The final Heal points for field hockey are scheduled to be released Thursday morning. Here's a few thoughts as we head into the playoffs:

The biggest surprise in the area this season is either Nokomis or Messalonskee. Nokomis is starting to remind me of the Tampa Bay Rays. I think some people believe Nokomis is good, but not this good. But the Warriors are undefeated in the East, they have a solid defense and one of the best goal-scorers in the state in Sabrina Vaillancourt, and they take advantage of your mistakes.

Messalonskee looks like a different team from last year. Not so much skill-wise, but the way the Eagles carry themselves on the field. Last year, that team would have been happy to play well against the best teams. Now, they go in with the attitude that they can win and need to execute to make that happen.

Maranacook, my preseason pick for the Class B state title, has been up and down. But I still think the Black Bears are dangerous. After all, they shut out both Nokomis and Leavitt -- the top seeds in Eastern and Western B. If Maranacook plays like it can, this team could beat anyone.

The thing is, you can say that about a good number of teams in Class B. Nokomis, Winslow, Mt. View, Waterville, Belfast -- any of those teams can win the state title (I don't know enough about Old Town). Winslow looked extremely good against Waterville on Wednesday night, and could be undefeated with a little better luck. Waterville has had trouble having a good offensive game and a good defensive game on the same day -- but that's a lot better than being consistently weak at either end.

A final word of advice if you're looking for a game to go to: If you travel to Messalonskee or Colby, plan on it being colder than you think. Both fields are on hills, and the wind can be rough.