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 South Shore League.
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In 2024, the South Shore League saw two of its members reach Gillette, with Mashpee (Div. 7) and Randolph (Div. 8) falling just short of state titles.
Norwell and Carver also reached the Final Four, each falling to eventual state champions in tightly contested games.
Heading into 2025, several teams figure to be in the mix for not only league titles, but state championships in their respective divisions.
The league will take on a new look this year with the departure of two of its members.
We previewed the entire upcoming season in the South Shore League on the Sports Exchange. Listen to a full breakdown below.
Sullivan Division
Perhaps the best divisional battle in the area was waged in the SSL Sullivan Division last year, with Norwell, Abington, and Sandwich finishing in a three-way tie for the league title.
Sandwich has departed for the Cape and Islands League, leaving two teams to defend their share of the crown.
Abington has the deeper cast of returners, headlined by the likes of Ryan Solimini, Naz Paulding, Khris Patterson, and Jake Tikonoff. Jack Reilly will step under center as the fifth Reilly to play quarterback for the Green Wave, following his grandfather, father, and two brothers’ footsteps.
While Norwell suffered greater loss to graduation, they return perhaps the best player in the league in reigning Sullivan MVP Jack Luccarelli. The junior quarterback will enter the season with a new collection of weapons and a first year head coach in Jason Pithie.
One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season was East Bridgewater’s 5-0 start to the campaign. The Vikings were rolling before losing tailback Austin Dewhurst and running into the brass of the league down the stretch.
Still, a playoff berth under first year head coach Greg O’Sullivan was a big step. As the Vikings move on from multi-year starters in running back Aidan Clancy and quarterback Ethan Pohl, they’ll rely on Dewhurst to shoulder the load offensively.
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Middleboro and Rockland will each be chasing bounce back years in 2025.
The Sachems endured just the second losing season in head coach Pat Kingman’s 14 year tenure. Quarterback questions plagued Middleboro for the second straight season, but Colten Ward’s return provides hope for more seasoned signal calling.
Despite a deflating one-win campaign, Rockland saw flashes of good things to come. Now senior quarterback Hayden Hatch had moments of brilliance last season, and the emergence of underclassman receiver Pat McDonagh leaves Bulldogs fans with much to be excited about.
Mix in a first-team All-Name tailback in Marvelous Pleasant and Rockland could jump right back into the Sullivan mix this season.
Tobin Division
Pound for pound, few divisions in Massachusetts had a better 2024 season than the small side of the South Shore League.
Four of the five Tobin teams reached the playoffs, with Randolph and Mashpee reaching the Super Bowl, Carver the Final Four, and Cohasset the Elite Eight before having their run derailed by the loss of their starting quarterback.
Hull has dropped out of the league this season, playing as a Division 8 independent.
Randolph has its eyes affixed on a return to the Division 8 Super Bowl; a glowing comment on the turnaround conducted by head coach Jon Marshall.
Bill Wilhelm Award semifinalist Mekhi White will lead the charge, along with quarterback Abe Cornett. The Blue Devils return too much talent to not be right back in the mix in the league title picture.
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Mashpee will have a tougher path, facing tons of attrition from last year’s Division 7 runner up squad. Bell cow back Ben Squarcia is gone, and long time head coach Matt Triveri will find new stars on offense.
Carver surprised last season after graduating its Golden Age class the year prior and losing head coach Ben Shuffain mid-summer. Jack Balzarini took over at quarterback and guided a high powered offense amidst a Bill Wilhelm Award semifinalist campaign.
The Crusaders will perhaps look to surprise again, as they’ll head into 2025 similarly having graduated a star quarterback and lost head coach Chris Pabst.
Jermertrius Troy takes over the helm, and has a strong class of seniors ready to continue the program’s incredible run.
Cohasset brings back arguably the best quarterback of the bunch with Michael Wildfire returning.
Similarly to Middleboro, Pete Afanasiw’s Skippers squad suffered an uncharacteristic sub-.500 season last year despite a run to the state quarterfinals. With Gus Greene and Max Monahan returning alongside Wildfire, Cohasset should have an offense capable of competing for a league and state title.
Predictions
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.
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: