Beginning this weekend, seven area basketball teams will enter the Maine High School Basketball regional quarterfinals. Each one of those seven teams has an uphill climb in order to grab a state championship.

Starting with boys basketball, specifically in Western Maine Class A, where No. 9 Biddeford has the tall task of taking on No. 1 Deering tonight at the Portland Expo. The Tigers (10-9) beat Scarborough in the preliminary round to get a shot at the Rams (15-3), who as of now are the favorite to win the state championship. Both teams played each other on Jan. 10, when Deering beat the Tigers 61-48.

Immediately following the Biddeford-Deering contest will be No. 5 Thornton Academy (13-5), taking on No. 4 Cheverus (13-5). This could be one of the closest contests of the tournament, with both squads sharing similar records and close rankings. The Golden Trojans have the upper hand on the Stags so far this year, beating Cheverus 46-45 on Feb. 3.

The Western B game promises a first-time matchup, as No. 7 Wells (12-7) plays No. 2 Spruce Mountain (17-1) on Saturday at the Expo. The Phoenix are in their first season as a basketball program, and as a school, as Spruce Mountain opened last Fall, with students from both Jay and Livermore Falls. Neither teams played against each other during the regular season, though Wells head coach Troy Brown has scouted two games played by the Phoenix this year.

The Warriors are ready to display another exciting game in Portland this year, much like their quarterfinal matchup against Cape last season.

“We’ve just got to be ready to go and play our games,” Wells forward Dylan Stevens said. “We usually play good at the Expo, there’s a nice crowd up there, we’re usually pretty pumped up when we go up there.”

One of the staples of the Western C tournament, No. 6 Old Orchard Beach (11-7), will take on No. 3 Boothbay (14-4) on Monday at the Augusta Civic Center. Neither team played against each other during the regular season.

In girls basketball, starting in Western Maine Class A, No. 6 Thornton Academy (11-8) plays against No. 3 Marshwood (15-3) on Monday at the Expo. The Hawks are led by Aubrey Folger, one of the top scorers in the SMAA, who is averaging close to 15 points per game.

The Trojans met up with Marshwood on Jan. 10, and the Hawks won 45-36. But a key component was missing that day for Thornton. Meghan Agger, Thornton’s second-leading scorer, missed the game due to a knee injury that she’s been battling all season long.

“We didn’t have Meghan last game,” Thornton forward Olivia Shaw said. “I think it will be a different game with Meghan playing.”

“(Marshwood) is an extremely disciplined, extremely tough defensive team,” Thornton Academy head coach Eric Marston said. “We’ve got to be able to execute against a team that’s as long as they are, with as many mature seniors as they have, and as quick and athletic as they are, we need to be able to execute at a high rate of speed in order to play well against them.”

In Western Class B, No. 6 Wells (14-5) will play against No. 3 Greely (15-3). The Warriors and Rangers played against each other in the first game of the regular season on Dec. 9, with Wells picking up a 49-43 win.

In Western Maine C, No. 5 Old Orchard Beach (12-7) plays against No. 4 Traip Academy (10-8) at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday. The Seagulls and the Rangers have met twice during the regular season this year, with Traip winning both contests.

The winners remain to be seen, but the climb to the top of the Maine high school basketball mountain begins tonight.

Player of the Week

The Wells boys basketball team seemed to be on the brink of losing its season when the Warriors took on Cape Elizabeth in the preliminary round on Wednesday night. Instead, the Warriors fought back, and took the lead with four minutes to play in regulation, winning the contest 56-49. A major reason for that was the play of Stevens, who scored a game-high 25 points, including a dunk with seconds remaining that sealed Cape’s fate.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535, Ext. 323.