Meet 10 southern Maine boys soccer teams to watch in 2026

Moises Ntango (right) and Antoine Dube (left) are key players for a Gorham team with state title aspirations. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer) 1. Gorham: With nearly all of the lineup returning for a team that made the regional semifinals, the Rams are the consensus favorite in Class A South. Junior midfielder Moises Ntango is an SMAA Player of the Year candidate, junior forward Ahmed Abdulzahra is skilled and fast on the wing, junior midfielder Sawyer Wheaton is a strong defender, and center backs Antoine Dube (second team) and Liam Delaney (honorable mention) earned all-SMAA recognition last year. Midfielder Will Andreasen, forwards Rowen Reed and Cohen Landry and keeper Corbin Wilson are seniors returning to starting positions. There's plenty of talent, plenty of skill, and — a rarity in the SMAA this fall — plenty of continuity. One opposing coach called Gorham 'the class of the SMAA.' It's easy to see why. 2. Yarmouth: The defending Class B champion and winner of five of the last six state titles graduated 17 seniors and eight starters, but a strong, deep roster ensures the Clippers should be set up for another run. It starts with All-America midfielder Lucas Hayner, who had 11 goals and 11 assists last year and was named the Western Maine Conference's player of the year. Seniors Owen Advani and Finn Grimnes return to lead a strong group of backs, and midfielders Luke Brown, Karsten Voparil, Angus Mailhot and Tate MacVane, forward Cole MacVane and defender Joel Butler should step into bigger roles and have an immediate impact. It's never easy to beat Yarmouth, and it won't be this fall, either. 3. Scarborough: After winning the Class A title last year, the Red Storm bid adieu to nine of the starters who got them there. One of the state's top programs should recover and remain a contender, however. Papa Osei, a senior, might be the best center back in the conference, midfielder Connor Casey and striker Trevor Atwood return to starting spots, and Nsimba Ilungo, Joseph Walker and Yoshua Indondo should form a strong scoring contingent. The midfield and backfield are in transition, but players like Andrew LeFebvre and Alex Jordan in the middle and Teddy Read and Ethan Assia in back have impressed. The Red Storm might have to tweak their formations to suit the new personnel, but the talent is there. 4. Brunswick: The Dragons graduated 15 seniors but return two proven stars from last year's Class A North championship team. Oliver Gorchoff was the KVAC Class A Player of the Year after scoring 25 goals, and Liam Rapoza, a Maine State Coaches Association All-Region pick, can dictate the flow of the game at midfield. There are other strong players coming back to play alongside them. Asher Foushee handles the midfield along with Rapoza, and Declan Theberge will be back in net after impressing last year. Joelson Malongo and Simon Stadnicki will be new starters on defense. Brunswick has holes to fill, but time to grow should take care of that, and the top-end talent should make the Dragons a threat. 5. South Portland: After claiming A South's No. 4 seed and reaching the semifinals, the Red Riots should be among the region's top teams again. Isaac Arey, a 6-5 senior, is a strong, aggressive center back playing in front of returning keeper Jude Charltray, while Finn O'Connell, Sam Linscott, Anthony Nielsen and Mervielle Khelendende form a midfield that dominated possession in preseason contests. Creating chances will be the challenge, and coach Jeremy Longchamp said the team might need to sacrifice some of the midfield advantage to boost its scoring. If new forwards like Ollie Jenkins and Lamed Khelendende click, this will be a difficult matchup for any opponent in A South. 6. Camden Hills: Scoring shouldn't be a concern for the Windjammers as they look to follow up their A North final appearance. Connor Middleton is a force, having scored 25 goals a season ago, while strong and skilled Soren Johnson and Daniel Schenk, who impressed before breaking his leg midseason, join him up front. Brodie Archer, Simo Nakkila, Sam Pike and Henk Abess form what should be a strong midfield. The question marks are on defense, where a whole new group of backs and a new keeper step into starting roles. Two freshman backs, Des Costigan and Ian Evans, could play big roles right away. The youth and inexperience in some spots could lead to initial struggles, but this team should be strong by tournament time. 7. Greely: The Rangers fell a goal shy of the Class B championship game, and with 70 players in the program, they should be in the mix for another deep run. The midfield and defense will be strong. Gavin Byrne (seven goals, eight assists) is one of the WMC's top players, and midfielder Duncan Sheff and backs Kannon Crocker and Lucas Sproul also started a season ago. Offense is a little murkier. Ethan King (five goals, six assists) is back at forward, but the team will need contributions from multiple players to help replace Connor Skillin and his 29 goals. Midfielders Johan Clorius, David and Harrison McAllister, defenders Alex Foster and Gabe Lester and keeper James Saxe should move into starting roles. 8. Falmouth: It'll be a new look for the Navigators. Ten of 11 starters graduated or left, a group that includes Simon Wissink, who moved to Vermont after scoring 19 goals and winning SMAA Forward of the Year honors. It would be a mistake, though, to count out this team. Midfielders Kian Long (a back last year and the lone returning starter), Clayton Hickey and Andrew Cote are strong players, and Ewan Tennent, Penn Giard, William Davis and keeper Wyatt Binnette are a good defensive group. Scoring without Wissink will have to be spread out, with Jack Verville and Patrick McCrann two candidates to lead the way. The Navigators are a work in progress, but there's always talent in the program. 9. Deering: Even before the Rams opened the season with an impressive 4-0 win over Windham, SMAA coaches had Deering pegged as a team likely to be athletic, deep and fast. Christopher Richards is a difference-making playmaker in back, Miles Lawrence led the team in assists and points and is smart and sure-footed when handling the ball, and Joel Andre (back and midfield) and Dennis Irayoa (back) also return to starting positions. Senior Ruben Dasisa (back, midfield) and junior Linden McAuliffe (keeper) are new starters who could be impact players. The Rams will be a team that can catch opponents off guard with their speed, especially in the middle of the field. 10. Kennebunk: Even after graduating nine starters among 15 seniors, this should still be a strong team. The two starters back will anchor what should be a strong defense; senior Chris Thompson moves from center back to his ideal position of defensive center mid, where he's both an excellent tackler and facilitator with the ball, and senior Griffin Whitney will be back in net as one of the SMAA's top keepers. Beyond those two, senior forward Clark Abrahamsen, senior center back Noah Burnham and senior midfielder Kallen Peterson played extensively last year and will step into starting roles, and juniors Oliver Bean and Sam Hammond should, along with Thompson, make Kennebunk strong in the middle of the field.