Lake City expects hard task

Any other year and Lake City cross country coach Justin Taylor believes his boys team would win a state championship.

Two things stand in the Timberwolves’ way to make that possible Saturday. Make that two teams – Borah and Mountain View.

“Both of those teams are stronger than I thought they’d be,” Taylor said. “They’re both five deep with front-runners. It’s going to take a heckuva day to win.”

It’s not that Taylor is counting out his boys. At the least he thinks his team can finish in the top three and earn a trophy.

“We’ll go compete, I know that,” Taylor said.

Borah and Mountain View are ranked first and second, respectively, in the final 5A poll. Lake City is third. Taylor sees the rankings playing themselves out Saturday when the state races for all classifications are held at Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston.

What gives LC an outside hope is the fact the race is being held on a course the Timberwolves know, Taylor said. It’s a course that fits Taylor’s team.

“It’s a true cross country course,” Taylor said. “It’s not just a flat course. It has all kinds of terrains and variables.”

LC knows exactly what it’s up against. The T-Wolves raced against Borah at the Coaster Cross at Silverwood in early September and LC saw Mountain View at a race in Oregon early this month.

“We’re definitely the underdogs,” Taylor said.

Taylor just hopes to have his full lineup available. His second-ranked runner, senior Nic Cotton, was in a car accident in front of the school Wednesday. Taylor said Cotton, who fortunately suffered just a cut on his head, had to be cut out of his car. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released.

Cotton finished second at the Region I meet last week. Teammate C.J. Helbling, a freshman, won the race.

“He was going to go home for a minute before coming back to practice,” Taylor said of Cotton. “He was shook up. He was complaining of a headache.”

Coeur d’Alene senior Michael Armon, who missed last year’s cross country season because of major knee surgery, finished third at the regional meet. Armon was ranked 15th in the final 5A poll this week after slipping as many as 10 spots this season. Helbling was ranked eighth and Cotton 12th.

In the girls, CdA senior Anna Stone was ranked first in the final rankings. Post Falls sophomore Angie Whalen, who spent one week at the top, was fourth.

Stone is given the slight nod to win a state title. She finished sixth as a sophomore and third last year.

LC’s girls, who have run as a tight pack all season, hope to earn a trophy by finishing in the top four. They are ranked fifth.

“I think their pack time is tight enough to do that,” Taylor said. “Our top five have to finish in the top 30 to do it.”