Week 9 MIAA top 25

1. St. John's Prep (8-1) — Has to love a home game for the Division 1 North final.

2. Xaverian (7-1) — Defense stepped up when it had to against Franklin.

3. Duxbury (9-0) — Dragons got the best of postseason rival North Attleboro.

4. North Andover (9-0) — Nothing seems to be able to stop this offense.

5. Central Catholic (7-2) — Don't think anyone outside of Lawrence saw that one coming.

6. Everett (8-1) — Has to be one of the more difficult losses to swallow in recent memory.

7. Lincoln-Sudbury (8-1) — This team just finds ways to win.

8. Catholic Memorial (7-2) — Survived every blow it took from Needham.

9. Mansfield (8-1) — Pulled away late from a very tough Barnstable team.

10. Springfield Central (8-1) — Will try to pull the season sweep of Westfield.

11. Tewksbury (8-1) — This program always seems to find itself in the right spots late.

12. Acton-Boxboro (8-1) — Colonials simply outmanned against the Prep.

13. King Philip (7-2) — Defense keeps rising to the occasion.

14. Hingham (7-1) — Rivalry with Duxbury becoming one of the best on the South Shore.

15. Scituate (8-1) — Offense made a statement Friday night.

16. St. John's (S) (6-3) — Once this team jumps out to a lead on you, it's tough to recover.

17. Nashoba (8-1) — Chieftains have responded well since Wachusett loss.

18. Shrewsbury (7-2) — All-Shrewsbury final in Div. 3 Central.

19. Canton (8-1) — Left no doubt against a very good Falmouth team.

20. Doherty (8-1) — Highlanders came up just short against Shrewsbury.

21. Old Rochester (9-0) — Running game producing at a high clip.

22. Stoneham (9-0) — The double-wing strikes again.

23. Reading (7-2) — A stunning way to lose, but the Rockets can still hold their heads high.

24. Milton (7-2) — Wildcats earned a bit of revenge Friday night.

25. Danvers (7-2) — The Falcons are another team that knows how to turn it on in the playoffs.

First 15 out (in alphabetical order)

Abington (8-1), Barnstable (6-3), Cohasset (7-2), Falmouth (7-1), Franklin (6-3), Gloucester (8-1), Holliston (7-1), Marlboro (6-3), Mashpee (8-1), Natick (6-3), Needham (6-3), North Attleboro (6-3), Tantasqua (7-2), Wachusett (6-3), Wayland (7-2)