“I know a lot of them are very passionate about this game, and it’s a pretty big part of their life so it’s just really heartbreaking to see them,” junior guard Adella Norton said.

They lost Raegan Ogle first, before last season’s playoffs, in an extra scrimmage Zivic scheduled to keep his team in shape amid an extended break between games. South River beat Broadneck in its first playoff game but scored just 23 points in a season-ending loss to Severna Park.

Samie Clark and Kiera West, last year’s second-leading scorer and first player of the bench respectively, tore theirs during offseason AAU contests.

Zivic told his players before this season he still believed they were good enough to win the Anne Arundel County championship and compete at the state level.

The Seahawks met his challenge by winning their first seven games. But then Ryleigh Adams, who Zivic said was his best player to start the year and averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game, tore an all-too-familiar ligament during the Seahawks’ last Christmas tournament game against Hayfield — their lone loss.

Unfazed, Zivic gathered his team two days into 2024 and told them his lofty expectations remained. That demanded multiple individual improvements. For example, Norton was asked to be smart on the court and subsequently drew a pair of charges in the win over Meade.

In more good news for the Seahawks, Ogle is expected to return sometime this season. Until then, and beyond, South River will continue persisting.

“We all need to step up each time we get out on the court, whether it’s at practice or at games, individually and as a whole team,” Norton said. “And just stay positive, keep encouraging each other and keep growing as a team.”

Star forward remakes Wakefield

Carlton Young is used to relocating, moving as far as Singapore internationally and all around domestically, so when he finally settled back in Arlington for the first time in a decade, he searched for memories of his last time in the city — and a new basketball team.

The only mental image that came to mind was that of his second-grade best friend, Miles Hancock. And so, when he visited Wakefield this summer and saw Hancock on the floor, he figured he had probably found his team.

More time around Wakefield, and more broadly, a family-like atmosphere that Young and his mom noticed under Coach Tony Bentley, led Young to pick Wakefield over private school power Bishop O’Connell. At Wakefield, he saw an opportunity to lift his teammates.

“We bonded really quickly. I trust my teammates through thick and thin,” Young said. “Now, everybody is part of that family culture.”

Behind Young (23.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game on 63 percent shooting) and a rejuvenated culture, the Warriors are 10-2 following two ho-hum seasons. The team last reached the state finals in 2018.

“We got back to the old family way,” Bentley said, denoting a trip to Charlotte and a preseason banquet with team parents as catalysts to camaraderie. “Parents are hugging and high-fiving at games. The guys are leaning on each other.”

Bentley remains regularly surprised by Young’s character on and off the court. He certainly didn’t expect a 6-foot-4, 230-pound player to move like he was a guard; to be so humble and easygoing in his daily approach; to have the biggest smile on the team; to have the extroversion and care to pop into Bentley’s classes most school days.

“He’s so unselfish, to the point where I thought he was doing it to be accepted among the other guys,” Bentley said. “I had to explain to him, ‘Son, you’re different.’ ”

He said it’s a testament to Young’s mom, who, after the senior’s 25-point season debut, told her son he “left a bunch of points on the board.”

“When I met Carlton I was like holy s—, he’s a once-in-a-generation type of player here at Wakefield,” Bentley said. “And he’s an even better person.”

Qayden Samuels, McNamara: The sophomore guard broke a single-game program record with 45 points in the Mustangs’ win over The Heights on Thursday. His sister, Qandace, was named Player of the Week last week after leading her team to a tournament championship.

Keyarah Rainey, Osbourn Park: The sophomore guard had 30 points and nine rebounds in a win over No. 19 Gainesville as her Yellow Jackets continue to play beyond their experience level.

Ethan Sheffey, Southern: The Bulldogs rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat Glen Burnie, 70-69, in double overtime in large part due to the junior guard’s team-high 31 points. His teammate, senior point guard Brian Griffin, chipped in 27 points and five steals.

Madison Williams, Oxon Hill: The senior tallied 29 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Clippers past previously-unbeaten Largo, 65-50.

Hayfield girls at Edison, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Whitman boys at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Friday, 5:30 p.m.

Sidwell Friends boys at St. Andrew’s, Friday, 5:45

Dunbar at Anacostia, Wednesday, 5:30

Carroll looks like a WCAC contender

Last March, when her team won the D.C. State Athletic Association A division title, Archbishop Carroll Coach Edythe White called it a “program-defining win.”

“We’ve been knocking on that door for a while,” White told The Post at that time. “Today, we finally broke it down.”

So far this winter, the Lions have stayed firmly within that room of success. Carrying the momentum of that title, the program’s first since 1998, they have begun this season 11-1. A strong start has evolved into something more impressive, as the Lions kicked off the new year with a double-digit win over Washington Catholic Athletic Conference powerhouse St. John’s. White, who has coached Carroll since 2009, estimated it was the program’s first win over the Cadets in more than 15 years.

“Knowing how we ended last year, and looking at what we brought in, I thought we could be good,” White said. “I didn’t know we could start the year with one loss, but I definitely felt good about the direction the program was moving in.”

The Lions’ resurgence is part of a marked shift in the WCAC, as the talent-rich league has looked top-heavy in recent years. St. John’s, Paul VI and McNamara have taken turns making dominant runs and boxing out the league’s middle class. This winter, programs such as Carroll, Elizabeth Seton and Bishop Ireton have fared well in the early part of the year and look to be real threats.

“You’re so used to that dynamic with the top three,” White said. “And those are fantastic programs. …But we’ve got great coaches setting up at some of these other schools, and they’re starting to get the players they need to try and turn the tables. Everybody wants to put their program on the map.”

Wise wants to perfect its pace

Wise’s boys pride themselves on playing fast. Whether it’s through sprinting up the floor in transition or hurrying opponents into quick turnovers, the Pumas’ speed has become the foundation of their playing style.

“When we’re on the floor, we want to go 110 percent,” senior guard Marcus Rustin said.

That speed has catalyzed a strong start for Wise, which sits at 5-2 and has won each of its first four county games. The Pumas knocked off Richard Montgomery in a high-scoring 87-81 win to close out 2023 before starting the new year with a 77-68 victory over Eleanor Roosevelt.

Still, Coach Lou Wilson said his team has yet to find its top form. The Pumas have let multiple comfortable victories turn into nail-biters from, in Wilson’s eyes, playing “too fast” in specific moments.

“You need to play smarter and set a different pace when you’re up by 10 points with a minute to go in the game,” Wilson said.

The Pumas have several months to work on perfecting their pace as they race toward another postseason run. Wilson said he plans on implementing situational drills in practice moving forward to give players a better understanding of when to best show off their speed.

When the Pumas figure that out, Wilson said, they believe they’ll be a tough out.

“We feel like we haven’t really scratched the surface as to how good we can be in February,” Wilson said. “But I’m happy with the start of the season.”