Then there were four.

The MIAA state and vocational tournaments are down to the semifinals and every division has some intriguing side plots.

Div. 1: The never Catholics will note that three members of the Catholic Conference being in the semifinals is ample evidence the playing field is slanted. But it would not be wise to dismiss a talented Needham team. The Rockets made it to the semifinals a year ago and gave eventual champion Xaverian all it could handle before losing 20-17.

Div. 2: What a matchup between Marshfield and a King Philip team riding the crest of a 23-game winning streak. The two met in the championship game a year ago with King Philip rolling to a 42-14 victory.

Div. 3: Mansfield and Walpole met in the quarterfinal a year ago and it turned into one of the wildest games of the season. The Timberwolves drove the length of the field in the final minute to win 39-31 (the final points came on a defensive touchdown at the end).

Div. 4: Patriot League rivals Scituate and Duxbury are on a collision course to meet at Gillette again. Standing in their way are Grafton and Tewksbury, two teams fully capable of upsetting the apple cart.

Div. 5: Defending champion Foxboro is playing its best ball at the right time and will face a Hanover team they disposed of in the championship game last year. Undefeated Shawsheen has not been tested, but Old Rochester is a very dangerous foe out of the South Coast Conference.

Div. 6: Norwell becomes the latest to try and find a way to slow down Hudson and its dynamic quarterback Jake Attaway. Defending champion Fairhaven survived an overtime thriller against Lynnfield and faces a Swampscott team that scored in the final seconds to knock off Stoneham.

Div. 7: Mashpee carries the banner of EMass nation here as the other three teams (Clinton, Uxbridge and Northbridge) are from Central Mass. The Uxbridge-Northbridge contest is loaded with LaChapelles on both sides.

Div. 8: What a blockbuster matchup between a high-powered Randolph running attack and undefeated Nashoba Tech’s stingy defense. Carver and West Boylston met in the championship game last year with West Boylston prevailing.

Large School Vocational: CAC foes Northeast and Whittier didn’t meet during the regular season but will see one another here with the winner taking on either Greater New Bedford or Bay Path.

Small School Vocational: This is almost like the Mayflower Athletic Conference Invitational as three of the four teams rep the MAC. Upper Cape and Blue Hills meet in one semifinal, while Tri-County takes on Assabet Valley.

SWEET 16

1. Catholic Memorial (9-1): Knights haven’t forgotten what happened the last time they advanced to the Div. 2 state semifinals.

2. King Philip (10-0): We constantly talk about the King Philip defense, but the offense is equally as efficient.

3. Needham (10-0): Dominant effort on both sides of the ball sends the Rockets to the Div. 1 state semifinals for the second straight year.

4. St. John’s Prep (9-1): Talk about a team that has rebounded well since losing its only game – St. John’s Prep is that team.

5. BC High (8-1): I think we can safely say athletic director Tom Conley hit a home run hiring Paul Zukauskas.

6. Marshfield (9-1): If I didn’t get the information directly from the always-reliable Brian Shacochis, I would have never believed someone (Alex Molander) could get 27 tackles in a game.

7. Xaverian (7-3): Hawks get a second chance at BC High in the Div. 1 state semifinals.

8. Scituate (10-0): Sailors did a great job on defense against a Wayland team that was coming off a 48-point effort against Burlington.

9. Natick (8-2): After a tough loss at Springfield Central, the Redhawks bounced back against a good Franklin squad.

10. Reading (10-0): Rockets nearly saw their dreams of an undefeated season and a Div. 3 championship go up in smoke against upset-minded Milford.

11. Duxbury (9-1): Dragons did what they’ve done time and time again over the year, finding ways to win games down the stretch.

12. Fairhaven (9-1): What a phenomenal contest between Fairhaven and Lynnfield though we cannot say we were surprised.

13. Wellesley (8-2): Raiders get the opportunity to slow down the Catholic Memorial Express this weekend.

14. Shawsheen (10-0): Defense rose to the challenge once again in shutting down a good Newburyport offense.

15. Foxboro (7-3): Don’t look now but the defending Div. 5 champions are rounding into championship form again.

16. North Attleboro (8-2): Red Rocketeers get a chance to hand Reading its first loss in the Div. 3 state semifinals.