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Chieftain duo finishes 1-2 By GREG STILES VALLEY OF THE ROGUE STATE PARK -- Rogue River runners don't just win Skyline Conference cross country titles. The Chieftains lay claim to conference crowns with the same air and certainty as monarchs ascending the throne. In the past 22 years, 15 Rogue River runners have either won or shared the Skyline crown and five of them have gone on to win Class 3A state titles. The latest in the royal line -- junior Warren Clarida -- was almost apologetic Saturday after deposing senior teammate Brandon Padilla. "I was thinking more about what the team could do here today than what I could do," said Clarida as he warmed up next to a yurt heater. "I was expecting to finish second to Brandon." Clarida covered the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 27 seconds, while Padilla was clocked in 16:40. "Brandon's a senior and I feel bad for him." Clarida said. "This is the first time I've won a high school cross country race." Rogue River placed four runners in the top 10, but left a 54-second gap between No. 4 and No. 5 that made things just a little uncomfortable. "That's really going to hurt us in a big meet like state," Rogue River coach Gary Anderson said. Greg Anderson (18:20), Jeff Jentzsch (18:28) and Jon Partridge (18:29) were well behind the pace coach Anderson figures necessary in next Saturday's Class 3A state meet at Lane Community College in Eugene. "That's definitely going to hurt us if the fifth-man isn't under 18," Anderson said. Nonetheless, the Chieftains handily won their seventh Skyline championship in nine years with 43 points, while Henley and Hidden Valley matched 64s, followed by Phoenix at 76. Henley edged Hidden Valley for the No. 2 spot based on the sixth runner when the Hornets' Brad Mortenson finished 31st and the Mustangs' Jon Gillen 32nd. But there was a 30-second spread between runners. Padilla was 35 seconds off his best time on the course. But that was predictable, given the soggy conditions. "I'm not so good at running in the rain," admitted Padilla. "I couldn't feel any parts of my body. It got me a little that I didn't win, but I'm glad (Clarida) won it instead of somebody else." Clarida took the lead once, lost it and then regained it for good just before the two-mile mark he passed in 10:32. "That was a good second mile," Clarida said. "The second mile on this course always seems real slow. It seems like you're going fast around the corners, but the reason this course is so fast to some people is the pavement." Henley's Tony Hill and Nick Harper finished 3-4, but Hidden Valley countered with four runners in the top 16. Ultimately, it came down to the sixth man for both teams. "It's kind of heartbreaking for our six seniors," Hidden Valley coach Bob Julian Jr. said. "We're really close and one kid (Danny Reid) was knocked out from qualifying individually right at the end. We deserved to go. "It was a bitter-sweet day for us (with the girls team qualifying for the state meet for the first time). It's not like we choked, we just got beat by a better team." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,