Unbeaten Newton North hosts battle-tested Natick in Carey Division showdown

Newton North has won every game it has played this fall. On Friday night, the Tigers find out how far that streak can carry them.

Newton North (4-0, 1-0 Bay State Conference Carey) hosts Natick (1-3) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, in Newtonville. On paper it looks like a mismatch. The schedules say otherwise.

The game at a glance

• When: Friday, Oct. 9, 6 p.m.
• Where: Newton North High School, Newtonville
• Records: Newton North 4-0 (1-0 Carey), Natick 1-3
• Tickets: Sold through GoFan, linked from Newton North's MaxPreps schedule

How Newton North got to 4-0

The Tigers have won with composure more than margin. According to MaxPreps, they have outscored opponents 91-58, and two of their four wins came by a single score.

• Sept. 10: W 28-14 at Waltham
• Sept. 18: W 20-14 vs. Newton South
• Sept. 25: W 14-12 vs. Weymouth
• Oct. 2: W 29-18 vs. Framingham (Carey)

The 20-14 win over Newton South settled the city matchup for another year. The winning streak goes back to last Thanksgiving, when Newton North won 14-13 at Brookline, per MaxPreps.

Why Natick's record doesn't tell the story

Natick is 1-3, but MaxPreps ranks the Redhawks No. 8 in Division 1 as of Oct. 4, ahead of many teams with better records. The reason is who they have played.

• Losses: Milton (35-22), Milford (28-7) and Mansfield (28-0). Milford and Mansfield were both 4-0 in On3's Oct. 5 Massachusetts rankings.
• Win: 41-0 over Needham in the opener.

Natick also has recent postseason experience. Last fall the Redhawks reached the Division 1 state tournament and lost 20-17 to Central Catholic, per MaxPreps.

What's at stake

Friday's game counts in the Carey Division standings, so the league lead is on the line. Because Natick's rating is high, the result could also move Newton North in rating-based rankings such as MaxPreps'.

The state tournament picture comes into focus soon. Under the MIAA's 2026 football format, the regular-season cutoff is Oct. 31 and brackets are released Nov. 1.

What's next for Newton North

• Oct. 16: at Wellesley
• Oct. 23: at Cumberland, R.I.
• Oct. 30: at Braintree
• Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving): vs. Brookline, 10 a.m.

Boston Sports News did not attend these games. Results and rankings come from the sources listed below.