The new enrollment cutoffs for each of the five high school basketball classes under the new statewide format approved last spring has placed some schools — including several reigning champions — in new divisions to face largely different postseason opposition this winter.
Here are a few of the changes, beyond acknowledging that last year’s East and West regions are now called North and South:
Hampden Academy, the reigning Class A boys state champion and four-time defending Eastern Maine title winner, will compete in Class A North along with six other KVAC schools that were eligible for last year’s A regional — Lawrence of Fairfield (the 2015 Class A girls state champion), Messalonskee of Oakland, Skowhegan, Mt. Blue of Farmington, Brewer and Cony of Augusta. Among the schools moving up to this class is 2015 Eastern B boys champion Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, the smallest school in the division.
Two other former Eastern A schools, Brunswick and Mt. Ararat of Topsham, are now in Class A South along with defending Class B girls state champion Greely of Cumberland Center and reigning Class B boys state champion Cape Elizabeth, the smallest school in this division.
Presque Isle, the 2015 Eastern B girls champion, is now the largest school in the revised Class B North. Among the new teams is defending Class C girls state champion Houlton, the smallest school in the division. Last year’s Western C girls winner, Maranacook of Readfield, is now in Class B South.
Class C North includes both reigning Class C boys state champion Calais and 2015 Eastern D boys winner Fort Fairfield. Last year’s Western C boys title holder, Dirigo of Dixfield, is now the largest school in the reconfigured Class C South.
Fourteen of the 15 schools in Class D North have enrollments larger than the biggest school in Class D South, Valley of Bingham with its 71 students. Valley’s enrollment is exactly half the number of students in the smallest Class C South school under the new format, longtime Western D power Richmond.
Class D North is topped in enrollment by five-time defending girls state champion Washburn and Central Aroostook of Mars Hill, while defending Class D boys state champion Forest Hills of Jackman and 2015 Western D girls titlist Rangeley are both in the new Class D South.
