As if the NEPSAC boys Class A season hasn’t already been wild and unpredictable enough, it saved its best for the final day of the regular season.
Phillips Exeter entered its rivalry game at Phillips Andover on Saturday on the playoff bubble, and the Big Red vaulted into the playoffs under unfathomable circumstances. Down 14 points with 1:25 remaining in regulation, they somehow managed a ridiculous comeback. Jake Attaway (Hudson, Mass.) hit a game-tying 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to send the game to overtime before Exeter completed an epic, improbable 91-85 win.
The win secured Exeter the final spot in the Class A playoffs, setting up what should be a wild week to determine a champion on Sunday at Worcester Academy.
Let’s break down the teams that make up this year’s Class A boys playoffs.
BRACKET TRACKER: Class AAA bracket | Class AA bracket | Class A bracket | Class B Large, B Small and C brackets
1. Nobles (17-8)
Record against Class A playoff field: 4-1
What a job by second-year coach Lambros Papalambros and his squad, which missed out on the bubble of last year’s playoffs but emerged as the top seed in the Class A bracket this winter. The Bulldogs enjoyed a hot 9-0 start and rode that to the postseason as they finished 14-2 in class games, which included huge wins over Phillips Andover and Milton Academy.
Nobles had to overcome the loss of star 2028 guard Jack Charchaflian (Winchester, Mass.) – who broke his hand midseason after a brilliant start to his NEPSAC career – and it took some time for them to reinvent themselves, but the Bulldogs have found their way in his absence. Zach Baum (Needham, Mass.), a Bowdoin commit, 2027 prospects Raul Cruz (Dorchester, Mass.) and Jack Mullins (Westwood, Mass.), 2028 guard KJ Hurd (Dorchester, Mass.) and 2029 forward Michael Leese (Newton, Mass.) have all been critical to the success. This is Nobles’ first playoff appearance since 2020.
2. Phillips Andover (16-6)
Record against Class A playoff field: 3-4
Like Nobles, Andover blazed to a 10-0 start that included victories over Northfield Mount Hermon, Hill School, Dexter Southfield and Suffield. The Big Blue went through a brief midseason skid before righting the ship to secure home court through the tournament’s first two rounds. Led by a three-headed monster of 2026 uncommitted prospects Miles Clanton and Nick Hailey with 2027 forward Jabari Edmonds (Providence, R.I.), this is among the most talented teams coach Terrell Ivory has had.
BRACKET BREAKDOWNS: Class AAA | Class AA | Class B Large | Class B Small
3. Deerfield (16-8)
Record against Class A playoff field: 2-3
For the first time in school history, Deerfield is in the Class A playoffs. And coach Connor Merrill’s Big Green certainly can’t be counted out to make a championship run; their two wins over the Class A field have come against No. 1 Nobles and No. 2 Andover. A balanced roster is led by uncommitted 2026 prospect Andrew Rivera (Milford, Mass.), Williams commit Elijah Webb (Charlton, Mass.), 2027 guard Teddy Cyr (Hadley, Mass.), Tufts commit Liam Simpson (East Greenwich, R.I.) and 2026 guard Jonathan Ocasio (Lawrence, Mass.), who are each averaging nine or more points per game.
4. Milton Academy (16-7)
Record against Class A playoff field: 1-2
This is the fifth consecutive Class A playoff appearance for the Mustangs – who won the championship in 2023 – and after falling in the first round last season, an experienced core is hoping to make a leap. Leading scorer and top uncommitted prospect Devan Williams (Uncasville, Conn.) is one of the most competitive players in the region, while fellow senior LJ Reddicks (Milton, Mass.) and 2027 backcourt mate Ryan McLaughlin (Hanover, N.H.) excel on both ends. Milton’s super power might be 2027 big man Spencer Booth (Scarborough, Maine), a 6-foot-10 center who’s a matchup nightmare in Class A. Coach Lamar Reddicks loves the overall contributions from his group, which goes 11 deep in the rotation and plays an unselfish brand of basketball.
5. Hotchkiss (20-5)
Record against Class A playoff field: 1-1
Hotchkiss sat well outside the playoff race less than a month ago – partly due to its strength of schedule – but reeled off nine consecutive wins to end the season in an incredible run that vaulted them to the No. 5 seed. That stretch included a heart-stopping comeback win at Dexter Southfield, where Jordan Ghee drained a game-winning 3 as time expired, and a crucial 26-point win over Loomis Chaffee on the final day. Beyond Ghee, an uncommitted prospect in 2026, coach Joe Busacca’s group is led by Harvard commit Preston Merrick and 2027 wing Alonzo Archbold. This team is defined by its toughness and resilience.
6. Dexter Southfield (14-11)
Record against Class A playoff field: 2-5
Coach Matt Droney is now 2-for-2 in leading Dexter to the playoffs since he got the job, and his group might be the most battle-tested of any team in the field. The Shields went 4-1 in games against Class AA opponents, including wins over three playoff teams in St. Andrew’s, Winchendon and Kimball Union and a buzzer-beating victory over Mount St. Charles via a Will White (West Roxbury, Mass.) bucket on Saturday. Malik Adamson (Dorchester, Mass.), Assumption commit Lateef Afolabi (Dorchester, Mass.) and Babson commit Alex Dudley (Needham, Mass.) are the stars of the show with more smart, instinctual players surrounding them.
7. Suffield (17-7)
Record against Class A playoff field: 2-5
After making a big step as a program last year by finishing with a winning record, the Tigers took an even bigger leap this winter, winning six of their final seven games – including a victory over Deerfield – to qualify for the Class A playoffs for the first time since 2019. Coach Drew Gamere has built a culture around a core of guard Markus Maxwell-Grimes and big man Jakub Lomicka, two uncommitted prospects who have set the tone. Ethan Jarrett (Nantucket, Mass.), a 6-foot-8 forward, and Alijah Johnson (Waterbury, Conn.), a 5-foot-11 guard, are two 2027 prospects who have lifted the group, while 2026 guard Parris Moses (Cambridge, Mass.) has added another ball-handler and scorer. Maxwell-Grimes is playing his best basketball of the season entering the playoffs; he had 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals vs. Trinity-Pawling, and 17 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and six steals vs. Salisbury.
8. Phillips Exeter (17-5)
Record against Class A playoff field: 4-1
It’s going to be hard to bet against Exeter, arguably the hottest team in NEPSAC – regardless of class – entering the postseason. After starting the season 1-4, the Big Red have won 16 of their last 17 games, including Class AA victories over Northfield Mount Hermon, Worcester Academy and Tilton, and big Class AA triumphs at Deerfield and Andover.
The success starts with 2028 guard Cole McClure (Stratham, N.H.), 2027 wing shooter Christian Chartier (Hampton, N.H.) and 2027 wing Jayden Duverne (Woburn, Mass.). But the Andover win was emblematic of deeper contributions; Attaway, 2027 wing Alex Hamblett and 2026 guard Josh Belcher each had a piece of the pie in the miraculous comeback. First-year head coach Harry Rafferty, who’s done a terrific job in succeeding longtime coach Jay Tilton, has a confident and resilient squad that should believe it can make a run to the program’s sixth Class A title.
