These two teams took the defending champions right to the edge of defeat in 2013, but one has enough returning talent to do it again, and again.
Only one team in Texas can graduate three strong runners and end up getting better, and this year's edition could be a monster.
One of these teams had the best 5-girl results from track season, plus very low turnover due to graduation, a formula for success.
With only 33 seconds separating their returning 1-5 runners, The Woodlands has the closest pack in the countdown.
An extremely strong track season has propelled a former champion into the conversation for this fall's 6A title race.
Can a team that didn't make the 5A state meet last fall be a contender in 6A? With a budding star and a tight pack, yes.
If this these girls continue the improvement arc they charted in the spring, they could be posing on an awards stage in November.
Connor Meaux may have made the transition to full-fledged stardom in the spring, and he leads a very experienced squad.
Cypress Woods has plenty of talent back, but there isn't much data to evaluate the team's progress since last fall.
After the 2013 fall season ended at the region meet instead of at states, Eastwood may be driven to advance this fall.
Antigone Archer is the only top 5 runner returning for the 3-time champions, but it still won't be easy to slay the Dragons.
The uniforms stood out, but the team has some serious unfinished business remaining after a change from 4A to 6A.
Safiya Belbina is a powerhouse, but based on track results she may have some competition for the top spot on her own team.
To really be considered a top program, you have to be consistent - and Del Rio has been in the top 10 in Texas for the last 3 years.
If you want an example of a team that was young in 2013 but got valuable experience for a title run in 2014, look no further.
While most former 5A teams were moving up, Grapevine stayed put, and that helps make them a title contender in 2014.
Ever run on a course so fast that it needed a speed limit? Prosper has, and the Eagles are a sleeper candidate in 5A.
For the first time in the countdown, we're focusing on an experienced, veteran team instead of a young, rising squad.
Kim Endo was the lone representative of her team at the state meet last fall, but this year should be a different story.
You don't often see a competitive boys' team that only graduates one runner over a two-year span, but this is one.
The team with the best returning 2 Mile times in the state isn't in the UIL, and might be in the middle of a long title streak.
After a strong track season, Ryan Flores is prepared to lead up front, but who will shore up the back end of this team?
A 3rd-place finish in 3A last fall was just the start, as this squad fielded 4 freshmen and 2 sophomores in that race.
Only one team in the Lone Star State can claim 6 straight championships in their sanctioning body's largest classification.
Canyon Randall returns a talented front four, but the mystery of who the fifth runner will be makes it hard to evaluate the Raiders.