm Award winner Lawson Foley, however, along with classmates like Willy Robinson, Wyllys Ames, and a litany of other grads who made up one of the most talented classes the South Shore has seen in years.
Unfortunately for the rest of the Fisher Division, though, senior quarterback Jonny Donovan is back after setting the single half record for touchdown passes in a title game in his last start. His cupboard of weapons is far from bare, with Grayson Foley returning, and numerous classmates ready to take on more pronounced roles.
LISTEN: Scituate Football Recounts Perfect Season
Hanover and Plymouth South will be the biggest threats to a league title repeat for Scituate.
The Hawks return two of the area’s most exciting players in Brandon Errico and Sebastian Brown. A big question mark at quarterback is the chief concern for a loaded Hanover squad.
Plymouth South doesn’t have to deal with that issue as they look to return to the division’s upper echelon. Timmy Durocher is back under center for his third season and promises to be one of the best dual threat QBs in the area.
North Quincy and Quincy will each have a new look and a renewed focus on the ground game after graduating two of their respective programs most decorated passers last year.
Pembroke saw sophomore Anthony Pento thrust into action last year, but will reap the benefits this year with a returner under center. The Titans lost some team speed, but year two under Shawn Tarpey figures to be far more competitive than the past campaign.
Predictions
The WATD Sports Team makes their predictions for the Patriot League
The WATD Sports team of Quinn Kelly, Johnny Rorke, and Brendan Connelly have made their predictions for the upcoming season, picking league title winners and MVPs.
Dissonance was the theme in the Keenan Division, but Scituate was the popular pick to retain the league title in the Fisher.
The Sports Exchange airs every Sunday night at 5 p.m. on 95.9 WATD.
Each week, Quinn Kelly, along with co-hosts Johnny Rorke and Brendan Connelly, breaks down the news of the week in sports. Enjoy commentary on local happenings on the high school scene right up to the Big 4 pro sports and beyond.
Missed an episode? Catch up with past episodes of the Sports Exchange below: