Good in the long run

Blessed with a stable of returning stars, Chiefs look to defend Division crown

  Three of the most-accomplished athletes to ever participate in cross country at Canton High School graduated in June.
  But don't for a minute feel sorry for the Chiefs, whose cupboards have been restocked with a group of young runners and veteran leaders who could lead coach Bill Boyd's team to great heights.
  "We're going to miss Kyle Clinton, Duncan Spitz and Greg Reed, all of whom were offered opportunities to run in college," said Boyd, "but at the same time we're returning four of our top seven runners and we have a nice group behind them.
  "We could have one of the best teams in the county, one of the better teams in the league and we have an outside shot of defending our division title."
  The Chiefs won the KLAA South Division last season and missed winning the conference meet by a mere three points.
  The top returners are four-year varsity runner Zack Spreitzer and sophomores Miles Felton, the fifth-fastest freshman at the Division 1 league meet last November and fastest freshman ever at Canton; and Mitch Clinton, the third-fastest freshman to ever wear the red-and-white Canton uniforms.
  "Along with our returning guys, we have the biggest freshmen class ever at Canton," Boyd noted. "I think the success we've had in the program has a lot to do with the big turnout. Plus, we make it fun for the guys. It's a close-knit group. They hang out a lot together outside of cross country."
  The Chiefs will receive solid veteran leadership from senior captains Jon Peck and Steven Watts.
  "They're among the best captains I've had in years," said Boyd. "We used an innovative approach to pick our captains. Instead of voting and picking them, we conducted a process where all the candidates were interviewed and they had to come in with letters of recommendation. It gave them valuable experience for when they do have to go out and get a job."
  Other Chiefs who will be in the mix to earn varsity points are Paul Rakovitis, Josh Osinski, Keith Zech and Alex Watts.

Ed Wright can be reached at [email protected] or (734) 453-1980.