Once Again, Knights Have The Numbers

A year ago, no Frontier League boys track team came within 50 points of champion East Valley.

The Knights averaged just under 105 points out of the 145 available in a dual meet.

Such ease of victory is something that still surprises coach Dave McCarty.

“We pummeled kids,” he said. “I didn’t think we were that tough.”

If track was down last year, enabling the Knights to run roughshod over the league, said McCarty, it is down again this year.

Nine of 15 individual district champions have graduated and the Knights have numbers in a numbers sport.

Still, McCarty downplayed his team’s chances for a repeat championship.

“I’m thinking we’re not as strong as in the past,” he said.

The challenge will come from a variety of teams. Three of them, including West Valley, were separated by a meet last year.

Sprints remain EV concern

East Valley has the league’s best distance runner, pole vaulter and two of its best jumpers.

Pat Ferguson placed in the state long jump at over 22-feet and high jumped 6-8. Jerry Claridge is pushing him.

Pole vaulter Albert Ruperd, who cleared 13-5, was an inch away from state last year.

“The jumpers are the heart and soul of the whole outfit,” said cocoach Nick Lazanis. “Almost any school we go against we’ll one-two, or one-two-three them.”

Distances are in good shape with district cross country champion Chris Henderson.

“He ran all winter and is in outstanding shape,” said McCarty. “He’s ready to tear some heads off. He’ll be quadrupling in some meets, he thinks.”

As ever, the sprints remain a Knight concern.

Last year Rob Shogren ably filled in before reaching state in the intermediate hurdles. He’s graduated, along with the team’s number two dash man.

That leaves it up to football linebacker Jesse Ewell, Don Snyder, junior pole vaulter Jake Kammers, who also runs the 300 hurdles and relays, and the untested, including Claridge and Ferguson.

“We have some younger kids, but it’s too early to tell,” said McCarty.

Freshmen Adrian Likely and Joe Stauffer show promise.

Distances are deep Dustin Sletner, Nick Granly, Ryan Skinner, junior Mike Wood, sophomore Bryan McCarty and freshman Sean Williams give the Knights plenty of distance help.

Sophomore Brandon Blize has improved substantially in the hurdles. He’s joined by sophomore Mitch Johnson and freshman Jason Key.

In the field, Ewell and sophomore Nick Hanson in the shot, Josh Phillips, Chad Brazington in the javelin and discus man Rob Olson, back after a year’s absence, are throwers. Another, Ken Skogen is recovering from knee surgery.

Youth to be served at WV

State-placing javelin thrower Mike Schroder and school record-setting discus thrower Vinnie Pecht are juniors.

They personify the state of West Valley’s boys track team. The Eagles are young, including 16 freshman who make up the largest 9th grade turnout that Jim McLachlan has coached.

Still, McLachlan isn’t ruling out a championship challenge.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I think we have a competitive group of kids and they’re more together than we’ve been in a long time.”

Schroder has twice placed in the state meet taking third last year at 188-5. Teammate and senior Joe Bonner threw 173-feet this year, handing Schroder his first loss to a Frontier League foe.

In the same meet Pecht threw the discus 162-11 to break the school record. They are joined by juniors Ryan Stockton, Joel Baldwin, Bill Schuster, Al Leong and freshman Lee Rottweilerin the throws.

Runners from the Eagle state cross country runnerup mae the distances strong. Included are junior Clayton Holmes - “He’ll be a real force,” said McLachlan - seniors Levi Lounder and Allen Watke, junior Eric Brosvik, sophomore Eric Gorton, freshmen Sean McLachlan and David McNeill.

Junior Gavin Tucker and Baldwin lead the sprinters and hurdlers where there will be some cross over.

“Gavin needs to stay healthy,” said McLachlan. “Joel will be solid for us.”

Other sprinters and hurdlers are juniors Dave Cooper, Joe Oka and James Herndon, senior Jim Almond, freshmen Eric Salle, Eric Deno, Trevor Britton and Andy Miller.

Jumps are a question mark, although sophomores Ryan Schroder, a 6-2 high jumper, and Devion Tensley with 20-foot and 40-foot potential in the horizontal jumps, show promise.

Others are freshmen Miller, Deno and Brad Groh and possibly Mike Schroder.

Cooper and yet another freshman, Rick Collins, are pole vaulters.

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