By Jason Mastrodonato, Globe Correspondent

For the second straight year, no team in Massachusetts could find a way to best Duxbury.
Three teams came close. Billerica and Lincoln-Sudbury were just one goal away, and if Needham had some more time on the man-advantage at Harvard Stadium in the Division 1 state championship, there’s no telling what could have happened.

For most of the spring, though, the Dragons were far and away the best lacrosse team in Eastern Massachusetts. If there were a ranking higher than No. 1, Duxbury would’ve gotten it.

But it’s hard not to wonder what would have happened if the Big Green Machine and Concord-Carlisle faced off in a battle of state camps.

The Division 2-winning Patriots were playing near-perfect lacrosse by season’s end, cruising to a 13-3 win over Algonquin in the final game of the spring. C-C finished the season with a 22-0 record, holding opponents to just 3.55 goals per game with All-American stopper Doug Gouchoe. Duxbury ended the year with a 4.40 goals-against-average, although the level of competition was premier.

Unfortunately, there’s no playoff series before Division 1 and Division 2 teams. So we’ll just have to call Duxbury No. 1 and Concord-Carlisle No. 2.

While teams like No. 3 Needham and No. 13 BC High had their fair share of early-season blunders, both teams showed how important it can be to peak at the right time, each making a run to the Division 1 semifinals where the Rockets advanced before losing to Duxbury.

Wellesley slid in at No. 4, giving C-C a close game in the D2 finals, while Division 3 champion Dover-Sherborn took the No. 5 spot.

The Dual County League might have been the best around this spring, with five teams in the top 20.

See the full Globe boys lacrosse Top 20 here.