Reece MacDonald is averaging 27 points per game for York, which is 12-0 and has yet to win by less than nine points. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Class B basketball in recent years has been ruled by the North.

Amid a seven-year period of Big East dominance, only one Class B South team — Yarmouth in 2022 — has brought home the Gold Ball.

Will 2025 be the South’s year again? There’s a lot of potential it might be.

“It’s gonna be a tough region, I think,” said Medomak Valley coach Nick DePatsy, whose team is in first place in B South at 11-0. “Whoever makes it through, they’re going to earn it. We’ve got some pretty good teams down here, as the North does.”

It’s no surprise to see Medomak Valley at the top. Returning two standouts in Gabe Lash and Mason Nguyen, and adding 6-foot-6 transfer Rocco DePatsy from Cheverus, the Panthers went undefeated in 12 games to win a Class A-heavy summer league at Cony High. They’ve yet to win a game by fewer than 12 points this winter.

“The kids have really bought into defending,” Nick DePatsy said. “We’ve always been known as a solid defensive team, but this group, over the summer, they got stronger, they worked on their quickness, and they worked on their speed. It’s really paid off, and we’re clicking defensively and rebounding well.”

York (12-0), which has yet to win by fewer than nine points, is breathing down Medomak’s neck. Junior Reece MacDonald is averaging 27 points per game, and contributions from well-rounded guard Ryan Cummins and elite rebounder Lukas Bouchard have the Wildcats’ sights set on their first state title in 34 years.

Don’t think for a second, though, that B South is a two-team race. Spruce Mountain (9-2) and Lincoln Academy (8-3) are third and fourth, respectively, Spruce led by 1,000-point scorer Jace Bessey and Lincoln by KVAC assist leader Tyson Ball. Lincoln Academy beat Spruce Mountain 67-66 on Saturday.

“That was a fantastic basketball game where a couple of bad breaks toward the end was the difference,” Spruce Mountain coach Scott Bessey said. “We’re confident that we can play with anybody in the region. As small of a school as we are compared to some of those big boys at the top, I think we’re right there with them.”

No. 5 Oceanside (5-5) boasts a win over Lincoln while No. 6 Yarmouth is 7-3. Those teams add depth to a region that, with 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year winner Pierce Walston gone from Orono and Mr. Maine Basketball Chance Mercier no longer at Ellsworth, has as good a shot as ever to beat the North.

“Whoever it is, I think the South is going to be well-represented this year,” DePatsy said. “It’s a different style of play up (North) at times, maybe, but I think it’s all about who’s peaking at the right time, who stays healthy, and who cuts down on turnovers and mistakes.”

3 and D boosting Cony

After a 2-5 start, Cony is back to the middle of the pack in Class A North thanks to a three-game winning streak. The most recent — and most impressive — of those wins came Saturday when the Rams beat Brewer (9-2), 68-60.

“We showed a lot of toughness,” said Cony coach Isaiah Brathwaite. “We really matched their physicality and matched how hard they played, in terms of rebounding offensively and defensively. We limited them to a lot of one-possession shots, and that was huge.”

That kind of play pairs well with 3-point shooting, an area in which the Rams excel. Through seven games, Cony had five players shooting 35 percent or better from long range, as well as two, freshman Jayden Nirza (42.9) and sophomore Ian Lasselle (41.2), above 40.

“We’ve always been a team that’s relied on our 3-point shooting, but this year we’ve become a team that’s even more efficient,” Brathwaite said. “We have a lot of kids shooting well and have been effective. Hopefully we’ll be shooting well at the right time.”

Rebels on the rise

Coach Ryan Kimball said Telstar’s move to the East/West Conference this year from the Mountain Valley Conference is paying off.

Telstar’s Connor Deprey passes the ball as Buckfield’s Nolan Litchfield plays defense during a game earlier this season. Telstar is 7-3 after moving from the Mountain Valley Conference to the East/West Conference. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

“I think that has helped as well, playing, maybe I don’t know what the word is, but maybe more appropriate competition for where we’ve been with our program,” Kimball said. “We just have a good, talented group of kids that, you know, we’ve worked really hard for a long time now building a rec program here. So we’re kind of starting to see the fruits of our labor as far as with our rec program.”

Telstar is 7-3 and ranked third in Class D South heading into Monday’s matchup with first-place Valley (8-0).

Kimball said moving to the East/West Conference should lay a foundation for the program.

“In order to get good and wanting the kids to play, you’ve got to have some success,” Kimball said. “So not that we didn’t or couldn’t have in the MVC, it’s just something we thought was the best move overall for our basketball program.”

Navigating tough schedule

Falmouth’s 54-51 win Saturday against A South leader Noble (10-1) was very similar to its 54-52 loss at Noble in its season opener. In Saturday’s win, Falmouth got 23 points from Davis Mann and held Jamier Rose (22 points per game) to nine points. When Noble beat Falmouth (9-2), Mann (21 ppg) was held to 10 points and Rose scored 24.

Falmouth hosts AA North-leading Windham (10-1) on Tuesday, one of its five games against AA teams.

“We make (the schedule) as strong as we can get. These are like tournament games where every possession is important,” said Falmouth coach Dave Halligan. “Even if we lost that game, the lessons learned will make you a better team.”

Bulldogs on the rebound

Portland went 3-0 last week to improve to 6-6 after an 0-3 start. Coach Joe Russo said his team’s inexperience “still raises its ugly head” too often but he’s enjoying his team’s attitude, effort and ability.

According to Russo, senior center Devin Walker has become “pretty much our glue” with his rebounding and ability to defend multiple positions; 6-foot-6 junior Benilson Lumani is “improving by the second” and had six blocks in a 52-31 win over Edward Little on Saturday; and sophomore point guard Maddox Meas “has to be on the court” because of his ball-handling and press-breaking ability.

Weary Eagles

Two weeks ago, Windham won three games by a total of 80 points. Last week the Eagles went 2-1, losing 55-54 at home to South Portland before eking out wins against Marshwood (68-62) and Scarborough (73-70).

Back-to-back three-game weeks with lengthy trips to Bangor and Marshwood help explain the scoring margin difference for the defending AA champs, along with facing quality opponents who played well.

“By the end of Saturday’s game (with Scarborough), our guys were pretty tired,” said Windham coach Chad Pulkkinen.

Trojans ready to Riot

Thornton posted a 61-49 win at Cheverus on Saturday, without injured starter Simon Gellis (ankle, expected back this week).

“It signifies that we can play with the top teams in the league,” said second-year coach Mike Nelson.

The Golden Trojans are 8-2 and have played seven of their first 10 games on the road. This week, they host South Portland (9-2) on Tuesday and Portland on Friday.

Tuesday’s game features two of the top seniors in Maine, in Thornton’s Wyatt Benoit (24.3 points, 7.5 rebounds) and Manny Hidalgo (18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds).

– Steve Craig of the Portland Press Herald and Nathan Fournier of the Sun Journal contributed to this report.