Edward Little’s Charlotte Ranger, center, and Thornton Academy’s Lauren Cotsis, right, reach for a loose ball during a Jan. 7 game in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

In postseason play, there’s always a sleeper team that no one wants to face.

Those dangerous teams can catch fire at the right moment and pull off an upset or two that completely shakes up the tournament. Here are five teams that could fit that role this postseason:

Windham, No. 4 in Class AA North: The fourth-seeded Eagles (11-7) are tough inside and on the boards, and have shown a penchant for raising their game with victories over Gorham and Edward Little, as well as a pair of close losses to Oxford Hills. Stella Jarvais and Marley Jarvais, as well as Mackenzie Delewski, are good rebounders who could make the difference in a low-scoring contest where second-chance points determine the outcome. Windham was the No. 1 scoring defense in Class AA North (36.9 points per game) for a reason.

Thornton Academy, No. 5 in Class AA South: After starting 3-8, the Golden Trojans (8-10) found a rhythm and won five of their last seven, with wins against top seed Gorham and popular Class B South pick Biddeford. The Golden Trojans are young, inexperienced and largely untested, but they’ve been learning on the go. If freshmen Brooke Bodnar and Sienna Eldred (11.8 points apiece) aren’t fazed by the tournament stage, Thornton could surprise.

Mt. Desert Island, No. 5 in Class B North: The Trojans (11-7) suffered a bit of a midseason slump, going 2-4 from Jan. 6-18, but then went 4-2 to wrap up the regular season. What puts MDI on this list is having something no other team in the region has: a victory over No. 1 Caribou — a 52-45 decision in Caribou on Dec. 21. Can it happen again in the tournament? If the Trojans, led by senior forward Lexi Tozier, can do it once, there’s certainly a chance it can happen again.

Mt. View, No. 4 in Class C North: The Mustangs (16-3) started the season 3-3 but have won 13 straight. The Mustangs are led by senior guard and 1,000-point scorer Arianna Bradeen and have other scoring options in senior forward Savannah Lorenz and sophomore guard Madison Bennett. All three of Mt. View’s losses were against out-of-region opponents, including a 48-46 overtime loss to Class B North foe Belfast on Dec. 17.

Winthrop, No. 4 in Class C South: Like Mt. View, the Ramblers (14-4) finished the regular season strong, winning 12 of their final 13 games, including a 51-47 decision over No. 1 seed Hall-Dale on Dec. 28. Winthrop takes pride in its defense and has scorers in senior guard Ella Rice, senior forward Madeline Wagner and sophomore guard Kylee Mansir. The Ramblers didn’t see No. 2 Carrabec — which played an East/West Conference schedule — and met No. 3 Madison once, a 51-41 loss on Jan. 17.