Boys lacrosse: Is Wootton the one?

‘‘Once you get to the playoffs, all the teams are close enough,” said Paint Branch head coach Kevin Eagan, whose Panthers are 8-4. ‘‘Last year, it was going to have to be a bus wreck for someone to compete with Wootton. This year, it’s going to come down to face-offs and possessions, where you could name eight teams in the region who could handle the ball for three-fourths of the game.”

Of course, the Patriots could probably hold the ball for a quarter of a game and still beat most teams in Montgomery County. They’re becoming something of a dynasty, after finishing the regular season unbeaten a year ago and becoming the county’s first team to make the state championship game. Though they lost a humongous core of players, their entire defense from a year ago is still intact, and a quartet of balanced scorers up top — seniors Jordan Montesano, Harry Shay, Matt Schreiber and sophomore Jeff Zifrony — have spearheaded an offense averaging nearly 14 goals per game against county opponents.

Once again, they’re the best of ‘‘The W’s,” as the annual top schools in the county are often called, including Whitman, Walter Johnson, and if you include their full name, Winston Churchill.

Those teams are once again contenders, with the Bulldogs and Wildcats posting eight wins each on the season through last weekend.

The elite are joined by a new face this time around. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (11-2) had its best season in school history, with its first-ever wins over Whitman, Churchill and Walter Johnson to boot. Entering Monday afternoon’s draw, the Barons had won seven games in a row. Led by an extremely deep offensive lineup (five players have over 20 goals) and one of the best goalkeepers in the county in John Goldberg, they’ve logged close victories — an overtime oust of the Wildcats and a 10-8 nailbiter over The Heights of the Maryland Independent Lacrosse League — in addition to numerous blowouts. They will be the region’s second seed, behind Wootton.

‘‘We know we’ve got a tough road,” said Wootton head coach Colin Thomson. ‘‘We know we’ve got to worry about getting to the quarterfinals first before even thinking about what happens down the road.”

Fast facts

Favorites: Wootton (13-1), Bethesda-Chevy Chase (11-2), Churchill (8-3)

Contenders: Walter Johnson (8-4), Paint Branch (8-4)

Darkhorses: Whitman (6-5), Sherwood (6-5), Blair (7-6)

Players to watch: Jordan Montesano (Wootton, Sr., A), John Goldberg (B-CC, Sr., G), Kyle Cissel (Churchill, Sr., A), Ross Modjeska (Walter Johnson, Sr., A)