Last year’s Boothbay Region Seahawks boys basketball team provided plenty of excitement at tournament time. The sixth-seeded Seahawks upset the third-seeded Waynflete Flyers and narrowly lost to the second-seeded Winthrop Ramblers, 61-60, in the Class C South semifinal, finishing 15-6 overall.

Coach I.J. Pinkham, returning for his 42nd year as Seahawks coach, sees this year’s team, with three starters returning, as another tournament contender.

“We have seen improvement in rebounding and the transition game during the preseason,” said Pinkham on Friday. “But, to become a contender, we need to improve defensively.”

The Seahawks lost two games during the preseason at the Winthrop tournament to George Stevens Academy and Maranacook, but won exhibition games at Old Orchard Beach and at home against Gardiner.

The team begins its schedule tonight, Dec. 10, at home against Lisbon, a Class B team that Boothbay lost to in its opener last year.

Winthrop and Hall-Dale, two of last year’s top Class C South teams, return as the favorites as both were not hurt by graduation. Pinkham also sees Mountain Valley and Spruce Mountain in Class B as two tough opponents. Both of those teams will travel to BRHS this year.

Boothbay’s returning starters include senior shooting guard Steve Reny (co-captain), junior power forward Nicholas Morley (co-captain) and junior small forward Hunter Crocker. Filling the vacated point guard spot due to the graduation of last year’s top scorer, Kyle Ames, is sophomore Sullivan Rice. Four other sophomores are on the roster, including returnees Ben Pearce, a 6’6” center, guard/forward Kaeden Davis, forward Kaleb Ames and forward Owen Barter.

Besides Morley and Crocker, three other juniors move up from last year’s junior varsity: guards Stephen Bennett and Michael Hollowell and forward Quinn Ranta.

Senior guard Brett Hollowell is expected to play soon after recovering from an injury.

Once again Pinkham will be assisted by Dennis Rice and junior varsity coach Dan Hallinan. New statisticians are freshmen Nase Lawless and Gavin Carlson.