Teams will be trying to measure up in Eastern A girls’ basketball this winter.

Lawrence and Bangor each had teams with young talent and size last year and return much of those teams, especially the size.

Fourth-seeded Lawrence (13-5) had no seniors last year and reached the semifinals. They were led by freshmen, post player Nia Irving and guard Dominique Lewis.

Second-ranked Bangor (14-4) graduated six seniors but return a pair of six-foot post players in Mary Butler and Cordelia Stewart. The Rams reached the regional final but lost to Cony.

Edward Little (15-3) was the top seed last year and returns much of the squad that lost in the quarterfinals. The Red Eddies lost two veteran guards, Kate Sawyer and Ashlee Arnold, a 1,000-point scorer. EL has a veteran club that still only has one senior, guard Kory Norcross. The Red Eddies also have players like Tianna Harriman, Brooke Reynolds, Emily Jacques and Eraleena Hairston, all of whom have been regulars in the EL lineup.

“I love the effort that this team is showing and how young players are stepping up their game,” EL coach Craig Jipson said. “If we can get three or four kids to raise their game one level, we may surprise some teams.”

Mt. Blue and Oxford Hills each were tourney teams last year and could be in the hunt again. The Vikings (11-7) return 10 players, many that saw regular minutes last year. Oxford Hills lost to Mt. Ararat in the quarterfinals.

The Vikings lost four seniors, including playmaker Abbie Eastman and starting forward Alex Rowe. Brooke Murch, Claire Gregory and Crystal West are the only seniors back on the club, but Oxford Hills has a solid group of returning juniors in Mikayla Morin, Anna Winslow, Shannon Kriger and Kersey Goyette. Add in sophomores like Ally Hanley, Tianna Sugars and Jayden Colby, all of whom showed promise last year, and the Vikings have a formidable group returning.

Oxford Hills will need some players to step into larger roles to match some of the top team in the KVAC but the potential is there.

“I feel that this team’s growth throughout the year will be tremendous,” Oxford Hills coach Nate Pelletier said.

Mt. Blue (12-6) has six players back and many of them saw time last year. The Cougars lost to Lawrence in the quarterfinals. Miranda Nicely, Kiana Thompson and Emily Knowles are the only returning seniors. Also back are juniors Addie Brinkman, Rachelle Bator and sophomore Caitlin Kane.

The Cougars have seven newcomers, including six sophomores to build with. Mt. Blue may have some seasoning to do after graduating seven seniors.

“We are very young,” said Mt. Blue coach Tom Philbrick. “We have good returning players and have good leadership. We are very excited about the season getting started.”

Lewiston improved to five wins last year and the Blue Devils return much of that club with hopes of building on that success. Returning seniors include Jenessa Talarico, Brie Wilson, Maegan Mathon, Laurianne Murphy, Cierra St. Amand and juniors Amanda Swart and Emily Brochu.

“Our seniors , and returning starters, offer great leadership and have been working extra hard to get the program over the hump,” Lewiston coach Mike Labonte said. “I certainly expect that some of the new varsity players will be making an important contribution to our season also.”

Mt. Ararat, Skowhegan and Cony all lost top players but still had a nucleus of underclassmen that return this year.

The Eagles (15-3) graduated four veteran seniors, including Mallory Nelson. Though Mt. Ararat has some returning talent, they’ll have some holes to fill from a team that was the third seed and reached the semifinals.

Cony (11-7) graduated two seniors, including Josie Lee. The Rams have a new coach and many players back from a team that lost to McAuley in the state game. That was after finishing ninth and earning a trip to the Augusta Civic Center with a prelim win over Brewer. It will be a year of transition for Cony but the Rams could still be a formidable club.

Skowhegan (9-9) lost a number of senior starters but return a solid group of seniors that could make them competitive.

Brewer (9-9) was the eighth seed and lost five seniors. The Witches have holes to fill but should be in the hunt. Teams like Messalonskee (6-12) and Hampden (3-15) could bounce back as well after down seasons.

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