New arrivals loosened Buckfield’s multi-year grip on the Class D South championship the past two seasons.

Wiscasset ended the Bucks’ reign in the 2014 regional final. Eventual state champion Searsport achieved a measure of revenge after being ousted the previous year by edging Buckfield in the 2015 semis.

Although it might be too early for projecting a return to the same-old, same-old, Buckfield certainly has the talent to put the East-West Conference back on top of the mountain. Speed, power, production and familiarity should give the Bucks the chance to put up hefty numbers during the regular season and position themselves for a lengthy playoff run.

“We should be a top three team in Class D South,” Buckfield coach Kyle Rines said. “One through nine in the order, we have experience and strong bats.”

Seven of those nine are returning starters.

As was the case during the Bucks’ run to the regional soccer title this past fall, the Jackson brothers will play starring roles. Sidney, a senior, brings last year’s totals of .441, two home runs, 12 RBIs and 30 stolen bases to the top of the order. He will play third base when he is not the mound. Ethan, a sophomore, supplies strong defense at shortstop and bats cleanup. He scored a team-high 25 runs and swiped 23 bags as a freshman.

Jake Kraske (1.80 ERA and 26 strikeouts) and Tyler Sullivan lead the starting rotation along with Sidney Jackson. Kraske, a three-year starter, led the team with 16 RBIs and matched the elder Jackson with 30 steals a year ago.

“The challenge will be to replace Tyler Vallee and Jared Eastman’s defense at first base and catcher, respectively,” Rines said.

Stepping in for those graduates are freshmen Cole Merrill and Dylan Harvey behind the plate. Seniors Ralph Dunn and Jacob Albert and sophomore Zack Grover are the candidates at first.

Dunn and Gerry Gagne supply strong bats in the heart of the order. Gagne and senior outfielder Jon Randolph each have appeared in two regional championship games. Kraske and Matt Beaucage, who plays second base and outfield, played in the South final two years ago.

Rangeley resurrected its program after a two-year hiatus and reached the regional quarterfinals a year ago, falling to Buckfield.

In both that game and the teams’ regular-season opener, the Lakers led briefly before the Bucks took over. Rangeley coach Jeff LaRochelle hopes that experience pays off for a team that still doesn’t flaunt a single senior.

“My freshmen and sophomores had won at every level up through the ranks, but when you’re playing freshmen against seniors on established varsity teams, it’s hard,” LaRochelle said.

Junior Ricky Thompson and sophomore Kyle LaRochelle are the top pitchers. Rangeley should be solid around the infield with Thompson and LaRochelle at the corners, Carl Trafton at second base, Bo Beaulieu at shortstop and Zack Trafton behind the plate.

Hunter Lowell, Luke Quimby and Leo Perez all saw time in the outfield last season.

“In that playoff game last year, there were fly balls hit where I could almost hear knees knocking, and they dropped in,” Coach LaRochelle said. “In the next couple years, that should come around and we’ll be the experienced team out there.”

Learning to make the fundamental play in game situations was the greatest challenge for the Lakers in their return to the varsity ranks.

“If (the other team) hits three consecutive doubles and earns two runs, I’ll concede that,” LaRochelle said. “What we can’t do is make some fancy pickoff throw that ends up in the woods and turns a walk into a triple.”

Searsport will be a contender to repeat thanks to the return of its championship game battery, Troy Reynolds and Barrett Grant. University of Maine recruit Cody Laweryson and Luke Malloy lead Valley, and Richmond, last season’s No. 1 team during the regular season, remains a threat.

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