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Last year, Walter Johnson carried a large developmental squad in an effort to replace the 11 seniors it lost after the 2005 season.

Thanks to these developmental programs, the advent of junior-varsity lacrosse might just accelerate a process of improvement that was already underway. Poolesville senior attacker Meghan Rose contended that lacrosse involvement in Montgomery County has ‘‘blown up,” and Quince Orchard coach Jenna Ries supported her assertion.

‘‘We are getting better as a county,” Ries said. ‘‘This might be the year that we get that miracle, and someone finally breaks through [into a state final].”

No county team has ever won a game in the state tournament.

One team that may be ready to make that step is Quince Orchard itself. Last year, the Cougars made it back to the 4A-3A North Region Final, only to lose to Westminster just one step away from the state playoffs. However, in the fall, most of that crew, including Ries as their coach, combined to win a state championship in field hockey. That experience may very well translate back to the lacrosse field.

‘‘We look pretty good right now,” Ries said. ‘‘It’s not that we didn’t have the talent before, I think we never had a sense of accomplishment. The fact that they have now achieved something as athletes means that they can play with a little bit of swagger because they know that they can [win].”

Returning for the Cougars are seniors Emily Ellenberger, who will be in the midfield, attacker Colleen Childs and Kelsey Flickinger who will play goalie. Also returning is junior attacker Hannah Seligmann. Junior Natalie Ellenberger will return to the field in April after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last fall.

‘‘We have always been capable, but Westminster has been a thorn in our side,” Ries said. ‘‘We want to play well enough during the season to get that top seed this year.”

For B-CC, there was some satisfaction of being the best public school team in Bethesda last season. However, with the loss of several seniors, the Barons will call on several younger players to help them go a step farther than the regional semifinals, where they were eliminated last year.

‘‘I would not say that we are super experienced, but we know we want to win more games,” coach Claire Wagner said.

Helping in that effort is junior April Cahill, who led the team in scoring as a sophomore, and senior Shay Smith, but sophomores Liza Amaling and Catherine Mirsky should also have an impact. Senior Maggie Cahill will hold down the fort in goal.

At Churchill first-year coach Louisa Feve will take over a team that has several seniors in key positions. At the head of that list is goalie Maggie Langan, an All-Gazette second-team selection in 2006 who saved 63 percent of the shots taken on her. Also returning are senior attacker Lea Biciocchi and Lauren Plotnick, to a team that made it to a regional semifinal.

‘‘So far things are going pretty smoothly,” Feve said. ‘‘We really have no issues.”

Last year was a down year for traditional powers Whitman and Walter Johnson. A year after getting to the state semifinals, the Wildcats were bounced out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals. Coach Bill Euler hopes that a new group of young players will lead to a renaissance.

‘‘The girls coming back are more skilled than what we have had in the past,” he said. ‘‘We’re concentrating on the fundamentals, and we have the ability to win quite a few games if we do that well.”

However, senior leadership will prevail on the field. Katie Akami will lead the attack, and Stephanie Bailey will head up the defense. Junior Lauren Wolman will also be a vital attacker.

‘‘I am not going to predict where we will finish, but I feel better about our skill level,” Euler said.

Vikings coach Mary Pat Veihmeyer is of a like mind. Last year, Whitman was slower than its opposition, which translated to losses, including a first-round playoff exit. This year, that is not the case.

‘‘The people who are back played a lot last year, and we have freshmen and sophomores that will play,” Veihmeyer said. ‘‘They are all faster and their stickwork is better.”

Junior Susan England will return for a third straight year in goal, with senior defender Lilly Harris in front of her. Seniors Meghan Cahill and Chelsea Shaut will lead the attack.

For Magruder, however, there is little change at the top. Katie Hilton took over the program last year, and helped develop a talented group that includes junior attacker Kiki Saeckett and senior midfielder Colleen Allbrecht. Last year, Hilton termed her team a ‘‘work in progress.” This year, the Colonels might be ready to pull together during the season to make a run into the playoffs.

Another team that is looking forward to the new season is Rockville. Last year, the first-year under coaches Janis Maloney and Shella Burch, the Rams won 11 games, and made it so the regional semifinals. This year, they want to go even farther. Rockville did not lose anyone to graduation and return seniors Anna Schmidt, who led the team in scoring, and her fellow attacker and classmate Megan Johnsey. Senior Mel Turner will man the midfield, and junior Mary Gorman will head up the defense.

‘‘They have embraced a new persona,” Maloney said. ‘‘They are tired of being viewed as the team that always gets beaten. They are glad that they aren’t under the radar anymore.”

At Wootton, experience is also a watchword. According to coach Anne-Marie Ritzell, 95 percent of the players on the roster have played at the varsity level, and the Patriots are especially loaded in the midfield. Juniors Julie Klatzkin and Carrie Bray will work with seniors Blair Mills and Courtney Sanders to key the transition attack. Defensively, another pair of seniors, Sam Lonsway and Kimmy Harget, will be expected to help keep opponents off the board. Sophomore Kara Vetrano will also see time on that side of the field.

‘‘We are going to be doing lost of talking this season,” Ritzell said. ‘‘We are going to be communicating all over the field. We want to maintain possession and move into a quick transition to attack.”

Richard Montgomery welcomes Kristin Ramsay, its third coach in three seasons. Ramsay comes from Good Counsel, where she coached varsity field hockey, and will look to bring some of that winning culture to the Rockets, who will be led on the field by senior Maddie Gillis and sophomore Kate Mansius.

‘‘We had a strong winning record with that program, and we are looking forward to doing that with these girls,” Ramsay said. ‘‘They are all very positive and upbeat. We are on the verge of a big change.”

In the private-school realm, Holton-Arms, Stone Ridge and Bullis will all prepare to square off in the hyper-competitive Independent School League AA Division. The Gators made it to the ISL AA final last season, but lose All-Gazette player of the year Kaitlin Duff, who is now playing at the University of Virginia. Another All-Gazette first-team selection, senior attacker Kaitlin Keena, returns, and her scoring ability (57 goals), should help the Gators in their quest to remain on top.

Alivian Coates-Jorgensen, meanwhile, has high hopes for the Panthers. Though a large senior class graduated, a new group of seniors has spread their talent across the field.

‘‘They are crafting a new persona,” she said. ‘‘We’re very confident in their ability.”

Holton-Arms will be led by attackers Lucy West, M.C. Ourisman, Erin Claire Cassidy, Catherine Colliate and Lacey Goodwin, and on the defensive side by Claire Leonard and Lilly Graham.

‘‘They are ready to take the next step,” Coates-Jorgensen said. ‘‘They are excited.”

For Bullis, the last two seasons in the ISL AA Division have been about progression. Now the Bulldogs want to get over the hump and get past the .500 mark. With young talent in sophomores Dina Jackson and Alex Aust, and senior leadership in goalie Ali Nemeroff and attacker Megan Herbets, as well as the return of head coach Kathleen Lloyd, they might have the right mix.

‘‘It is very exciting to be back,” Lloyd, who coached at Holy Cross last year, said. ‘‘Most of these girls I have coached before in some shape or form, so they are used to my expectations and goals.”

Lloyd’s old team, Holy Cross, will compete in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, where they will try to improve on a first round exit from the playoffs a year ago. Talented senior Kristin Coleman, and sophomore center Haley Katzenberger should help that cause.

‘‘The girls are excited about the season,” first-year coach Susan Decker said. ‘‘We are ready to hit the ground running.”

Fast facts

Bullis Bulldogs

Head coach: Kathleen Lloyd, 1st year

Last year’s record: 7-10

League affiliation: Independent School League AA Division

Players to watch: Ali Nemiroff (Sr., G), Dina Jackson (Soph., M)

Churchill Bulldogs

Head coach: Louisa Feve, 1st year

Last year’s record: 11-4

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A West Division

Players to watch: Lea Biciocchi (Sr., A), Maggie Langan (Sr., G), Lauren Plotnick (Jr., A)

Holton-Arms Panthers

Head coach: Alivian Coates-Jorgensen, 2nd year

Last year’s record: 9-5

League affiliation: Independent School League AA Division

Players to watch: Lucy West (Sr., A), Claire Leonard (Sr., D)

Holy Cross Tartans

Head coach: Susan Decker, 1st year

Last year’s record: 4-11

League affiliation: Washington Catholic Athletic Conference

Players to watch: Kristin Coleman (Sr., A⁄M), Haley Katzenberger (Jr., C), Katie Delaney (Jr., A)

Magruder Colonels

Head coach: Kate Hilton, 2nd year

Last year’s record: 6-7

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A East Division

Players to watch: Kiki Saeckett (Jr., A), Colleen Allbrecht (Sr., M)

Richard Montgomery Rockets

Head coach: Kristin Ramsay, 1st year

Last year’s record: 5-8

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A West Division

Players to watch: Maddy Gillis (Sr., A⁄M), Mary Kate Mansius (Soph., M⁄D)

Rockville Rams

Head coach: Janis Maloney, 2nd year

Last year’s record: 11-3

League affiliation: Montgomery 3A⁄2A⁄1A Division

Players to watch: Anna Schmidt (Sr. A), Megan Johnsey (Sr., M)

Stone Ridge Gators

Head coach: Jill Marks, 10th year

Last year’s record: 16-3

League affiliation: Independent School League AA Division

Players to watch: Kaitlin Keena (Sr., A⁄M), Melissa Minshall (Sr., M)

Walter Johnson Wildcats

Head coach: Bill Euler, 4th year

Last year’s record: 4-9

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A West Division

Players to watch: Katie Akami (Sr., A), Steph Bailey (Sr., D), Lauren Wolman (Jr., A)

Wootton Patriots

Head coach: Anne-Marie Ritzell, 2nd year

Last year’s record: 8-5

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A West Division

Players to watch: Courtney Sanders (Sr., M), Sam Lonsway (Sr., D), Kimmy Harget (Sr., D), Blair Mills (Sr., M)