Eleven high school sports takeaways from Thursday, including bracket breakdowns and coaching changes

Hanover’s boys’ hockey program extended one of the state’s most remarkable streaks on Thursday, edging Essex Tech 4-3 to reach the Division 3 semifinals and move within one victory of a seventh consecutive appearance in a state final held in an even-numbered year. The Hawks, who captured crowns in 2016 and 2022 and were declared co-champions in 2020, also danced on the Garden ice in 2014, 2018 and 2024.

Canton kept its own modern dynasty humming with a 1-0 quarterfinal blanking of Walpole; the Bulldogs are now one win shy of their sixth trip to the championship round since 2019 and own outright titles in 2019 and 2023 plus a share of the 2020 prize.

The winnowing process across the Commonwealth left 16 boys’ and eight girls’ hockey teams still chasing berths in the March 15 title games at TD Garden, while a light quarterfinal basketball slate—three games ahead of Friday and Saturday’s heavy schedule—offered an early look at evolving brackets.

Individual milestones dotted the ice: Tewksbury defenseman Jake Cunha collected his 100th career point as a junior during an 8-0 Division 2 rout of Milton; Westwood bench boss Matt Sebet, a 2018 alum and former longtime assistant, secured his 100th victory behind the Warriors’ 3-2 decision over Falmouth in the same division.

Higher seeds largely held serve—13 of 14 contests went to the favorite—with the lone upset authored by No. 9 Medfield in Division 2 girls’ hockey. Despite being outscored 9-2 by top-ranked Westwood during the regular season, the Warriors rode Kamryn Perachi’s 33-save shutout and Leah Carlson’s overtime strike to a 1-0 triumph over their Tri-Valley League rival. Notre Dame (Hingham) also needed extra time, surviving No. 8 Bishop Stang 2-1 on Ella Faherty’s goal with 5.5 seconds left in OT.

Standout performances included Duxbury freshman Brooke Hanley’s first career hat trick plus an assist in a 5-0 win over Auburn, Hanover senior Cam Melone’s three-goal outburst against Essex Tech, Littleton/Bromfield senior Gavin Werling’s five-point outing (1 goal, 4 assists) in a 6-1 victory over Martha’s Vineyard, and Walpole goalie Michael Roof’s 49-save masterpiece in the 1-0 loss to Canton.

On the hardwood, two of 20 projected quarterfinals are complete: No. 3 Wachusett thumped No. 6 Natick 63-26 in Division 1, and No. 3 St. Mary’s dismissed No. 6 Walpole 75-43 in Division 2, with 18 more tipping off Friday and Saturday. The lone Friday exception already played: No. 3 Georgetown downed No. 3 Blue Hills 66-53 in Division 4.

Off the playing surface, coaching carousels spun from the gridiron to the diamond. Gloucester promoted longtime assistant Brian Anderson to head football coach after 15-plus seasons on staff; former head coach Dan O’Connor, who guided the Fishermen to an 8-3 mark and a Division 5 quarterfinal in 2023, will slide into an assistant role. Norwell named Jessica Davos interim girls’ lacrosse coach for 2026; Davos, a four-time Syracuse letter-winner with prior head-coaching stops at Bentley, Bryant, Union and Albany, inherits a program fresh off its ninth state title since 2005. Acton-Boxborough tabbed Dan Goldner to lead its baseball team; Goldner previously steered the Revolution girls’ indoor and outdoor track programs to a Globe Coach of the Year honor in 2012.

In college-commitment news, Westwood senior attack Sam Cochran announced he will play men’s lacrosse at the Coast Guard Academy after pacing the Wolverines to their first-ever semifinal appearance last spring, and Wellesley sisters Julia (’23) and Alexa Pekowitz (’25) recently competed for Team Pekowitz at the USA Curling Women’s Nationals, posting a 3-4 record ahead of the upcoming U21 Nationals in Bismarck, N.D.