Carzell Vickers is Valor's top threat at 400 meters. Photo by Alan Versaw.
If you're reading these pieces and starting to think the 4A boys field is getting crowded, you and I share an opinion. And Valor Christian figures to be part of the crowd. If you suffer from agoraphobia, this would be a good time to look into a different classification.
Valor Christian brings plenty of threats back to the track this spring, but one threat will be missing. KU called and Brock Berglund now eats, sleeps, and showers in Lawrence, Kansas. That figures to hurt Valor's sprint relays a little. Not enough that they won't be competitive, though.
Valor should be in the mix for state titles in at least two of the three sprint relays. Figure it goes to all three if they have the bodies to go to three. Carzell Vickers and Joshua Kamrass look to be the go-to guys on those relays.
Kamrass and Vickers also figure to make a little noise in individual events. Kamrass is certainly capable of putting up state points in the 100 and long jump. Vickers is capable of putting up state points in the 200 and 400.
In a 4A 800 meter field that figures to settle out somewhere between solid and outstanding, Jimmy Sablan has a reasonable hope of scoring points if he's been paying his dues over the off-season.
Although many of us aren't yet fully accustomed to thinking of Valor as a throws school, Valor definitely has a few throwers in the stable. In fact, it's conceivable that--if all of last year's returning thrower's come out again this year--the secondary concentration of points for the Eagles could come from the throwing events. Mau Mau Talanoa, Stanley Gilbert, and Alex Kozan each figure in the preseason rankings in at least one of the throwing events. If a little synergy starts working in the throwing circles, these are young men capable of raising some eyebrows.
Carter Jones showed some pole vault promise last year, clearing 11-6 twice last year, in spotty meet action.
Are there other pieces to the puzzle lurking in the shadows that are currently flying beneath the radar? You never discount that possibility. At this moment, it does appear they are one of the top teams in the classification, but it does not appear that Valor is a team that can simply run away with the 4A state title. Stay tuned, however, as this team bears watching.