* Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series of eight stories previewing the DHS fall sports.

If there is depth in numbers, this fall’s edition of the Davis High cross country program will be formidable in all divisions.

“We have about 20 more athletes than we’ve ever had before,” Blue Devil head coach Bill Gregg explains, happily ticking off the names of some of his 143 harriers.

Sophie Meads, Jack Scranton, Laney Teaford, Fiona O’Keefe, Paul Mohr …

The distance dandies are aplenty as the local runners are going through their final workouts before heading to Saturday’s Lagoon Valley Classic in Vacaville.

“It’s fair to say … both the girls and boys squads can be challenging for the (section) championship. We probably won’t be satisfied with anything less,” says Gregg, who should know a little about potential.

DHS has won 17 cross country titles — 15 under Gregg’s watch. Both the boys and girls, at one point, captured seven consecutive crowns each.

Scranton, the defending section king, has battled a stress fracture and Gregg isn’t sure that his senior is ready to roll, at least not on Saturday: “It’s a game-day decision on when he’s ready to race.”

Mohr — one of the area’s top 800-meter track competitors — drew Gregg’s praise as figuring mightily in any Sac-Joaquin Section run.

Other varsity-level pointmakers should include lacrosse cross-trainer Daniel Rowen, super sophomore Blake Croft — brilliant in track as a freshman — and Alex Arnheiter, a determined junior who moved to town from Connecticut.

Gregg likes what he’s seen from John Testerman, another senior who the coach says “is busting his way into the lineup.”

Junior Jasper Laca “showed some good stuff last spring and he’s in really good shape right now,” explains Gregg, whose smile gets even wider as he mention even more young men who figure in the mix.

Georgia transfer Brian Song (“Another runner we’re going to hear about.”), is a 10th-grader, junior Gaven Monges, sometimes-soccer-player Sugal Sutter and senior Ethan Hall are going to give the Blue Devils flexibility when fielding teams at meets (like Saturday’s and the section finals) that provide three or four divisions in which to run.

There are a couple of high-profile runners back to pace the girls, but this fall there is a Harper ninth-grader who figures to provide a late, point-providing kick.

Senior Teaford — a 1,500-meter track standout — and 3,000-meter wonder Meads (still only a junior) might be the Sac-Joaquin’s 1-2 finishers come crunch time.

“Laney and Sophie are both improving. Certainly, both are college-level runners,” Gregg says. “Laney and Sophie ran so well at the end of the track season.”

But now there also is the freshman O’Keefe.

“She’s been running step-for-step in practice with Laney and Sophie,” Gregg adds. “So she’s going to run varsity. I think she’s ready for that.

“With the addition of Fiona, I think we’ll have real firepower at the top.”

Danielle Gantar, a pole vaulter and basketballer, joins Laura Daggett as two more runners who, Gregg believes, “are making a strong statement to be in the varsity group as well.”

Any surprises in store, coach?

“There are a handful of sophomore girls that, when they run, I say ‘Wow! Where is this going?’ ”

Gregg pointed to twins Giulia and Elisa McIsaac, Zoe Juanitas, Maggie McManis and Jeanne-Marie McPherson as an emerging set of younger runners who could break into varsity competition sooner than later.

“Nothing is cast in stone, but these runners (boys and girls) are what the varsity might look like,” Gregg says. “There will be some sorting out.”

Speaking of sorting out, is having 143 runners a good or bad thing?

“It’s a mixed bag. The hard part is managing communications, individual workouts … things like that,” says the 56-year-old mentor. “But we still feel like we have it dialed in. The good thing is we’re able to offer an athletic experience that enriches their time (in school). When you have that many kids, you’re real deep.”

Real deep.

Notes: Gregg says retirement is not on the radar: “There is no end date.” He points to Jesuit’s Walt Lange (tied with Gregg with eight boys titles) and Davis resident Bob King of Del Campo as inspirations to continue on. King is in his 43rd year coaching cross country. … The Devils haven’t held home meets since the 1990s. Their course used to start at Community Park with a jaunt up the Covell Boulevard overpass, through the greenbelt and back. … The first two Delta Valley Conference meets (Sept. 11 and Oct. 3) will be conducted at Granite Regional Park (Sacramento off Power Inn Road). The DVC finals (Oct. 27) are at Willow Hills (Folsom). Davis and Woodland high schools will host the Yolo County Championships on Sept. 22 at Muller Vineyards in Yolo. ….. The DHS boys finished second to Oak Ridge in the 2011 section finals.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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