For most Eastern Maine Class C coaches, the question isn’t which team is going to represent the region in the 2005 state championship.

For those coaches it’s, who’s going to have to play that team in the regional final?

But for the team everybody’s resigned to already, there are other questions. And with the rest of the teams in the region very even – and very little overlap of schedules between the Penobscot Valley Conference and Downeast Athletic -Conference teams – things could be interesting this February.

Dexter seems destined for its third straight Eastern Maine crown, what with 6-foot-4 Ashley Ames starting as a senior alongside her sister, 6-6 sophomore Mallory Ames, and athletic junior forward Sabrina Cote back in the lineup.

The Tigers will rely on Ashley Ames, a second-team All-Mainer and two-time tourney MVP, as their go-to player.

“She’s got fantastic skills, great skills, great hands,” first-year coach Jody Grant said. “This is her team, it really is. And she’s really working hard to become the leader of this group. We’re going to do to her in crunch time. We’ll go where she takes us.”

Cote was also on the all-tourney team last year.

The Tigers, however, know they’re a bit vulnerable this year with two new starters at the guard positions. Junior Nicci Burton will do most of the ball-handling this year, while Nikki Chapman also started early in the season.

Meagan Fogarty, Tracy Mountain and Vanessa Hartford will also play important roles either in the starting lineup or off the bench.

“Kids have got to step up, keep playing,” Grant said. “We’ve got nine kids who are going to factor into the rotation, maybe 10 down the stretch. Our goal is to get better every single day. Last year was last year.”

Last year’s regional runner-up, Central of Corinth, would love another go at the Tigers in the EM final.

“I just wish our schedule was stronger for the Heal points,” coach Diane Rollins said. “But it doesn’t matter. We have to play every game anyway and make sure we do what we do well. It doesn’t matter if our schedule is strong or not. We need to get it done.”

Leading the way will be senior guard Jenny Rollins, a high-scoring third-team All-Mainer and all-tourney team member.

But the Red Devils will also need a big season from Caitlin Elliott, a 6-foot junior forward with a fine shooting touch.

“I always feel that Caitlin will be that go-to girl,” said Diane Rollins, who is Jenny Rollins’ mother. “I hope [the opposition] can’t double Jenny, that they have to respect Caitlin enough.”

Central will also start senior guard Danielle Collins, who has a knack for rebounding despite her 5-5 height, junior guard Traci Underhill, and 6-1 junior forward Teresa Libby.

With four starters back, the Minutemen, who went 14-6 last year, have high hopes this season.

“Our goal right now is to finish in the top four,” new coach Mike Portwine said.

The Minutemen will first look to 5-9 forward Trisha MacDonald, who is the team’s leading returning scorer. She’ll start in the frontcourt along with 5-10 forward Johnna Michaud. Senior Janessa Nason and junior Hilary Arsenault will start at the guard slots.

The final starting position will go to either 5-10 center Mary Hale, 5-7 forward Amy Collingsworth, 5-6 forward Deanna Michaud, 5-11 forward Angela MacDonald and 5-4 guard Dayna Somers.

That final spot may likely come down to who the Minutemen are playing on a given night. Several of those players will be important no matter what, including Michaud and Somers.

“Deanna’s the most athletic person on our bench and we’ll need a big output from her,” Portwine said.

Expect the Minutemen to press a lot and mix up defenses in the frontcourt while sticking with man in the backcourt. And with the possibility of starting three or four players taller than 5-9, Stearns should enjoy a rebounding advantage most nights.

Several teams appear poised to lead the Downeast Athletic Conference, where wins will be at a premium this year.

Calais, which lost in the Eastern Maine semifinals last year and therefore failed to get to the regional final for the first time since 1992, didn’t have seniors on the roster last year. Returning players include all-tourney pick Tracie Eagan and honorable mention Emily Smith, who are both guards.

Ashley Allen will also start and Danielle O’Brien, a 6-1 center, will again be key for the Blue Devils as will forwards Courtney Taylor, Darcey Gillespie and Lindsey Mingo.

“We aren’t quite the team that we were in the past,” coach Bob McShane said. “We didn’t run our summer program this year and that’s retarded our growth somewhat. But we’ll look to peak late in the season.”

Frank Johnson’s Washington Academy Raiders took a big step forward last year, making it to the quarterfinals with one senior, three sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup.

With another year of experience, that group is poised to take another step. The young Raiders include guards Erika Govoni and Sara Rushforth and forward Mary Mawhinney, now juniors, and 5-10 sophomore center Ashley Tilton. The Raiders will have 5-11 sophomore center Megan Look, senior guard Sarah Livingstone and 5-8 junior forward Meghan Huffman, who played in the tournament last year.

For McShane, however, Woodland might be the team to beat in the DAC and along with Dexter maybe even the top squad in the region. The Dragons look to be strong again this season despite graduating point guard Kaitlyn Leeman, who was a tourney MVP twice in her career.

Woodland seems to have found a replacement in freshman guard Rachel Torrey. And freshman Courtney Cochran, a 6-1 forward, has also played well early.

Add those new faces to returning players like junior forward Michelle Ferry, who has been a key cog since her freshman year, senior forward Kayla Kochendoerfer, and junior guards Heidi Graceffa and Lacey Gillespie, and the Dragons could be tough in February.