FREEPORT — As winter officially began less than a week ago, area high school ski teams were already preparing to buckle up the boots and put on the skis for the upcoming season.

Early snow that has already fallen has the teams thinking skiing early on as they have been practicing for four weeks now.

“Lost Valley had projected an opening in mid-December, so we scheduled on-snow training for the last week before our holiday break,” Freeport alpine coach Jay Thomas said on the eve before the team’s first practice in late November. “There is never enough thanks given to both Lost Valley and Shawnee Peak for making high school ski racing possible in southern Maine.”

Along with the Freeport/Brunswick team, Mt. Ararat is also working out, eagerly awaiting the start of the season.

“We’re a small group, but these girls are ready to start competing this year,” Eagles coach Kevin Leighton said.

Freeport/Brunswick

The Falcons’ alpine team returns a mix of veterans and new blood and will race all of its races on a familiar mountain this season. Thomas is excited about the upcoming year.

“We are looking forward to a successful season,” the coach said. “Having all of our races at Shawnee Peak this season will keep us on familiar terrain. There should be no surprises outside of weather challenges. We are striving to move closer to the top of the pack at the state meet.”

On the boys side, Liam Grogan, Aaron Rusiecki, Paul Biberstein, Parker Landsbergen and Ben Donsbach are all getting ready to be regular top finishers for the team.

“They have been with the team for three to four years and this experience will pay off,” Thomas said.

The team did not have any seniors from a year ago.

The girls team has a pair of standouts in Bella and Maisy St. Cyr. Bella returns for her junior season, while Maisy is a freshman.

“We are excited to see how these sisters support each other and the team this season,” their coach said.

They graduated two key senior girls, but have been able to add to the team with some new faces. Freshmen Kylee Herling and Lilian Welsher join the squad this year, while juniors Callie Fowler and Marla Zeng round out the Falcons.

The Nordic team returns a number of skiers on both the boys and girls teams. John Giddens and Finn Johnston are the only two seniors, with juniors Noah Hight, Caleb Hunter, Thomas Robinson, Henry Southall and Maximo Steverlynck-Horne adding to the upperclassmen experience.

Sophomores Elias Dorsey and Martin Horne along with freshman Samuel Robinson fill out the boys team.

The girls team is led by seniors Lily Horne and Allison Greuel. Juniors Galina Fallon, Charlotte Soule, Sarah Southall and sophomore Jane Dawson will contribute, but a number of freshmen going out for the team this year adds depth. Tessa Errico, Amelia Goodwin, Kaitlyn Mosier, Katherine Murray, Helen Pope, Savannah Tracy and Elizabeth Whittier will all compete on the team for the first time.

The Nordic team will ski at Pineland Farms in the 5K Skate on Wednesday and the 5K Classic at Libby Hill on Jan. 9. Following a handful of meets at Starks Hill, Libby Hill and Pineland, they will compete in the Western Maine Conference Championship on Feb. 6 and 9 at Starks Hill. The State Class B Championship will be held at Titcomb Mountain Feb. 18-19.

The alpine team will compete in either slalom or giant slalom events — Jan. 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and Feb. 1 and 4 at either Shawnee Peak or Lost Valley. After the WMC Championship on Feb. 6, the State Class B Championship will be held on Feb. 14 (giant slalom) and Feb. 15 (slalom).

Mt. Ararat

The Mt. Ararat ski team consists of just four skiers this year, all on the girls side.

“We are unable to score as a team, however all are talented skiers are motivated to improve,” adds Leighton.

All four sophomores have been skiing together since middle school and are very close, according to Leighton.

Karli Leighton returns after a third-place finish in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference finals as well as a top 10 in the State Championship. She also skied for both the Maine U16 and U18 teams last year.

Sadie Skinner is back, and coupled with her rowing background, Coach Leighton thinks she’s ready for a breakout year after a 16th-place finish in the KVAC’s and 23rd at states.

Camila Ciembroniewicz, who also runs cross country and track with Karli Leighton, will look to improve on her KVAC (24th) and state (26th) finishes.

Maggie Libby rounds out the team and will look to place at both events this year.

The Eagles will compete on Jan. 5 at the Telstar Relays and the Camden Freestyle (Jan. 9) following the winter break. Other events include the Hornet Classic (Jan. 12), Cougar Soft 7 at Titcomb Mountain (Jan. 16) and the Oxford Hills Classic at Roberts Farm in Norway (Jan. 23).

The KVAC Championship will be held in February, with the classic taking place on Feb. 8 at Black Mountain and the freestyle on Feb. 9 at Titcomb. The Class A State Championship will be held on Feb. 18-19.