Hampden Academy, Orono and Bangor Christian have a shot to defend their regional titles
WRITTEN BY SAM CANFIELD | special to the BDN
Class AA
Windham played a special brand of selfless, hard-nosed basketball en route to its first ever regional and state titles last year, all without a single BDN All-Mainer or Maine McDonald’s All-Star.
Head coach Chad Pulkinnen’s Eagle squad returns do-it-all senior forward Creighty Dickson, skilled junior point guard Tyrie James and lanky junior guard AJ Moody (all three scored more than 10 points per game last year), providing Windham with key pieces to defend its AA North regional title.
The most likely candidate to usurp the Eagles is an experienced Cheverus team featuring BDN All-Maine shooting guard Leo McNabb, crafty point guard Sammy Nzeyimana and 6-foot-5 forward Jameson Fitzpatrick. The Stags finished 15-3 last year.
Meanwhile, Lewiston is expected to make strides behind the scoring of seniors Abdirahman Dakane and Lonnie Thomas. Across the river in Auburn, Edward Little’s explosive big Diing Maiwen has a chance to be AA North’s best player, but the Red Eddies are ultimately rebuilding like Bangor and Portland.
Class A
For the second year in a row, Hampden Academy and Messalonskee are expected to finish atop the Class A North standings and meet in the regional title game.
The defending champion Broncos and Eagles of Oakland will look different without Mr. Basketball finalist Zach McLaughlin and 6-foot-10 big man Merrick Smith respectively, but have reloaded with the likes of junior Liam Henaghen plus senior Aiden Kochendoerfer (Hampden) and seniors Ty Bernier plus Parker Reynolds (Messalonskee). Hampden’s length and defensive edge equated to six first-place votes in the A North preseason coaches’ poll, while Messalonskee’s pure shooting ability earned itself two first-place votes.
Elsewhere, Camden Hills will be led by high-scoring junior guard Nolan Ames, a favorite to win Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference MVP, and Brewer is also expected to make some noise. State champs from two years ago, Brewer returns a deep and well-balanced crew of seniors ready for their own playoff run, featuring go-to guard Steven Youngs, sharpshooter Charlie Brydges, and forward Owen Fullerton. The Witches were polled to finish third in the A North standings, even after finishing 4-14 last year.
Class B
Led by 2023-24 Maine Gatorade Player of the Year Pierce Walston, the Orono Red Riots have been the gold standard in Class B North, winning back-to-back state titles. The upcoming 2024-25 season could finally mark the end of their reign.
The favorites to knock Orono off are the Caribou Vikings, who finished 14-4 last year and have a stacked group of upperclassmen ready to seize the crown. Senior forward Tristan Robbins (Big East Conference first team) will lead the charge, aided by senior guard Kaymen Sargent (second team), and juniors Owen Corrigan and Landen Belanger, among others.
Reigning regional finalists Old Town, which returns skilled big Emmitt Byther (first team) and sharpshooting sophomore Tyler Priest, should also be in the playoff mix. Last year’s No. 1 seed Ellsworth could also make a run despite losing Mr. Maine Basketball Chance Mercier, with a solid core of versatile wings including Kyle Kenny, Hollis Grindal and Dawson Curtis.
Spearheading Orono’s title defense will be explosive senior forward Will Francis (third team), flanked by shooters like Bergen Soderberg and Brady Hews.
Class C
The Class C North tournament has a reputation for being very unpredictable, and last year’s dance at Bangor’s Cross Center certainly lived up to the hype. A young Hodgdon team came out of nowhere to upset tourney favorites Machias in the first round, and No. 7 Mount View was the lowest seed last year to win a regional final, beating No. 1 Calais by 34 points.
Hodgdon is considered by some to be the favorite this year, returning its entire starting lineup (including dynamic sophomore forward Cyran Ciarleglio and senior leader David Tuttle), and Machias will be a contender again with junior point guard Mickey Fitzsimmons at the helm.
Mount View and Calais are expected to be solid once again, but will take a step back due to the departure of stars like Noah Hurd and Jeremy Turner, respectively. Taking a step forward will be Mattanawcook Academy, which has turned heads this preseason with its new trap defense orchestrated by first-year head coach Adam Mahaney.
Class D
Bangor Christian lost to Schenck twice in the regular season last year before silencing its undefeated rival in the Class D North title game, 38-25, on the way to the Patriots’ first ever gold basketball. Both teams return three starters and multiple bench players, setting up two interesting rematches this January that could help dictate the region’s competitive landscape.
Meanwhile, an upstart Katahdin team boasts a legitimate one-two punch in versatile senior forward Connor Edwards and flashy junior guard Calvin Richardson, creating a three-horse race for the regional crown. Easton, Southern Aroostook and Lee Academy are also forecasted to be in the playoff mix.
