Keeping Tabs on Calhoun County Track

Calhoun County, AL – Nelson, PV boys open their season with a closely watched win in Wildcat Twilight Invite; Alexandria wins big school girls race by smallest of margins; Lady Cubs senior Moore gets her first win

By Al Muskewitz

It’s only the first race of the year, but it’s on. Oh, is it on. When Pleasant Valley dropped to Class 2A in the latest AHSAA realignment, the consensus in the cross country community was the race for the boys state championship in November would come down between the Raiders and Cold Springs. It’s a showdown that is highly anticipated and expected to be tight.

The Raiders opened their season Thursday by winning the small schools boys race in the White Plains Wildcat Twilight Invite. Before the race was even over, Cold Spring coach Casey Howell, the former coach at Ohatchee, was on the phone with one of his former runners at the race asking how the Raiders were progressing coming across the line.

PV coach Brad Hood was more amused than insulted. He admitted he would have done the same thing and, in fact, plans to when the Eagles run this weekend. “It’s going to be fun,” Hood said. “We know we’re not going to be racing each other, but we’re going to be chasing each other … every race.

“It makes it fun. It makes it fun to know somebody’s two and a half hours away, but you’re still watching each other. You’re wanting to motivate your kids, you want to tell them what they did. He’s wanting to tell his kids how well we did, so they’ll step it up in practice. He’s wanting to find any angle to motivate his kids like this is the bar and we need to get there and he’s going to motivate them.”  [*** read more]

Wildcat Twilight Invite

Class 1A-4A Girls

Team scores: Glencoe 34, White Plains 62, Jacksonville 66, Pleasant Valley 124, Sylvania 151, Ohatchee 152, Faith Christian 165, Hokes Bluff 187, Handley 217.

Class 1A-4A Boys

Team scores: Pleasant Valley 30, White Plains 93, Jacksonville 110, Faith Christian 128, Glencoe 129, Hokes Bluff 137, Ohatchee 191, Donoho 192, Handley 205, Sylvania 207.

Class 5A-7A Girls

Team scores: Alexandria 51, Pell City 52, Clay Central 73, Lincoln 85, Sardis 107, Guntersville 130.

Class 5A-7A Boys

Team scores: Lincoln 24, Pell City 61, Clay Central 100, Alexandria 101, Guntersville 136, Gadsden City 139, Sardis 154.