1. Falmouth: After twice winning the Class B combined title, Falmouth moves up to a Class A dominated (with the exception of Leavitt in 2006) for the past dozen years by Mt. Blue. The unbeaten Alpine squad returns its core of senior Weston Scott, juniors Alex Gowen, Sam Hamilton and Luke Andrews, and sophomores Joe Lesniak and Austin Couch. In Nordic, senior Tim Follo leads a deep contingent of 28 that includes classmates Jamie McCatherin and Ryan Tartre, and junior Jay Lesser.

2. Yarmouth: Last winter the Clippers had the unusual (for them) experience of returning from the Class B state meet without a single championship plaque. They aren’t eager for a repeat performance. Falmouth’s move to Class A clears a two-year obstacle to the combined title, but Caribou remains the defending Nordic champ. Juniors Tom Sullivan, Chester Jacobs and Jackson Hall, and sophomore Jack Elder are as strong as any Nordic quartet in the state. In Alpine, juniors Drew Grout and Matt Hyland pack a potent 1-2 punch with a half-dozen others capable of strong support.

3. Fryeburg Academy: Despite a slip in enrollment that qualified them for Class B, the Raiders are staying in Class A (and avoiding a third trip in four years to Aroostook County for the states). Junior Silas Eastman and senior Paul Kurnick lead defense of the state Nordic title, along with seniors Adam Armington and Peter Caffrey, junior Logan Gerchman and sophomore Dacota Griffin. Armington and sophomore Jesse Liljedahl are skimeisters. Juniors Kevin Reardon and Ian Shea lead the Alpine.

4. Freeport: The Falcons are two-time defending Class C champions who were hit hard by graduation in both Alpine and Nordic. On the hill, senior Owen Petherbridge and junior Brady Davis lead a squad bolstered by a crop of promising freshmen. In Nordic, senior Alex Sturtevant is the only skier returning who scored at the state meet, where Freeport finished second to powerful North Yarmouth Academy. Classmates Chris Collins and Charlie Hayes, and sophomore Riley Werner should help, but NYA remains tops in Nordic.

5. Spruce Mountain: The consolidation of the high schools in Livermore Falls and Jay resulted in a ski team that’s an instant contender for the Class B Alpine title and in the running for overall hardware. Senior Cody Jacques won the Class C giant slalom last winter and was second in the Shootout. Classmates Jake Roy and Ben Hartford, and juniors Alex Hartford, Zach Butterfield and Cameron Rose are all capable of top-15 finishes. Butterfield, Owen Timberlake, Zach Richards and Alex Greenleaf lead the way in Nordic.

– Glenn Jordan

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