Competition begins for Dragons at last

High school sports in Sonoma is getting the green light to resume not just virtual workouts or socially distanced practices, but actual games – most of them against Vine Valley league competitors, to keep everyone on the same status of COVID precaution.

The launch of games was finally realized on Tuesday afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., when the Sonoma Valley High School girls tennis players traded serves and returns at the high school against VVAL competitors Petaluma High.

Playing under Coach Mary Kate Dreyer, both singles and doubles teams performed ably – especially the doubles, who swept the Petaluma girls 3-0. "I thought the girls did very well considering we only had eight days to prepare,” said Dreyer.

Though the four singles players came up short against their opponents, every match was competitive and most went into extended sets. Petaluma outpointed the Dragons overall, 4-3.

That strong opening was not matched by the Dragon boys, who had to forfeit their season opener at Petaluma High as only three players were available to complete. “We don’t have enough to play this week – we’ve got three players, if we get the fourth we’d be able to only play singles,” said Coach Barney Renaldi. He was recruited back to coach the boys for this unusual season – he last coached from 2003-2007, when the team had state-wide success.

Renaldi hoped to line up that fourth player by Thursday, when the short season’s second match finds the boys at home and the girls traveling to compete against Justin-Siena. (Results too late for press time.)

Also on the verge of beginning their season are the cross country runners, who held an intrasquad meet on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and look forward to their first meet at home (running at Depot Park this season until future notice) on March 3, against Justin-Siena. The team so far has only eight runners on the roster, seven boys and a girl.

Mike Boles, the Sonoma Valley High School athletic director, says any student who can get physically cleared and is academically eligible can contact the respective coach about joining the team.

Schedules have been announced for other “Season 1” sports as well – cross country, golf, swimming and football. The high-contact sport was designated an “orange tier” activity in the CIF sports schedule released last month, but the California Department of Public Health on Feb. 19 revised their rules to allow outdoor sports like football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and water polo to be played anywhere with a case rate below 14 per 100,000. Sonoma County’s case rate is currently below that number, at 13.6.

The Vine Valley league has kept soccer and water polo in the “Season 2” schedule, to begin April 12, along with baseball, softball, volleyball, track and field, and wrestling.

However, volleyball, basketball and wrestling still needs approval from the California Department of Public Health.

Clay Jackson, in his first year as head coach, will hold the team’s first practice on Friday, Feb. 26, which allows only two weeks of practice before the first VVAL game, March 12 against American Canyon. While practices are held at the Adele Harrison turf field, the three home games will be played at Arnold Field (and broadcast by Sonoma TV27).

The football schedule shows only five games this year; although the VVAL is a seven-member league, Napa High is not on the SVHS schedule due to the short season length.

The other two Season 1 sports begin their seasons as follows: swimming on March 3 against Casa Grande at the Sonoma Aquatic Club; golf (boys and girls competing together) on March 15 at a location to be announced.