Who's got next? Way-too-early 2024 high school football rankings
Every year, the hardest batch of rankings to make is the first one.
That's because I forget about this list, where we attempt to predict the future with our top-10 high school football ranking for next season. The 2022 version had mixed results. Of the 10 teams I ranked, we hit on half. Three teams that were listed on the bubble last year ended up on our final list of the 2023 season.
As always, enjoy this list with a grain of salt. A lot can change between now and August, when preseason camps kick off again. But make no mistake about it, our staff is already missing covering the gridiron.
Just missed the cut
In alphabetical order
Abington (8-3): The Green Wave have some solid talent returning, but it will be the first time in 50 years that Jim Kelliher is not manning the sidelines.
Braintree (7-4): The Wamps quietly ended the season in stellar fashion. Running back James Curry put up eye-popping numbers (1,750 yards rushing, 23 TDs) as a junior.
Bridgewater-Raynham (4-7): Transfers and injuries hit the Trojans hard this fall. Junior Caleb Tripp is a key returner for next season.
Cardinal Spellman (7-4): The Cardinals started strong this fall but lost some steam down the stretch. Sophomore Chris Soto is a name to know for the coming years.
Carver (11-2): The Crusaders might be the team hardest hit by graduation, but they're out to prove they're not a one-hit wonder.
Middleboro (8-3): The Sachems are perennial contenders. Middleboro was supposed to be in for a bit of a retooling season and instead finished 8-3 and earned the No. 3 seed in Division 4. Expect more of the same in the fall.
North Quincy (5-6): Mikey Galligan, a junior, has already proven himself to be one of the best QBs in program history. He could be in store for a special season.
Randolph (4-5): The Blue Devils were once again a tough out in Division 8, reaching the quarterfinals as a No. 12 seed. Nathanyel Gomes-Correia just capped off a monster junior season (1,272 yards rushing, 14 TDs).
Rockland (7-4): The standard is for the Bulldogs to be in the state-title conversation every year. Jordan DePina leaves a big hole to fill.
West Bridgewater (8-3): The Wildcats are always in the mix, and sophomore running back Ty Holmes is coming off a big season (1,365 yards rushing, 17 TDs).
Top 10
10. Brockton (3-8)
Jermaine Wiggins's first season at the helm was a rebuilding year for the Boxers. But Brockton put plenty of young players on the field and a bunch of that crew will be back with loads of varsity experience. Ahmad Wiggins, Luke Turco and Jarred Mighty are key returning defensive players. Jayden Campbell took his lumps as a freshman quarterback, but it's clear he's brimming with potential.
9. Cohasset (6-5)
Michael Wildfire came out of nowhere to be one of the area's most productive players as a sophomore quarterback. He threw for 2,193 yards and 22 TDs as a first-year starter. Sophomore Max Monahan, a running back, is another name to know. That will be one of the best backfield duos and they have the chance to be together for two years. The Skippers won the Division 7 state title in 2021 and have reached the semifinals each of the last two years. Duxbury is the area's only other team to reach at least the semifinals each of the last three seasons.
8. Hanover (11-2)
This could be way too low for the Hawks, but it's hard to picture what this team will look like next fall. Hanover has had some exquisite play from QBs Michael Landolfi and Ben Scalzi in recent years, but there's not a clear successor heading into next season. Outside of a rebuilding season during the 2021 Fall II campaign, the Hawks have won seven-plus games in four of the last five seasons. Sophomore Brandon Errico is a name to remember.
7. Weymouth (7-4)
The Wildcats were one of the darlings of the 2023 season. Weymouth won its first postseason game ever and was very competitive against North Andover in the Division 1 quarterfinals. Michael Donovan looks like a home-run hire at head coach. Graduation will sap some talent, but the cupboard is far from bare. Naheem Ridore will be one of the area's best returning linemen, if not the best. Cam Aieta, a versatile two-way player, had 12 TDs and four interceptions as a junior.
6. BC High (6-5)
After a couple of down years, the Eagles turned a corner this fall. BC High appears to be back on track. Graduation will hit the Eagles hard, but junior Carter Carroll was one of the top QBs in Division 1 this fall. He threw for 25 TDs and for over 2,500 yards. Jackson Richard, a two-way starter, will also be back after leading the team in rushing yards. The Catholic Conference provides no easy wins, but if BC High can get to the three-win minimum it'll be in the playoff mix.
5. Norwell (9-2)
The Clippers were one of the area's most-improved teams this fall. Will Bostrom and Jack Luccarelli will be back in the fold next fall, and that could be right up there with the best backfields in the state. As a junior this fall, Bostrom ran for over 1,400 yards and was voted the South Shore League Sullivan Division MVP. Luccarelli, a freshman QB, showed plenty of promise. John Willis, who now heads into his third season as head coach, has plenty to work with.
4. Milton (9-4)
This fall had the look of a rebuilding year for the Wildcats. Instead, they hoisted the program's first state title. Milton once again will graduate some key pieces. Sophomore Ronan Sammon is coming off a 1,000-yard season and is an electric playmaker for the Wildcats. Milton's QB play has been top-notch since coach Steve Dembowski took over. Owen McHugh and Patrick Miller, both one-year starters at QB, were excellent each of the last two seasons. Milton will have a new starting QB for the third consecutive season next fall.
More: Harrison Hinckle leaves his stamp on another Milton state-championship celebration
3. Scituate (9-4)
This is a program that has elevated its standard to the highest level. The Sailors are a team that I expect to not only be in the playoffs every season, but to make a solid run during the postseason. Scituate will graduate some key pieces, including two-year starting QB Jackson Belsan, but will return some major talent. Receiver Lawson Foley (835 yards, 10 TDs) and running back Willy Robinson (635 yards rushing, 9 TDs) will make whoever inherits that QB job's life much easier.
2. Duxbury (12-1)
The Dragons are quite simply the best South Shore football program, and it's not particularly close. Duxbury is 23-1 over the last two seasons and has made four consecutive trips to Gillette Stadium. It's a football town. Junior Trevor Jones earned the starting QB spot midway through the season and he was one of the area's best dual threats. Duxbury will graduate a lot of big-time players, but the Dragons always find a way to reload.
1. Marshfield (9-4)
It feels like the Rams were a year ahead of schedule reaching the Division 2 state final this fall. Juniors Davin True (RB) and Tor Maas (QB) are already two of the best players in the area, and with another year, they could be two of the best players in the state (if they're not already). Coach Chris Arouca is one of the best around. Division 2 will not get any easier. King Philip, which beat Marshfield in the state final, will bring a ton back, and Catholic Memorial will be hungry after seeing its title reign end.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 2024 South Shore high school football top 10 rankings
