Players to watch: Sr. C Skye Conley, Gray-New Gloucester; Soph. G Brianna Jordan, Gray-New Gloucester; Sr. F Alicia Dumont, Gray-New Gloucester; Sr. G Ashley Russell, Mountain Valley; Sr. G Emily Billings, Mountain Valley; Sr. F Liza White, Mountain Valley; Jr. G Nathalie Theriault, Poland; Jr. F Jessica Seeley, Poland; Fr. G Giana Russo, Lisbon; Sr. G Kaylin Le, Lisbon.
Favorites: Gray-New Gloucester, Mountain Valley.
Top-seeded Gray-NG’s only loss was to Class A powerhouse Greely. The Patriots won every other game by double digits, save for a four-point victory over Yarmouth on Jan. 31.
Mountain Valley, the third seed, started 1-2, but hasn’t lost a game since its third game, which was Dec. 15. The Falcons aren’t afraid to play physical and can cause chaos with their press. On offense, Ashley Russell can play in the post or make buckets from downtown. But, the strength of the Falcons’ schedule doesn’t quite match up with the other top teams in B South.
Darkhorses: Yarmouth, Wells.
The Warriors struggled against the region’s best, but did beat Yarmouth in the last game of the regular season to jump up to the second seed.
Four of the Clippers’ six losses were to Gray-NG and Greely — no shame in that. Yarmouth holds the distinction as the B South only team to finish within single digits of Gray-NG. So the Clippers are formidable.
Overview: Gray-NG is the reigning regional champion and has the experience and talent to make another run to the state title game. The Patriots have done well against the C South’s other Western Maine Conference teams. Therefore, Mountain Valley, because it is an unknown, is probably the best bet to unseat the champs.
Lincoln Academy played to a runner-up finish last year after starting at the fourth seed. The Eagles are sixth this season, but have not beaten any of the teams above them in the standings.
Lisbon is in the postseason after several years of near-misses. If the Greyhounds get past Freeport in the preliminary game, they’ll have to face Gray-New Gloucester in the quarterfinals. Poland has a junior-laden team that will add valuable tournament experience, having won in the prelims last year before falling in the quarterfinals. That being said, coach Mike Susi says the Knights are focused on the present.
Prediction: Gray-New Gloucester
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