Poland quarterback Damon Martin finds room to run on his way to an 80-yard touchdown against Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale/Kents Hill in October 2024. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

Austin Armandi, Spruce Mountain senior running back/linebacker: Armandi was the heart of Spruce Mountain’s defense last year, registering 127 total tackles. He also rushed for 11 touchdowns and a team-high 692 yards.

Maleek Beaumier, Lisbon junior running back/defensive back: Coach Walter Polky expects Beaumier, who was enjoying a stellar 2024 season before the Greyhounds season was abruptly canceled, to be Lisbon’s best player.

Tanner Bradeen, Dirigo senior running back/linebacker: Bradeen was the leading tackler for Dirigo in 2024, nearing the 100 mark. He could also factor into the run game after rushing for 350 yards and three scores.

Quan Bullock, Edward Little senior running back/linebacker: Bullock, who burst onto the varsity scene for the Red Eddies as a junior last season, returns as one of the Sun Journal area’s top running backs this fall.

Brock Dewar, Winthrop senior offensive lineman/linebacker: Dewar recorded 38 solo tackles, 32 assisted and 14 tackles for loss defensively last year and is also the Ramblers’ only returning starter on the offensive line.

Braden Dubuc, Oak Hill senior quarterback/defensive back: Dubuc excelled at quarterback last year despite making a last-minute switch to the position in camp. He was named Maine Elite Passing Camp’s top passer this summer.

Joey Hayden, Mt. Blue senior offensive/defensive lineman: The Cougars hope to turn it around under new coach Craig Collins, and in Hayden, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound four-year starter, they return a key piece in the trenches.

Mason Henderson, Leavitt senior wide receiver/defensive back: Henderson, who racked up more than 500 total yards in four games before suffering a season-ending injury, is back healthy for a Hornets team with title aspirations.

Dylan Jewett, Spruce Mountain senior quarterback/defensive back: Jewett threw for nine touchdowns and no interceptions last year while rushing for 504 yards and seven scores. He also led the Spruce Mountain defense with five interceptions.

Leavitt’s Mason Henderson reacts after scoring a touchdown against Cony in Turner in September 2024. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)

Reid Langlois, Leavitt senior offensive/defensive lineman: An all-Campbell Conference selection, Langlois was a rock on the offensive line for the Hornets last season. He also made an impact on defense with 47 tackles and five sacks.

Hudson Lufkin, Dirigo junior quarterback/defensive back: A dual-threat quarterback, Lufkin passed for 1,121 yards and ran for 868 last fall. He was also a key piece for the Cougars on defense, racking up 61 total tackles, 12 for loss.

Damon Martin, Poland senior quarterback/defensive back: Martin passed for 909 yards last year while rushing for 713 yards and eight touchdowns. He also registered 54 tackles, four interceptions and five forced fumbles on defense.

Ben Porter, Winthrop senior wide receiver/defensive back: Porter is the Ramblers’ top returner in tackles (60 solo, 22 assisted) and interceptions (three). He also had 19 receptions for 265 yards and three touchdowns last year.

P.J. Smith, Oak Hill senior wide receiver/defensive back: The coach of another Class D South team called Smith, who had 465 receiving yards, 486 rushing yards and 68 tackles last year, one of the region’s top-two players.

Kody Tracy, Gray-New Gloucester junior wide receiver/linebacker: Tracy caught 29 passes for 634 yards and nine touchdowns for the Gray-NG offense last year, while also registering seven interceptions.