In most instances, such statements are empty rhetoric, but for Apex High's boys lacrosse program it has been a reality.

After a state championship season in 2005, coach John Hayden's team lost 18 seniors to graduation and found itself with only nine returning players.

Whether the Cougars liked it or not, they had no choice but to reload. Most programs would have raised the white flag and waited around for next season, but Apex instead took 21 members from last year's junior varsity team and are now sitting at 10-2 -- ranked No. 3 in the latest LaxPower.com rankings.

On Thursday, the Cougars dropped a hard-fought 9-6 decision to top-ranked Chapel Hill High.

The defending state champs' success this season has been a result of the new varsity members playing like they did not know how young they are.

Unfortunately, their youth caught up with them on Thursday as the more experienced Tigers took advantage of Apex's mental lapses and handed them their second loss of the season.

"We played good as a young team," Apex senior defender Ross Thornton said. "We made some young mistakes and all we can do is get better. I think we played a good 48-minute game -- we just let some things go that we shouldn't have."

Thornton remained positive after the loss and is confident that the team is on the right track.

"I could definitely see [Chapel Hill] in the state championship, but we should have beaten them," Thornton said. "I think we're fine and we're going to do nothing but get better."

The fact that this team is even talking about a state championship after losing two-thirds of its roster is a testament to the quality of the juniors and Apex's junior varsity program.

While being a junior doesn't equate inexperience in all sports, it does in North Carolina lacrosse.

The lack of quality junior varsity programs in the area makes senior experience vital for most teams. Luckily, Apex has one of the best junior varsity programs in the state.

Before a loss to Chapel Hill, also on Thursday, coach Chip Thurston's junior varsity team had not lost a game in a year and a half.

"We've got a very strong JV program," Hayden said. "A lot of involvement, a lot of commitment from the kids, it keeps getting better and better every year."

Even the players agree.

"Coach Thurston does a great job down there on JV. He's one of our secret weapons," Thornton said. "We wouldn't be anywhere near as good as we are this year if it wasn't for coach Thurston.

"He trains the kids, gets them ready for varsity, lets them come up for varsity practice here and there and lets them play with the varsity team. I think that's where a lot of our success has come from."

Despite the inexperience of this year's team, Hayden believes that the Cougars just may end up being better than last year's state champions.

"Might be more athletic this year, might be a little deeper but we're going to find out how much experience matters," Hayden said. "A number of these kids excel in other sports. I know these guys can compete under pressure and they're going to play real hard in tight situations. That's what counts."

The transition from junior varsity to varsity has been made easier by seniors like Thornton, who played on last year's state championship team. The ability for these players to bridge the gap between the two teams has helped the team keeps its edge.

"The seniors have played a big leadership role and an important one," Hayden said. "The younger guys are relying on the guys who have been through it."

The team's success has been even more impressive considering the pressure of coming into the season as the defending champs.

"We've got a target on our backs," Apex junior attacker Josh Tomlinson said. "That's a challenge coach brings up every day at practice, before every game. I think we're dealing really well with it."