Powerhouse Pats
Lars Porter didn’t have anything new to tell his runners as they stood near the starting line at Oakville Indian Mounds Park on Nov. 11. Instead, he simply reminded them of the work they had logged over the course of the 2017 cross-country season, which had begun with early morning training runs in the summer heat.
The Homewood High School boys had come a long way since then. Miles had been stockpiled, workouts had been banked and a handful of races had revealed their potential. Now, on a sunny, 50-degree morning, the time had come to reap the fruits of their labor.
All Porter needed was for his athletes to make a decision. No matter what unfolded over the awaiting five kilometers, they had to persevere.
“I said, ‘Make the choice now. Don’t trust yourself at mile 2 when you’re hurting to make the decision. Make the decision now, and then it’s over and done with,’” Porter recalled.
The Patriots responded to their coach’s request. As a result, their vaunted streak lives on.
Paced by junior Will Stone’s first-place finish, the Homewood boys cross-country team captured its sixth consecutive state title at the AHSAA state meet. They bested runner-up Cullman, 54-69, to clinch the Class 6A crown. The Bearcats had entered as the favorite.
“It’s been an odd season of running good times, but not quite what I felt like they were capable of,” Porter said afterward. “They reached it today.”
Only one boys cross-country program in state history has now won more consecutive state titles than Homewood. The Randolph School in Huntsville secured seven in a row from 2005-11.
Porter, who is in his sixth year at Homewood, credits his team’s continued success to the culture established by former Patriots runners.
“What it speaks to is the kids that kind of started it — the Mike Rohdys, the Alex Ngeis — that owned it and poured into the next generation,” Porter said.
That includes Stone, who led from start to finish in a commanding performance. He completed the 5K course in 15 minutes, 46 seconds to claim his second straight state title. His nearest competitor, Florence’s Grant Brown, finished 17 seconds back.
“It wasn’t the time I wanted, but I’m definitely happy,” Stone said. “It’s not really about time for state. It’s about place.”
Stone took the 6A state championship by surprise as a sophomore, knocking off an older competitor. But this year there was little doubt about the end result. Stone entered the race with a personal best that was more than 30 seconds faster than the rest of the field.
He ran accordingly.
Stone opened a 10-second gap by the 1-mile mark, which he passed in 4:47, and grew his lead over the next five minutes. He hit the 2-mile mark at 9:57, the same split he recorded at October’s Jesse Owens Classic. Stone raced alongside Vestavia Hills’ James Sweeney at Jesse Owens en route to a personal-best time 15:22. But without Sweeney, who won the 7A state title, Stone fell off the swift pace and cruised through the final third.
“I just didn’t have the same gas, or at least have James there with me,” Stone said. “But it was still good.”
Stone paced a pack of three Homewood runners who earned All-State honors by finishing in the top 15. Jackson Merrell, a sophomore, placed ninth in 16:36, and Alvin Finch, a senior, placed 12th in 16:40.
Cullman tested Homewood, as four Bearcats crossed the finish line in the top 17. But their back-end depth didn’t match the Patriots. Homewood’s Azariah Kipchumba (18th, 16:59) and Logan Justice (20th, 17:03) notched top 20 performances to complete the team score.
Cullman’s fifth runner finished 42nd.
“They knew the expectations, and they’ve taken a lot of ownership of it,” Porter said. “They left it out there.”
The Homewood girls also had their best collective showing of the season at state, but it wasn’t enough to fend off Fort Payne. The Wildcats dethroned the defending state champions, 51-65.
But Fort Payne’s narrow margin of victory proved a victory in itself.
“We knew the girls’ battle was going to be what it was,” Porter said. “Fort Payne was projected to beat us by 50-plus points ... and our girls ran absolutely their best.”
Celie Jackson, a sophomore, paved the way with a second-place finish in 18:48. She had never previously broken 19 minutes for 5K, which had been her goal all season.
“I’m so happy and excited,” Jackson said. “I’ve been working so hard for this, and my goal was finally accomplished at state.”
Jackson ran by herself for the vast majority of the 6A girls race, as Florence’s Mary Claire Ridgeway pulled away early en route to a first-place finish. But Jackson separated from the chase pack and maintained a comfortable gap throughout. She passed the mile in 5:40 and the 2 mile in 11:39. Upon rounding the course’s final turn, she knew she had a shot at dipping under 19 minutes.
“I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Porter said.
Audrey Nabors, a junior, joined Jackson as an All-State performer, placing 12th in 20:03. Alex Steltenpohl (17th, 20:15), Hanna Brook Gibbons (18th, 20:34) and Maris Owen (19th, 20:41) rounded out Homewood’s top five.
The Patriots finished more than 80 points ahead of third-place John Carroll.
“We were our best at the time when it counted the most,” Porter said. “That’s what I’m proud of.”