St. Mary’s leaving Catholic Central League, will stay in MIAA as independent (original) (raw)
One of the MIAA’s top athletic programs will be seeking a new opportunity in 2027-28 and beyond.
St. Mary’s High School in Lynn announced in a press release Monday afternoon that most of the athletic programs will depart from the Catholic Central League and pursue independent status for the upcoming school year. The Spartans are the second program to leave the CCL in recent months after Bishop Feehan departed starting this spring.
St. Mary’s athletic director Jeff Newhall told the Herald that the decision was made in an effort to “enhance the student-athlete experience.”
“We’re always looking at different ways that we can enhance what we are offering to students,” Newhall said. “Athletics is a big part of the experience at most schools and specifically at St. Mary’s, so it’s always something we are looking at.”
Newhall acknowledged that the recent Bishop Feehan decision, and other programs like Austin Prep departing in recent seasons, did contribute to the decision. However, the department is thankful for its time with the CCL and is excited to remain in the league for some sports that will be determined in the next few months.
“There has been some recent transition in our league,” Newhall said. “Our league has been great to us and we have loved being a part of it. We love all of those teams and will continue to play them in most sports.
“This was not something that was decided in the last 72 hours, but it is something that we have been looking at. The response was overwhelmingly positive from the board of trustees and we moved.”
While the Spartans will keep relationships with programs from the CCL, it will also allow the teams to schedule more local opponents.
“We’re not locked into a league schedule where there is 10 to 12 league games,” Newhall said. “We will have more flexibility to schedule games against programs like Swampscott, Masconomet, Marblehead, North Reading and many others.”
The Spartans carry the MIAA’s longest consecutive state title streak, having captured at least one state championship in every school year since 2007-08. The most recent of these came this March when the Spartans boys basketball program claimed the Div. 2 state title in an epic battle against local rival Masconomet.
Newhall said that going independent in most sports will allow for unique opportunities for the athletes and will match the demand set by the students and their families for high-end athletics.
“The school and the student-athletes that participate in athletics at the school take it very seriously,” Newhall said. “This decision was not a result of anyone not doing something. We just felt like we will have a little more freedom in our schedule and scheduling a little more in our neighborhoods, while also opening the opportunity for more travel within the northeast or other parts of the country for tournaments. Those types of opportunities will also present themselves, and we think we will be able to build schedules that increase our student-athlete experience, and that is our No. 1 priority.”