With the defending Eastern Maine Class C champion Dexter Tigers having graduated two senior starters, including half of their Ames sisters inside scoring punch, many high school hoops fans figured the Tigers might be ripe for dethroning this season.

The three-time defending regional champions are right back at the top of the Heal point standings and once again a favorite heading into the tournament.

Why? Well, the taller half of that 1-2 punch, 6-foot-6 junior center Mallory Ames, has been even better this season, but she’s getting plenty of support.

“I think we’re actually more balanced than we were a year ago,” said Dexter coach Jody Grant. “Mallory’s had a fantastic season, but Sabrina Cote has emerged as another leader and girls like Katie Poirier have found their niche on this team.”

Central coach Diane Rollins won’t argue with that assessment, and her Red Devils are the only team to hand the 17-1 Tigers a loss this season.

“Ames is a big threat, but to me Sabrina is their toughest draw,” Rollins said. “We try to slow her down on both ends of the court, but I think she’s the best athlete on the court in Class C.

“So then you focus so much on them, and Poirier gets those garbage points, grabs rebounds, and takes whatever you give her when you’re trying to slow down the other two.”

The Tigers feel they have the flexibility and experience to handle whatever teams might throw at them.

“We’ve seen so many different defenses against us this year, I think we’re in pretty good shape to handle just about anything,” Grant said. “I really think the team that concerns me the most is us. We really focus a lot on not beating ourselves and making mistakes.”

Dexter might be the favorite and the team to beat, but there are plenty in the tourney field who could do it this year. Obviously, Central is one of those teams.

“I know that with Dexter, you have to play a perfect game unless you have the size to match up with them and no one has a 6-6 player,” Rollins said.

But Rollins does have a pair of athletic senior forwards who are 6-1 and 6-0 in Teresa Libby and Caitlin Elliott and a revamped backcourt that has filled in nicely for last year’s departed seniors.

Class C offers several athletic teams that blend size with skill and dependable guard play.

Houlton, Stearns of Millinocket, and Washington Academy of East Machias are also poised to upend the Tigers.

The Houlton Shiretowners have a well-balanced attack with 6-foot sophomore center Rachel Foster, 5-8 guard Keegan Hovey, and senior guard Danielle Sewell. Sewell has yet to get back to 100 percent after tearing ligaments in her knee last season but is the focal point of the defense and an unquestioned floor leader.

“With Houlton, we did well against the Foster girl, but they have other players who are productive as well,” said Rollins. “They follow their shots well, and Hovey does a lot of things well.”

Stearns is deep and experienced. The Minutemen are led by forwards Deanna Michaud and Amy Collinsworth, center Angela MacDonald, guard Felicia Achorn – all juniors – plus forwards Mary Hale and Casey Freeman and guards Hilary Arsenault and Dayna Somers – all seniors.

“Stearns has some fantastic athletes and they defend pretty well,” Grant said. “They have kids capable of knocking down some perimeter shots and they have good balance.”

Washington Academy has had injury problems but is still in the upper half of the seedings and healthier now with a sizable lineup, including 5-11 Ashley Tilton, 5-10 Megan Look, Mary Mawhinney, and senior guards Sarah Rushforth and Erika Govoni.

“They are very solid, especially when they’re healthy,” said Grant. “Tilton and Mawhinney are really good players.”

The Calais Blue Devils also loom as a legitimate challenger with a sizeable and experienced frontcourt led by Jessica Brown and Darcy Gillespie.

“We’re not going to look by anybody,” Grant said. “Like I’ve told the kids, there’s a fine line between the upper echelon and the 5-8 teams. If we don’t play well, we can get beat.”