By Chris Wraight, Contributing Writer
Region – The St. John's High School Pioneers faced the Milford High School Hawks for the Central Mass. Division 1 boys” basketball championship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Harrington Auditorium in Worcester March 10.
The Pioneers were looking for an unprecedented sixth straight district title while the Hawks were hoping to bring home their first title since 1998. The fifth-seed Pioneers had defeated the top-seed, Algonquin Regional High School to earn their spot while the third-seed Hawks had upset second -seed Wachusett Regional High School to move to the title game.
In the first half, the two teams battled evenly with a key factor being the Hawks missing all eight of their first half three point attempts.? Even with that, however, the score at the half was St. John's 22, Milford 20.
In the second half the play continued as in the first, with the game tied at 43 apiece with 4:43 remaining.? But from that point on Milford never trailed again; St. John's got to within one point with 10.8 seconds remaining but in the end the Hawks beat the Pioneers 56-54.
Photos/Chris Wraight
