Jackson Scruggs will be a top runner in 2A boys this year. Photo by Marc Logan
Boys Individual
There is an obvious heavy favorite on the boys side here. Simon Schabort had a phenomenal season last year running 15:18 and then completing the distance triple at the 2A state track meet, against top competition. Unless somebody else comes along who had a monster jump, this title is his for the taking. And he could definitely be thinking bigger than state too as you've gotta give him a shot at whatever national championship he chooses to go for. Although that is one of the few things that could trip him up. If he gets too focuses on post season somebody could sneak up on him. His only real blemish on his entire year last year was the state meet, so he's not invincible. But he definitely starts out as the heavy favorite.
On paper there's really only one runner within striking distance of Schabort. Jackson Scruggs had a strong enough season that a jump up to that level is definitely a possibility. And then when it's a head to head duel you never know what will happen. Scruggs was 4th last year at the state XC meet and then put together an even better track season that saw him run 9:32 and 4:21 to get two 3rd place finishes in a very competitive field. The next best contender is probably Scruggs' teammate Robbie Dillon who made a huge jump during track season and is the only other returner in 2A under 10 in the 3200.
Also contending for a top podium spot will probably be Eyan Zupko, Nathan Hallar, Jackson Ruddell, Will DeLoach, Zechariah Prater, Pepper Davis, Isael Guerra-Baca, and Andrew Hodges.
Boys Team
Just like with the individual race, there is a clear and obvious team favorite here. Athens Academy comes up from 1A and brings a very strong team with them. They have three front runners in Scruggs, Dillon, and DeLoach. They aren't lights out at 4-5, but they're still very strong.Unless somebody else makes a big jump, this title is theirs for the taking. They have only ever won a state title once before back in 2012, so they'll be looking to add to that.
We have a potentially tight battle for runner up after that. It'll likely come down to which of these teams put in the right work in the offseason. Or did the best at getting new runners out to their team. Fannin County or Vidalia hold the slight edge for 2nd at the moment. Fannin has a slight edge in terms of depth, but Vidalia might have had the better track season. So you don't know. Model is also in the mix and they'll likely have the individual champion in Schabort. They don't appear to have the depth on paper, but if Simon can rally the troops to do what he says at practice, then they could be a team to be reckoned with this upcoming year. Other teams in the mix for a shot at the podium are Mount Paran, Landmark, Jeff Davis, Providence Christian, and East Jackson.