Versatile Noah Carpenter of Leavitt is one of the state’s top all-around players. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
Max Arbour, Windham senior, WR/DB: One of the top pass catchers in Class B North last season and a first-team all-conference pick in the Pine Tree Conference, Arbour is the go-to option for new quarterback Landon Buzulchuck.
Jordan Bissonnette, Sanford junior, RB: The Spartans’ leading rusher as a sophomore with over 600 yards, the 6-1, 220-pound back is physical but also possesses surprising nimbleness. He and 227-pound Cam Suhy, another junior, will be running behind a big line.
Andrew Brewer, Portland senior, LB/RB: When Brewer broke his leg two-thirds of the way through the 2021 season, the Bulldogs’ defense suffered. Healthy again and a captain, he’ll also take a prominent role as a running back behind a big offensive line.
Noah Carpenter, Leavitt junior, QB/SS/K/P: A true dual-threat quarterback who played a lot at the position last season, Carpenter is also a top strong safety and physical presence on defense. Add in his skills as a kicker and punter, and he’s among the best all-around players in the state.
Matt Charpentier, York senior, OT/NG: Given Charpentier’s strength, quickness and competitiveness, opposing offenses will have to game plan to stop the 6-foot, 260-pounder who was the Class B champion in the shot put and discus.
Caden Crocker, Foxcroft Academy senior, WR: Identified as one of the top players in the state by multiple coaches, Crocker is coming off a season in which he set a school record with 51 catches for 604 yards and also gained 377 yards on just 20 carries, with 16 total touchdowns.
Griffin Denbow, Scarborough senior, RB: Thrust into a starting role early last season because of injuries, Denbow responded well. He has big-play capability as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Owen Dunn, Maranacook junior, RB/DE: Dunn looks to build off his strong playoff run last season, in which he ran for more than 800 yards and nine touchdowns in four games. His play on both sides of the ball should help ensure that the Black Bears, the eight-man Small Division runner-up last season, contend again.
Shea Farrell, Mt. Ararat senior, RB/LB: One of the top running backs in the eight-man Large School division last season, Farrell rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2021. He’ll once again be a focal point of the Eagles’ offense.
Running back Parker Higgins rushed for 1,123 yards in Lawrence’s final five games last season. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Brock Gibbons, Lake Region sophomore, QB/S: A starter last season as a freshman, Gibbons is a threat to throw or run. He threw for 503 yards with seven touchdowns and ran for 300 yards and three more scores. On defense, Gibbons had 34 tackles and an interception.
Isaac Hainer, Mattanawcook senior, QB/FB: The Little Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year last season, Hainer ran for 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns. He’s also a standout wrestler, winning the Class B state title at 182 pounds.
Parker Higgins, Lawrence senior, HB/LB: Higgins ran for 1,123 yards in Lawrence’s final five games to fuel a run to the Class B North final, and with his speed and hard-running ability will be one of the region’s top offensive players again.
Jaelen Jackson, South Portland, QB/S: A team captain and the starting point guard on the Riots’ Class AA championship basketball team, Jackson is a dual-threat QB with a competitive edge and a “very high sports IQ,” says Coach Aaron Filieo. He’s also a key in both pass and run defense.
Nick Laughlin, Cape Elizabeth senior, WR/FS: In Cape’s 2021 Class C championship season, the fast and physical Laughlin had 14 touchdown catches, nine TD runs and five TD returns (four on punts). A Varsity Maine All-State selection in 2021, he was also the Capers’ leading tackler.
Yarmouth’s Spencer LaBrecque shakes off a Gray-New Gloucester defender on his way to a touchdown last fall. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Spencer LaBrecque, Yarmouth senior, RB/DE/K: Yarmouth Coach Jim Hartman thinks LaBrecque, a four-year starter, will be one of the top running backs in the eight-man Large School division. LaBrecque also should be a factor on defense and special teams.
Robert Leveillee, Mountain Valley senior RB: Leveillee ran for more than 800 yards last season, and along with junior Kaden Paaso gives the Falcons a tough running duo that will help the team contend in the eight-man Small School South division.
Michael Lewinski, Wells senior, RB/DE/K/P: Expected to be a key contributor on both sides of the ball, Lewinski also is a weapon in the kicking game, with kickoffs that routinely go into the end zone and legitimate 45-yard range on field goals.
Reid MacNair, Old Orchard Beach junior, FB/LB: Old Orchard’s best run stopper, MacNair was second on the team in tackles as a sophomore. Offensively, he’ll figure in the Seagulls’ plans on the ground and in the air.
Hunter McEwen, Skowhegan senior, HB/LB: The first-team all-Pine Tree Conference linebacker will be back as the River Hawks’ defensive anchor and will also be the lead running back for an offense that should be among Class B North’s toughest to stop.
Jacob Morris, Kennebunk senior, TE/DE/P: At 6-5 and close to 240 pounds with athletic talent, Morris is sure to be targeted more on offense this season and is a disruptive force on the defensive side of the ball.
Farid Muhammad-Aceto, Lewiston senior, RB: A senior captain who played sparingly last year, Muhammad-Aceto is a powerful downhill runner with superior strength and is expected to be a standout on first-year coach Jason Versey’s roster, which is approaching 70 players.
Winslow’s Matt Quirion dives over the goal line for a touchdown during a game last September. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Riley Parnham, Marshwood senior, C/DT: The Hawks’ top defensive lineman during last season’s Class B championship season, according to Coach Alex Rotsko, Parnham also started at center. An athletic 6-foot, 235-pound player leads a relatively experienced group of interior players.
Matt Quirion, Winslow junior, HB: Part of a three-headed rushing attack with Evan Bourget and Jack Dorval last season, Quirion will be the Black Raiders’ featured back this season. He ran for 179 yards and five touchdowns in a Class C North semifinal victory over MCI.
Nick Riker, Bonny Eagle senior, OL/LB: One of the Scots’ two returning starters on defense, the tri-captain again will be manning an inside linebacker position and also will play left tackle on an offensive line that graduated all five starters.
Collin Scully, Massabesic senior, QB: A returning starter, Scully is a powerful 6-1, 180-pound athlete who can make plays on his own, has gained the respect of opposing coaches, and now has more experienced help around him.
Cody Sellick, Gorham senior, RB/LB: A strong and fast 5-10, 210-pound back, Sellick led the Rams in rushing last season, gaining 561 yards on 98 carries with seven touchdowns. He’ll lead a team looking to move up in Class B South.
Oxford Hills quarterback Eli Soehren throws a pass during the 2021 Class A title game against Thornton Academy. Soehren was 20 for 35 for 230 passing yards. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald
Eli Soehren, Oxford Hills senior, QB/FS/K/P: The 2021 Maine Gatorade Player of the Year and returning Varsity Maine All-State selection does it all for the Vikings, who are expected to again challenge for the Class A title. Last fall, Soehren threw for 1,913 yards and 25 TDs and rushed for 903 yards and eight scores. He also made 50 of 56 point-after attempts and was the Class A first-team punter.
Tyson Smith, Waterville senior, QB/RB/NG/LB: A talented all-around player, Smith was all-Little Ten Conference on both sides of the ball last season. With the graduation of quarterback Liam Von Oesen, Smith could see time under center as the Purple Panthers look to get the ball in his hand as much as possible.
Dom Trott, Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale senior, FB/LB: A force on both sides of the ball, Trott had 22 tackles for loss with two interceptions and three forced fumbles, and rushed for 855 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior.
Hayden Whitney, Thornton Academy senior, RB: Whitney rushed for over 1,000 yards and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry in the Trojans’ 2021 Class A championship season. As one of just two returning starters on offense, he could be asked to carry an even bigger load this season.
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