2022-23 boys basketball preview capsules

BUCKFIELD BUCKS
Coach: Jon Cadman (first year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 3-16, reached round of 16.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Gavin Charest, Ayden Jefferson, Ty White, Jaiden Jack; Sophomore — Seamus Keough.
Key losses: Zack Shields, Colby Jordan, Hudson Cregg.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Noah Marston; Freshman — Trenton Haskell.
Season outlook: With its senior-heavy roster, Buckfield is looking to make a run to the playoffs while playing competitively in every game in, as Cadman said, “the always-tough MVC.”

DIRIGO COUGARS
Coach: Cody St. Germain (fifth year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 18-5, won state championship.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Austin Adams, Bode Gray, Trent Holman, Charlie Houghton, Trenton Hutchinson, Dakota Tompkins, Mason Ducharme; Junior — Logan Timberlake; Sophomore — Nathaniel Wainwright.
Key loss: Wyatt Smith.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Airick Richard; Junior — Travis Wright; Sophomore — Karl Blodgett.
Season outlook: The senior-loaded Cougars bring back most of last winter’s state title-winning squad, with a good mix of scorers, distributors and role players. St. Germain said that they also bring a target into the season — “Coming off a Class C state championship, we know we will get every team’s best game night in and night out,” he said — and the recognition of the difficulty of C South, which features several teams that return a bevy of experience. “Our goal is to utilize our senior leadership and uptempo style of play to make another run in the Class C playoffs,” St. Germain said.

EDWARD LITTLE RED EDDIES
Coach: Mike Adams (22nd year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: AA North
Last year’s results: 18-3, reached regional final.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Landon Cougle, Tudum Monday, Mohamed Adow; Juniors — Eli St Laurent, Marshal Adams.
Key losses: John Shea, Hamza Sheikh, Pat Anthoine.
Promising newcomers: Junior — Tyler Turcotte; Sophomores — TJ Kramarz, Diing Maiwen.
Season outlook: The Red Eddies return a mix of bigs and guards who have the potential to complement each other and thereby make the team stronger. The graduation of Mr. Maine Basketball John Shea leaves a big hole, but Mike Adams said, “This group had a great summer and will be a different style and look than the previous years.” He added that while AA North is always strong, the Eddies have worked hard to remain competitive this season. The region’s coaches picked Edward Little to finish fourth and Marshal Adams, Cougle and St. Laurent as players to watch.

GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER PATRIOTS
Coach: Ryan Deschenes (11th year)
Conference: Western Maine; Class: A South
Last year’s results: 10-9, reached regional quarterfinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Michael Ryan (6-1, F), Maxwell Kenney (6-3, F), Andrew Reynolds (6-3, F), Nick Bouchard (5-9, G); Juniors — Nate Hebert (6-1, G), Aidan Hebert (6-1), Noah Hebert (6-1, G), Carter Libby (6-2, F).
Key losses: Jay Hawkes, Josh Michaud.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Matt Stoddard (6-3, F/C), Mitchell Heinrich (6-6, C), Miles Post (6-2, F); Junior — Noah Schaeffer (6-3, F/C); Freshmen — Isaiah Portas (6-1, G), Jackson Libby (6-2, F).
Season outlook: The Patriots return three starters and five key rotation players. Nate Hebert averaged 12 points per game last season and should be one of the top scorers in the WMC, while Kenney and Ryan are solid leaders who are versatile and effective on both ends of the court, and Aidan Hebert and Noah Hebert are strong two-way players. Deschenes said Gray-NG has nice depth and will emphasize defense and pace this season.

LEAVITT HORNETS
Coach: Mike Hathaway (15th year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 11-8, lost in round of 16.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Sawyer Hathaway, Brett Coburn, Nick Morin, Declan Giroux; Junior — Zach Wallingford.
Key losses: Ben Sirois, Hunter Hayes, Ian Redstone, Degan Jordan.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Sawyer Bubier, Braxton Rowe; Junior — Aiden Turcotte; Sophomores — Landon Daigle, Keegan Reny.
Season outlook: Leading scorers Sawyer Hathaway and Coburn return — Hathaway also was the team’s top 3-point shooter and Coburn the leading rebounder last year — as does Morin, an athletic big man. Mike Hathaway said that at 6-3, 6-4 and 6-5, those three also give the Hornets size. They’ll be surrounded by skilled complimentary players: Giroux, a good shooter who played some varsity minutes in 2021-22; Turcotte, an athletic guard coming off a solid summer; Wallingford, who will be key as a ballhandler and scorer off the bench; and the well-rounded Bubier, who can play important minutes in the frontcourt. Newcomers Rowe, Daigle and Reny will add backcourt depth. Mike Hathaway said that adjusting to the quick turnaround after winning a football state title will take some time, “but we are hoping we can make a run (in the) tournament by the end of the year.”

LEWISTON BLUE DEVILS
Coach: Elgin Physic (second year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: AA North
Last year’s results: 14-6, reached regional semifinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Eli Bigelow (F), Isaac Shannon (G), Caed Langley (F), Jibril Holloman (F), Yusef Esse (G); Juniors — Yusef Dakane (G), Khoven Langley (G); Sophomore — Jeffrey Randall (F).
Key losses: Malik Foster, David Omasambo, Ring Ring, Eli Scales, Donovan Jackson, Ali Abduallahi.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Liam Hutchinson (G); Juniors — Moises Samba (F), Caden Boone (G); Sophomores — Deion Jackson (G), Lonnie Thomas (F), Abdirahman Dakane (G), Adam Zeininger (G).
Season outlook: The Blue Devils posted their best record in 10 years last season, and, despite losing several key seniors to graduation, this year’s squad hopes to build off that momentum. Physic said the team will play to it strengths and try to strengthen its weaknesses. AA North coaches selected Yusef Dakane, Bigelow and Caed Langley as players to watch this season.

LISBON GREYHOUNDS
Coach: Jake Gentle (11th year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 15-4, reached MVC championship game and regional quarterfinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Levi Tibbetts, Aidan Parker, Owen Smith, Chase Mailhot, Jack Ramich, Gavin Grenier, Canaan Cameron; Juniors — Owen Booker, DeSean Trufant.
Key losses: Charlie Doyle, Hunter McCausland, Mason Booker, Caden Boone.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Drake St. Pierre; Sophomore — Cody Osmond; Freshmen — Keegan Morrissette, Owen Hurd.
Season outlook: The Greyhounds have several experienced upperclassmen, and Gentle said they are looking to be competitive in every game. He also expects the MVC to be a challenge because several teams are like Lisbon and return many talented and experienced players. “It will be an exciting season in the MVC, with great games every night,” Gentle said.

MONMOUTH MUSTANGS
Coach: Wade Morrill (seventh year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 13-5, reached regional final.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Gavin Gregor, Manny Calder, Hunter Frost, Isaac Oliveira, Owen Harding, Alex Orne; Juniors — Sammy Calder, Lucas Harmon, Carter O’Connell; Sophomore — Bingham Abbott.
Key loss: Hayden Fletcher.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Ryan Michaud; Junior — Kyle Palleschi; Freshman — Aiden Oliveira.
Season outlook: Monmouth returns several contributors from the squad that made a run to the regional final last winter. However, Morrill said, the Mustangs must be ready to compete every night because there are about eight teams in C South that return several contributors this season. “Our ability to play together, limit self-inflicted mistakes, make the simple play, defend the floor and finish at the rim will be what ultimately decides our team’s success or failure this year,” Morrill said.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY FALCONS
Coach: Scot New (fifth year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 6-12, lost in preliminary round.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Zach New (G), Brayden Duguay (C), Will Gallant (G), Leon Salmon (F); Juniors — Jake New (G), Owen Sevigny (G), Seneca Jones (G); Sophomore — Ben Desalle (F).
Key losses: None.
Promising newcomers: Junior — Colby Frisbie (F); Sophomores — Tanner Henry (G), Kaden Mills (G), Chase Duguay (G), Rilan Farnum (F).
Season outlook: Mountain Valley has a mix of experienced and younger players, including senior Zach New, who has played significant minutes for the Falcons since his freshman season. This year, he is surrounded by a solid group of players, many of whom were major contributors on the 2021-22 squad. And many of those players have made further strides in the offseason. Coach Scott New said this year’s Falcons are a “committed, hardworking, coachable team that enjoys one another on and off the court.”

MT. ABRAM ROADRUNNERS
Coach: Dustin Zamboni (fifth year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 13-8, reached regional semifinal.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Tucker Plouffe, Kaden Pillsbury, Dylan Thorne; Juniors — Cam Grey, Payton Mitchell; Sophomores — Logan Dube, Reagan Lockaby, Harrison Thomas, Bryce Wilcox.
Key losses: Adam Luce, Wyatt Siemenski, Trevor Phelps, Brendon Williamson.
Promising newcomers: Freshmen — Killian Pillsbury, Mike Wilkins.
Season outlook: The Roadrunners have some holes to fill in their scoring and post play. Zamboni said that the team has strong leadership among its returning players and that the entire roster is hardworking and “willing to do what it takes to get better.”

MT. BLUE COUGARS
Coach: Troy Norton (fourth year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: A North
Last year’s results: 8-11, reached regional quarterfinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Zach Poisson, Chandler Briggs, Jayden Meader, Zak Koban, Hayden Dippner; Juniors — Evans Sterling, Charles Stevens, Noah Prescott; Sophomores — Nolan Leso, Carter Norton.
Key losses: None.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Nicolo Barbieri; Sophomore— Tyler Abell.
Season outlook: The Cougars return nearly every player from the squad that placed sixth in the challenging Class A North. The region’s coaches have picked Mt. Blue to finish fourth this season. Those coaches also picked Evans Sterling, who Troy Norton calls “a dynamic point guard,” and shooting guards Chandler Briggs and Zach Poisson as players to watch this season. Norton said that if the Cougars are “tough defensively, and if we can rebound better than last year, we should be competitive with the top teams in our conference.”

OAK HILL RAIDERS
Coach: Tom Smith (12th year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 8-9, lost in preliminary round.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Maverick Swan, Ethan Vattaso.
Key losses: Jackson Arbour, D’Andre Daniels, Silas Dumont, Tiger Hopkins, Caden Thompson.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Loris Cappelletti, Gabe Perry, Cole Saucier, Cooper Scott; Junior — Landen Denis; Sophomores — Spencer Baldwin, Gage Spier; Freshmen — Eli Desmond, Braden New, PJ Smith.
Season outlook: Smith said that this year’s squad is one of the youngest of his tenure. Swan and Vattasso will be looked to as senior leaders, but Smith said the Raiders’ success will depend on the newcomers’ development and how quickly they adapt to varsity basketball. “The expectations are to compete and take one game at a time,” Smith said. “They realize it’s going to be a journey, and it’s not how we start the season but how we finish.”

OXFORD HILLS VIKINGS
Coach: Scott Graffam (40th year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: AA North
Last year’s results: 18-4, reached state championship game.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Elias Soehren, Cole Pulkkinen, Lincoln Merrill, Tanner Bickford, Brenden Palmer, Zach Corbett; Juniors — Teigan Pelletier, Holden Shaw, Jake Carson; Sophomores — Eli Laverdiere, Brady Delamater, Brady Roy.
Key losses: Isaiah Oufiero, Colby Dillingham.
Promising newcomer: Freshman — Brayden Murch.
Season outlook: Graffam said the Vikings’ goals are to compete in every game and earn postseason wins. With returning players such as Pelletier, Pulkkinen and Shaw — who were chosen as players to watch by AA North coaches — and many other contributors from last year’s regional champion, it’s not a surprise that the region’s coaches picked Oxford Hills as the preseason favorite. Graffam said that he expects the Vikings to be a strong defensive team, but added that their half-court offense needs to improve.

POLAND KNIGHTS
Coach: Bill Flynn (second year)
Conference: Western Maine; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 6-13, lost in preliminary round.
Returning athletes: Shane Yorkey (G), Hayden Christner (G), Hunter Brackett (F), Johnny Patenaude (G), Eli Alexander (F).
Key losses: Hunter Gibson, Chance Brown, Joe Hudson, Joe Levesque.
Promising newcomers: Brady Lawrence (F), Gio Warren (G), Damon Howze (G), Travis West (G), Liam Fifield (F), Nick Aube (F).
Season outlook: Poland is hoping to capitalize on its experience this season. Returning starters Christner, a senior, and Patenaude, a sophomore, are expected to lead the way, and Yorkey, the returning starter at point guard, will direct the offense. The Knights also are looking to Brackett to contribute as a stretch forward, while senior newcomers Brady Lawrence and Gio Warren should be impact players on defense. Poland lost a lot of height to graduation, so this year’s team, Flynn said, will focus on “good, timely shooting from the outside and pressure defense.”

ST. DOM’S SAINTS
Coach: Josh LaPrell (fourth year)
Conference: Western Maine; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 14-6, reached regional semifinals.
Returning athletes: Juniors — Campbell Perryman, Logan Carey, Kyle Reed, Connor Cyr; Sophomores — Taylor Varney, Jonathan Tangilamesu, Jack Brocke, Mason LaFlamme, Ayden Rand, Daniel Iwuanyanwu.
Key losses: Gabe Carey, Noah Cyr, Michael Stowe, Riley Patriquin.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Chris Gnidehoue; Sophomores — King Romeo Iraganje, Isaac Yombe; Freshmen — Kyle Fish, Matt Fecteau, Harper Borden.
Season outlook: The Saints lost three players from the 2021-22 roster to graduation but do return a pair of starters, Taylor Varney and Jonathan Tangilamesu. LaPrell said the squad is “young and hungry, looking to build off of the success from a season ago.”

SPRUCE MOUNTAIN PHOENIX
Coach: Scott Bessey (ninth year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: B South
Last year’s results: 18-1, reached regional quarterfinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Lucas Towers, Elie Timler, Xander Reichenbach, Caleb Parlin; Junior — Ian York; Sophomore — Jace Bessey.
Key losses: Camden Phillips, Owen Bryant, Jayden Perreault.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Kaleb Finelli, Connor Blanche; Sophomore — Dom Tardif; Freshmen — Cai Dougher, Austin Armandi.
Season outlook: Coach Scott Bessey said that the MVC has several senior-laden teams, so the Phoenix will begin the season trying to catch up. The team’s goal is to be competitive in every game. If Spruce makes the postseason, which it usually does, it’ll again face the challenge of going up against the bigger schools in B South. Bessey said it will “certainly be a challenge to be able to be competitive with those schools, but we will try our best to get there.”

TELSTAR REBELS
Coach: Ryan Kimball (second year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 3-15, lost in preliminary round.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Will Doyle (G), Evan Leach (G), Levi Cole-McDonnell (F); Juniors — Wyatt Lilly (G), Anthony Conant (F), Cruze Kimball (F), Gavinn Martin (G).
Key loss: Brayden Stevens.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Colby Hastings (C); Junior — Kimball Coolidge (G); Sophomore — Brody Morgan (G); Freshman — Jonathan Marshall (F).
Season outlook: Telstar returns most of last winter’s team, and the program’s numbers are growing — 23 players are involved this season, a big jump from a few years ago. Kimball said that the Rebels’ focus is on developing a winning culture and mindset. “This is a dedicated group, that showed up all summer and worked hard, and we are all looking forward to being much more competitive this year and going forward,” he said.

WINTHROP RAMBLERS
Coach: Todd MacArthur (12th year)
Conference: Mountain Valley; Class: C South
Last year’s results: 15-5, reached regional quarterfinals.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Matt Beck (PG), Brayden Stubbert (SG), Robby Feeney (PF), Tyler Shumway (SG), Jake Barrows (PF), Andrew Fay (PF); Sophomores — Carter Rivers (SG), Braden Branagan (SG), Cole Bard (SF).
Key losses: Andrew Foster, Logan Baird.
Promising newcomers: Sophomores — Colton Baird (PF), Connor Williams (SF), Ian Fuller (C); Freshman — Chan Ring (SF).
Season outlook: The Ramblers return several players and are focused on the process of daily improvement. “If we embrace the process, the goals will be a by-product of our hard work,” MacArthur said.