Last year at this time, teams in Eastern Maine Class A’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference were going up against five players who would eventually go on to play at the NCAA Division I level and others who are now members of some of the top Div. III teams in the country.

With all that strong group gone, along with the more than 40 other seniors who graduated from the conference, things may have shuffled a bit. Although four-time defending EM A champion Cony of Augusta is as usual among the favorites, Lawrence of Fairfield and Bangor are considered to be the top teams in the North division of the KVAC, while teams like Morse of Bath, Oxford Hills of South Paris, and Brunswick will challenge Cony in the South.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting year in the league,” said Lawrence coach Jason Pellerin. “This year, I think all the teams are trying to feel out where they’re at and see how the kids fit into the different roles.”

Cony coach Paul Vachon will put just two experienced varsity players on the floor this winter. Second-team All-Maine forward Rachel Mack (12 ppg, 7 rpg) and guard Shelby Pelkey are the only returning starters. Guard Chelsea Arbour, on whom Vachon was counting to start, won’t play this season because of a knee injury she suffered this fall. Arbour averaged 14 points per game last winter.

Other than Pelkey and Mack, the rest of the roster mostly populated the freshman and junior varsity rosters last year. The Rams, however, will be athletic and fast.

“It’s going to be like a Cony team from a few years ago,” Vachon said. “We’re probably going to look to press more this year than the last 2-3 years, when we were taller and stronger. And I know we’re going to play hard.”

Players who should contribute this year include guards Brittany Ford, Mackenzie Dufour, Courtney Dufour, and Blaire Burney. Forwards Holly Parker (5-8) and Kayla Belanger (5-9) will complement Mack.

Again this year, Bangor will have a deep group of athletic guards along with senior guard-forward Amy Hackett, who is considered one of the top athletes in the state. Other likely regular starting guards include senior Allie Clukey, who can score and rebound and is one of the team’s best defenders, and senior Brooke Hackett, who can also provide scoring punch.

“I think our starting five might change from game to game a little bit,” coach Tom Tennett said. “The strength of our team is depth and we’d certainly feel comfortable with any group of eight or nine kids.”

The Rams don’t have as much depth in their post players, however. Sophomore Stephanie Comstock, a 5-10 forward who showed a lot of promise last year, will be Bangor’s go-to player inside. Senior Amy Wadleigh (5-9) will be a key part of the rotation but plays more of a small forward position.

Sophomore guards Meagan Doucette and Breianna Tocci have also looked good early.

“[The sophomore class is] really going to be a key to our success this year,” Tennett said. “They’re very talented, it’s just a matter of whether they’re going to able to come along.”

Lawrence brings back 5-9 senior forward Brogan Liberty, who was one of the top players in last year’s group of talented KVAC players. She’s sure to draw a lot of defensive attention from the opposition after she averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game.

“I think they will [focus on her],” Pellerin said. “I’ve got strong enough players so that when teams sag in, we can find the shots on the perimeter.”

Those players include guards Carly Jo Perry, Kelli Murray, and Megan Gilbert. Alexa Bernatchez, a 5-10 forward, will complement Liberty up front. Storme Savage and Devyn Curless-Clark will be the first players off the bench.

Nokomis of Newport will again look to senior guard Kelley Paradis, whom one coach called a “special player.” Hampden may struggle a bit as coach Ben Greenlaw tries to find some consistency, but the Broncos have several quality players in point guard Kayla Webb and 5-11 center Rylee Rawcliffe, along with a lot of promising young players.

Brewer’s experienced, tall and athletic group of players has looked good early. Returning forwards and centers include Katie Kenney, Leah Jackson and Sheri Valley, who are all 5-10, and 5-8 Meghan McLain, who is a tough matchup as a point guard. Amy Adams returns at the other guard position, while 5-9 Kaitlynn Alecsiewicz will likely also play key minutes.

Rylee Hutchins and Holly Nickerson will provide depth at the guard positions.

Morse lost just one starter to graduation and has a host of others back, including senior guard Jill Henrikson, one of the top players in the state. Katie Morong will start at the point and the rest of the lineup will include 5-8 forward Maggie Smith, 5-11 forward Elizabeth Suggs and 5-11 center Sonya Dickinson.