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Drew Offut, the new head coach of Sherwood, is starving. After manning the Watkins Mill sidelines for three years, he moved over to the Sandy Spring high school for a shot at immortality. As he says, just like everyone else, he wants to be the first coach in the county to win a state title.

Such goals seem awfully ambitious, but the Warriors should be more than solid this year. They return playmaker extraordinaire Steven Anderson (25 goals, 32 assists a year ago), the team’s reigning leading scorer. As Offut puts it, he’s ‘‘an absolute stud” who will likely never leave the field.

He’ll be joined by the technically proficient Matt Schneider, a long stick who will be expected to anchor the defensive side of the field for Sherwood.

‘‘I liked the situation at Watkins Mill, but I think Sherwood’s just a little closer to meeting the goal of getting [to the] top,” said Offut. ‘‘I’ve really wanted to come to Sherwood; I’ve coveted the job for awhile. We’re working hard. Right now, we’re working on being in the best physical shape of any team in the region.”

Another team right on the cusp of breaking into the top tier is Paint Branch, which should be one of the top teams in the 3A⁄2A⁄1A Division. After winning eight of their final nine games a year ago, the Panthers earned a split for the division crown with Poolesville and Bethesda-Chevy Chase. They are one of the most athletic teams in the county, with fleet midfielders Alex Pelzer (26 goals last year) and Tristan Alleyne (halfback on the football team) anchoring the attack, to go along with defender Josh Ewart. But they also added a gem in goal last year with sophomore Greg Jolles, who improved dramatically in the preseason.

‘‘I think he’s the best goalie we’ve had in the last six or seven years,” said head coach Kevin Eagan. ‘‘We tied in a [preseason] scrimmage against Churchill. It was very close, even though they dominated possession. This year, we’re going to keep everything close with our defense initially, and try to get out in transition as much as possible.”

The Panthers’ Northeast Consortium rival, though playing in the 4A East Division, is Springbrook. The Blue Devils may have equally bright prospects this season, coming off a 6-6 campaign but only having lost two seniors who received significant playing time. The strength of the team may lie in its aggressive midfield, comprised of two football players, Ben Simmons and David Abramson.

But its most potent scorer is also returning, attacker Adam Brizendine (29 goals, 17 assists), as is fellow attacker Tim Roe (30 points). With most of their top talent returning, the Blue Devils possess the potential to break into the upper echelon of county teams. Now it’s only a matter of making it happen.

‘‘The kids feel like we’re in pretty strong position — our challenge is to get the chemistry of playing together to really go after the top teams,” said head coach Mark Pim. ‘‘We kind of want to break into that group and we’ve got the kids to do it. If we put it together, we can play with anybody in the county.”

The story isn’t quite the same for Magruder, which lost multiple seniors at every position on the field. They’ll be replaced with youth, but some of the youth is experienced, like returning sophomore goalkeeper John Rinaldi. He, along with strong junior poles Max Blum and James Jenkins, as well as senior Terry Coleman, look to make the Colonels one of the stingiest defenses in the 4A East.

‘‘We’re really strong on the defensive side,” said head coach Eric Marks. ‘‘I’m not one of those coaches who says we need to have this record, that record. I just want us to push forward towards the playoffs.”

Kennedy faces the same dilemma, with two of its most important cogs from last year gone: attackers Sanoussy Bary (15 goals, seven assists) and Mike Leonard. Their production may be replaced by two attackers whom head coach David Heiney-Gonzalez says have the best work ethic of any players he’s ever had, Rod Tamanaha and Matt Hand. Tamanaha was the first man off the bench for the Cavaliers a year ago, and Hand logged one start.

‘‘We’re still trying to find out our identity,” said Heiney-Gonzalez. ‘‘I’d like to use speed — Kennedy always seems to have an advantage in speed, so I’d really like to emphasize transition, but I don’t know right now due to the fact that we haven’t had everyone practicing every day.”

The Cavaliers’ biggest rival could once again be Rockville, which beat them three times last season by just one goal. The Rams finished .500, the best record in school history, and the team has more offensive potential than ever. In the midfield is where Rockville really stands out, with super-quick Zack Kline and Josh Schanker (both co-captains) leading the way. There are also defensive standouts, such as four-year starter Eddie Martin and a huge freshman, Kevin O’Brien.

‘‘We’ve gotten better ever year I’ve been here,” said Rockville coach Patrick Howley. ‘‘There are definitely a lot more potential scorers this year, where in the past we’ve always just kind of relied on one guy. If that comes together we could again have our most successful season in Rockville history. I’d love to have a winning record.”

Trials and tribulations have been familiar to Wheaton, which went 0-13 a season ago. The plan this time around for the undermanned Knights is simply to grab some wins. However, there is reason for optimism; head coach Oscar Amaguana calls this year’s squad the second-most talented team he’s ever had since he took over coaching duties eight years ago.

Senior midfielder Ruben Reyes, one of six returning starters for the Knights, is expected to be the team’s offensive leader. The defensive side of the field will be led by junior Ricardo Diaz.

‘‘This year, like always, we’re at the beginning level,” said Amaguana. ‘‘We usually have athleticism but we’ve got a lot more athletes this year. Most of the kids haven’t played lacrosse, but they’re athletes and the talent is there. I think we can maybe get five wins.”

One of the Knights’ closest rivals, Einstein, ushers in a new coach but mostly familiar faces. Jay Andrews’ first year at the helm will be blessed with mostly seniors: Jesse Zastrow, Kevin Kredell and Patrick Meehan on the attack, Colin Riggs and Carl Larue in the midfield, and Max Young with Zak Kahn on defense. Among the new faces will be a new starting goalie (Nate Johnson) and Billy Robinson, a fleet defensive back on the football team.

‘‘We will win some games and any game we lose, our opponent will know that they’ve been through a battle,” Andrews said. ‘‘We want to send out our seniors with a fun, hard-fought season and set groundwork for our future.”

Fast facts

Einstein Titans

Head coach: Jay Andrews, 1st year

Last year’s record: 2-11

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

Players to watch: Jesse Zastrow (Sr., A), Colin Riggs (Sr., M)

Kennedy Cavaliers

Head coach: David Heiney-Gonzalez, 4th year

Last year’s record: 4-8

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

Players to watch: Rod Tamanaha (Sr., A), Matt Hand (Sr., A)

Magruder Colonels

Head coach: Eric Marks, 2nd year

Last year’s record: 4-9

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A East

Players to watch: Terry Coleman (Sr., M), John Rinaldi (, G)

Paint Branch Panthers

Head coach: Kevin Eagan, 8th year

Last year’s record: 8-5

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

Players to watch: Alex Pelzer (Sr., M), Tristan Alleyne (Jr., M)

Rockville Rams

Head coach: Patrick Howley, 4th year

Last year’s record: 7-7

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

Players to watch: Zack Kline (Sr., M), Josh Schanker (Sr., M)

Sherwood Warriors

Head coach: Drew Offut, 1st year

Last year’s record: 10-3

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A East

Players to watch: Steven Anderson (Sr., M), Matt Schneider (Sr., M)

Springbrook Blue Devils

Head coach: Mark Pim, 11th year

Last year’s record: 6-6

League affiliation: Montgomery 4A East

Players to watch: Ben Simmons (Sr., M), Adam Brizendine (Sr., A)

Wheaton Knights

Head coach: Oscar Amaguana

Last year’s record: 0-13

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

Players to watch: Ruben Reyes (Sr., M), Ricardo Diaz (Jr., D)