• WESTERN CLASS A

FAVORITES: Top-ranked Deering and No. 2 McAuley have been the teams to beat all year. Nothing changes over the next three games. They split in the regular season.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 3 Gorham lost four games by an average of 4.8 points. The Rams lost to No. 1 Deering by nine and beat No. 2 McAuley by 10. They have one of the league`s best offensive players in guard Mia Rapolla and play aggressive defense.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kayla Burchill, senior guard, Deering (22.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Rebecca Knight, senior forward, McAuley (16 ppg, 9 rpg); Mia Rapolla, senior guard, Gorham (22.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Meghan Gribbin, junior guard, Windham (18.7 ppg, 4.6 apg); Abby Hasson, senior center, South Portland (14.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg)

DID YOU KNOW: Since 2000, the Western Maine champion has come from either Deering or McAuley all but two times: Sanford (2006) and Scarborough (2010) — both teams winning the state title.

 

• WESTERN CLASS B

FAVORITES: York and Leavitt each finished 18-0, but the defending champion Wildcats earn the nod, having won 40 consecutive games. They`ve lost only once in the last three years, that in the 2008-09 state title game against Waterville.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 2 Leavitt. The Hornets lost in last year`s regional semifinals and have the state`s most impressive offense, averaging 78.8 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nicole Taylor, senior center, York (16 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Courtney Anderson, senior guard, Leavitt (23 ppg, 6.0 apg); Stephanie Gallagher, senior guard, York (14.4 ppg, 4.1 spg); Maggie Sabine, senior guard, Oak Hill (17.9 ppg, 13 rpg).

DID YOU KNOW: Nine Maine girls were nominated for the McDonald`s All-America team and two came from York: Taylor and Gallagher.

 

• WESTERN CLASS C

FAVORITES: Top-ranked Hall-Dale has lost only once — to No. 4 Jay on Jan. 20 — and beat No. 3 Livermore Falls in the Mountain Valley Conference championship game.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 2 Waynflete. The Flyers have several Class B wins but need to stay out of foul trouble to keep in contention.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Martha Veroneau, sophomore guard, Waynflete (16.6 ppg, 4.3 spg); Selena Lorrey, junior guard, Traip Academy (16.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg); Taylor Massey, senior center, Hall-Dale (15.2 ppg, 12.3 rpg); Beth Moore, senior center, Jay (14.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg); Marissa Welch, senior center, Livermore Falls (13.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg)

DID YOU KNOW: Since Dirigo won 11 consecutive regional titles from 1995-2005, no team has repeated as Western Class C champ.

 

• WESTERN CLASS D

FAVORITES: Top-ranked Richmond has the size and experience to win it all, but Rangeley certainly has the talent, beating Richmond by 15.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 3 Valley. The Cavaliers have two exceptional players in Cindy Schultz and Jocelyn Laweryson.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jamie Plummer, sophomore center, Richmond (11.4 ppg, 9 rpg); Brooke Lancaster, senior guard, Richmond (9.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg); Cindy Schultz, junior guard, Valley; Emily Carrier, junior guard, Rangeley (10 ppg)

DID YOU KNOW: Top-ranked Richmond is not only pretty good on the court, but in the classroom as well. The team has a 3.33 cumulative grade-point average.

 

• EASTERN CLASS A

FAVORITES: Top-ranked Morse (17-1) and No. 3 Hampden Academy are the top choices in a tight field. Morse`s only loss was to Oxford Hills — which didn`t make the field.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 4 Cony. Strange season for the Rams. When they were on, they were very good — beating No. 2 Hampden by 13 and No. 5 Brunswick twice.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nikoline Ostergaard, senior forward, Morse (21.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg); Ashlee Arnold, sophomore guard, Edward Little (18.0 ppg); Mia Diplock, junior guard, Cony (10.1 ppg, 4.6 apg); Katelyn DeRaps, senior guard, Hampden Academy (8.4 ppg)

DID YOU KNOW: Morse will drop down to Class B next year.

 

• EASTERN CLASS B

FAVORITES: Top-ranked Presque Isle (17-1) appears to be the team to beat, but don`t overlook defending regional champ Nokomis, which has a lot of talent.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 3 Medomak Valley. The Panthers are versatile, athletic and deep..

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Megan Phelps, senior forward, MDI (16.1 ppg, 12.9 rpg); Ericka Christensen, senior forward, Medomak Valley (12.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg); Abby Pyne, freshman forward, John Bapst (16.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg); Marissa Shaw, senior forward, Nokomis

DID YOU KNOW: Eastern Maine has won 12 of the last 15 state championships.

 

• EASTERN CLASS C

FAVORITES: Undefeated Central goes in No. 2 behind defending state champ Calais but deserves the nod. Central has a good mix of talent.

WATCH OUT FOR: No. 6 Washington Academy of East Machias has won 11 straight.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Bekah Campbell, senior forward, Central (17 ppg, 7 rpg); Hannah Pray, senior guard, Central (18 ppg, 4 rpg); Shannon Brown, senior forward, Calais (15.5 ppg); Taylor Seeley, senior guard, Washington Academy

DID YOU KNOW: Central`s 6-4 forward Campbell and guard Pray each went over 1,000 points in their career this year — within a week of each other.

 

• EASTERN CLASS D

FAVORITES: Washburn has been No. 1 all year, but this is considered a wide-open region.

WATCH OUT FOR: Defending state champ Fort Fairfield, in the fifth spot, has the talent and experience to repeat.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Amanda Hotham, junior forward, Fort Fairfield; Vicki McIntyre, Central Aroostook, junior guard; Rebecca Campbell, Washburn; Laura Nicholson, junior forward, Schenck

DID YOU KNOW: None of the top four seeds has won an Eastern Class D title since 1997, when Southern Aroostook lost in the state title game to Forest Hills.