Westfield’s Mitch Weiss, right, drills a header as a Longmeadow player looks on during a regular season contest. The two teams will meet again to begin the postseason. (Photo by Chris Putz)
WESTFIELD – High school sports tournament brackets were finalized Wednesday, setting the stage for another fantastic postseason.
The field hockey playoffs get under way Thursday when No. 5 Southwick-Tolland (8-8-2) travels to fourth-seeded Turners Falls (9-8-1) for a West Division 2 sectional quarterfinal. Game time is 5 p.m.
The Westfield High School boys’ soccer team drew a six seed in the West Division 1 tournament with a final regular season record of 9-4-5. The Bombers will take on third-seeded Longmeadow (13-3-2) Tuesday at the Lancers’ home stadium.
Also Tuesday, No. 5 Gateway (10-5-3) will battle No. 4 Renaissance in a D4 quarterfinal at Central High School’s Berte Field. Division II’s No. 2 Southwick will host a home game.
No. 8 Westfield Technical Academy (10-4-4) and ninth-seeded Pioneer Valley Christian Academy (9-5-2) collide in a D4 opening round contest Friday night at Bullens Field at 6.
For the Southwick and Gateway girls’ soccer teams, the action will heat up early next week.
On Monday, the third-seeded Southwick Rams (9-4-4) will host sixth-seeded South Hadley (12-4-2) in a Division 3 quarterfinal at 2 p.m. In Division 4, No. 2 Gateway (12-2-4) hosts seventh-seeded McCann Tech (12-6) at 6 p.m.
In Division 2 football, third-seeded Westfield (7-1) travels to Springfield for a highly-anticipated rematch with No. 2 Central (6-2) Friday night at Berte Field at 7 p.m. The Golden Eagles handed the Bombers their only loss of the season, and were the last team to bounce the Whip City representatives from the playoffs.
