It’s completely unscientific. It’s regionally exclusive. And it’s my annual tradition, so humor me.

It is my review of the Top 10 athletic programs in the Sun Journal coverage area for the just-completed athletic and academic year.

The premise is pretty simple. We write about 19 local high schools that have a across-the-board presence in all Maine Principals’ Association activities. I have reviewed their team and individual achievements from August 2011 to June 2012 and ranked the schools here, in descending order, for your amusement, exultation or anger.

Dangerous and subjective as it is, it’s a joyful exercise. It reminds me how many extremely cool achievements we witness every year, many of them from a ringside seat.

And away we go …

10. Lisbon — Boys’ track was a relay race away from the Class C track and field championship. Together with the girls, they tightened the Greyhounds’ seven-year hammerlock on the MVC track titles.

The Greyhounds also won a Western Class C cheerleading title. With declining enrollment getting Lisbon away from that hazardous Class B distinction in all sports, I suspect you‘ll see the school staking out better real estate in this countdown in the coming years.

9. Rangeley — Call the Lakers the little athletic program that could. Reaching the Western Class D championship game was nothing new for girls’ basketball. Softball was a stunner, though, shocking powerful Richmond during the regular season before falling to the Bobcats in a regional title game rematch.

8. Spruce Mountain — Give the Phoenix credit for combining two schools that enjoyed a contentious, decades-old rivalry and putting some solid teams on the field and the court.

Boys’ basketball, field hockey and baseball each posted a win over a Western Maine Conference opponent in the playoffs, earning a measure of respect for the smaller, rural communities of the MVC.

7. St. Dom’s — The Saints endured some playoff disappointments, losing at home in the early rounds of the lacrosse, baseball and boys’ soccer tournaments.

There was plenty to cheer about, though. St. Dom’s stormed to another state final in hockey, tripped up by a Thornton juggernaut. Girls’ soccer recovered from a key injury and a sputtering start to topple Dirigo and Waynflete on the road, winning the Western Class C championship before falling at states.

6. Mountain Valley — Even the non-vintage years in Rumford are pretty solid. Though wracked by injuries, the Falcons reached the Western Class B football championship game for the 16th time in 23 seasons, fighting valiantly in a 10-0 loss to eventual state champ Wells.

The Falcons flew to a Western Class B wrestling championship and made an unprecedented run to the regional title game in field hockey.

Skiers set the gold standard at Mountain Valley this year. Nate Nicols swept the Class C boys’ slalom and giant slalom races, while Nick Woods snagged the skimeister distinction.

5. Edward Little — The Red Eddies finished their year in style, with the 4×100 girls’ track and field relay team of Ayumi Ranucci, Avery Chisholm and Jaclyn and MaryKate Masters setting a school record and advancing to the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. Jaclyn Masters (pole vault) and Kelly Philbrook (javelin) also competed as individuals in that showcase.

EL’s boys’ and girls’ outdoor track teams extended their streak of consecutive KVAC titles to eight and six years, respectively.

Two basketball programs thought by some to be a year away from championship contention did Auburn proud once again. The girls pushed Cony to the brink in the Eastern Class A final. Earlier in tournament week, the boys upset Lewiston in the quarterfinals before bowing to Mt. Blue in a semifinal classic.

4. Lewiston — Last year’s No. 1 made a rah-rah-run at it again. Nobody did more to expand the trophy case than the cheerleaders, who again swept conference, regional and state titles before becoming the first Maine team to win a New England championship since our schools re-entered that fray more than 10 years ago.

That was the only state hardware for the Blue Devils, but there were plenty of close calls. Baseball, hockey and girls’ tennis all reached the Eastern Class A finals. Boys’ track shared the KVAC title with rival Edward Little. In lacrosse, the boys advanced to the regional semifinals while the girls enjoyed an 11-1 regular season, the best in school history.

3. Leavitt — Other schools might have celebrated greater team achievements this season, but nobody boasted the individual star power of the Hornets.

Jordan Hersom won the Fitzpatrick Trophy as Maine’s outstanding football player. As if that weren’t enough, he concluded his basketball career with 1,000 points and the far more insane achievement of 1,000 rebounds.

Speaking of 1,000 points, forget the odds of having one player in your basketball program hit that milestone. How about three in the same season and four in a span of 13 months? Adrianna Newton and Kristen Anderson each hurdled that round number for the Leavitt girls, joining Anderson’s sister Courtney, now starting at the University of Maine.

Let’s not overlook Karli Soracco, either. She was merely the second-ranked schoolgirl golfer in the state.

Leavitt’s teams had a splendid year, too. Football won its third straight Eastern Class B title and took the game of the year, beating Mt. Blue in double overtime in the regional final.

The girls’ Nordic ski team captured a state title. Girls’ basketball defended its Class B crown by reaching the regional semfiinals.

2. Mt. Blue — In any other year, Farmington would have been the undisputed capital of tri-county sports. The Cougars continued their dominance high school skiing, winning the Class A girls’ championship for the eighth straight year. That’s 19 out of the last 21, my friends. They’ve drained the word “dynasty” of its meaning for every other sports program in the state.

Not to be outdone, the Mt, Blue boys won the Class A alpine championship, with Lucas Bonnevie claiming the individual giant slalom title. North Kay was named boys’ skimeister for his prowess on both the hill and the cross-country trails.

Mt. Blue continued the resurgence of its wrestling program with an Eastern Class A title.

What’s that? You want hardware from the “high profile” sports? Mt. Blue got to the doorstep, losing by a whisker in the championship game of both Eastern Class A boys’ basketball and Eastern Class B football, all despite playing at makeshift home venues due to school construction. Cam Sennick was a Mr. Basketball finalist.

1. Dirigo — The Cougars are an easy call, and it probably would be even easier if this were a lifetime achievement award. Dirigo’s senior boys won a total of four state championships and eight regional crowns in four different sports during their resounding run.

They saved the best for last. Cody St. Germain led the basketball team to its long-awaited Gold Ball in its fourth straight year of trying. Ben Holmes’ arm staked baseball to its second state trophy in three years.

Success in Dixfield knew no gender boundaries. The softball team overcame injuries and a slow start to win its first Western Maine championship.

Dirigo’s 2011-12 athletic program was one for all seasons. The wrestling team won a regional championship. Boys’ tennis reached the Western Maine final, and the girls made a racket all the way to the semis. Both soccer squads finished near the top of the conference and regional standings.

It adds up to a year they’ll never forget and one nobody in our neighborhood could match.

Kalle Oakes is a staff columnist. His email is [email protected].