It was as good a debut as one team could have.
The St. Dom’s boys made a splash in its first year in the Mountain Valley Conference last fall. The Saints went 14-0, won the MVC title and cruised to the Class C state championship.
St. Dom’s should be in the hunt to repeat that feat while other teams with high playoff aspirations include Lewiston, Edward Little, Oak Hill, Mountain Valley, Gray-New Gloucester and Livermore Falls. Teams like Lisbon and Dirigo lost significant numbers while clubs that could see significant improvement are Monmouth, Oxford Hills, Jay and Leavitt.
Class A
Lewiston won nine games and lost in overtime in the quarterfinals. The Blue Devils have a strong senior-laden club that work hard and has great team speed. They’ll be a tough matchup for a lot of Eastern A clubs. Edward Little won eight games and finished six overall and went out in the quarterfinals. The Red Eddies have to revamp its defense but has a strong midfield that could keep EL in the drive for the tourney.
Oxford Hills won just one game but returns 13 players including all-star defender Derek Morin. The Vikings should improve this season while Mt. Blue also returns 13 players from a club that won three games. The Cougars hope to be more competitive and take a step up the Eastern A ladder.
Bangor and Brunswick were the top two clubs in Eastern A last fall and should be favorites again. Brunswick lost to Scarborough in the A state game. Mt. Ararat and Waterville should be contenders as well while Messalonskee, Morse and Lawrence all have the potential to be playoff clubs.
Class B
Yarmouth or Falmouth has won the state title 10 straight years and both clubs could keep that streak going. Maranacook and Lincoln Academy should be strong out of the KVAC.
Oak Hill lost some key talent and have a new coach but have some experience on defense and in the midfield. Mountain Valley has 12 players back after winning eight games last year. The Falcons should be a strong defensive club with an eye on the postseason. Gray-New Gloucester should also challenge for a tourney berth with 13 players back after eight wins last year.
Lisbon lost a ton of talent and has just a handful of returning starters. Leavitt has a new coach and new outlook with six veterans back that should improve the club. Poland had just one win a year ago and hopes to see progress as well.
Class C
The Saints have 13 players back and should be strong in the midfield and on defense. St. Dom’s will certainly challenge for the MVC crown and regional title. Livermore Falls lost to the Saints in the tourney last year and could be in the hunt again with 11 returning players and a wealth of young talent stepping in.
Dirigo suffered heavy graduation losses and will look to younger players to fill the void. Mt. Abram was another playoff club that lost talent but should still be a competitive club in the MVC. Other contenders in Western C should be Wiscasset, Waynflete, Georges Valley and North Yarmouth Academy, which was a young club that reached the regional final last fall.
Telstar, Winthrop, Monmouth and Jay all missed out on the postseason last year but have a good nucleus back that could have them improving this year.
Class D
Richmond should be the favorite once again after its fifth straight regional title. Greenville should also be a factor.
Both Buckfield and Rangeley have low numbers this year. The Bucks were at 14 players in preseason while the Lakers had just 13. Both teams have enough returning talent to keep them chasing a playoff berth. Vinalhaven could be in the mix, despite losing its all-state keeper.
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