Let there be no question that Xaverian is the best team in Massachusetts in 2021.
In a shortened season that threatened to leave some ambiguity about that very outcome, Xaverian made statement after statement. The Hawks (18-1) clinched their first state championship since 2012 with a 2-0 victory over Central Mass. champion Leominster (19-2) on July 6 at Doyle Field.
Xaverian senior Marc Cedrone’s dominant pitching performance brought closure to a sprint of a season that spilled into July due to the MIAA’s four-season plan for the 2020-21 school year. COVID protocols, the suspension of the MIAA’s Super 8 tournament and increased conflicts with AAU and travel ball figured to call into question the legitimacy of this year’s champion. However, Xaverian checked every box by cruising through a near-perfect season with its lone blemish coming against Catholic Memorial -- in an 11-inning standoff -- on May 17. Xaverian eventually avenged that loss on June 3.
Perhaps more impressively, the Hawks took down a host of perennial state championship contenders throughout their dominant season. They went 3-0 against four-time Super 8 finalist St. John’s Prep, 3-0 against perennial Catholic Conference favorite BC High, and their state tournament run included wins against two-time Super 8 champion Braintree (2015-16) and 2018 Super 8 champion Franklin.
