Getting to the top was difficult enough for the Annapolis and South River girls basketball teams.
Staying there, it appears, is downright impossible.
This is no fault of the coaches, Annapolis' Dave Griffith and South River's Ron Price. They have no control over graduation, injuries and changes of heart.
Players come and players go. It's just that at these two schools far too many of them left.
Important ones. All-County ones. Big-time scorers and rebounders. Tireless defenders. Unquestioned leaders.
Both of these schools made it to the state tournament. Neither is expected to get back.
Let's start at Annapolis, which got rolling midway through the season and won the 4A East Region. Three starters, including 6-1 center Shannon Henderson, the county's Player of the Year, were seniors on that team. Together, they enabled the Panthers to win 19 games and end Old Mill's streak of consecutive state championships at three with a 49-46 victory in the regional semifinals.
Henderson did it all, averaging 18.5 points, 16.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists. She blocked 83 shots, made 45 steals and took over more games than anyone could count. Guard Cristi Samaras, whose hustle alone would have been a major asset, averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists, and made 122 steals. Forward Janelle Queen, a vastly underrated player, averaged 7.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Without them, Griffith said the Panthers will be "a different team, one that won't be a powerhouse blowing people away."
South River also will have enough trouble just winning, rather than running up huge margins of victory.
Not even a .500 team before the postseason, the Seahawks rode the play of 6-0 center Pam Patterson into the 2A state tournament, their first stop there since 1987. She was unstoppable in three regional games, totaling 76 points and 55 rebounds. For the season, she averaged 19.9 points and 12 rebounds.
Her loss alone was a big setback, but that was just the beginning for Price, who recently learned that senior Cassidie Dunbar and junior Amy Nye decided not to play this year.
Nye sank the jumper with seven seconds left to defeat Northeast, 62-61, in the region final. Dunbar averaged 11.3 points per game and was the perfect backcourt complement to point guard Jess Marion (11.1).
"I was counting on them," Price said.
Now, counting the number of victories this year may not take long. "We have a whole team of newcomers," he said.
Trying to figure out which squad is the best in the county is easy. Look no further than St. Mary's, which won its third straight Catholic League regular-season championship, but was upset by Frances for the tournament title.
"We took two out of three from them, so I think that's pretty good," said coach Harry Dobson, laughing.
There are plenty of good times ahead for the Saints, but what about the rest of the county?
Among the public schools, the battle should come down to three teams -- Severna Park, Old Mill and Arundel, with Chesapeake lurking in the shadows.
Griffith, for one, endorses Severna Park, which lost to Annapolis, 50-41 in the region final.
"They're right at the top," he said. "I told [coach] Kevin McGrath the monkey's off my back and on his."
Countered McGrath: "I don't see us as the front-runner all year."
Broadneck coach Bruce Springer said, "Everyone says Severna Park, but I wouldn't count out Old Mill."
To which, Old Mill coach Pat Chance said, "I can't see anybody running away with it."
That bodes well for Chesapeake, whose coach, Dennis Thiele, said: "I think we can play with Old Mill, Severna Park and Arundel."
There are two new coaches. Maurice Jennings replaces Rhonda Warmsley-George at Severn, where his cousin, Monique Jennings, is a junior point guard. And Phil Popielski, an assistant last year at Annapolis, takes over for Molly Wilson at Meade.
Severn has split its first two games, defeating St. Paul's and losing to Notre Dame Prep on a last-second shot. The Admirals again will challenge McDonogh for the Association of Independent School's A Conference championship.
Speaking of challenges, Popielski is faced with a tremendous one. Meade hasn't posted a winning record since 1989-90, and with players leaving each year because of military transfers, the task becomes even more daunting.
"Some people told me this was a dead-end job, but I've been very pleased. I've seen the total opposite," he said.
"The girls are working very hard. These kids have been the most polite and respectful bunch I've ever seen."