The Wallkill girls’ basketball team has won the last two Section 9 Class A championships and has reached the NYSPHSAA regional finals in each of the last two seasons.

This year, they’ll look to take that next step forward with three key returning guards.

Leading the way is junior Zoe Mesuch, who has led the Panthers since coming to the varsity as an eighth grader and has recently committed to playing Division I basketball for U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Also returning are twins Alex and Samantha Dembinsky, who recently committed to playing together at SUNY Cortland.

However, the Panthers will look to improve upon their finish last year without three key seniors from last year’s team: Grace Mesuch, Emma Spindler and Jazmin Medina.

Returning behind Zoe Mesuch and the Dembinsky sisters are Heidy Pacheco, Amy Crowley and Emma DiLemme. New to coach A.J. Higby’s team are freshmen Aoife Brady, Gabby Gualtiere, Beatrice Hunter and sophomore Mia Domingues.

The state landscape is different this year as the NYSPHSAA expanded to six classifications this season and the Panthers will play in the new Class AA with many familiar sectional opponents, including some new that played in the old Class AA.

One of those remaining Class AA teams are the Valley Central Vikings, who are looking to improve on last year’s 8-12 season. The Vikings have lost graduated seniors Mackenzie Delmonico and Riley Schmidt but return one of their leading players from last year, sophomore Giselle Johnson.

Also returning are juniors Maggie Bishopp, Kelly Schmidt, Jenna O’Connor, and seniors Breeonna Curtis Wright and Shalesse Joyner. Adrianna Ferraro is joining the team for the first time, as the Vikings look to improve as a team and qualify for the Section 9 Class AA tournament.

“The team is much improved, more experienced and has come a long way over the past two years,” Valley Central coach Bill Michella said. “Their maturity was very apparent during the Most Precious Blood Summer League, and we are ahead of last year’s progress at this time.”

The Pine Bush Bushmen, who will play in the new Class AAA this season, turned a corner last year and looks to continue improving on last year’s 14-7 record.

They’ve lost seniors Jenny Sorrentino and Yasmin Aguilar, but return key players in Jah-esa Stokes, Ketura Rutty, Leticia Watson and Amaya Segarra. Jaylah Breland, Tia Fisher and Audra Meberg will join a Pine Bush team that looks to be competitive in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I.

“It’s nice to finally have numbers,” Pine Bush coach Michelle Bouffard said. “We have a roster of 15 girls, which means our program is building. We also have all starters returning this year. I am looking forward to the season ahead.”