Here are 10 boys basketball teams to watch in southern Maine in 2025-26
The new-look A and B classes in the South are loaded with teams that have the qualities to contend, with two-time champ Windham leading the pack.
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Posted Yesterday at 5:25 PM
1. Windham: The Eagles are coming off back-to-back Class AA state championships. As was the case last season, coach Chad Pulkkinen returns three pivotal players from a title team in senior guards Tyrie James and AJ Moody (standouts on both Gold Ball squads) and last year’s super sub, 6-foot-6 junior forward Colin Janvrin, who averaged 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2 blocks per game while earning SMAA Rookie of the Year and AA North All-Defensive honors. The challenge for the Eagles — now in the 16-team A South with 10 other former AA clubs — will be to develop a strong supporting cast, as they did a year ago. Look for Sean Lebel, Landon Wyman, Luke Drottar and Boston Krainis, all part of last year’s run, to step into bigger roles.
2. Portland: The Bulldogs have size, athletic ability and experience, and are a focused and determined group capable of competing for hardware. Coach Joe Russo returns four starters and all but one player from last year’s 10-10 team that was bounced in the AA North semifinals by Windham. Senior guards Lucas LeGage and Loic Ramazani, senior forward Cordell Jones and junior point guard Maddox Meas are the returning starters. LeGage is the top scorer. Ramazani, Jones (who was injured in Portland’s Thanksgiving football game against Deering) and Meas are strong defenders with scoring ability. Last year’s sixth man, Benilson Lumani, and 6-foot-5 sophomore Elvis Ishimwe give the Bulldogs a good inside presence. Junior guard Alex Martin is another key returner. He and junior forward Wyatt Day add a scrappy toughness. Portland also has one of the area’s most promising freshmen players in guard Ephraim Luseko.
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3. South Portland: The Red Riots are coming off a 16-6 Class AA South championship season. Top returners include senior guard Gabe Jackson and senior forward Darius Johnson, along with senior guard Tadgh O’Donnell and 6-foot-5 forward Kai Turner. Coach Kevin Millington expects several of his younger players to see action and possibly earn starting roles right away. Leonel Despacho is a 5-9 freshman guard who will likely will run the point. Despacho’s cousin, 6-5 freshman Israel Muzela, is another potential starter. Justino Kulenvuka, another 6-5 freshman, and sophomore Felix Correia also could be in the rotation.
4. Cheverus: The Stags return only two primary players from last year’s squad that won the AA North regular-season title — 6-foot-5 senior center Jameson Fitzpatrick (12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds) and 6-3 junior guard AJ Lauture. But don’t expect Cheverus to slip too much, thanks to an infusion of talent that includes 6-4 freshman Khaelon Watkins. “His athleticism is pretty much unmatched as a freshman,” said Cheverus coach Richie Ashley. Colton Jewett, a junior who averaged 7.6 points for Gorham last season, joins the Stags as a transfer. The closure of Auburn’s St. Dominic Academy led brothers Gad and Donel Tangilamesu to Cheverus. Both are 6-4. Gad Tangilamesu is a likely starter and Donel is looking like the sixth man. Overall, Cheverus will have size and will often put five players on the court who are at least 6-3.
5. Camden Hills: The Windjammers have been building the past two seasons. Last winter, they won an A North quarterfinal and were two points shy of knocking off top-seeded and eventual North champ Messalonskee in the regional semifinals. This year, Camden Hills is part of a 12-team A North that includes former AA schools Edward Little, Bangor, Lewiston and Oxford Hills. With returning Varsity Maine All-State pick Nolan Ames (23 points, 9.6 rebounds per game), the Windjammers are looking to take another step forward, with Edward Little, Brewer and Brunswick other likely top contenders. Tucker Whitley, a junior, figures to be the No. 2 option on a club that graduated only three players.
6. Scarborough: The Red Storm finished third in AA South last year and advanced to the semifinals at Cross Insurance Arena. Eight seniors return, including the dynamic guard combination of four-year varsity player Carter Blanche (14.4 points, 44 made 3-pointers) and Adam Fitzgerald (team-high 16.5 points, 54 3s). Guards EJ Herrick, a top defender, Will MacDonald and 6-foot-3 Layton Garriepy are also back. Coach Phil Conley’s club doesn’t have a lot of height, so rebounding and limiting second-shot opportunities will be important for a group he describes as having a “compete level that is very strong.”
7. York: The Wildcats won the B South tournament and finished 21-1 last season, losing only to Caribou in the state championship game. Top scorer Reece MacDonald, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, returns after averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. York coach Matt Regan does have to fill holes after losing six seniors to graduation, but depth was a team strength, and now he has eight seniors, including athletic guard Robbie Hanscom, a top athlete who should be able to finish at the rim. Callan Forbes, a 6-6 junior, gives York an inside presence. Class B South is now a combination of last year’s A and B teams, including 2023 state champ Gray-New Gloucester, York County rival Marshwood, and Greely from the former Class A, making it a deeper league.
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8. Bonny Eagle: There seems to be strong consensus among A South coaches that there are eight teams ranked above the rest, and those eight include Bonny Eagle, Sanford and Thornton Academy. Look for the Scots’ three returning starters, 6-foot-10 Max Bouchard (8 points, 8 rebounds) and guards Colin Moran (10 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds) and Ben Noe (7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals), and fellow veterans Logan Sturgis, Caleb Racicot and Lucas Klehn to improve as the season goes on. Coach John Trull’s teams have often been tough outs in the tourney. If Bouchard can significantly boost his scoring average, as Trull expects he will, the Scots could be a top-five team.
9. Medomak Valley: The Panthers graduated four top rotational players, including Varsity Maine All-State pick Gabe Lash, from last year’s 20-1 squad that lost to York in the Class B South final, but opposing coaches are still grouping this team at the top of the region. Mason Nguyen, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, averaged 11 points last winter and is an inside-outside threat and floor leader. Veteran coach Nick DePatsy is high on 6-3 junior forward Kollin Donlin as a rebounder and rim protector, as well as senior forward Owen Dostie (8 points per game) and senior guard Luke Cheesman (6 points per game). Lanny Morrison, Carter Jackson and Landon Starr are ready to move up to varsity after strong JV seasons, and newcomer Micah Fagonde is a quick, aggressive slasher with 3-point range.
10. Yarmouth: Former South Portland assistant Connor Hasson takes over the Clippers, and in his first year as a head coach, he has a strong duo to build around in athletic 6-foot-4 forward Ian Lawrence and 6-2 guard Evan Oranellas. Both averaged 12 points last season. Adam Maxwell is another 6-4 forward who saw significant varsity action. Guards Andrew Kelly, Owen Oranellas, Griffin Rideout and Graham Stout, and forwards Jayden Pelletier and Matt LeBlanc create a strong nucleus for a team that expects to be competitive in what is viewed as a deep 15-team B South. Expect Poland, with three returning double-figure scorers, Lake Region, Gray-New Gloucester and possibly Oceanside to be near the top of the standings.
