By PHIL BRETT
Courier-Post Staff
The 2004 Cherokee High School boys' cross country team proved it just wasn't South Jersey's best team, but its deepest.
Despite having several key runners sidelined by injuries for most of the year, the Chiefs finished the season in the same position they started - a solid No. 1 in the Courier-Post Top 20.
For their achievement, the Chiefs have earned the Courier-Post Cup, emblematic of South Jersey's No. 1 team.
"I felt coming in we had enough fire power to maintain the No. 1 ranking throughout the season, and that's the way it worked out," Cherokee coach Steve Shaklee said. "Winning the cup was one of our team's goals."
Despite the consistency the Chiefs displayed by going wire-to-wire in the rankings, the team still had its share of highs and lows.
Cherokee went into the fall as a preseason Meet of Champions contender. But those expectations seemed to fly out the window after early-season injuries to seniors Sean McLaughlin, James Maneval and Mike Candy. McLaughlin, the Chiefs' captain, was Cherokee's top finisher at last season's Meet of Champions. Maneval was fourth and Candy was the sixth.
"We definitely wanted to win a Meet of Champions or state banner for our school. That's the kind of group we had," McLaughlin said. "In the end, we gave it all we had. We didn't leave anything out there."
After returning from his Achilles injury, and returning close to his old form, McLaughlin severely sprained his ankle two days before the state meet. Courageously, he ran at both the state championships and Meet of Champions.
"Sean has been an integral part of our team for four years," Shaklee said. "He always has a great attitude. Sean is a team leader even when he's not running."
While waiting for the return of McLaughlin and his other injured runners, Shaklee sent 13 different harriers to the starting line this season while patching up the Chiefs' top seven. They were seniors Tom Yersak, Matt Dolan, Paul McFadden and Steve Brown, juniors Greg Bredeck, Vinny Marziano, Rich Nelson and Will Andes, sophomore Collin Cunningham and freshman Alex Yersak.
"In some ways, the injuries made our season more of a team effort," Shaklee said.
"We have very good depth. With that advantage you can incur injuries and still field a solid team."
As a team, the Chiefs finished first at the South Jersey Shootout, the Seeded Invitational Race at the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina and at the Burlington County Open. They also won their eighth straight Olympic Conference divisional title.
Cherokee finished second in Group 4 at sectionals, third at states and fifth at the Meet of Champions, just nine points from third place.
The Chiefs have now won four Courier-Post Cups and have been either No. 1 or No. 2 in the final rankings since 1997.
Cherokee is also the only school in the state to finish in the top six at the Meet of Champions for the past eight years.
"When someone went down, we always had another runner who would step up. Even with all the injuries, we still had a great season," said Yersak.
"If we didn't meet our expectations, then our season was the most successful failure ever."
______________________
November 29, 2004