1. Falmouth: Last fall the Navigators rolled to their ninth state title – third in Class A and first since 2013 – by 10 strokes, and they should be difficult to knock off again this year. John Hwang is back after being named first-team all-SMAA, second-team pick Mitchell Ham is back, and Falmouth also returns Paul Dilworth, who was the team’s top scorer in the state meet with a 77 that was good for fourth. In all, four of the five scorers from last year will be back on the course this year, giving the Navigators the label of being the team to beat.

2. Yarmouth: Some teams win a championship and say goodbye to the seniors that made it happen, and a lucky few win a title and still get to welcome back the leaders. Yarmouth is in the latter category. The Clippers won the Class B title by 16 strokes, and all four players whose scores counted – Andrew Cheever, Nate Hagedorn, Quinn Federle and Sebastien Martinez – are back to try to make it two in a row. Yarmouth lost a top-five player, but David Swift and Hugh O’Donnell, a transfer from Waynflete, add depth and could make their way onto the ladder.

3. Thornton Academy: The Golden Trojans were runners-up in Class A last season and they should be in the hunt once again. Top scorer Edoardo Gallazzi is gone, but Thornton still brings back first-team all-SMAA pick Braden Camire and second-team selections Parker Snell, Damian Bracy and Jack DeLeo, as well as Will Davies from that tournament team. With Wyatt Benoit, Andres Jimenez, Matt Page and Aidan and Brandan Vitiello all having the talent to crack the top five, Thornton is as deep as anyone in Class A.

4. Greely: The Rangers get more than a boost with the return of senior Connor Albert and junior Will Klein. Thornton Academy Coach Jeff Camire said the Rangers might have the best 1-2 tandem in the state with the two first-team all-SMAA picks. Greely also has a potential girls’ individual champion in senior Ruth Weeks, who has been scoring in the low 80s this summer. If the Rangers can find some depth to back up their top guns, they could contend for a spot in the SMAA championship and be in the state mix as well.

5. Brunswick: The Dragons took fifth in Class A last season, but this is a team on the rise. Everybody is back, including the championship quintet of Charlie Austin, Garrett Countway, Austin Stromick, Ayden Marini and Will Farschon. Brunswick was competitive in Class A fielding teams of mostly freshmen and sophomores, and with only one senior on the roster this fall, this is a team that will be difficult to knock off in the KVAC and will be in the hunt for state titles as well for the next few years.