Maine's most underrated high school football teams heading into 2024

We are under a month away from Maine high school football practices getting underway throughout the state and there's plenty of action going on beforehand.

From head coaches still being named, players transferring and schedules being fully finalized, high school football in the Pine Tree State still dominates on the prep circuit.

Many of the top tier programs remain among the upper echelon, but who are some of the teams that are flying under the radar heading into 2024? We took a deep dive and name who we think is the most underrated team heading into this upcoming summer/fall campaign.

Kennebunk: Now, now. We know what you're going to say. How in the world can the Class B state champions at all be an 'underrated' team heading into any campaign? Well, we give you a handful of reasons right here. When look at past seasons, it's not like the Rams were the proverbial favorites to win it all by any measure. Now coming off a state title season, some may look at them as the team to beat and others, not so much. Measuring this program versus what they've done in the past heading into this 2024 season, more people than not will still see Kennebunk as a team still on the outside looking in.

Fryeburg: The Raiders are another team on this list that you might be looking side eye at because of their 9-2 record from a year ago. Hear us out on this one, however. Fryeburg, a Class C team, only two losses last season came against Leavitt, the eventual state champions of the classification. Looking at the previous three seasons, Fryeburg finished a combined 14-15 and wasn't a serious contender in Class C until last year. Now the Raiders are on the cusp of taking the next step, but they remain a program that is underrated.

Stearns: Since the 2021 season, it's been a steady one-win improvement every year for the 8-man football program. Last season was no different for Stearns, as they improved to 7-3 playing in the 8-man North Division. Finishing 5-4 in 2021 and 6-3 in 2022, the continued improvement year-by-year has the program trending upwards heading into the fall. Not many will view the program as one to win it all in 8-man, but that's another reason why Stearns is an underrated team.

Windham: Class A is a very competitive classifications across the board and a program that will be one to watch in 2024 is the Windham Eagles. The Eagles were just a couple of seasons ago a 10-plus win team, but have averaged five victories the last two years. Matt Perkins brings back a talented group, after having several underclassmen littered across the roster.

Falmouth: The Navigators were the epicenter of the Maine high school football world when they outsted then-head coach John Fitzsimmons. Since then, the school has tabbed Spencer Emerson as the new lead man and there's reason to believe things could turn around sooner rather than later. Falmouth went 8-4 just back in 2022 and though the Navigators finished 2-6 last season, Emerson has a chance to bring respectability back to the program.

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports