Sonoma’s Max Gustafson scores all-tourney honors in Dixon Ram Jam

The Sonoma Valley High School varsity basketball team ended up falling a bucket short in the holiday tournament final at the Dixon Ram Jam this week, a tourney that started in thrilling fashion before its disappointing conclusion.

In Monday’s opening round game of the Ram Jamboree in Dixon, the Dragons battled Franklin from Stockton to a regulation-time stalemate and through two overtime periods before pulling out a nail-biting 56-54 victory behind junior Colton Mertens and sophomore Max Gustafson’s 17 points each.

Also leading victorious Sonoma into the Dixon Jam semifinals were junior Luke Severson’s 10 points and sophomore Dylan Samaniego’s six.

Unfortunately, Tuesday wasn’t as good a day for the Dragon boys, who gave up 26- and 28-point first and third quarters, respectively, and dropped a 69-43 semifinal decision to Ripon. Sonoma was paced by Gustafson’s 10 points, with Severson and senior Edwin Reyes’ tossing in nine apiece.

The Dixon tourney’s third-place game on Wednesday turned into another nip-and-tuck thriller for the Dragons that went down to the final buzzer before Orland pulled out the 51-49 win.

Pacing tournament fourth-place Sonoma (5-8 record) were Mertens’ 18 points, Reyes and Severson’s nine points each, and six points apiece by Samaniego and Gustafson, who was named to the all-tourney team.

The Dragon boys open their Sonoma County League season by hosting Elsie Allen in a 6 p.m. clash on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Pfeiffer Gym.