NOTE: This 2011 cross country preview covers the area from north Scottsdale west through Phoenix, the southwest and northwest Valley, northwest Arizona, northern Arizona and northeast Arizona, including Native American communities.

By Don Ketchum

The landscape appears to be changing a bit in big-school high school boys cross country for 2011-12.

Division I state champion Phoenix Alhambra graduated several runners and that should open the door for many schools, most of them mainly in the southeast Valley. Peoria Sunrise Mountain appears ready to make its move in Division II.

Division II individual champion Brandon Kocmoud graduated from Sunrise Mountain, but coach Torin Lattie has plenty of talent coming back.

The top runner is senior Tyler Ryan.

“He is tough-minded. He does not back down,’’ Lattie said.

The Mustangs also have senior Bradley Rogers, junior Jacob Hogan, senior Jordan Zwick and freshman Tristan Horn.

In Division IV, Keams Canyon Hopi appears ready to claim another in a long line of titles that goes back nearly 30 years. Senior McCray Huma is the team leader.

Among the area’s other noteworthy teams and runners . . .

Phoenix Moon Valley has a top-notch young runner in sophomore Jorge Pineda, who is not a front-of-the-pack type of runner but who has a very good finishing kick.

Back in Division IV, Phoenix Arizona Lutheran has a talented brother tandem of D.J. and Josh Hoskinson. D.J. finished 10^th at the state meet last season.

The biggest individual loss to graduation has to be the departure of Tuba City star Billy Orman, who now is at Harvard.

Coach Arvis Myron will have to rebound with senior Matthew Murray.

Cave Creek Cactus Shadows has come a long way since Patty Egan began the program in 1992 with just one runner. Now the Falcons are capable of making a charge to the top group of teams at state.

Egan said she has good senior leadership from David Tze, Brandon VanBibber, Dylan Lenzen and David Toomey, and a pair of strong junior runners in Ethan Homan and Simon Lopez.

Mark Goligoski takes over the program at Prescott and has a solid team anchor in senior Hayden Palmer, who finished eighth at state last year. Other key runners are sophomore Austin Dunbar and junior Hosava Kretzmann.

Chinle features No. 4 state finisher Jonathan Yazzie (senior) in Division III, and Scottsdale Saguaro counters with No. 7 state finisher Jake Wynn (junior). Senior Darian Mitchell and junior Will Gilbreath also should enhance the Sabercats’ chances.

In Division I, Glendale Mountain Ridge features senior Michael Wagner. He had an outstanding track season and comes back this fall as one of the most improved runners that long-time coach Don Tate has seen in quite some time.

Mountain Ridge also features Wagner’s brother, Steven, Jeren James, Nick Dale and freshman Wes Gray.

Goodyear Desert Edge is led by junior Blake Bradford and Senior Devonte Davis.

More top individuals: Phoenix Central senior Orbelin Araujo, Cottonwood Mingus senior Juan Wells and Sanders Valley junior Cory Quigley.

The state meet will be held again at the Cave Creek Golf Course in north Phoenix on Nov. 5.

To find out which division your team is in, go to AIA365.com, click on the “Sports/Activities’’ line on the left side of the page and then AIA Divisions and Sections – Final Placement by Sport – 2011-2013.