They have been basketball brothers in arms since the first grade, building steadily for the season to come.

They came up through the junior high ranks together, and even took the AAU route – but as a team, not as individuals on separate teams.

Some of them experienced a close call with a championship as sophomores, as the Dexter Tigers advanced to the 2003 Eastern Maine Class C championship game before falling to eventual state champion George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill.

Last year as juniors, they also lost to the eventual state champion at tournament time, as Houlton topped the Tigers 59-42 in the regional quarterfinals.

Now as seniors, Eric Day, Chris Rabideau, Matt Murray, Mark Pullen, Sam Bowers and Tim McCarthy hope this season is their turn to experience that championship feeling.

“This group is an example of the sum of the total being greater than its parts,” said Dexter coach Peter Murray.

Dexter’s strength lies in its balance. The Tigers likely won’t have a scorer averaging 20 points a game, but all six of the seniors are likely to average near double figures. So balanced are they, in fact, that Murray has rotated the six seniors into the five starting slots since the first preseason games.

“It’s so hard to prepare for us,” said Murray, “because these guys really epitomize team basketball.”

Dexter also is a defensive-minded team, relying on a physical man-to-man set to frustrate opponents.

“The defense and intensity have been there right from the get-go,” Murray said. “It wasn’t any point of emphasis, but something all of them have emphasized themselves.”

Among the teams that should join Dexter as contenders are such traditional powers as Eastern C are George Stevens, Washington Academy of East Machias, Penquis of Milo.

GSA started virtually from scratch last season after winning the 2003 gold ball with a senior-heavy squad. But with the top seven players back from last year’s club that finished sixth in the region before being upended in the preliminary round by Schenck of East Millinocket, second-year head coach Dwayne Carter has reason for optimism.

“We lost a lot of close games last year. This year we should be more in control of our own destiny,” said Carter.

The Eagles are led by versatile 6-1 senior forward Tim Carter, who teams with 6-4 junior Collin Henry and 6-1 Chaz Gray to give GSA a solid frontcourt tandem. Phineas Peake and Blake Wessel, both 5-9 juniors, head up the backcourt.

“This year we’re older, and we have a lot more experience, and the kids have had success in other sports, so they’ve played in some pretty big-time competition,” said Carter. “They know how to compete.

Washington Academy will look to replace a pair of graduated 1,000-point scorers in Jared Gray and Whitney Stevens from the 2004 team that reached the Eastern C final. Senior James Ramsdell, a NEWS All-Tournament choice last year, leads the returning players, and will be joined up front by 6-2 junior Jarred Sternbergh and 6-4 senior Sam Hostetter.

“We’re a different kind of team this year,” said Raiders’ coach Chad Fitzsimmons. “We’re more of a halfcourt team.”

Junior Corey Colbeth takes over at point guard for WA, while senior Jeremy Gray is a perimeter defensive stopper and junior Nick Wood is a 3-point shooting threat.

Penquis, 13-5 a year ago, returns the defensive mind-set veteran coach Tony Hamlin brings to the hardwood each year, as well as a pair of talented veterans in forwards Devin Perkins and Jordan Allen.

“They’re two pretty good players,” said Hamlin of the third-year starters “We need to keep them out of foul trouble and injury-free.”

Hamlin plans use 10 or 11 players, citing depth as one of the Patriots’ strengths, as well as communication skills.

“This group talks on the floor better than any group I’ve had in a long time,” said Hamlin.

Schenck, which battled its way from the 11th seed to the regional semifinals, hopes to build on that momentum this year.

Senior Aaron Waite is a top-notch guard for coach Steve Levasseur’s club, which also will rely on contributions from junior center Nick Bishop and sophomore guard Kerry Thompson.

The Wolverines’ success may hinge on the return of senior forward Andrew VanEss (back) and Jason Kimball (knee bruise) from injuries.

Another team hoping to build on late-season momentum in 2004 is Penobscot Valley of Howland, which won five straight late in the season only to be denied a preliminary-round berth by a loss to Schenck in the regular-season finale.

Central of Corinth also returns a healthy nucleus for first-year coach Harold Williams.

Piscataquis of Guilford boasts the solid guard tandem of senior Ryan Yeo and sophomore Mike Wharff, but coach Jamie Russell’s club may face the growing pains inherent in having eight sophomores on the roster.

Mattanawcook Academy also boasts a young team – six juniors and four sophomores – but junior guards Dylan Hanscom and Steve Andrews provide backcourt experience that could make the Lynx a sleeper in the division.

The Lynx went 6-12 in Rick Sinclair’s first year as the head coach, but 10 of the losses were by fewer than 10 points.

“The kids have a great attitude,” Sinclair said. “We just want to be playing our best at the end of the season.”

Defending state champion Houlton lost its best player when Mark Socoby transferred to Class A Bangor over the summer, but senior guard Brett Miles and senior forward Jordan Hill are two solid cornerstones for coach Sean Callahan’s club.