Knights embrace challenge in championship chase

ALBANY — Jake Clawson could have made the road easier.

Instead, Deerfield-Windsor’s cross country coach and his runners chose to make it harder.

They voted to compete in a region that includes larger Class AAAA programs such as Brookstone and Pacelli. And when the Knights open their season next Friday night, they’ll travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the invitation-only Cecil Field 2026 Summer Classic, featuring some of the area’s strongest teams and the nation’s top cross country recruit in the Class of 2027.

Why?

Because Deerfield-Windsor isn’t interested in finding the easiest path to a trophy.

“We always want to compete against the best competition,” Clawson said. “Winning doesn’t mean much if you have no chance of losing.”

That philosophy has helped produce four state championships during Clawson’s 11 years at Deerfield-Windsor.

Now the Knights want No. 5.

The boys finished second at state last season, and junior Whatley Fountain gives them one of the state’s top runners to build around.

Fountain ran a personal-best 15:38 on Deerfield-Windsor’s home course at Albany State West last season and finished third at the state championship meet in Macon.

This year he wants a faster time, a team championship and an opportunity to run in college.

“I want to drop my time and hopefully get recruited for college,” Fountain said. “My goal is for us to win a state championship.”

Fountain learned last season that going out too hard can hurt him later in a race. He also learned he prefers having someone beside him, pushing him to maintain his pace.

He should get plenty of that in Jacksonville.

Senior Mills Cothren represents another side of the program.

He wasn’t always one of Deerfield-Windsor’s most talented runners. He simply kept showing up and working.

Now he’s a team captain with a chance to become an all-state runner.

“He wasn’t always the most talented, but he worked hard to get where he is,” Clawson said. “He is the stuff that our program is made of. He has shown up for four years and worked hard. Now he has a chance to be all-state.”

Cothren wants to break into the 17-minute range, but his biggest goal involves his teammates.

“My goal is to serve as a good team captain and be a good example for our younger team members,” he said.

Fountain, Cothren, Adam Mallow, Daniel Roland and Caughey “Coy” Culpepper are leading candidates to make up the Knights’ scoring five, with several younger runners pushing them. That group includes Bryson Newsome, younger brother of former Deerfield-Windsor standout Ethan Newsome, who now runs at Troy University.

The Lady Knights face a different challenge after winning their region but finishing ninth at state last season.

Clawson has added former Deerfield-Windsor and Westover runner Will Plowden, who competed at the Division I level, to his staff. Plowden is working primarily with the girls and designing much of their training.

“Hopefully with two coaches who ran D1, we will have good ideas,” Clawson said.

Maggie Collins and Emily Rutledge have emerged as leaders for the girls, helping keep teammates focused and ready for workouts.

“We’ve been getting more attention now that there are two coaches,” Rutledge said.

Collins, who began running in sixth grade, wants the younger runners to see her as someone they can follow.

“Our team is quiet, and I want the younger girls to look at me as another runner, like them,” Collins said. “I love running because I want to stay in shape. Plus it just helps me prove that I can do it.”

The Lady Knights’ path won’t be easy. Clawson believes at least three teams could contend for the championship in their new region.

That’s exactly what Deerfield-Windsor wanted.

There are easier races to schedule and easier competition to chase.

The Knights chose something else.

Next Friday night in Jacksonville, they’ll line up against some of the best runners they’ll see all season.

Because Deerfield-Windsor isn’t trying to find out how easily it can win.

The Knights want to find out how good they can become.