Youth can be both a blessing and a curse.
Last year:Looking back, the Peabody boys’ cross country team exceeded its own expectations last year. The Tanners won all seven of their regular-season meets, taking home the Northeastern Conference championship. On top of that, they finished fourth at the Division 1 All-State meet.
Coach:Back for his 16thseason, Tanners head coach Jose Rocha oversees both the boys’ and girls’ teams. He will have his work cut out for him, though, in what could be a rebuilding phase.Key runners gone:The Tanners graduated six of their seven varsity runners in Riley Dowd, Alex Greco, Jason Karakaedos, Michael Ricci, Alex Marcus and Cody Jordan, and what remains is a young team. Of the more than 30 runners, just five are seniors. Luckily for Rocha, his key runners are returning.
Key runners this year:Junior Marcelo Rocha was the team’s top runner last season. At the NEC Championship meet last year, he ran 5K in 16 minutes, 20 seconds, finishing second overall in the race. He will likely anchor the squad while Jose Rocha works to fill the other six spots. In addition to Marcelo Rocha, the team could benefit from fellow juniors Joe Farhart, Travis Dawe and Steve May. Seniors John Gordon, Anthony Pizzo and Dan Silverman also hope to make an impact on the varsity squad.
Strengths:Certainly Marcelo Rocha’s return to the team is a tremendous advantage as is the overall youth of the team which indicates potential growth over the next few seasons.
Question marks:But, with that youth, is a team that is short on varsity experience.Opening meet:The Tanners open their season against Marblehead on Sept. 16 at home.
Big meet on the schedule:In addition to the opener against Marblehead, Jose Rocha notes that the meet at Beverly on Oct. 13 will also be important.Last league title:The Tanners took home the NEC title last year. Could they be in line for a repeat?
Coach’s outlook:”This is a tough schedule for a young team. But our goal is to win the NEC and get experience at states for the next couple years.”
