The Dexter girls basketball team is out to defend its run of four straight Eastern Maine Class C titles, in addition to last year’s state crown.

If it happens – and there are plenty of teams out there who seem ready to end the Tigers’ run – it’ll happen despite injuries, new faces, and inexperienced players getting their turn.

“We have a lot of people in different positions and people who are new to what we’re doing,” Dexter coach Jody Grant said. “We’re getting better, no question about it. I don’t really know what to expect, but the kids are improving.”

The Tigers won’t lack for scoring with a tall tandem of 6-6 Mallory Ames and 5-11 Kate Poirier playing inside. In first two games Ames and Poirier combined for 75 of Dexter’s 98 points.

But Ames went down with an ankle sprain in her second game of the season and could miss as much as three weeks. Forward Megan Clukey is also out with a knee injury.

That means some players, like guards Chelsea Chambers and Lindsay Burton, are in some different roles.

“Chelsea’s a [shooting guard] who has being asked to handle the ball … Lindsay’s a wing player who is playing inside,” Grant said. “We have a lot of kids being asked to do different things.”

Going into the season Dexter’s question mark come at the guard spots, where the Tigers graduated Nicci Burton and Tracy Mountain. The Tigers also graduated star forward Sabrina Cote, who did just about everything for them.

This year’s point guard is Miranda Gove, a sophomore transfer from New Hampshire.

“She’s been a pleasant addition,” Grant said.

The Tigers will also look to guard Michelle Chapman, who sat out all last season with a broken thumb, and forward Ashley Richardson.

Central of Corinth advanced all the way to the EM title game despite being the No. 7 seed. The Red Devils graduated a lot of their firepower, including 6-foot forward Caitlin Elliott and 6-1 forward Teresa Libby, along with guard Traci Underhill.

Central won’t have the dominating height this year, although 5-10 forward Cat Melton is off to a good start, but the Devils do have a deep group of guards back in Mackie Davis, Erica Brownell, Sami Morin and Rachel Trafton. Brownell, coach Diane Rollins said, is a defensive stopper who has also started to score more this year. Much of Trafton’s offense so far has come at the free-throw line, Rollins said, because Trafton is such a good cutter. She can also step out and shoot, Rollins added.

Morin will alternate in a starting role with Jocelyn Portmann, a 5-11 freshman, depending on the opposition. Key bench players include sisters Randi McHugh, a 5-8 junior who can play a variety of roles, and sophomore guard Kelsie McHugh, and freshman guard Sam Blanchard. Guard Kara Voisine is dealing with a back injury but could be back later this season.

The depth will make the Devils more of a running team than in the past.

“I know I can replace each girl with the same type of player,” Rollins said. “It’s a great group. They have so much work ethic.”

Stearns, which has been among the top teams in Eastern Maine Class C the past few years, suffered a few graduation losses (Mary Hale, Dayna Somers and Hilary Arsenault among them) but return an tall, athletic group with good guards. Angela MacDonald, a 6-foot center, is back along with 5-8 forward Deanna Michaud and 5-7 forward Amy Collinsworth, who is one of the top athletes in Class C. Senior guard Felicia Achorn will help out in the backcourt.

Penobscot Valley of Howland is a much improved squad thanks to the development of Kelsy Lavertu and two transfers. That showed early in the season when the Howlers knocked off Dexter, which will be a point-worthy win down the road.

Former Penquis of Milo standout Mindy Dolley and Mattanawcook of Lincoln’s Casey McCloskey are now on the PVHS roster.

Aroostook County could produce tournament teams in Fort Kent and Houlton.

The Warriors will have to replace 6-1 center Kristin Violette, who graduated, but inside play likely won’t be the focus this year. Fort Kent has a collection of stellar shooters, including Emily Pelletier, Marissa Albert and Taylor Boucher. Fort Kent also has forwards Meagan Charette and Shannon Morneault.

Houlton will be a dominating post-oriented team with 6-1 center Rachel Foster, 5-9 forward Victoria Rowe and 5-9 guard back in the starting lineup, along with guard Emily Bartlett. Standout guard Danielle Sewell was the Shiretowners’ lone starter to graduate.

Calais, a perennial tourney team, graduated three starters. But graduations usually don’t faze the Blue Devils. In fact, Calais as a tall as they’ve been in several years thanks to a trio of freshmen forwards who look promising.

Five-foot-11 Chelsea Karvia, whose family moved to the area from the Aleutian Islands, 6-foot Nicole Osborne and 5-11 Rebecca Blake should compliment the Devils’ starting lineup of 5-11 Jessie Brown, 5-10 Lindsey Mingo, and guards Courtney Hill, Tessa Clark and Ashley Allen. Guard Kelli Cross could also get some starts depending on the opponent.

Calais’ size means the Devils may run less than in previous years.

“With height comes less speed, so it has its advantages and disadvantages,” McShane said. “We’ll play a mixed bag of this and that.”

Calais plays a tough schedule, especially with C teams Houlton, Washington Academy, and Narraguagus of Harrington on the schedule.

WA “shredded” its preseason competition, McShane said. The Raiders of East Machias graduated several starters but 5-10 forwards Ashley Tilton and Megan Look are a potent combination inside.