Let’s face it – Eastern Maine Class C has been relatively easy to talk about over the past decade or so. There have been plenty of good teams. Then there’s been Calais, the winner of nine of the last 12 regional titles.

But this season, there are some serious contenders for tournament spots and the postseason crown as the Blue Devils lost four of their five starters to graduation.

Dexter, for example, would love to get farther in the playoffs than last year’s semifinal loss. The Tigers are an early favorite for a high playoff berth.

“The girls are real good,” coach Margaret Veazie said. “We have an inside and an outside game, we have a good point guard, we play good defense. We have it all, I think.”

The Tigers likely have the tallest frontcourt in Eastern Maine Class C, with 6-foot-3 Ashley Ames and 6-foot Ashley Foster patrolling the basket, and a top-notch point guard, Brittany Veazie. Guards Lindsay Turner and Keriann Patterson will also start after providing minutes off the bench last year. Ames, who is just a sophomore and Foster both had breakout seasons last year. Veazie has shown huge improvement, said Margaret Veazie, who is her mother.

“She’s put a lot of work into her game,” Margaret Veazie said. “She’s our best passer, defensively she’s unbelievable and her shot’s falling now. That’s been key because we lost [graduated senior and Brittany Veazie’s sister] Kristy’s shooting.”

The top bench players should be Sarah Turner (Lindsay’s twin sister), Amanda Pullen, and freshman 5-8 guard-forward Sabrina Cote, who should be a key player once she gets acclimated to varsity basketball.

Central also fell in the semifinals. After a rocky start to the season the Red Devils made a big impression late last year and return all five starters this season.

“The confidence level went way up,” coach Diane Rollins said. “There’s nothing they don’t think they can do, and I believe them.”

Point guard Casey Davis will certainly stick to the guard positions, but otherwise Rollins has four versatile returning starters in Katie Ahearn, Jenny Rollins (Diane Rollins’ daughter), Nicole Daniel and Danielle Collins.

Ahearn, for example, is a strong but athletic 5-9 forward and Central’s go-to player, according to Diane Rollins.

“[Recently] in practice I called her a little worm,” she said. “The stuff she can do at her size is amazing.”

Jenny Rollins and Daniel are 5-6 guards who can play the post. Caitlin Elliott, a 5-11 freshman who can play under the basket and bring the ball up the floor, is also part of the starting rotation. Senior guard Heather Lyford will come off the bench.

Searsport is another early-season favorite. The Vikings have several players returning, including Jessica Larrabee, Brittany Smith, Jessica Plourde, Pauline Vasiliauskas, Mo Hall, Nicole Shute and Lura Carroll.

Calais graduated scoring machines Lanna Martin and Katie Frost, along with three-year starter Nanci Feck, but the Blue Devils will almost certainly maintain their high level of defense. Crystal Martin is the only returning starter. The senior forward is one of two seniors on the roster and will have to be the leader for players like Danielle O’Brien, a 5-10 forward who started some games last season, as well as guards Emily Smith, Danielle Feck and Tracie Eagan, who looked good off the bench last year.

Hodgdon went into the 2001-02 open tournament with a 4-14 record but earned a quarterfinal berth, where the Hawks fell to Calais. With forward Amanda Fitzpatrick, center Shanna McGary and guard Jamie Nightengale back, Hodgdon could be setting up for a higher playoff seed this season.

Narraguagus of Harrington returns several players from its 14-4 effort last year. The Knights have a wealth of height compared to most teams with five players listed at 5-8 or taller, including athletic forward Shelby Howe, along with fellow starters Allison Sawyer and Elizabeth Grant. Guards Missy Barbee and Linny Barbee also return from last year’s starting lineup.

Stearns of Millinocket will be led by three experienced seniors, forward Jessica Osborne, guard Jordan Legassey and 5-9 center Ashley Boynton. Junior Trisha MacDonald was one of the team’s top scorers last year and forward Leslie Osborne is a top rebounder. Janessa Nason and Abby Fitzgerald came off the bench last year.

Two Minutemen freshmen, Hilary Arsenault and Dayna Somers, could also have roles this year.