1. Gorham: The Rams have a strong nucleus, with three seniors – Mike Caron, Nathan Roop and Spencer LaPierre – playing their fourth varsity season. As sophomores, they played on Gorham’s Class A state championship team. Last season, the Rams were SMAA champions. Andrew Scontras, a senior, gives the team another experienced hand.

2. Falmouth: In their first year in Class A, the Yachtsmen won the state title. Falmouth has a strong junior class, led by Joe Lesniak. In the SMAA preseason tournament at Val Halla, Falmouth finished first. The team has plenty of depth. Falmouth will split its home matches between The Woodlands Club and Falmouth Country Club, which should sharpen the players’ games.

3. Thornton Academy: If the Golden Trojans aren’t winning a state title, they’re contending. This season should follow the trend. It’s a veteran team with six seniors and two juniors. Jake Woodman, who played No. 2 for the team a year ago, moves up to No. 1 and is poised to be among the top players in the SMAA. Other capable players are Cam Jackman and Brett Braasch.

4. York: The Wildcats are a program that aims for a state title every season. They won their third Class B championship since 2002 last fall. With four of the top five returning, York has a good chance of repeating. The four returnees are seniors Pete Carley, Kyle Cone, Hayden Pate and Luke Claflin. All of them qualified for last year’s individual championship.

5. Cheverus: The Stags are regular SMAA contenders and state tournament qualifiers. They are led by senior Andrew Cloutier and sophomore Chris Billings. Cloutier will be looking to put together a complete season, which he is more than capable of doing. Billings qualified for the individual championship as a sophomore and played in this summer’s Maine Amateur.