Big girls don't cry?

Was that the message the referee was trying to deliver to North County center Joy Farmer in a recent game, when the 6-foot sophomore complained of rough-housing by the opposition?

"He told me, 'As big as you are, you shouldn't even feel it,' " said Farmer, a powerfully built 15-year-old. "I take a beating out there. Sometimes, it's like girls just come out trying to fight me.

"I'm a big girl and I grew up playing with the guys in my neighborhood, but I've never been in a fight in my life. This year, though, I've already been slapped in the face. Even though they hit me, I don't want to ride the bench, so I don't hit back."

But Farmer is hitting back: She's just not using her fists.

Like several other tough-minded sophomores who have been thrust into starting roles on their girls basketball teams, she is handling the brutal county-league schedulewith skill and maturity that belie her youth.

Among them is Southern's 6-foot Laekeka Wesley, who has led the Bulldogs to a No. 14 ranking in The Sun's poll.

Archbishop Spalding's Carrie Parsons, a 5-10 center, rates with the Baltimore metro area's top rebounders. And pesky guards Bridget Smith of St. Mary's and Michelle Salmon of Old Mill successfully have navigated their teams to the top of their leagues.

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In North County's first 10 games, Farmer averaged 13.7 rebounds, 11.2 points, 2.3 steals and one assist.

"I thought my bestgame was the Annapolis game," Farmer said of her 10-point, 10-rebound performance in a 40-32 come-from-behind victory. "I didn't score a lot, but I thought I was really on my game that night."

So did Coach Sally Entsminger, who joined the crowd in giving Farmer a standingovation when she fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

"I thought I played like a complete player," Farmer said. "I passed the ball alot, and on defense, I was like, 'This girl's not going to get this pass -- not today.' "

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Wesley, 16, had one of her more balanced games in a 54-44 victory over North County last Monday.

The lean125-pounder gracefully maneuvered up and down the court with the coordination and swiftness of a point guard.

Wesley ended the night with a team-high 13 rebounds and 15 points. She was a force in the Bulldogs' press, contributing six steals to raise her total to 21 after nine games.

Wesley entered the North County game averaging nine rebounds -- down from her 13.4 of a year ago -- and 11.4 points.

Butthere was that forgettable third-quarter stretch when she allowed Farmer to limit her to just two boards and was slammed to the floor while battling for a loose ball against North County senior Renita Johnson, who scored 32 points.

Wesley came back with a six-point fourthquarter before fouling out.

"Johnson's going to get her points," Southern coach Linda Kilpatrick said afterward. "I thought Kaeka did a good job playing within herself, especially on the boards."

"I knew this was going to be a tough game," said Wesley, who had a team-leading 19 points in Wednesday's 47-36 victory over Glen Burnie. "I think about the games all day in school. I know everyone knows about meand they're watching me. Sometimes, it's scary, but you just can't let anybody intimidate you."

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Parsons was an intimidating forcein Spalding's 58-56 loss to No. 10 Mercy last Tuesday, scoring a season-high 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Eleven of those points came in the fourth quarter, when the Cavaliers tried to overtake the Sharpshooters.

"Being a freshman on a varsity team last season, at times she was shy and backed off, but now she's more of an aggressiveplayer," said Spalding coach Paul Leimkuhler. "This year, she stepped forward as a scorer. I needed a major scorer because Amy (Langville) was the only returning starter, and Carrie has really stepped up and put some points on the board."

Mostly a reserve last season, Parsons, 15, is the team's third-leading scorer at 9.4 points a game andtops all Cavaliers with 9.5 rebounds.

Parsons, like Farmer, has grown accustomed to the jostling that takes place under the basket.

"I'm pretty strong underneath, so people get mad when I put my body on them and push them back. But that's just doing what I'm supposed to do. I just go inside and stay inside, pounding the boards. I play my hardest. I like to go for it," she said.

"Some games, I get bumped around a little bit, but I try to stay tough."

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Thrust intothe St. Mary's backcourt as a freshman last season, Smith had to remain tough through the rigors of the Catholic League.

"At first, I was real nervous, but then I thought, 'I can play with these people.'I felt like I fit in there. I got used to it," she said.

Now her coach, Harry Dobson, is used to seeing the 16-year-old Smith excel inevery phase of the game and remove some of the pressure off leading scorer Randall Goldsborough.

Take Thursday's encounter with leaguerival Seton Keough, when Smith finished with 10 points, nine assistsand seven steals, as the Saints prevailed, 65-53. And she was her usual calming influence, though she joked, "Sometimes, people have to calm me down. Everybody's got to be a leader."

But few are as complete as Smith, who entered the game averaging 9.8 points, 6.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

"She brings a lot of control to the team; she has perfect control of the game," said Goldsborough. "If she wants to take the ball on the left side and make something happen, she'll do it. If she wants to take it on the right side or down the middle, she'll do it. She gets the rhythm going. And she's definitely one of the top defensive people we have."

Dobson projects that by the time Smith becomes a senior, "She'll be one of the best point guards to ever play in Anne Arundel County, maybe even the metro area."

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Withher shooting touch having abandoned her in recent games, Old Mill's Salmon is reworking her technique.

It's been her only real adjustment since entering the starting lineup this season after appearing innine games as a reserve last winter, when the Patriots won the 4A state title.

"It wasn't really a big change. I've been playing with these girls my whole life, either against them or with them," she said.

Salmon, 15, gave a hint of her vast potential late last season in a 59-52 win over St. Mary's. Appearing in only her second non-tournament varsity game, she helped Old Mill reclaim its lead by netting seven of her 11 points in the final quarter.

Salmon has increased her scoring average from 4.3 to nearly seven points a game, but it's on defense that she truly excels as part of a three-guard scheme withStacy Himes and Christine Baer.

"My responsibility is to give up as few points as I can," she said. "Everyone has a different challenge; mine is getting back and making sure they don't score on the fast break."

She did just that while playing in less than half of Wednesday's game against South River, when her six steals off a tenacious press spirited a 50-27 victory.

"When we first went out there, we were confused," she said, referring to Old Mill's slow start. "The second half, we played a lot better, but we're not totally happy with the way it's going. We don't even want them to get the ball past half court."

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Other notable sophomores include Wesley's running mate at Southern, 6-foot Lekeita Mullen, who had 10 rebounds and four steals against North County. After eight games, she averaged four points and ranked second on the team in rebounds with eight a game.

"She's improved so much coming off JV," Kilpatrick said of the 16-year-old center. "She's practiced extra hard and when everyone keys on my seniors and Kaeka, she's there to get all the junk points."

At Annapolis, starting guard Christi Samaras' unrelenting style of play has made her a favorite of second-year coach Teresa Ross.

In a recent game against North County, the 15-year-old barreled into a wall whilehustling to keep the ball in play. She quickly returned to her feet and raced back out on the court.

"She's a very aggressive player, a spark-type kid. She'll get the job done," Ross said.

The 5-7 Samaras, who joined the varsity shortly after the Christmas break last season, is averaging 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.8 assists.

Annapolis also has received quality minutes from another 15-year-old sophomore, 6-foot forward Shannon Henderson, a member of the junior varsity last year who Ross said possesses "raw talent."

"She's the epitome of a diamond in the rough. She has so much natural ability," said Ross, whose Panthers were 5-4 and ranked 19th going intoFriday's game at Old Mill.

"Both are very good young ladies who have really come around this year. Our success hinges on how the youngkids come around and play against the older kids."

Henderson, whostarts when Ross employs a taller lineup, averages 10.2 points, fiverebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

One bright spot in Chesapeake's disappointing season is 5-9 sophomore forward Megan Van Wambeke,who's second in the county in rebounding at 11.5, and averages 8.5 points a game.

Staff writer Steven Kivinski contributed to this story.