Williamstown’s Alyssa Sauro (652) compete in the Class A Region IV tournament. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — The Class A state cross country championships slated for 2:30 p.m. (girls) and 3:15 p.m. (boys) respective starts on Saturday at Cabell Midland High School will have a plethora of local flavor in the field.

While two new individual state champs definitely will be crowned, there’s a chance a pair of new team victors also will emerge. The Williamstown girls are seeking a fifth straight crown, but Doddridge County is considered the slight favorite heading into the final race of the season by runwv.com. Ritchie County’s three-year run for the boys is expected to come to an end at the hands of Williamstown.

“I’ll tell you what. We’ve been ranked number one all year long and everybody is out to get us,” admitted ‘Jacket boys head coach Cliff Taylor.

The coach got an all-state effort in 2020 from then sophomore Zach Cannon, who is expected to make the top 10 for all-state along with freshman Julian Johnson.

“When we step on the line down there at the state championships the only people that want us to win is Williamstown,” added Taylor. “Everybody else wants to beat you.

Williamstown's Zach Cannon (613) compete in the Class A Region IV tournament. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We’re just trying to keep them humble and take care of business. Zach will be hungry and Julian has a chance to make all-state and that’s pretty impressive.”

WHS also will seek help from the likes of junior Chase Trembly, freshman Will Coiner and senior Dawson Winsett.

“A nucleus of boys that will be within 35 seconds of each other and that’s what you’ve got to have to win a state championship, and hopefully they are all up front,” added the coach.

“It would be the first ever title at Williamstown for the boys if we could win it. I told them I’ll take you into battle anywhere. We are ready to go.”

Ritchie County head coach Holli Vaughan’s Rebels, who are led by senior Jeremiah Dalton and junior Heath Knight, aren’t going to go down without a fight.

Wood County Christian runner Michael Cline, seen here racing in a regional final, enters the state meet ranked second in Class A according to runwv.com. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“I’m hoping my boys will peak at the right time,” Vaughan noted. “We are kind of in a pack right now and don’t have a lead runner. We’ve been battling quarantine and COVID. Right now we are all healthy and we’ll be ready.

“As far as who is going to be where, it will come down to who wants it the most. Williamstown is good so we know that we got some competition. I’m hoping the three seniors (Dalton, JD Henderson and Thomas Miracle) toe the line one more time and they know to give it all they’ve got.”

Wheeling Central’s Aidan Scott, Wood County Christian’s Michael Cline, Doddridge County’s Trent Gola and Buffalo’s Patrick Reilly are expected to battle for the individual title. Gola was the runner-up to Bulldog teammate Carter Lipscomb last fall. Cline finished sixth in Ona a year ago and will aim for a repeat all-state showing just like Tyler Consolidated’s Haygen Baker. Baker was ninth last year as a junior and is predicted by runwv.com to take 10th just one spot ahead of freshman teammate Jaden Ebert. Also, Wirt County’s A.J. Petrovsky (14th last year) is picked eighth and Ravenswood’s Cade Curfman, who was 17th in 2020, will try to better his 12th place prediction to make the top 10 for all-state.

Williamstown’s Alyssa Sauro and Doddridge County’s Lexi Lamb are expected to battle for the top spot.

The Bulldogs of head coach Craig Kellar didn’t even have freshman Katie Cottrill at the regional, but she’ll be back to join the likes of Bailey Holden, Emily Gola and Cassie Cumberledge.

As far as the predictions go, Cottrill (third) is followed by Williamstown’s Brianna Winsett (fourth), St. Marys’ Virginia Haddox (sixth), Holden (seventh), Gola (11th) and ‘Jacket Reagan Ortiz (12th).

Of note, Williamstown’s Lexi Wynn (17th) and Ava Lightfritz (21st), Wood County Christian’s Lacey Dimit (18th), Ritchie County’s Chesnee Williams (19th), Cumberledge (20th) as well as St. Marys’ Erica Davis (23rd) and Ravenswood’s Emily Wratchford (24th) all will look to PR.

“We’ve got a couple veterans on there with (two-time all-state senior) Chloe (Lightfritz, 6th last year), Regan and Brianna,” noted Williamstown girls head coach Mike Taylor. “Of course, we also got three freshman and Brookelyn (Reynolds) was there last year. We got a good program going and we basically reloaded. We are good to go.

“Everything has been going good this week. Good spirits and positive attitude. We run late in the afternoon and it will probably be the warmest part of the day as far as that goes. It’s supposed to be pretty wet on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We’ve dealt with that and we know how to handle that kind of stuff. Whatever the weather throws at us we’ll be good.”

Having Lamb, who was all-state last fall after placing ninth as a sophomore, along with Cottrill and Gola the Bulldogs of head coach Craig Kellar are hoping for the best.

“I would hope and expect our kids will give the best no matter the conditions, and the same with Williamstown,” Kellar said. “I’ve never seen them back off against anybody. They (WHS) are not going to let go of that easy. Hats off to them. We won the first single-A (title) back in 2016 and they’ve not allowed anybody to get their foot back in the door.

“We are certainly going to try and we have great respect for their coaches and their runners. The plan to beat them is to score less points than them. I think both teams have a chance. We are pretty darn even. It’s probably going to come down to a lot of different things, but that 3-4-5 is going to be important. I think it’s going to be great. Either team could win, but I think it’s going to be exciting for a change.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com