Ask the coaches. They’ll tell you. Eastern Maine Class C boys is wide open.

George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill coach Matt Mattson lists no less than eight schools as having a chance at being top dog. His team included.

The Eagles lost 6-foot-8 Ryan Hutchins to graduation from a team that went 18-3 and lost to Calais 55-53 in the Eastern Maine final in 2001-2002. But the team returns senior point guard Mike Astbury, senior shooting guard Mark Clapp and 6-3 senior Nick Henry who scored 14 points in GSA’s 2002-2003 season opening loss to Class B Mount Desert Island.

The Eagles also return last year’s sixth man Duane Ledien, a 5-10 senior guard who averaged in double figures.

“All six seniors will,” Mattson said. “Defensively we’ll be a strong team. We try to keep the score down and limit their chances. If we can score between 50-60 points we’ll be in good shape.”

Another of the top stories in EM Class C is the return of Ron Brown to coaching. Brown has coached everything from freshmen basketball in Indiana, to varsity boys’ teams in Machias and Milo to the Maine Lumberjacks of the Continental Basketball Association.

Brown has taken over the reins of the boys’ team at Narraguagus in Harrington. The Knights were 9-9 last year and lost much of that team to graduation. “I think I’ve inherited a real inexperienced group in terms of varsity minutes,” Brown said. “I essentially have the JV team from last year. I think we’re very talented. But I think there’s a very big difference in playing in front of 80 and playing in front of 800. All the tools are there, I just think it’s going to take us a while.”

Brown will look to 6-2 junior Jamie Bailey to lead the way. “I’d say Bailey has been as talented as anybody. We’ve made him a speaking captain which is a privilege for a kid,” Brown said.

Piscataquis Community of Guilford will be hard pressed to repeat last year’s record of 17-1. The Pirates entered the tourney as the top seed before losing to GSA in the semifinals. They return just one starter from that team in 6-3 senior Tracy Tyler. But scoring will also come from 5-9 senior guard Harper Hoffman and Josh Luellen who had 19 and 12 points respectively in the Pirates season opening win over Penobscot Valley of Howland. Hoffman has played in every varsity game since his freshman year including the playoffs.

Calais reached the state championship game last year before losing to Jay by a single point. Keith Ogden’s Blue Devils will struggle to repeat last year’s success. Calais lost 6-5 middleman Joe Footer to graduation and point guard Andy Frost who transferred to Brewer.

“This is the one year going into it that I have no idea how we’re going to be. Some nights in practices and scrimmages we look really good and some nights we look very inexperienced. We could struggle. Maybe we can sneak in and do some damage,” Piscataquis coach Jamie Russell said.

Dexter was 14-6 a year ago, losing to Piscataquis in the EM quarterfinals. The Tigers will be led by 6-1 senior guard and 1,000 point scorer Travis Patterson, a Penobscot Valley Conference first-team all-star last year.

Coach Peter Murray will also look to draw from a group of sophomores that led the Tigers’ JV team to a 19-1 record. “I think the key for us will be how quickly those young players come along. If they play like sophomores we’ll struggle. If they can play more like juniors we should be right in the thick of things,” Murray said.

Washington Academy of East Machias had an excellent 18-3 season in which they lost to Calais in the Eastern Maine semifinals. But the Raiders lost 11 seniors from that team to graduation. Still coach Chad Fitzsimmons is looking forward to workng with 5-10 junior Jarred Gray and 6-1 junior Whitney Stevens who the coach said could be all-stars.

Schenck of East Millinocket returns 6-4 senior Ryan Deschenes, a first team PVC all-star selection last year. The Wolverines were 12-6 and lost to GSA in the EM quarterfinals.

Stearns of Millinocket was 8-10 a year ago but not without an all-star of their own. Derek DiFrederico was selected to the All-PVC second team and returns for his senior season. The Minutemen can also count on 6-1 senior Kevin McLaughlin for offense.

The Hodgdon Hawks return three starters to a team that was 19-1 last year but lost All-Aroostook County selection Tyler Putnam to graduation.

Penquis Valley of Milo is coming off a 6-12 campaign. Head coach Tony Hamlin describes 6-0 senior Jordan Allen as a “great player” and 6-0 senior Steve Kissell as a “great athlete.”

Penobscot Valley of Howland will look to improve upon last year’s 6-12 record. Coach Jim McCloskey’s Howlers will look to seniors Trent Slowikowski (5-11) and Matt Mulligan (6-4) and 6-3 junior Garrett LaVertu to lead the way. McCloskey also has a freshman that is making a name for himself in Matt Cummings who had 15 points in the Howlers’ season-opener. “This is a very talented team. I think we’re ready. I think we could turn it around,” McCloskey.

Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and coach Ron Weatherbee were 13-7 last year, losing in the EM quarterfinals.

The Lynx will be led by Jon Carney. The 6-3 senior was a PVC second team all-star last year. He’ll be joined by 6-4 senior Tyler Libbey in the middle and 6-0 senior Matt Malone to provide the outside threat. “We should be .500 or so,” Weatherbee said. Part of me says offensively we’re going to have to score in transition or put the ball inside to our two big kids. Defensively we’ll have to change things up and throw a wrinkle at teams.”