The county's boys lacrosse picture figures to go through some notable changes this spring, with one exception. Mount Hebron should occupycenter stage once again.
The Vikings experienced an inevitable fall last year. After going undefeated against the county for three straight seasons under Coach Warren Michael, Hebron relinquished its grip to Howard, which went on to win a league title.
The championship appears to be Hebron's to lose once again. The Vikings, who recovered from their midseason swoon -- they finished in a three-way tie for second place with Glenelg and Hammond -- to win the state title, return seven starters, including All-County attackmanJason Vettori.
Not that Hebron won't be challenged. Glenelg's sudden surge from the bottom to second place was no fluke. Coach Rick Kincaid has less talent than he had last year, but the Gladiators' patient, unselfish style paid big dividends down the stretch last year.
Then there's Centennial, always respectable but this year looking capable of making a run at a county championship with seven returning starters. Hammond, with its excellent attack combination of Keith Chance and Tommy Lea, will be a threat in every game.
Atholton, Oakland Mills and Wilde Lake should give the county more balance. Each team appears to have enough ability and experience to dig its way out ofthe league cellar.
The county's unique story will be Howard. One of the league's powers for the past three years, the Lions lost theirentire starting lineup to graduation and will struggle to remain competitive in a county they ruled last year.
Here is a closer look at each team:
Atholton
After suffering through a 3-11 season andwinning only one county game, the Raiders will be content with a middle-of-the-pack finish. And in a league stocked with more talented teams, that's probably a realistic expectation.
Look for the Raidersto improve. Returning juniors Dave Koch and Josh Harrold lead a decent defense, while senior goalie Brandon Miller has shown signs of vast improvement.
"We've got experience at both ends of the field, but defense is where we've really got it covered," said Wendell Thomas,Atholton's 14-year coach.
There are also encouraging signs at theoffensive end. Senior attackmen Alex Flecker and Brian Pertman return to start along with senior midfielders Norman Flecker and Chris Dustin, who moves up from the second midfield unit to start. Two new bright spots, senior attackman Rob Opatvosky and sophomore midfielder Matt Treese, should also help. Opatvosky, a transfer from Mount St. Joseph, is "one of our most skilled attackmen," said Thomas. Treese is afine athlete who brings the team's hardest shot to his position.
The Raiders are off to a 1-2 start, but their 11-9 victory over Seneca Valley reversed a 17-3 trouncing last year.
"We needed that win," Thomas said. "We know we can run with people. We know we can score."
Centennial
The Eagles of recent years have been stingy on defense, but have often come up empty on offense. This spring, 14-year coach Mike Siegert promises the usual tight defense but a dangerous attack for a change. It's a combination he thinks will make the Eagles contenders.
"The defense should be solid again, but overall we canget 10 people on the field who are pretty good lacrosse players. That hasn't been the case since 1982," Siegert said. "In the past, I didn't think a goal of winning a county championship was realistic. Thisyear, I do."
The Eagles return seven starters, led by senior 6-foot-1, 205-pound All-County defenseman Andy Armiger, junior midfielderWerner Krueger -- a returning starter in his third varsity season --and senior attackman Cullen Meade, whom Siegert has moved from the midfield. Senior midfielder Danny Ahn, like Krueger, has excellent speed and should create scoring opportunities.
"We've got a lot of experience and pretty good balance, and we've got five guys who can score," said Siegert, who watched graduated attackman Jeff Freimanis shoulder the offensive load last year. "The key is to keep people healthy and stay mentally ready, because we're hurting at depth."
Juniorgoalie Will Hong has been the team's most pleasant surprise. He made14 saves in the Eagles' first loss, a 10-5 setback to C. Milton Wright. The Eagles are 1-1.
Glenelg
Last year the Gladiators were the spring's best story. Led by midfielder Jason Pett and attackman Nevin Hilliard, they proved the value of unselfishness and team chemistry, improving from 3-9 in 1990 to 10-4 and a second-place county finish.
This year, the Gladiators will not sneak up on anyone. They expect to contend, and opponents are already looking for them. And since Pett and Hilliard are gone, the challenge to repeat their success will be that much greater.
"Everybody expects us to win now, and weaccept the challenge," said Glenelg coach Rick Kincaid. "We have to be patient and work the ball around like we did last year, only we need more of it this year. Whenever we start stepping out of our roles,we're in trouble."
The biggest question mark is defense, where seniors Greg Feaga and Dave Harrison and junior Greg Soule return as first-time starters. Returning starting senior goalie Craig Flurry, oneof the league's better keepers last year, will be crucial this spring.
Senior midfielders Andy Leedom and John Schulze move up from last year's second unit to start. And on attack, seniors Dusty Heusser and Kevin Lafferty give the Gladiators a good 1-2 punch. Heusser was an All-County performer last year with 31 goals and 17 assists. Lafferty (11 goals, 11 assists) figures to be a prime scoring threat this year.
Hammond
The Golden Bears lost four starters to graduation, and will dearly miss All-County midfielder Ricky Matthews. But they've got enough tools to be a factor in the county title chase.
On attack, junior Tommy Lea and senior Keith Chance could be a dynamite tandem. Lea is an All-County player who could win the league scoring title. Chance is knocking on the All-County door. They've already combined for 26 goals and 20 assists in the Bears' 2-2 start.
Among the midfielders, senior Eric Brown, maybe the team's most athletic player, is another key to the offense.
"If we're going to win, especially against the good teams, we need a lot of production from Eric," said Assistant Coach Larry Luth. "He really opens up the field with his running ability."
Senior returning starters Steve Marucci and Jesse Adami round out the starting midfield, which counts no returningplayers among its second unit.
Seniors Shane Cunningham and BrianLeyda are the keys to the defense, especially since the Bears' depthalso is shaky at that end. But the biggest question mark a month ago-- senior goalie Brian Thierrin -- now looks like the real thing. Hehas 43 saves in four games.
Howard
The Lions, who ruled the county a year ago, will tumble from the top. Such is life when you graduate the entire starting lineup from a 13-2 team.
"We're real young, we don't have much depth, and we're not real tough," said Dan Ross, Howard's 18-year coach. "I'm trying to find a positive. We're trying."
How young are the Lions? So young that Ross, who typically frowns on playing freshmen or sophomores, will send four sophomores ontothe field this spring. Midfielder Eddie O, the best of the lot, willstart. Attackman Karl Krantz, midfielder Seth Eldridge and defenseman Don Merchant figure to see significant playing time.
"My strength is also my weakness. I've got to play four sophomores," said Ross, alluding to how the experience should pay off down the road. "Betweena 15-year-old lacrosse player and an 18-year-old, it's a different world."
Besides O, the entire starting lineup consists of seniors, but they lack seasoning. Attackman Mark Osterman and midfielder BrianPolgar are the most experienced.
The Lions' most realistic hope is to beat some second-division county schools and to keep scores respectable against the league's better teams. This might be the most challenging season of Ross's career.
Mount Hebron
The Vikings finally cracked last year, dropping two games -- the first defeats in coach Warren Michael's four years -- to finish in a second-place tie in the county. But they showed their stuff by driving to a state championship.
This year, the county championship appears to be Hebron's to lose again. They've got the familiar combination of talent, experience and depth on their side.
Senior attackman Jason Vettori, a returning All-County player, leads the way. Vettori, a solid faceoff manwho already has 14 points this year, may be the county's top player.He'll be complemented by returning senior starter Tom Huppman and returning junior Andrew Ballinger.
"As a group of three, it's the best I've ever had," said Michael. "Each of them can run, and each is strong with both hands."
The heart of the team is an impressive midfield, featuring six players Michaels considers interchangeable. He might start returning juniors Justin Gemmell, Andrew Ward and Clay Shifflett -- who started last year -- while bringing in seniors Carl Bochau, Blair Hill and Doug Smith as a second unit. Bochau is recoveringfrom a sprained ankle.
Hebron's soft spot is on defense, where itlost All-County players Henry Long and Nathan Kealey to graduation. Senior Andrew Pillinger and senior goalie Chris Parandian are the lone returning starters. The Vikings have had noticeable trouble clearing the ball.
Count on the Vikings to iron out their problems. Another state crown is attainable.
Oakland Mills
If the Scorpions are going to approach last year's respectable 6-8 record, they better start approaching the opposing net a little more often. The most glaring shortcoming in their 0-3 start is lack of offense. They have scored five goals in the last two games.
"It's a crisis of confidence right now," said Gary Ahrens, the Scorpions' 10th-year coach. "We haveto play with more intensity, more courage, more leadership. We have to be confident enough to take the shot when it's there. That's not happening now."
While he waits for players like senior attackman Marcus Myles and junior attackman Shannon Hiteshew -- both returning starters -- to start producing, Ahrens is counting on a strong defense to hold the Scorpions together.
Senior defenseman Matt Hanagan andjunior midfielder Shawn Madison are returning starters, and senior Carl Hulgren and junior Theron Grim have looked good as first-time starters on defense. Junior goalie Matt LeBlanc, a newcomer up from the junior varsity, has been the story early on. After overcoming a leg injury that sidelined him for much of last year, LeBlanc has 42 saves already.
Wilde Lake
The Wildecats, who haven't won a game since1990, have grown accustomed to losing. And that's killing fourth-year coach Mike Harrison.
Nine starters returned from last year's 0-12 team, a team that lost two overtime decisions and several more close calls. But the Wildecats are off to a discouraging 0-3 start and desperately need a victory.
"There is a certain stigma attached to losing, and the kids are trying to fight that off," said Harrison. "Wehave 95 percent of our team back, and we should be doing better. If we could overcome that stigma, we could become a respectable lacrosseteam. We're working toward that."
The Wildecats appear to have the necessary pieces to achieve respectability.
Junior midfielder Jon Taylor, the team's top player, is a tireless runner with an extremely hard shot. He leads the returning starters.
Then there's juniormidfielder Mike Klingler, a third-year varsity player who hustles after ground balls as well as anyone. Senior attackmen Mike Curtis and Jake Laaveg return to start and can score.
The team also has some promising new blood.
Senior midfielder Matt Nesbitt is a terrific athlete who will have an impact. Sophomore goalie Mike Gardner and senior defenseman Zak Young and Brian Schmidt form the nucleus of a defense that should be improved.
Harrison still thinks the Wildecats are capable of a .500 season. But they've got to notch that all-important opening victory first.
Boys varsity lacrosse schedule
Tuesday, April 7 Walt Whitman at Wilde Lake 3:15
North Carroll at Atholton 4:00
Westminster at Centennial 3:00
Wednesday, April 8 Liberty at Howard 4:00
Friday, April 10 Wilde Lake at Mount Hebron 3:30
Glenelg at Hammond 3:30
Oakland Mills at Atholton 3:30
Centennial at Howard 3:30
Tue.-Wed., April 14-15 Atholton TournamentTBA
Wednesday, April 15 Centennial at Liberty 7:00
Thursday, April 16 Mount Hebron at C. M. Wright Tourn. TBA
Tuesday, April 21 Atholton at C. M. Wright Tourn. 6:45
Wednesday, April 22 Howard atOakland Mills 3:30
Hammond at Mount Hebron 3:30
Atholton at Centennial 3:30
Wilde Lake at Glenelg 3:30
Friday, April 24 MountHebron at Howard 3:30
Oakland at Hammond 3:30
Glenelg at Atholton 3:30
Centennial at Wilde Lake 3:30
Monday, April 27 Mount Hebron at Centennial 3:30
Atholton at Hammond 3:30
Howard at Wilde Lake 3:30
Glenelg at Oakland Mills 3:30
Wednesday, April 29 Howard at Atholton 3:30
Mount Hebron at Glenelg 3:30
Hammond atWilde Lake 3:30
Centennial at Oakland Mills 3:30
Friday, May 1Mount Hebron at Atholton 3:30
Hammond at Centennial 3:30
WildeLake at Oakland Mills 3:30
Glenelg at Howard 3:30
Tuesday, May5 Oakland Mills at Mount Hebron 3:30
Hammond at Howard 3:30
Atholton at Wilde Lake 3:30
Centennial at Glenelg 3:30
Fri.-Sat.,May 8-9 First round regional at highest seed
Tuesday, May 12 Regional final at highest seed
Fri.-Sat. State semifinal at TBA
Tuesday State final at TBA