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Sonoma boys rally falls short at El Molino

Dragons limp home, host 1st-place Analy 5 p.m. Saturday

After getting one injured starter back, only to lose another, who happens to be their lone senior, top post-player and rebounder, and second-leading scorer, the Sonoma Valley High School’s varsity basketball boys couldn’t get on track in Forestville on Wednesday, and when they did, they faced a long, daunting comeback road.

With junior Jack Murphy back in the lineup after missing a tough, foul-filled loss at Petaluma, the Dragons were without senior Vince Bruton, who sprained an ankle the day before in practice, and found themselves trailing El Molino 22-7 after the first-quarter, but then outscored their Sonoma County League foe the rest of the game.

Unfortunately, having finally tied the game not once, but twice in the fourth quarter, visiting Sonoma was eventually sunk at the free-throw line, where the Lions scored all of their 11 points in the final period and pulled out a 55-51 SCL win.

Pacing the young Dragon boys were sophomore Cyle Gusse’s 11 points and four rebounds; Murphy’s and sophomore Trevor Welch’s nine points each, junior Jesse Summers’ eight, junior Vincent Albano’s six, sophomore Ryan Wilbanks’ four and sophomore Tristan Mertens’ two; and sophomore Alex Gustafson’s two points and four rebounds.

The Dragons host perennial power and current SCL first-place Analy tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 26, with the freshmen starting at 2, the junior varsity playing at 3:30, and the varsity tipping off at 5 p.m.