Players to watch

Greely — Sam Johnston, Tanner Storey, Michael McDevitt, Caleb King; Cape Elizabeth — Theo Bowe, Cam Brown, Joey Doane, Chris Robicheaw; York — Aaron Todd, Liam Langaas, Michael King, Kyle Robinson; Yarmouth — Josh Britten, Luke Pierce, Matt Murphy, Chris Knaub; Mountain Valley — Cam Kaubris, Izaak Mills, Jacob Theriault, Zach Radcliffe; Leavitt — Jordan Hersom, Tim Dow, Lucas Witham, Tyler Allen; Wells — Paul McDonough, Josh Ingalls, Zach Deshaies; Gray-New Gloucester — Adam Jensen, Josh Farynaz, Heath Martell, Ryan Cavallaro.

Favorites

Hard to believe that the Greely hasn’t won a regional championship since 1998. Johnston (17.6 points per game) leads a team that has beaten every other WMC rival in the field.

Cape won Western Maine in 2008 and ’09 and might have entered this season as a slight favorite. The Capers lost Bowe (25.2 ppg) to illness for two games in late January, but they have returned to form with convincing wins over Gray-NG, Wells and Yarmouth down the stretch.

Darkhorses

Junior guard Josh Britten averages over 23 points per game for Yarmouth, which beat No. 1 Greely and No. 3 York (by two points each) and No. 2 Cape during the season.

York swept Cape, a team it could meet in the semifinals.

And don’t forget the two tri-county teams, neither of whom have a common opponent with anybody in the field.

Mountain Valley is dangerous if Kaubris is anywhere near 100 percent. The senior guard’s 17.6 point per game average is deceiving; he played abbreviated minutes over the final five games due to a severe ankle sprain. The Falcons also have the potential to give any team trouble if their 3-point-happy offense is hitting at a high percentage.

Likewise, Leavitt has been nursing aches and pains at season’s end. The Hornets have a go-to presence down low with Hersom and at least one perimeter player, Dow, who doesn’t mind taking the shot when the game is on the line.

Fun facts

Leavitt’s 14 wins are its most in 45 years. When they walk into the Portland Expo, the Hornets will play in their third different tournament venue in the last 10 years. They also appeared in the Eastern A tournament at both the Bangor and Augusta sites … Greely is making its 20th consecutive Western B playoff appearance … Mountain Valley has missed the tournament only once (2000) in its 22-year history … Cape and Mountain Valley are the only teams in the field that have won a Western Maine title since 1999.

koakes@sunjournal.com

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