1. Brunswick: Depth will be a major strength for the defending Class A champions. Four of the five scorers from last year’s state final are back, and on any day, Garrett Countway, Charlie Austin and Will Farschon can lead the way with an under-par score. Brayden Grant and Aiden Marini are capable of high-30s scores as well, and Logan Rossignol and Ben Farschon have worked their way among the scorers early this season. Losing Austin Stromick to graduation was tough, but the Dragons have the firepower to repeat.

2. Scarborough: The Red Storm finished only five strokes shy of turning an undefeated regular season into a Class A championship, and they bring back most of the players from last fall. Marc Twombly, the 2022 Varsity Maine boys’ Golfer of the Year, was the individual state champion with a 69 and is back in his top spot. Harrison Griffiths, Ryan Ravis and Owen Falcon are back after scoring rounds in the low- to mid-80s in the SMAA qualifier and state tournament. Keenan Buteau is also back after shooting 71 and 79 in the Maine Junior Championships. This is a loaded team.

3. Thornton Academy: Thornton was in the running for SMAA and Class A titles, finishing 11 and nine shots off the pace, respectively, and returns dependable scorers from its lineup. Andres Jimenez (79 at the SMAA qualifier, 78 at states) is a steady No. 1, while Jack DeLeo (79 at SMAAs, 85 at states) is also back near the top of the ladder. Aidan Vitiello, who wasn’t among the scorers at states, has picked up his game and shot 35 in an early match this season. McKenna Castle and Parker Snell add depth to a strong team.

4. Falmouth: The Navigators won the SMAA qualifier and finished five shots off Brunswick’s pace in the Class A meet, but lost three of their four scorers from the state championships. Talent, however, isn’t in short supply for Falmouth. Johnny Hwang is a true No. 1 and a threat to beat anyone. Brennan Rumpf (78 in the SMAA qualifier) and Isaac Laliberte are back after playing regularly in matches last year, and newcomers Owen Woolworth and Dante Iannetta, a freshman, announced themselves with 40s in an early match.

5. Greely: The Rangers won’t face many teams that can beat their top two. Senior Will Klein, who shot 80 and 72 at the Maine Junior Championship, and Joe Hansen, who shot 73 and 76 in that event, give Greely a potent 1-2 punch atop the ladder. The question is whether the Rangers will have the depth to answer the high-70s and low-80s scores Brunswick and Scarborough can put up from their fourth through sixth players. Eric Hanson, Brogan Raftice, Ethan Robeck and Karina Beacham, who score in the low-to mid-40s for nine holes, are the candidates.

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