X-C boys' preview: Team unity could bring home title for Rams

State titles are never guaranteed.

A team can have all the necessary parts to make it happen on the big stage, but injuries or just a few tough outings by some individuals on race day can change things in a hurry.

And sometimes, even when all the stars are aligned, a team can go home empty-handed.

La Salle Academy coach Ken Skelly knows all too well about that scenario. Despite showing up with their ‘A’ game at last year’s state championship, the Rams watched Bishop Hendricken take the goods with a narrow 37-42 decision.

But now the favored label is clearly on the singlets of the La Salle runners. Without a single athlete gone from their top 14 - a team that would later win the New England title and capture the indoor state crown - the Rams have a chance to not only win their first X-C team title since 1983, but shine outside the borders, too.

“We know we have a special group of guys that can perform on any given day,” Skelly said. “We know we can do some special things, but the primary focus is to first run well in our own backyard.”

According to MileSplit’s Virtual Meet, La Salle is a 12-point favorite over the Hawks to capture the team crown. Those results, compiled from each athletes’ top performances last year, did not figure then-sophomore Matt Bouthillette into the scoring.

Bouthillette was injured for most of last fall, but came on strong during the indoor track season, highlighted by a victory over Hendricken star Colin Tierney in the 3,000-meter run at the state meet. He would finish third in the 3K on the outdoor surface.

“He was able to get back into shape. It was a fun thing to watch,” Skelly said. “As a sophomore, that was impressive to watch.”

Bouthillette, who has bests of 8:40 for the 3K and 9:15 for the two mile, is just one of many standout harriers for the Rams that are capable of achieving great things this fall.

Junior Jack Salisbury is being touted as the leading candidate for individual honors on Ponaganset’s covered-bridge trail, site of the Nov. 1 state championship. Salisbury was second last year, a little more than five seconds behind Tierney.

The La Salle runner never slowed down from the X-C season in 2013. He guided the Rams to their indoor crown by winning the 1,500m and the 1,000m. He also took the outdoor 1,500m, a meet he was the runner-up in the 800m as well.

“As of right now I would say Jack is the guy,” said Skelly, about his junior, who was second in the mile at the New England outdoor meet with an impressive 4:12 clocking. “The year he had last year was an incredible thing to watch. It will be exciting to see what he can do.”

Legitimately, La Salle has a chance to have its top five athletes under 16 minutes. Those runners include Salisbury, sophomore D.J. Principe, senior Dan Paiva, junior Jake Grundy and Bouthillette. You also can’t forget senior Chris Notarianni as a runner capable of a low 16-minute effort. He was 13th at the state meet last year and has a best of 16:23 for the 5K distance.

“We have a really talented bunch of kids,” Skelly said. “We have a great 1-2-3-4-5-6 and then have a little gap. Once we fill that gap, we have a special group of kids that could come on strong.”

Salisbury will not be alone in his quest for individual gold. A few of his Ram teammates and Hendricken’s Mike Potter (third at last year’s state meet; 5K best, 15:35) have potential to push him to the limit.

After an outstanding freshman season where he was ranked among the best ninth-graders in the country, Principe deserves mention. He was fourth at the state meet last year and had a best of 15:41.50 at the Great American Cross-Country Festival in North Carolina. Grundy, who overcame an iron deficiency during the indoor season to place second in the 3K at the outdoor meet, and Bouthillette, are on the short list, too.

But as Skelly often has stated, his team is all about team. The Rams’ primary focus is not on who can get across the line first, but on the  team hoisting the trophy at the end.

“They know it’s all about team objective. They all want to succeed together,” said the La Salle coach. “They make it very easy to coach in the sense of moral and intensity they bring to practice and being supportive of each other. They want that taste of winning. They are a very driven team, a very driven group of boys.”

Even though the odds look favorable, Skelly is not counting out any of his other R.I. rivals, particularly the Hawks. Hendricken lost two of its scoring runners from 2013 (Tierney and Collin Manning), but returns a strong contingent that features Potter, senior Tom Grizzetti, junior Avery Ingegneri, senior Grant Gauthier and junior Dominic Pariato. Grizzetti was sixth at last year’s state meet.

Skelly has been around long enough to know you can never count out the Hawks.

“When you have a great team like Bishop Hendricken, it’s always a challenge. (Head coach) Jim Doyle always has a special group,” he said. “They are well-coached and every year they are in contention. That’s a testament to their program.”

Other teams that are capable of finishing among the elite in the state are East Greenwich, Cumberland, Barrington and North Kingstown, to name a few. The Avengers return all-stater Tommy Sommer (PB, 16:20), who was seventh at the states last year, and senior classmate Noah Baretto (PB, 16:25.47), an 11th place finisher.  The Clippers could also do some damage, led by junior Sean Laverty. Laverty was 16th at state meet last year and owns a 5K best of 16:20.10.