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With a region title in his back pocket, South Carroll High boys basketball head coach Doug Goff knows not to let the euphoria from the prior season seep into to 2009-10.

While the 17-9 Cavs proved more than proved themselves by snagging the Class 1A South championship last winter, only two players from that team return who contributed major minutes, Dan Mullen and Ryan McTavish.

McTavish, a 6 foot 4 junior forward and first-team All-Gazette selection last year, averaged 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, also earning All-Monocacy Valley Athletic League Blue Ridge Conference honors. Mullen, a 6-1 sophomore guard, averaged a conference best 4.9 assists per game and achieved honorable mention All-Conference status.

Six-foot senior guard Jason Sumpter returns, along with 6-2 junior forward Joe Wright. Both players received limited minutes last season. Goff says his fifth starter could come in the forms of 6-4 athletes Alex Terpening, a standout quarterback on the Cavs' football team, and Gavin McTavish, a freshman who made an impression over the summer break in the Liberty Club League.

"Maybe in the long term, I think we can be pretty strong," said Goff, The Gazette's Coach of the Year last season. "We've got a lot of length on this team. It helps to be 6-3, 6-4 with long arms to get into the passing lanes, to rebound, and to pass over the traps. But right now, we're not quite ready yet, but we hope to rebuild as soon as possible."

Junior forward Jeff Martin (6-2) and senior guard-forward Zach Eldridge (6-5) should also see floor time.

South Carroll girls have more quality than quality

The Cavaliers' girls contingent contains just nine players on its varsity roster; however, seven of them have varsity experience. Four of them earned postseason individual honors.

Senior Cindy Scurci averaged 10.3 points per game last season en route to first team All-Gazette honors. Senior Melissa Heim (5-9) was a second-team selection, while 5-10 senior Kayla Louder and 5-10 sophomore Nikki Heim were honorable mention picks. Senior Sarah Ballerstadt (5-5), junior Erin Slifer (5-7) and 5-11 sophomore Katie Mathias are also back.

"We are very versatile, all of the girls can play a lot of positions, so we really don't list them by position," said head coach Liz Padgett. "We want to do well, but we start out with some tough games against Frederick, Westminster and Walkersville, so we'll see where we are [early on]."

Juniors Olivia Kelly (5-10) and Alex Phillipps (5-5) are first-year varsity players.