The storylines surrounding the Massachusetts Super 8 championship tonight between North Andover and St. John’s Prep are plentiful. But the one that North Andover rejects is being labeled a Cinderella team.
“We have played a tough schedule, so I think we are battle-tested,” Scarlet Knights senior right fielder Thomas Finn said. “I felt that we deserve to be here. Once we got into this, our goal was to try and win it. We didn’t come here to not try and win it. It’s certainly not a Cinderella story for us. We are playing really hot right now, and we don’t see ourselves as being an underdog.”
Yes, the No. 8-seeded Scarlet Knights barely edged out Austin Prep in securing the final spot in the MIAA Division 1A tournament. However, over the past two weeks, North Andover has proven the selection committee right, as it is the only remaining unbeaten team.
Now, the Scarlet Knights can clinch their first state championship with a victory tonight. North Andover (19-4) squares off against No. 2 seed St. John’s Prep (21-5) at 7 p.m. at Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass. If St. John's Prep wins, a second, decisive game would be scheduled for Wednesday.
