With 36 area teams set to run for a state championship this season, GHSA's penultimate meet in Carrollton could have a decidedly northeast Georgia tilt.
While the competition will be fierce for team and individual honors, area teams enter the meet with high hopes of not only impressing but producing podium finishes.
Two northeast Georgia programs will look to defend their 2016 state crowns beginning Friday, as the East Jackson boys and Towns County girls carried the team torch last season. In fact, the Lady Indians have built themselves something of a dynasty, having won five straight Class A Public championships -- every one since the public/private split in Class A. Towns County enters as the Area 4-A champ, while East Jackson's boys claimed the 8-AAA crown.
The Towns County girls face stiff competition from within their own area, as Commerce, second in 4-AA, enters the meet ranked second -- one place ahead of the Lady Indians in third. Commerce's boys, meanwhile, are ranked sixth.
Class AAA has often proved the most competitive classification for area runners with powerhouse programs such as North Hall, East Jackson and Dawson County all battling for domination against top private schools such as Westminster and Pace Academy. This season should prove no different, as the Dawson County boys (Region 7-AAA champs) hold a No. 2 ranking behind only Westminster, with North Hall hot on their heels in third. Defending champ East Jackson is ranked fifth and Union County eighth. Meanwhile, the North Hall girls enter the meet ranked fifth, Dawson County sixth, Lumpkin County ninth and East Jackson 10th.
Class AAAA also features perahps the hardest fight to the top, with Marist and St. Pius X hogging the medal podium the last several years -- Flowery Branch (now in Class AAAAA) is the only team other than the War Eagles or Golden Lions to bust up their dominance when the Falcons won the title in 2011 (Flowery Branch claimed the Class AAAAA championship in 2013 as well). Marist owns five of the last eight AAAA crowns. Yet the Chestatee and White County boys, ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, will take their best shots this weekend. Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors and War Eagles are also ranked fifth and eighth and face an equally steep climb against a Marist team -- also their Region 7-AAAA rival -- that has won nine straight state titles.
Speaking of the Branch, the Lady Falcons enter the meet ranked third after claiming the Region 8-AAAAA title behind No. 1 McIntosh and No. 2 Woodland. The Buford girls are also eighth, while the Branch boys enter as the No. 9 team in Class AAAAA.
And in Class AA, the Banks County boys are looking for big things after winning Region 8-AA in dominating fashion -- the Leopards claimed places 2-6 in the individual top 10 and have climbed to No. 1 in the rankings, ahead of defending state champ Bleckley County. The Banks County girls are also won Region 8-AA and are fourth in the rankings, while the Rabun County girls are eighth.
Competition begins Friday morning at Carrollton High School and continues into Saturday. For a full meet schedule, directions and more, click here.
AREA COMPETITORS QUALIFIED FOR STATE CROSS COUNTRY MEET
NOV. 3-4, CARROLLTON
CLASS AAAAAA
Boys
Gainesville
Lanier
Winder-Barrow
Girls
Apalachee
Lanier
Winder-Barrow
*Ashley Sosa, Gainesville
CLASS AAAAA
Boys
Buford
Flowery Branch
Girls
Buford
Flowery Branch
Johnson
CLASS AAAA
Boys
Chestatee
Jefferson
White County
Girls
Chestatee
Jefferson
White County
CLASS AAA
Boys
Dawson County
East Jackson
Jackson County
North Hall
Union County
Girls
Dawson County
East Jackson
Jackson County
Lumpkin County
North Hall
Union County
CLASS AA
Boys
Banks County
Rabun County
Girls
Banks County
Rabun County
CLASS A
Boys
Commerce
Towns County
Girls
Commerce
Towns County
*- Qualified as an individual
