PLEASANT SURPRISE: Young Raiders run PV back to the top in county

Oct. 21—MCCLELLAN — Brad Hood didn't know what to expect from his latest Pleasant Valley cross country team this season.

How about another Calhoun County championship, for starters?

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Pleasant Valley's Cayden Nelson took second, behind the meet-record pace set by Oxford's Noah George, and the Raiders put a red-and-columbia blue wall between themselves most of the field en route to another championship.

It marked Pleasant Valley's first county championship since 2018, when the Raiders went on to win the school's first state title in boys' sports, and their fifth overall. They rank second in Class 3A by average time.

Hood called Pleasant Valley's latest county title the most satisfying.

"This bunch, half of our scores didn't even make my top 10 last year," he said. "We lost all of them but my two, but my three and four quit. They were freshmen, but they were already in the 17s."

George was the individual star of the day, winning the first county title in 16:32.72, breaking the meet record by 15 seconds.

"I knew I had to go out fast because of Cayden," George said. "After I kind of got through the first mile, I tried to slow it down a little bit and regain my breath, because I knew his last mile is always catching up to the guys in front of him."

George's first-place finish was his county best. He finished third a year ago, when Oxford prevailed over White Plains in a tiebreaker.

No tiebreaker this year. Pleasant Valley prevailed 37-41, overcoming Oxford's three top-four finishers with six in the top 12. The Raiders' Alec Vess took sixth (18:01.77), and four Pleasant Valley runners came in 9-12: Braxton Williams (18:22.94), Jaden Veazey (18:26.28), Matthew Walden (18:30.18) and Ryan Eubanks (18:33.20).

All made all-county by virtue of finishing in the top 15.

"We were expecting kids who didn't even make top 10 last year, or make it to state, to come and run for us this year," Hood said. "We didn't really see a whole lot until last week at White Plains.

"They flipped the switch, and my number two, three, four and five had personal records at White Plains. That's a good course, but it's not a PR course."

That momentum carried into the county meet.

Nelson's time of 16:43.23 also beat the previous record, by four seconds, which was held by Jake Moore.

"I was starting out in a sprint, trying not to get boxed in the first few turns," Nelson said. "I was just trying to chase that guy in front, and I give it to him. He's put in the work, and he definitely had the guts to win today."

Oxford placed four on the all-county team, including Evan Somers (third, 17:50.05), Justin Dempsey (fourth, 18:00.01) and Braxton Snider (14th,18:40.89).

Nelson called Pleasant Valley's latest county championship "incredible."

"We only have one senior," he said. "Most of the time, a team who wins is full of juniors and seniors. We're not."

Calhoun County Cross Country

Team results

Pleasant Valley 37, Oxford 41, White Plains 101, Jacksonville 104, Alexandria 114, Faith Christian 170, Donoho 183, Ohatchee 251, Piedmont 260.,

The top 15 boys finishers from Thursday's county meet at McClellan qualify as all-county:

1. Noah George (Oxford) 16:32.72

2. Cayden Nelson (Pleasant Valley) 16:43.23

3. Evan Somers (Oxford) 17:50.05

4. Justin Dempsey (Oxford) 18:00.01

5. Alec Vess (Pleasant Valley) 18:01.77

6. Evan Garner (Jacksonville) 18:07.28

7. Jonah Medders (Alexandria) 18:13.78

8. Caden Johnson (White Plains) 18:22.73

9. Braxton Williams (Pleasant Valley) 18:22.94

10. Jaden Veazey (Pleasant Valley) 18:26.28

11. Matthew Walden (Pleasant Valley) 18:30.18

12. Ryan Eubanks (Pleasant Valley) 18:33.20

13. Landon Garner (Jacksonville) 18:40.22

14. Braxton Snider (Oxford) 18:40.89

15. Sawyer Conn (White Plains) 18:45.05

Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.