If it isn’t a consensus in Class C South, it’s close.

“I’d have to say, the top two, by far, are Boothbay and Monmouth,” Mt. Abram coach Larry Donald said.

“Monmouth and Boothbay, in particular, are going to be really good,” Dirigo coach Rebecca Fletcher said.

The Mustangs lost some key players from last year’s 18-3 season that ended in the C South semifinals. But they also return several who were part of that run, including junior guard Tia Day, who topped the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and assists (3.8 per game).

“She’s a very good shooter, she can handle the ball,” Monmouth coach Scott Wing said.

The Mustangs don’t have much size, at least not with extensive varsity experience, but they have enough depth to have a legitimate 10-player rotation, which fits their uptempo style on both offense and defense. That depth was proven during the preseason when defeated one Class A school and almost beat another with two contributors out with injuries and another sidelined by illness.

Boothbay reached the Class C state championship game, losing 33-25 to Narraguagus last season with only one senior. Their top-two scorers were Page Brown (17.3 ppg, best in MVC), who will be a junior, and Faith Blethen (11.9 ppg), who is only a sophomore. Brown and Blethen are both 6-foot or taller.

“Boothbay’s our nemesis,” Wing said. “They are just the opposite of us; they have a couple very good players, but they’re not extremely deep. They have two or three players over 6-feet tall.

“When we play them, it’s a clash of opposites. There will probably be some battles with them this year.”

The Mustangs beat the Seahawks by one point during the 2015-16 regular season, but Boothbay won by two points, 36-34, in the C South semifinals.

Richmond (16-3) moved up from Class D to C last season. They finished the regular season with the most Heal points in C South, but fell in the quarterfinals.

Along with Boothbay and Monmouth, Madison is the other team generating the most buzz among opposing coaches. The Bulldogs (14-8) made it to the regional final last year.

After Monmouth, Boothbay, Madison and Richmond, the rest of C South is up for grabs.

Hebron (12-5) is coming off its best season of the decade in which they won the MAISAD and earned a C South regional bid.

Dirigo (12-7) lost more than 36 points per game to graduation, but its new coach, Fletcher, has been part of several Dirigo basketball — girls and boys — championship runs.

St. Dom’s (10-10) didn’t lose any players from a team that upset Dirigo to reach the regional quarterfinals. However, the Saints have moved back to the Western Maine Conference, where they’ll have to face some top Class B schools.

Wing said Traip and Old Orchard Beach also could make some noise in C South.

Buckfield (6-12) and Mt. Abram (5-13) both missed the postseason last year. If they can’t make it this season, they hope to at least get closer.

Winthrop (3-15) is in the second year of a return to the varsity level.

Class C North had five teams finish within three games of each other at the top of the standings. Dexter was the least affected by graduation, losing only one player, while the other top teams had multiple seniors.

Narraguagus, the defending champion, should still be a contender, and Wing said there is buzz that Calais could be in the mix.

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