It’s that time again – time for Town Crier Sports Guys Jamie Pote and Mike Ippolito to go out on a limb with their high school basketball and ice hockey predictions. Last year, it was more or less a tie, depending on how you look at it. Ippolito had four sectional winners correctly picked and he predicted 13 of 28 teams to reach the sectional finals correctly. On the other hand, Pote had just two sectional winners out of 14 and he predicted 14 of the 28 teams to reach the sectional finals correctly.

So here goes with this year’s predictions, which were made on Monday morning (D1 North Hockey on Tuesday morning) before the tournament began.

Pote

Boys Hoop

D1 North: Lowell over St. John’s Prep – I think this is one of many sectionals which are wide open. Lowell has been pretty dynamic over the season and I don’t see Cambridge making it back to the final.

D2 North: New Mission over Salem – It appears as if New Mission is the team to beat, although Salem is loaded and are coming off two competitive losses with D1 teams Lowell and Everett. If any team is going to pull out an upset over NM, it’ll be Malden Catholic with old friend Jim McCune.

D3 North: Lynnfield over Watertown – I’m not sold on Watertown, but there’s no one else on that side that impresses me and the Red Raiders still face very tough competition during the regular season.

D4 North: Pope John over St. Mary’s – I always seem to pick St. Mary’s in every sport. For that school to compete in D4 in hoop just always seems like a cakewalk.

Girls Hoop

D1 North: Lowell over Chelmsford — Would be an awesome battle with Lowell’s awesome 1-2 punch vs Chelmsford’s awesome 1-2 punch. When it comes to post-season, usually the Big Horses are the difference.

D2 North: AC over Watertown — It’s too bad Tewksbury lost earlier regular games to Melrose and Methuen and have grabbed the No. 5 seed as if that was the case I think arguably the most balanced and all-around Redmen teams in a long time could have made some noise, but AC will just be too tough of a hill to climb.

D3 North: St. Mary’s over North Reading — Again with a pick of St. Mary’s.

D4 North: Mystic Valley over Fenway — Just seeing scores, MV trounces everyone so going with that pick.

Boys Hockey

D1A: BC High over Malden Catholic — BC High is too talented not to come away with the championship.

D1 North: Reading over Arlington – Reading is so talented, so quick and explosive and although this bracket is completely loaded, I don’t see any other team overtaking them.

D2 North: Boston Latin over Tewksbury — This bracket is completely wide open and should have a ton of upsets. BL is very talented but have been all over the map lately. Tewksbury should win its side of the bracket, but that all depends on which team shows up?

Girls Hockey

D1: AC over Arlington — This match-up would be pretty cool. AC will be on a mission after being upset last year, and the ML is just so good when it comes to hockey so I like Arlington on that side of the bracket.

D2: Winchester over Burlington — Again two Middlesex League teams in the finals. Both are very stingy on defense which in the playoffs, is always the difference.

Ippolito

Boys Basketball

Division 1 North: Cambridge over Everett. With an eye on the state title, Cambridge makes it two sectional crowns in a row.

Division 2 North: Danvers over New Mission. Until proven otherwise, I’m not picking against defending state champ Danvers. Tewksbury has the talent to make a run here, but late season struggles give them tough second round draw against a New Mission team that is well, on a mission.

Division 3 North: Weston over Lynnfield. Weston tops powerhouse North Reading on their path to the finals. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Shawsheen win a game or two here.

Division 4 North: Pope John over St. Mary’s. Pope John may have one of the most exciting players in the state in junior guard Travon Ford. They also simply have too much talent for anyone else in this field.

Girls Basketball

Division 1 North: Billerica over Lowell. Sectional finalists last season, Billerica takes the final step this time around.

Division 2 North: Watertown over Newburyport. Watertown is 38-4 over the past two years, including last year’s sectional title. Tewksbury has a very tough second round matchup with Arlington Catholic, but don’t count them out.

Division 3 North: North Reading over St. Mary’s. Both teams roll to the finals before the Hornets finally prevail in a thriller.

Division 4 North: Fenway over Pope John. Fenway has won the sectional title three of the last four years and there is no reason to pick against them here. Tough break for Shawsheen, who will face them in the second round after a first round matchup with CAC foe Whittier.

Boys Hockey

Division 1A: BC High over Malden Catholic. To merely say that BC High is loaded would be vastly underrating them. Super Eight is always so tough to call, but it sure is hard to pick against the Eagles.

Division 1 North: Reading over Arlington. The obvious choice, but the right choice. The two losers of the Super Eight play in games get over their misery by storming to the finals, where the Rockets will prevail. Luck of the bad draw for Wilmington gets them a matchup with an angry Arlington team in the quarterfinals.

Division 2 North: Marblehead over Tewksbury. The MVC champion Redmen play like they are capable of and make a run to the finals. But waiting there will be a Marblehead squad which has outscored their opponents 112-33 on the season on their way to a 21-0-1 record.

Division 3 North: Watertown over Lynn. Once again, defending state champion Watertown is a Division 1 team playing in the Division 3 tournament. Great job, MIAA! Shawsheen has a brutal draw with Watertown, Division 2 Swampscott and talented Division 3 foe Lowell Catholic all on their side of the bracket.

Girls Hockey

Division 1: Arlington Catholic over Austin Prep. Wilmington natives Tia Martignetti, Mickey McLaughlin and Erin Kelley help lead the Cougars to the title.

Division 2 – Wellesley over Tewksbury/Methuen. It’s a wide open field and the Red Rangers could be the team to emerge.