West Deptford Boys' Cross-Country: Dominant Duo

When Raymond Parsons broke onto the freshman scene last preseason, boys cross-country coach Mark Drummond instantly had thoughts of a dominant front duo, pairing the youngster with experienced runner Phillip Palmer.

Unfortunately, Palmer suffered an injury and missed the season, leaving the Eagles a little vulnerable out front.

One year later, there is again hope for Parsons and Palmer to become a formidable one-two punch. Things have gone to plan so far in the preseason, with the sophomore and the senior showing well in scrimmages.

“(Parsons) came out and ran real well as a freshman, and that was a real good sign,” said Drummond. “Unfortunately, Phil was out all year with a stress fracture. This is what I was expecting up front for us last year, so hopefully this will play out the way we hoped.”

Not to be left out of the equation is Kevin Cianfarini, who figures the be the team’s third best runner. After Cianfarini, though, is where the question marks lie. The Eagles have 12 runners on their roster, and Drummond is hopeful a few of them will learn to form a solid pack and provide the team with vital scoring.

“We definitely have a good three, and then it’s just trying to pull things together after that and form a good pack,” Drummond said. “You can have the best two guys in front but if the five other guys behind you aren’t there you can still lose.”

West Deptford opens the season Sept. 13 with a Colonial Conference tri-meet with Gateway and Paulsboro.

2011 West Deptford boys' cross-country team

Coach: Mark Drummond

Last Year: 7-3

Returning letter winners: Raymond Parsons (so.); Max Gaylord (so.); Kevin Cianfarini (so.); Tony Tran (so); Andrew Coppola (jr.) Kristopher Green (jr.); Collin Fatty (sr.); Phillip Palmer (sr.); Evan Zuzulock (sr.); Leo Impagliazzo (sr.).

Promising newcomers: Dale Johnson (so.); Morrell Wolf (jr.).

Teams to beat: Haddonfield, Haddon Township.

Expectations: The Eagles are solid one-through-three and if the team can find consistency from the bottom of the lineup a similar 7-3 record looks achievable.

Three storylines to follow:

–West Deptford has a big measuring stick on Sept. 20 when it takes on Sterling as part of a five-team meet. West Deptford beat Sterling during the regular season last year, but lost to them in the playoffs, setting the stage for a grudge match. Although the meet comes just two weeks into the season, Drummond said it is the type of matchup that can determine which way a season goes.

–While a “pack” has yet to be clearly defined for the Eagles, there appears to be a few candidates to fill the role as consistent point scorers. Senior Leo Impagliazzo and junior Andrew Coppola seem to be the most likely runners to show up in the top five on a regular basis, given their experience and growth in the sport.

Another runner to keep an eye on is junior Morrell Wolf. Although running cross-country for the first time, Wolf has made big strides during the preseason. Once he gets the feel of competition, it would not be a huge surprise if he becomes the fourth or fifth West Deptford runner to cross the line.

–For the third straight year the boys' and girls cross-country team participated in the “Clean Community” project. This year, the runners and coaches headed out to Rivergate Park and cleaned up part of the road by the boat ramp and down along the Delaware River. By the time they were finished, the group had collected nearly 400 pounds of trash and recyclables.

Drummond said the project was a great team-building experience and the environment is certainly better for it.