Lady Dragons eliminated by Encinal

For the young Sonoma Valley High School varsity basketball girls, it’s been a dream season of being unpredictable and doing the unexpected, like claiming the school’s first outright Sonoma County League title in 31 years, and winning a regular-season-high 21 games.

As the SCL champions, the Lady Dragons were seeded sixth for the North Coast Section Division-3 playoffs and hoped to make some postseason noise, but ended up being silenced by 11th-seed Encinal Tuesday night in Pfeiffer Gym.

While the Sonoma girls struggled at the start, the visiting Jets had a perfect takeoff and soared to a 22-7 first-quarter lead, before finally being grounded by an eight-point second period and holding on to a 30-25 advantage after the first half.

Unfortunately, the third quarter was a mirror image of the first period for the Lady Dragons, who were overrun 21-5 by a quick and accurate Encinal team that ended up cruising to a 61-40 win to advance to tonight’s NCS quarterfinals. ?Sonoma’s wonderous season ride came to an end with the school’s best-ever 22-7 record.

Comprising the SCL champion Sonoma girls – directed by head coach Sil Coccia and assistant coaches Dino Minatta and Sheila Brady – were seniors Shelby Camilleri, Alexa Hall and Sierra Lilly; juniors Bella Bollman, Rocky Darnell, Jenny Eggers, Annie Greenslade, Heidi Landeros, Renee O’Donnell, Emma Stanfield and Sami Von Gober; and sophomores Grace Cutting, Kayla Field and, added to the postseason roster from the junior varsity team, Alanna Johnston and Katie Stovall.

“The coaching staff is extremely proud of these girls and what they accomplished over the course of what was an historic season on several levels. While we didn’t finish as we would have liked, this team can look back and call themselves champions,” said Coccia. “This season exceeded the expectations of everyone and proves that when you have a group of girls who understand that defense is what defines us, are committed to each other, have each other’s backs, and who are willing to sacrifice and work harder than their competition, then great things can be accomplished.  Now that the girls know what it takes to win a championship, they want more and our goals will be set higher to repeat as SCL champions, win the SCL tournament and successfully compete in the playoffs to try and make NorCals for the first time in school history. I know the hunger is there because I see it in their eyes. We will be back stronger and better next season.”

Pacing the Lady Dragons were Eggers’ 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists; Hall’s 11 points, four rebounds and three steals; Von Gober’s nine points and five rebounds; Field’s three points, four rebounds and two assists; Lilly’s three points; Camilleri’s five rebounds; Bollman’s three assists; and O’Donnell’s blocked shot.

Encinal was led by Destiny Kelly’s game-high 21 points – including going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line – and Caprice Taylor’s 19.