Edmond Deer Creek boys able to finish job, claim Class 6A cross country state title

EDMOND, OKLAHOMA - The old saying goes that the sign of a great team is to be able to win when they are not at their best. 

That is a theory Edmond Deer Creek's boys cross country team has not had to test this entire season.

However, heading into the Class 6A state championships, the 19th-ranked team in the nation was far from being at peak performance level as several of the Antlers were dealing with sickness.

Despite that, Deer Creek did what it needed to do to win the 6A cross country championship Saturday at Edmond Santa Fe.

“I'm just so happy that me and my team were able to come so far and put our training to use,” Deer Creek’s Brody Woodcock said. “We had a couple of guys that weren't 100 percent for this race and weren't ready fully (healthy), but mentally we were prepared.

"We knew that we could do the job, get the job done, and that's what we came out here and did. It wasn't about individuals today; it was about the team. So, we got the state title and that's what we were coming for.”

Led by Woodcock, the Antlers scored 42 points to earn their second title in three years. However, they were pushed by Mustang, which came in second with 64.

Edmond North, Piedmont and Owasso rounded out the top five finishers.

“The team ran well. It’s best we’ve run all year,” Mustang coach Mike McGarry said. “We put a little bit of heat on Deer Creek. We put some pressure on them today.”

Even though none of the Antlers won the individual title, they were still able to place six of their seven runners in the top 15.

Woodcock was the highest finisher for Deer Creek with a third-place finish. He closed out his senior season with a time of 15:37.

“I definitely didn't run my best,” Woodcock said. “I was sick this whole week, but no excuses. I did get first on our team. That's not usually where I'm used to being. I'm used to being our second man, but the last two races that we've had, I've been upfront the whole time leading by myself.

"So, I feel like that helped prepare me for this race running up by myself without my guys near me. But I knew they were in the back getting their job done and they raced their best. And that's all I could ask for from them.”

The individual gold went to Edmond North’s Zac Rutherford. Despite the frigid temperatures, the senior posted a time of 15:16 over the 5K course.

Mustang’s Noah Thayer took second and was 17 seconds behind Rutherford. His teammate, Cameron Langdon, grabbed fourth overall.

Five of the next 11 runners all came from Deer Creek. That includes Graham Mitchell, who had been the team’s No. 1 runner all year. He finished in 16th place.

The Antlers started the 2023 campaign off by winning the Jones meet in late August. Since then, they have run the table winning every meet they have been in.

To go wire to wire as the top team in the state and one of the best in the nation makes Deer Creek’s 10th title in program history a little sweeter.

“It says so much. Consistency is key. We've won every single meet leading up to this,” Woodcock said. “That's all we could ask for from our guys. And that's all our coach had asked of us.

"We did what he wanted us to do, and he keeps on teaching us and that's just what makes it so great is that we're able to do this as a team.”

In Class 5A, Lincoln Christian pulled out a second straight state title with their win Saturday. They posted a score of 62, which was 19 better than second place Guymon.

The individual championship went to Tahlequah’s Trae Baker, who ran a 15:41.

Lincoln Christian now has seven cross-county championships since 2014. 

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK