Seven high school tournament takeaways from Thursday, plus a national award for Brody Bumila

The girls’ lacrosse and rugby hardware has been distributed, and we’re entering the final 48 hours of the spring season.

Thursday marked the first day with only championship action, and six titlists hoisted trophies at Babson College, Quincy’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, and Worcester North High.

Sandwich became the first girls’ lacrosse program from Cape Cod to win a state title when it topped Ipswich, 9-6, in the Division 4 final. Many players from the boys’ team, which forfeited its semifinal, were on hand to cheer on their schoolmates.

Cohasset girls’ lacrosse captured its second title in three years, and fourth overall acrosse three divisions, by winning a rematch against Norwell in the Division 3 final, one year after they met in the D4 final.

In Division 2 boys’ volleyball, Wayland finally captured its elusive first title, in its fourth championship match appearance. And in rugby, it was all repeats, as the Belmont girls won their eighth in a row, the BC High boys completed a Division 1 three-peat, and the Hanover boys went back-to-back in D2.

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Here’s Friday’s championship slate:

D1 baseball: No. 1 English High vs. No. 2 Georgetown, 4 p.m.
D1 softball: No. 5 Apponequet vs. No. 3 Joseph Case, 4 p.m.
D1 boys’ lacrosse: No. 1 Lincoln-Sudbury vs. No. 6 BC High, 4:30 p.m.
D1 boys’ volleyball: No. 1 Needham vs. No. 2 Brookline, 6 p.m.
D1 softball: No. 1 Advanced Math and Science vs. No. 3 Tyngsborough, 6:30 p.m.
D2 boys’ lacrosse: No. 2 Longmeadow vs. No. 4 Mansfield, 7 p.m.
D2 baseball: No. 4 Milton vs. No. 11 King Philip, 7 p.m.

And check out Nate Weitzer’s preview of Friday’s 48th Shriners Classic, a rare treat to see some of the state’s elite football players suiting up in June.

1. Reading list

Cohasset flips the script in title-game rematch, capturing Division 3 girls’ lacrosse championship
Sandwich tastes glory with first girls’ lacrosse championship, taking down Ipswich in Division 4 final
Wayland finally rings the Bell by capturing Division 2 boys’ volleyball championship, its first
Scoring in bunches, BC High soars to third straight Division 1 rugby title
Great eight: Belmont secures another girls’ rugby title, but rest of state is catching up
St. Mary’s completes three-peat as Division 1 girls’ flag football champions, Fitchburg claims D2
Frustration lingers over Ipswich boys’ lacrosse team’s abrupt season-ending forfeit

2. Four stars

Finn Bell, Wayland — With the final kill of a four-set victory over Westfield in the Division 2 boys’ volleyball final, Bell completed his career as the all-time kills leader in state history with 1,485. On Thursday, he slammed down a match-high 17, adding two blocks and an ace, to give the Warriors their first state championship.

Sophia Lafontant, St. Mary’s — The sophomore was named MVP of the Patriots Girls’ High School Division 1 Flag Football Championship as she led the Spartans to a third-straight title, 12-6, over Leominster.

Avery Regan, Cohasset — The Bucknell-bound senior led the way with three goals in the Skippers’ 9-6 triumph over Norwell in the Division 3 girls’ lacrosse championship game.

Elisabeth Stutzman, Sandwich — The junior scored a game-high three goals to lift the Blue Knights to their first girls’ lacrosse state championship with a 9-6 victory over Ipswich.

3. Bumila earns national honor

Bishop Feehan senior Brody Bumila has been named the Max Preps Male National Athlete of the Year. A two-season sensation, the 6-foot-9-inch senior led the Shamrocks to an epic Division 1 boys’ basketball run to the championship as the No. 14 seed, during which he averaged 41 points, 20 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He finished his basketball career with 1,365 points and was named Catholic Central MVP and a Globe Super Teamer.

The Texas-committed lefthander can also dial up his fastball to 101 miles per hour and has Feehan playing in Saturday’s Division 1 baseball championship as its ace pitcher. Earlier this season, he fired a 20-strikeout no-hitter.

4. Coaching carousel

Malden Catholic has removed the interim tag for boys’ basketball coach Mike Garrity, while hiring Sarell Sanders to coach its girls’ hoops team.

Sanders was the head coach at Medford, which she led to a tournament appearance and second-place Greater Boston League finish in her first season leading the program.

Previously, she was an assistant at St. Mary’s, her alma mater, earning a total of six state titles as a player and coach. She played Division 2 basketball at Caldwell and works as a physical education techer in Lynn.

“Coach Sanders is an outstanding leader who brings passion, energy, and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court,” said Malden Catholic athletic director Bill Raycraft in a statement. “Her vision for building a competitive program rooted in accountability, teamwork, and character aligns perfectly with the mission and values of Malden Catholic. We are excited to welcome her to the Lancer family.”

Garrity, who led the Lancers to a 15-7 record as interim coach in 2025-26, has been on the MC staff since 2020, and helped them win three state championships as the top varsity assistant.

Garrity, a former standout player at Somerville, had coaching stops at Danvers, Central Catholic, Fitchburg State, and with the Middlesex Magic and Mass Rivals AAU programs. He played collegiately at Anna Maria, Framingham State, and Salem State.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity,” said Garrity in a statement. “Having been part of this program’s success and growth, I have developed a deep appreciation for the tradition, commitment, and culture that make Malden Catholic unique.”

5. Commitment central

Leicester’s Owen Fadden has committed to play men’s soccer at New Hampshire. Fadden played for Intercontinental Football Academy of New England, part of MLS NEXT, for the last four years, including two years a steam captain. He graduated from the Center of Excellence this spring.

“Owen embodies the mentality and culture we want within our program,” said UNH coach Rich Weinrebe in a statement. “Defensively, he brings toughness, discipline and a strong understanding of the game, consistently showing the ability to read plays, compete in challenges and remain composed under pressure. His commitment to development, competitive nature and willingness to push himself every day will make an immediate impact on our environment.”

6. Transfer portal

Charlotte junior third baseman Dawson Bryce, a Taunton graduate who also played at Merrimack, announced his transfer to Arkansas. Bryce was the preseason American Conference Player of the Year and was off to a strong start before getting injured. In 2025, he hit .340 with 14 homers and 17 doubles.

7. Here and there

▪ The Mass Mutual Center will host the MADE Hoops Global Games, the first middle school basketball championship, this weekend.

The event will feature young athletes ages 10-14 competing under international rules. Participants hail from more than a dozen countries.

Tip-off is 3 p.m. Friday, with play continuing Saturday and Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.

▪ The Red Sox foundation will introduce its latest class of Red Sox Scholars on Saturday at Fenway Park before a 4 p.m. game against the Rangers.

Twelve seventh-graders from Boston Public Schools will receive $10,000 scholarships, mentoring, and professional support. The ceremony will also celebrate 24 Red Sox Scholars who are graduating from high school or college this spring.

This year’s Red Sox Scholars: Samanta Abad Garcia of Eliot Innovation, Emmanuella Barinda of English High, Ivy Circeo of Latin Academy, Khalil Elamin of Boston Latin, Angel Escoto of Hurley, Lucely Gonzalez of TechBoston, De’Andre Henderson of Roxbury Prep, Larry Kelley of Higginson-Lewis, Alanna Lopez of Hurley, Nepthalie Presume of New Mission, Adriel Romero of New Mission, and Anisa Sharif of Richard J. Murphy.