This past June, BC High and Lincoln-Sudbury staged an MIAA Division 1 state final for the ages.
Back-and-forth action and a last-minute comeback attempt all culminated in a defensive stand in the final possession of a one-goal game in the private vs public showdown in front of a raucous crowd.
The game symbolized what makes best-on-best state tournament play so great, where a 34-team bracket naturally crowned a victor.
It got me thinking. Why isn’t there an all-state tournament in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC)?
In its glory, there is one problem with the circumstances surrounding BC High’s thrilling win over Lincoln-Sudbury. The game took place on June 12.
There are a myriad of challenges that would come with extending the season in the NEPSAC, largely due to graduation festivities and boarding schools closing residence halls.
“We can’t drift into a non-season, meaning post-graduation, we’ve been told,” said Brunswick head coach David Bruce.
This is why other spring sports in the NEPSAC, like baseball, are in the same boat. League tournaments have been a solid solution, normally falling just shy of graduation before Memorial Day. For instance, Loomis Chaffee won its third straight Founders League title on May 20. The Independent School League (ISL) follows a similar timeline. So do other leagues, like the Lakes Region.
Except for the New England West 1.
