Eastern A

Edward Little was just a few minutes away from a regional championship last winter before Cony roared back to win.

Could that mean the Red Eddies are ready for that next step this year?

Mt. Blue nearly reached the semifinals last year before losing to Skowhegan in the Eastern A quarters. Maybe the Cougars are ready to take a leap forward?

Both EL and Mt. Blue should be teams to watch in Eastern A this season. Oxford Hills will be in the mix as well. All three are returning veteran clubs with some of the top talent in the KVAC.

EL (17-4) lost some size and some experienced depth, but the Red Eddies still return much of its team and add even more young talent to the roster. That should make EL a contender once again.

Mt. Blue (12-7) only graduated one. The Cougars return a seasoned senior class led by three all-conference players that have helped the Cougars progress steadily the past few seasons. Mt. Blue could be ready for bigger things this year.

Oxford Hills went 8-10 and came up shy of a playoff spot but should be in the hunt. The Vikings have a veteran team returning with balance and a hunger to get back to the tourney.

The defending regional champs from Cony graduated five regulars but still have some experienced players. The Rams will need some of its returning upperclassmen to step into larger roles.

Mt. Ararat only graduated two and returns most of its talent. The Eagles should be another playoff team as should Skowhegan, which graduated just three and had an abundance of sophomores and juniors last year. Messalonskee will be a much younger team but could still challenge for a playoff spot. Hampden is another tourney regular that should be worth watching.

Bangor should be an up-and-coming club with some size while Lewiston is hoping to make strides this year.

Western B

As usual, there won’t be a shortage of quality teams in Western B. Lake Region and York both have experienced clubs.  The Lakers return some of their top talent while the Wildcats graduated just two players.

Leavitt (17-3) should be a team to watch coming out of the KVAC. The Hornets lost four seniors — three starters — but still have a team that other clubs will struggle with. Spruce Mountain (18-2) could be a competitor out of the MVC. The Phoenix graduated seven seniors but still have some young promising talent that impressed last year.

Gray-New Gloucester (10-10) reached the quarterfinals last year and only graduated two. The Patriots should be in playoff mix again as should Poland. The Knights only lost two players and return most of their team. Poland won a program-record six games and reached the prelimaries. That has them anxious for more.

Greely graduated nine and will have some building to do. Wells was a young team that impressed in the quarterfinals. The Warriors graduated five but still have a solid group of juniors back. Falmouth, Freeport and Yarmouth were all prelim teams last year and could challenge for a tourney spot. Mountain Valley finished seventh but was bounced in the prelims. The Falcons (12-7) lost four regulars but have enough back that could put them in the playoff hunt.

Western C

Hall-Dale and Madison were the teams to beat last year. Both clubs lost talent but Madison still returns most of its team, minus three seniors. Hall-Dale lost most of its regulars and return a less seasoned team.

Mt. Abram (11-9) only graduated one player and has a veteran team with some size. The Roadrunners could be a team ready to rise in the standings. Dirigo lost four regulars and much of its scoring but still have some experienced players that could help the Cougars stay competitive.

Monmouth (8-11) has much of its team back, including four that missed last year to injury. The Mustangs lost a heartbreaker in the prelims and could improve upon last year.

Other area teams like Lisbon, Oak Hill and St. Dom’s lost a wealth of talent and will be quite young. Winthrop returns most of its team and should improve.

Teams from the WMC like Traip, Old Orchard Beach and Waynflete should be in the playoff mix as well. Boothbay could be another solid MVC club with most of its team back.

Western D

Richmond has been the dominant club in this field the past two years and could be again. The Bobcats have a strong senior class that has been the core of the team through back-to-back regional titles.

Rangeley (18-3)  has been one of Richmond’s biggest foes. Though the Lakers only lost two from a team that lost in the regional final, they were Rangeley’s top two players. The Lakers still have a seasoned team with some size that hopes to challenge the Bobcats.

Greenville has much of its team returning and could be a threat. Vinalhaven should be competitive as well. Valley could bounce back this year while Buckfield hopes to continue its progress after six wins last season.