The pundits all pointed toward three-time defending state champ St. John’s Prep as the team to beat in the Div. 1 boys lacrosse field.

St. John’s Prep (16-2) has coasted through its MIAA slate, its only defeats coming at the hands of New England powerhouses Staples (Conn.) and La Salle (R.I.). The school concluded the regular season with a ridiculous team rating of 12.7017, over two full points ahead of the second-ranked program. Led by Princeton commit Jake Vana and Union College-bound senior Brendan Powers, the Eagles will now attempt to continue their budding dynasty.

“I think the hope, when we look at establishing a culture and trying to build a sustainable program, is that the work done by Jimmy (Ayers), by Charlie Wilmot, Connor Kelly, Christian Rooney, guys who came before them, that work that they put in is passed down,” said St. John’s Prep coach John Pynchon. “Our guys this year, like Jake, Jack Doherty, kids like Oliver Roselli, Andrew Klein…those guys? It’s time for them to kind of use the voices they heard, push the program forward, and make sure that we’re staying the course. It makes our lives easier when we have great kids doing it. I think these guys are ready. Now it’s time for us to step up and do it.”

Lincoln-Sudbury has always competed for championships under coach Brian Vona. Despite their 11-6 record, the Warriors were able to claim the No. 2 seed in Div. 1. This is primarily because they’re tested, having grinded through one of the most difficult schedules in the Commonwealth. The resume includes notable wins over Billerica, Concord-Carlisle, Dover-Sherborn, Franklin, Longmeadow and Reading.

Acton-Boxboro (16-3) absolutely dominated its schedule, emerging as the premier team to watch out of the Dual County League. The Revolution were propelled by a high-octane offense, led primarily by the Clayton brothers and Christian Maranian. A-B averaged 14.68 goals per game.

BC High made a dramatic run to the Div. 1 final last year before faltering in the fourth quarter to St. John’s Prep. Now, the Eagles (11-7) lay claim to the fourth seed.

There is always a chance someone else could emerge. Is No. 5 Xaverian (9-9) the highest-slotted .500 team seen under the MIAA’s new power rankings system? But the Hawks have earned that honor, with wins over BC High, Needham and St. John’s (Shrewsbury).

Andover (11-3), Needham (13-5) and Catholic Memorial (13-4) round out the next three seeds Franklin (15-4) is slotted ninth, and is always a threat to embark on a postseason run under Lou Verrochi. Winchester (15-3) could make noise as the No. 10 seed. Dark horses to watch include No. 13 Concord-Carlisle (11-7), No. 19 Wachusett (13-5) and No. 25 Haverhill (13-3).

Is this finally Duxbury’s year? After coming so close to the pinnacle, only to drop a grueling game to Reading in the Div. 2 finals last year, the Dragons (18-1) returned with fury in 2024.

In the MIAA’s power rankings, they finished No. 2 in the Commonwealth with a regular season rating of 10.5009. Sam Wein and Zach Falls have emerged as leading scorers , with Colin Hulett also contributing. Now in command with the top seed in the bracket, Chris Sweet’s group will look to get over the hump as a favorite.

Now, the Dragons will have to contend with a new Div. 2 colleague, and a fellow one from the Patriot League ranks. After years of sustained success in the Div. 1 field, Hingham (15-4) dropped to Div. 2 this spring, and now stands directly in Duxbury’s path. Led by a fantastic scorer in Cam McKenna and by one of the top goaltenders in the state with Nate Hoffman, it’s easy to envision these rivals meeting for the crown.

“I think Division 2 has a bunch of great teams in it,” said Hingham coach John Todd. “Wide open. I think it’s a great tournament, and we are excited to get started. Hopefully, we will be able to put our game together and make a deep run.”

Longmeadow (16-2) sustained its domination in Western Massachusetts, and was able to earn the No. 3 seed. The Lancers should be in the mix come late June, as will a longtime rival of both Duxbury’s and Hingham’s. That would be Marshfield (15-3), which had one of its best campaigns in recent years.

In addition to losing a few crucial seniors from last year’s title run, No. 8 Reading (15-3) also witnessed the retirement of legendary coach Charlie Hardy. Yet, the Rockets have been refueled, and taken off under a new mentor in Rob Parkin. Now they’re right back in the chase, looking to repeat.

Other strong teams include No. 5 Walpole (15-3), No. 6 Billerica (12-6) and an upstart program in seventh-seeded Mansfield (17-2) joining the fray. No. 15 Hopkinton (14-4) may surprise.

Medfield (15-3) is the early favorite in Div. 3. The Warriors will have some competition, however. A few newcomers have joined the Div. 3 ranks, including second-seeded Scituate (15-3), which was added to the fold as part of a recent realignment. The Sailors have battled adversity from the get-go, with numerous injuries. The team also was dealt a significant blow with the sudden passing of a great mentor in assistant coach, Harold Gerbis.

Yet, the school has persevered.

“We feel real confident about ourselves,” said Scituate coach Mark Puzzangara. “We’re playing really good lacrosse right now. We’re healthy, which is something that we weren’t, earlier and during the year, but we’ve got everybody back. We’re also playing with a higher purpose. We dedicated the season to our coach who passed away, so there is added pressure on the guys to play their best.”

Falmouth (15-4) follows the duo, with fourth-ranked Newburyport (13-5) and No. 5 Nauset (9-9) lurking. Sixth-seeded Burlington (14-4) is coming off its best season in five decades

A possible Cinderella team? No. 23 Shawsheen Tech, which enters the postseason with a perfect record of 18-0.

The Div. 4 field is a competitive bracket. Nantucket (16-1) is the top seed, but schools such as No. 2 Norwell (12-6), third-seeded Sandwich (15-3) and No. 5 Cohasset (10-9) could easily chase as tested powers from the South Shore League. No. 4 Lynnfield (15-3), No. 6 Pentucket (12-6) and No. 7 Weston (12-4) will also contend.

The picks

DIV. 1

Champion: No. 1 St. John’s Prep

Runner-Up: No. 3 Acton-Boxboro

Final Four: No. 1 St. John’s Prep, No. 2 Lincoln-Sudbury, No. 3 Acton-Boxboro, No. 5 Xaverian

Sleeper: No. 25 Haverhill

Best First-Round Matchup: No. 14 Westford vs. No. 19 Wachusett

Potential Upset: No. 25 Haverhill over No. 8 Catholic Memorial

DIV. 2

Champion: No. 1 Duxbury

Runner-Up: No. 2 Hingham

Final Four: No. 1 Duxbury, No. 2 Hingham, No. 4 Marshfield, No. 6 Billerica

Sleeper: No. 20 Marblehead

Best First-Round Matchup: No. 29 Melrose vs. No. 36 Whittier

Potential Upset: No. 20 Marblehead over No. 13 Bridgewater-Raynham

DIV. 3

Champion: No. 2 Scituate

Runner-Up: No. 1 Medfield

Final Four: No. 1 Medfield, No. 2 Scituate, No. 5 Nauset, No. 6 Burlington

Sleeper: No. 23 Shawsheen

Best First-Round Matchup: No. 10 Apponequet vs. No. 23 Shawsheen

Potential Upset: No. 26 Arlington Catholic over No. 7 Nashoba

DIV. 4

Champion: No. 1 Norwell

Runner-Up: No. 2 Nantucket

Final Four: No. 1 Norwell, No. 2 Nantucket, No. 3 Sandwich, No. 5 Cohasset

Sleeper: No. 30 Lenox

Best First-Round Matchup: No. 9 Nipmuc vs. No. 24 Old Colony

Potential Upset: No. 24 Old Colony over No. 9 Nipmuc