By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

Frank Donald recently rounded up the seniors on his Livermore Falls girls’ basketball team and asked how many wins they collected in the first three years. The number they settled on was 12 and that didn’t include any appearances at the Augusta Civic Center.

“I told them we’ve won more games this year than you have in the last three years,” said Donald, in his second year with the Andies.

After going 4-14 last year, Livermore Falls produced an amazing reversal, going 14-4 and earning the third-place ranking in the final Western C Heal Points released Sunday. It’s the highest ranking since the Andies were the top seed in 1987. It also guarantees Livermore Falls a quarterfinal berth in August for the first time since 2002.

“When you go from 4-14 to 14-4, anything we do beyond this is just going to be a lot of fun,” said Donald.

The Andies were plagued by injuries and inexperience in Donald’s first season, but Livermore Falls returned injured Taryn Flagg and had Jenika Kelly back from Maranacook. Add in young, promising talent like Rachel Ventrella, Marjorie DeBrosky, Caryn Howell, Rebecca Leclerc and Lacey Hazelton and the Andies had the making of an up-and-coming team.

Livermore Falls could be part of an MVC-dominated tournament field at Augusta. For the third straight year, Western C could boast all but one team from the MVC.

“We’re not going down there with the mindset that we’re just happy to be there,” said Donald. “We’re going in with the mindset that we want to hang around.”

Livermore Falls plays the preliminary winner of St. Dom’s and Sacopee Valley. That winner could be the sole representative of the Western Maine Conference. In the last 15 years, WMC teams have gone 15-40 overall in the tournament against MVC squads and 11-29 at Augusta.

“We know it’s going to be tough,” said St. Dom’s coach Chet Lenfestey. “Those Mountain Valley Conference teams are real strong. Our goal going into the season was to win our conference and get to the Civic Center and then hope for the best after we get there.” St. Dom’s hopes to make a triumphant return to Augusta. Like the Andies, the Saints have had a lengthy drought.

“Nobody seems to remember (the last time),” said Lenfestey, whose team beats the Hawks three times in the regular season by an average of four points. “All three games could have gone either way.”

St. Dom’s last appearance in Augusta was in Class D in 1996 and 1997, both quarterfinal losses to Valley. The Saints haven’t been in the C tournament there since 1985 and have never won a quarterfinal game.

With just two seniors, Malley O’Shea and Julie Vandermeulen, and a solid group of juniors led by Abby Gilbert, Katie Lyon and Laura Anderson, the Saints are coming off their most wins since going 14-2 in 1984 and have the highest ranking since being third in 1985. St. Dom’s also had the best mark of any WMC Class C team, a first for the Saints.

“We had a good year,” said Lenfestey. “We’ve got a young club, but we’re pretty happy with where we are.”

Hall-Dale claimed the top spot in Western C, the first time Dirigo hasn’t been No. 1 since 1994. The Cougars earned the second seed. Those two meet in the MVC title game Monday at Augusta. Other MVC teams in the mix, depending on Tuesday’s prelim outcomes, are fourth-ranked Winthrop, fifth-seeded Jay and seventh-place Telstar. Mt. Abram, seeded 12th, could earn its way to Augusta with a prelim win at Jay.

The Eastern A tournament moves to Augusta this year where top-ranked Cony defends its regional title. Oxford Hills (14-4) earned the third spot, its highest ranking ever in a non-open tournament format. The Vikings also get a first-round bye and await the preliminary game winner of Edward Little and Lawrence. The Red Eddies finished 11th overall and play at Lawrence Tuesday, a KVAC team EL did not face in the regular season. Eighth-ranked Mt. Blue draws Nokomis in a prelim at Farmington Tuesday. The Cougars split with the Warriors in the regular season, winning 44-38 and losing 40-36.

In Class D, Rangeley overcame the loss of five seniors to go 15-3 and earn the second seed. Sixth-ranked Buckfield earned its highest standing, in a non-open tournament year, since 1995 and has the chance to return to Augusta for the first time since 2001 in a prelim match with Islesboro.

In Class B, Fryeburg finished fourth, earning its highest ranking since being third in 1997. Gray-New Gloucester secured the sixth seed while Mountain Valley took seventh. The Falcons host Cape Elizabeth in a preliminary Tuesday that could earn them a trip to Portland.