The Franklin Panthers edged out the Newton North Tigers on Sunday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell with a 55-52 finish, securing their first Division I state championship following a competitive back-and-forth and a formidable last-quarter comeback attempt.

The first quarter kicked off with Franklin scoring first, followed quickly by back-to-back three-pointers from Newton standout Teegan Swint (21).

The Panthers rallied quickly, with point guard Caden Sullivan (1) narrowing the deficit with a well-placed free throw with 2:45 left in the first quarter. Franklin nearly finished the quarter with their first lead, but a buzzer-beater from Mathaios Stamm (24) led to a 17-17 finish.

The second quarter intensified this already tight contest. The Panther’s Sullivan hit a three-point shot with 5:50 left in the second quarter, giving Franklin a slight lead. Point Guard Nicholas Spinelli (21) and Mathaios Stamm quickly responded with a three-pointer each, giving the lead back to Newton.

Franklin’s Wyatt Herndon (3) landed a well-placed three with 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter, allowing the Panthers to finish with a slight lead, 28-25. The Panthers extended their lead at the beginning of the third quarter with a six-point run.

Several controversial fouls called against Newton helped Franklin push their lead even further, and the quarter ended with the Panthers holding an 11 point lead.

The nail-biting fourth quarter proved intense, with neither team letting up leading into the final moments of the game. The Panthers continued their impeccable defense, though a late-game rally from the Tigers brought the contest down to the wire. With 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Newton’s Spinelli stole the ball from Sullivan and ran it home, bringing the score to 52-50.

The Panthers’ defense proved critical in the game’s final moments, with a foul from Stamm allowing Sullivan to score a free throw that brought the contest to 53-50. Newton’s Swint attempted to rally his team in the last moments, bringing the margin to a suspenseful 53-52.

The game closed out with another foul for Newton. Sullivan secured both free throws to finish out the game with a 55-52 lead for the Panthers, Spinelli narrowly missed a three-pointer that would’ve brought the game into overtime.

Tigers Captain Swint led the charge with an impressive early performance and fourth-quarter rally, though the Panthers’ masterful defense made it difficult for Newton to keep up momentum throughout the game. Keeping in line with his imposing presence this season, Swint led the Tigers, scoring 24 points in his final game with Newton. Senior Spinelli also gave a notable showing, earning 12 points and two remarkable plays that nearly put the game into overtime. The Panther’s Sullivan was by far the standout player of the night, scoring 31 of the 55 points that brought Franklin their first state championship.

The Newton North Tigers finish out the season with a 24-2 record, while the Franklin Panthers walked away having secured their first-ever Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association D1 boys’ basketball championship.