Deerfield-Windsor wins Region 5-AAAA boys cross country title

ALBANY — Jake Clawson moved Deerfield-Windsor into a more competitive cross country region because he wanted his runners tested.

The Knights got exactly that.

They lost to Calvary Christian last month, spent the next several weeks responding to it and arrived at Thursday’s Region 5-AAAA championship knowing victory was anything but guaranteed.

That was the point.

“It’s not really winning if there is no chance of losing,” Clawson has often said.

On Thursday at Albany State University’s West Campus, Deerfield-Windsor won anyway.

The Knights placed all five scoring runners among the top 16 and finished with 36 points, beating St. Anne-Pacelli’s 47 and Calvary Christian’s 54 for the region championship.

Junior Whatley Fountain removed most of the suspense from the individual race. He finished in 15 minutes, 44.59 seconds—more than a minute ahead of Calvary Christian’s DJ Lewis, who placed second in 17:02.56.

Cross country championships, however, require more than one fast runner.

Daniel Roland finished third, Adam Mallow placed sixth and Mills Cothren crossed in 10th, giving Deerfield-Windsor four runners among the top 10. Brycen Newsome completed the scoring with a 16th-place finish.

The Knights’ depth turned Fountain’s runaway victory into a team championship. Their response to last month’s loss made it possible.

“After the boys lost to Calvary last month, every single kid on the team accepted accountability,” Clawson said. “We had a great month of training, and I feel like we were focused on the task at hand.”

Not even Hurricane Isaias disrupted that focus.

With the storm expected to arrive last Friday, the Knights adjusted their schedule and met for an early workout.

“They were up at 6 a.m. to get our workout in because we knew the hurricane was coming that afternoon,” Clawson said. “I don’t think anyone else in our region was up running.”

Six days later, Deerfield-Windsor was holding the championship trophy.

The Lady Knights did not have the performance they wanted Thursday, but they earned the opportunity to run again.

Deerfield-Windsor finished fourth with 84 points and qualified for next week’s state championship meet in Macon. St. Anne-Pacelli won the girls title with 21 points, followed by Brookstone with 69 and Calvary Christian with 76.

Ali Roland led the Lady Knights with a sixth-place finish. Holli Roland placed 11th, Maggie Collins was 21st, Reagan Church finished 22nd and Emily Rutledge crossed in 24th to complete Deerfield-Windsor’s scoring.

“We qualified, but I don’t think that performance is representative of the work we’ve put in,” Clawson said. “Coach Plowden and I are happy they have another race.”

Both Deerfield-Windsor teams will compete at the state championships next Saturday.

The girls will arrive with another opportunity to show what their work has produced.

The boys will arrive as region champions—after choosing the road on which a championship would mean more.