Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale/Kents Hill’s Ben Porter tries to get by Poland’s Mason Dulworth after catching a pass during an Oct. 5, 2024, football game in Poland. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

1. Winthrop: Eight starters, including interior linemen Glaia Ngongo and Isaiah Trott, linebacker Brock Dewar and defensive back Ben Porter, return on defense for a Ramblers squad whose only losses last year were to Wells, which has moved up to Class C. Offensively, Class D South runner-up Winthrop (8-2 last season) returns both of its leading receivers in Porter and Brody Adams

2. Leavitt: Injuries and inexperience ravaged the Hornets a year ago, when they finished 4-6 but still reached the Class C South final. Leavitt should be primed to bounce back in 2025 as it healthier and more seasoned. Coach Mike Hathaway’s team brings back six starters on both sides of the ball, including five all-conference selections in Ian Garcia, Mason Henderson, Reid Langlois, Nick Mellen and Brody Poland.

3. Dirigo: The Cougars are set to build upon a remarkable return to 11-man football last year, when they went 7-2 and reached the D South semifinals, under new coach Joshua Newhall. Dirigo has one of the state’s top dual-threat quarterbacks in Hudson Lufkin, and Tanner Bradeen leads a linebacking corps that’s right there at the top in a tough Class D South region.

4. Oak Hill: Following the death of player Isaac Graham in May, the Raiders are playing for a cause — and opposing coaches see them as a force in D South. Although an Oak Hill squad that went 6-4 and reached the regional semis lost the 2024 Campbell Conference Player of the Year Kaiden Delano, quarterback Braden Dubuc and receiver P.J. Smith form what could be Class D’s best passing combination.

5. Spruce Mountain: A jump from eight-man Small School to Large School won’t be easy, but a Phoenix team that broke through with a 7-2 record last year and has 31 players this fall has the pieces to excel once again. Those pieces include a three-headed rushing attack of Austin Armandi, Owen Kelvey and Dylan Jewett, and a potent defense led by one of eight-man’s top tacklers in Armandi (127 last year).

Also keep an eye on: Oxford Hills, Lisbon, Mountain Valley