MILFORD – One year ago, Springfield Central coach Bill Watson stood on the turf at Boston College High School and searched his mind for an answer.

The Golden Eagles had just lost to BC High in the Division I state playoffs, giving the program its second quarterfinal loss in a row.

After winning the title in 2021 and making the title game in 2022, Watson sensed regression.

“I’ve gotta put my finger on it, and I’ve gotta make whatever moves need to be made so that we can get to where we need to be,” Watson said following the 2024 semifinal . “We don’t work as hard as we work and do the things that we do to be eliminated in the quarterfinals two years in a row.

“When that happens, we’ve got to start fixing things. We can’t keep repeating the same thing every year.”

Coming into this sea

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