With a few returning juggernauts, new additions to last year's cellar-dweller and some unforgiving schedules, the chase for the playoffs and the Anne Arundel County crown appears to be wide open.

"This year, I think, is going to be a very competitive conference because there are several teams who can beat each other," said Broadneck coach Jeff Herrick. "It's usually been three teams or so, but now I think there are as many as six and seven teams that could knock off somebody."

Arundel, coming off its run to the 4A state championship game, returns a wealth of experience and talent, even with the departures of quarterback Nick Elko and wide receiver Brandon Johnson-Farrell.

Old Mill welcomes back the crux of its 8-3 team from last year, including the offensive tandem of quarterback Grant Enders and running back Jason Clements.

"Old Mill, on paper, might be one of the top three teams in the state," said Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz. "They've got everybody coming back and a good coaching staff, so we've got our work cut out for us. It's a challenge. It's something else we look forward to."

Broadneck, fresh off advancing to the 4A East Region championship game, should produce one of the county's finest squads, with a talented team led by senior quarterback Kyle Colleran.

North County, which pushed Arundel to the brink of elimination in the region semifinals a year ago, features do-it-all senior star Dino Stevens, who rushed for 500 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in just five games last season before being sidelined with an injury.

"We're not going to make the big mistake of saying we're going to go 10-0 and run the gamut because I don't think that's going to happen to anyone this year," said North County coach Gary Liddick. "This year this league is probably about as tough as I've seen."

The biggest change at the top of the standings could be the reappearance of Meade, which acquired the services of senior Auburn University quarterback recruit Raymond Cotton, whose father and Coast Guard officer Raymond Cotton Sr., was assigned to Fort Meade.

Cotton threw for nearly 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 682 yards and eight touchdowns in leading Mobile to a runner-up finish in the Alabama state tournament last year. He and incoming head coach Lance Clelland immediately transform the Mustangs from an overlooked opponent into a potential dark horse for the county championship.

"The thing about this program is that they obviously have not been very successful for a long time,"

Clelland said. "So they're looking for any type of leadership, whether it's leadership from the quarterback or from the coach."

Meade will get tested from other 3A combatants Northeast and Annapolis, who both could be in the mix for an East Region playoff spot.

Chesapeake will be looking to improve on its 4-6 record from last season, and Glen Burnie has nowhere to go but up after last year's winless campaign.

"There's no easy games," said Northeast coach Kevin Kylus. "Anne Arundel County is a tough football league. Southern is a tough team, that every year in the 2A playoffs can get things done. 4A-wise with Arundel, Old Mill, Broadneck and North County, there are definitely a lot of good football teams."

Other teams lurking for playoff contention include Severna Park and South River, which both figure to be vying for 4A postseason births despite the losses of key players Pat Morrison and Bobby Cooper, respectively.

"The only way I see how you can validate your season is to make the playoffs," said South River coach Steve Erxleben. "It's more than realistic. We just have to play our style and begin to go."

Some teams are getting thrown into the fire immediately, with a tough early-season slate.

Arundel, for one, will be tested over the first five games, four of which are on the road, including its season opener at Broadneck on Sept. 5. The Wildcats will also have to face Old Mill, North County, Meade and rival South River in that season-opening span.

"It's testing yourself against people that are better than you - what does not kill you makes you stronger," Markiewicz said. "We'll find out in the first couple weeks."

Staff writer Mike Peters contributed to this story.