In southern Maine, the Scarborough boys and girls and Windham boys are among teams enjoying strong starts this season.

Despite blowout wins against Class D teams, Bobcats sit atop Class C South standings.

High school games for Wednesday, Jan. 3, and Thursday, Jan. 4

High school games for Tuesday, Jan. 2, and Wednesday, Jan. 3

Ellie Gay and Summer Gammon step up late to lift the Rams over the Trojans in a matchup of Class AA South contenders.

High school games for Monday, Jan. 1, and Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Boys' basketball: The Eagles move to 5-0 with a 52-40 victory.

High school games for Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30

Both the girls' and the boys' teams were championship-caliber last winter, and so far this season, they look like they'll again be in the running for Gold Balls.

High school games for Thursday, Dec. 28, and Friday, Dec. 29.

The Bulldogs take control early, then hold off a third-quarter surge by the Seagulls.

The Lakers return to the site of last year's playoff letdown and earn some valuable confidence over the course of four hours.

The annual high school basketball showcase runs through Friday.

Basketball: Asja Kelman, Lauren Hester and Kylie Crocker lead the Rangers to a 52-48 victory.

High school games for Saturday, Dec. 23.

Girls' basketball: Graca Bila just misses an unusual triple-double in North Yarmouth Academy's 65-27 victory.

High school games for Friday, Dec. 22, and Saturday, Dec. 23.

The tournament, scheduled for Dec. 26-29, includes more than three dozen high school teams – including some from New York and New Hampshire.

Local high school games for Thursday, Dec. 21, and Friday, Dec. 22.

The Warriors improve to 4-0 with a 46-45 victory.

Local high school games for Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Thursday, Dec. 21.

Boys’ basketball: Chris Simonds fuels a second-quarter surge that carries the Navigators to a 59-50 victory.

The Stags pull away in the second half to win a clash of preseason Class AA favorites, 53-40.

Local high school games for Tuesday, Dec. 19, and Wednesday, Dec. 20

The Wells and Windham boys are among teams enjoying early success after struggling last year.

Girls' hockey: The Gorham co-op team surges back from a two-goal deficit to beat the Pioneers, 6-3.

The unbeaten Red Storm withstand a second-half comeback by the Red Riots, holding on for a 45-40 win.

Spruce Mountain boys basketball rolls past Lisbon.

The Red Storm send the reigning Class AA state champions to a third straight loss, 55-52.

Charlie Moore collects three goals and two assists in a 6-2 win.

Class D South life a distinct one for players, coaches, administrators.

The Warriors improve to 2-0, thanks to a 38-37 victory.

Cross country: The Orono senior posts the third-best result ever by a Maine schoolgirl at the national championships.

Eva Harvey scores 14 points to lead the Dragons.

The Red Riots' defense fuels a confidence-inspiring win over the defending Class AA South champions.

Dragons, along with Mt. Ararat, should be one of the top teams to beat in Class A South.

These players can score, defend and take over games, and are among the area's most talented going into the 2023-24 season.

Here's a rundown on each of the teams in southern Maine heading into the new season.

The North reigned last year, but graduations and a big offseason transfer have balanced the scales between the divisions.

Thornton Academy, Brunswick and Gorham are among the teams that enter the winter as title contenders.

The Warriors went cold at the wrong time in the playoffs last year, but they start the season eager for another chance to make a run.

Emma Lizotte, who helped lead the Stags to the Class A state championship in 2022, will play her senior season with the Golden Trojans.

The senior was named Miss Maine Field Hockey and led Lawrence to state titles in field hockey and basketball.

Changes to national high school rules include the elimination of 1-and-1 free throws, and resetting team foul counts after each quarter.

Guards make up the majority of our team honoring the 12 best players in the state.

The senior guard was relentless on both offense and defense, spurring the Vikings to the Class AA championship.

Bob Davies and Eric Marston of Thornton Academy, Mark Karter of Gorham and Dean Plante of Old Orchard Beach combined to win more than 1,100 high school basketball games.

The MPA Basketball Committee approves replay for shots taken at the end of games during the annual basketball tournament.

The Basketball Committee of the Maine Principals’ Association to take up issue next week after state tournament has second controversial buzzer-beater in three seasons.

After initially moving forward with a one-region plan for the largest class, the Classification Committee approved staying with a North and South split.