WHEN THE Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association football playoffs started nearly two weeks ago, 14 of the 32-team field were local schools. Only one, Hereford, will play in the finals today, against Middletown of Frederick County. Twelve were eliminated in the first round, including six defeated by 20 points or more.

That's a statement about local football.

It's OK if the goal is to be competitive. That's understandable because it's only high school. But if local schools want to challenge the schools from Prince George's and Montgomery counties, they have to upgrade their own talent pool, facilities and become more committed.

Let's become more passionate, too.

Since the state tournament began in 1974, teams from Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties have won a combined 21 state titles.

Montgomery has 37, and Prince George's has 11.

Since 1993, this area has six state titles. The Prince George's/Montgomery combination has 15.

That's not closing the gap. It's only the Herefords, Wilde Lakes and Edmondsons making the championship run every year.

"I haven't recruited the Baltimore area, but a lot of those coaches don't have the talent pool, the numbers," said Michael Locksley, the University of Maryland's recruiting coordinator. "Some areas are good in other sports, like they have good lacrosse up there and it's not that good [in Prince George's and Montgomery counties]."

Thanks, Mike, for being nice.

Wilde Lake's Doug DuVall is more to the point.

"If you took the average guy, blindfolded him, drove him to a P.G. County stadium and took the blindfold off, he would say, 'Wow, what a nice facility,' " DuVall said. "If you then blindfolded him again, drove him to Wilde Lake and took the blindfold off, he would say, 'Gosh, you have to compete against that other school?' "

That's a better picture.

But there is a lot of truth about the talent pool. There are 11 Class 4A schools (largest populated schools) and eight 3A (second largest) in Montgomery County. Prince George's County also has 11 4A and three 3A. In comparison, Anne Arundel County has eight 4A and three 3A. Baltimore City has five 4A and three 3A football-playing schools, while Baltimore County has four 4A and six 3A.

"Basically, in some areas, when the private schools take your kids, it leaves the coach scratching his head wondering to see what he is going to do next," said Sheldon Shealer, 34, the East editor for Student Sports magazine. "In P.G. County, it just gives a chance for the next kid to step up. There is just a boatload of talent over here. One year, Suitland had six 6-2, 190-pound-or-bigger receivers."

Said Bruce Malinowski, athletic director at Overlea: "Our area is inundated with private schools. A lot of our schools lack tradition, stability. The kids don't look forward to going to a Kenwood or an Overlea. The middle-school kids look to see which private school is going to give them the most money, and if not, then they will explore the second option. I don't begrudge that. I believe in competition; that's what has built this country, the economy, athletics and education."

But the talent pool is only part of the problem. Sometimes, the school systems need to add or give a little more. For instance, the Anne Arundel 4A-3A league doesn't allow out-of-county games except for postseason play. In Baltimore City, which is hampered by funding problems, and Howard County, there is only one lighted venue.

That's ridiculous for Howard County, one of the richest counties in the country. Night games encourage fan participation and community support. Travel to Florida, Pennsylvania or Ohio, and watch thousands turn out for Friday or Saturday night games. It's huge because of the civic pride involved.

Football isn't just a game, it's an event. It's passion. It's tradition.

When you have those elements, it creates an excitement and buzz about your program. Montgomery and Prince George's schools have that type of atmosphere. Even top-ranked Gilman lacks this kind of fan enthusiasm.

But this kind of excitement forces coaches to work hard. It makes them stay late after practice. It forces them to keep the weight room open during the offseason. A shot at winning a state title has them participating in numerous clinics and workshops.

High school coaches don't get paid a lot of money, but there is no excuse for laziness. You want to know if your kid has a lazy coach? The next time the kid comes home, ask him about preparation. Did the team get some type of scouting report? Did they go over tendencies and keys? Did they watch any film? How often is the weight room open?

The most successful coaches participate in their local recreation programs. They give clinics. They are active in fund raisers.

"Montgomery County has always had quality coaches," Shealer said. "Once their teams got to the playoffs, they were good at exploiting other teams' weaknesses. The coaching in P.G. County has really improved during the last six years. They've always had the athletic talent, but the marriage with the coaching has produced some state champions."

Overall, the quality of local football has improved, too, which tells you how bad it really was. But if the area wants to step up to the next level, some improvements have to be made.

Or they can just be competitive in their own counties, which is OK if you don't mind getting beat in the first round of the state playoffs.