Players to watch

Tom Ventrella, Livermore Falls forward; Chandler White, Livermore Falls guard; Tyler Chiasson, Dirigo guard, Nic Crutchfield, Dirigo forward; Brandon Ouellette, OOB forward; John Regis, OOB center; Ryan Leach, Hall-Dale guard; Damian Melnicove, Hall-Dale center; Cody Griffin, Wiscasset forward; Tyler Sonia, Wiscasset guard; Scott Alley, Boothbay forward; Dan Dickinson, Boothbay guard; Logan Cross, Georges Valley guard; Ben Wallace, Georges Valley; Alex Grierson, Georges Valley center; George Mortimer, Traip guard; Nathan Westman, Traip guard.

Favorite

Amazingly, neither Livermore Falls nor Dirigo played for the MVC championship, but they were easily the two best Class C teams in the conference and earned the top two seeds. The Andies have the MVC North Player of the Year in Chandler White, but he has plenty of support. Few teams, if any, will be more balanced or physical. Dirigo, the defending regional champion, has more experience than any other team and what it lacks in height, it makes up for with toughness. If these two should meet up in the final, there won’t be a more intense game in any tournament.

Darkhorse

Alright, let’s really go out on a limb for once. Ninth-seeded Georges Valley is coming off a tough, double-overtime prelim upset of St. Dom’s, the type of victory that often propels teams deep into the tournament. They face top-seeded Livermore Falls in the first round, which happens to be coached by the greatest player in Georges Valley history, Travis Magnusson. If they somehow get by the Andies (unlikely, but that’s what darkhorses do), they’ll face either Hall-Dale or Wiscasset in the semifinals, both of which they beat this season. The Buccaneers are a senior-laden squad that has beaten some good teams. With a bit of confidence, they can be a tough out.

You need to know

No Western Maine Conference team has won Western C since Falmouth in 1999.