1. Concord-Carlisle
Concord-Carlisle returns their top eight runners from last season making them arguably the deepest team in the state. On paper they have a 1-5 spread from 16:08-16:23. Compared to some of the previous teams we’ve highlighted, those times may not jump off the page. However, if you dig into the results, you see a team built to win from top to bottom.
At the Meet of Champions last season, they finished fourth overall and had five runners under 17. The other teams to do that? Brookline and BC High. At the Division 1B race, they topped Natick by three points, bolstered by Cameron Smack. He was their fifth runner that day and was the top number five scorer overall, finishing in 32nd.
A testament to how formidable their top five is, their fifth runner by time, Charles McDonald, had a strong outdoor season running 9:38. He was their fourth runner at the Divisional Meet and second at Meet of Champions. In outdoors he was followed closely by Brendan Quinn, their top XC returner, at 9:42. They had eight runners break 10 minutes for the Two-Mile. Iron will sharpen iron, as earning a spot on their varsity squad and keeping it will be no easy task. Having such a tight pack will pay dividends in the post season.
So what will it take to win? Last year Brookline and BC High scored a stunning 62 and 71 points. This year the winning score will be higher, and the depth of Concord Carlisle should prevail in a score in the 90s. While they may not have someone battling for the individual title, when you see the first Patriot runner approaching, you know the rest of the team isn’t far behind.
Projected Top 7-8
12. Brendan Quinn 16:08
11. Sawyer Bout 16:09
11. Braeden Quayle 16:11
12. Luke Crouse 16:13
12. Charles Macdonald 16:23
12. Jay Bodenrader 16:30
12. Joey Bodenrader 16:34
10. Cameron Smack 16:42
