End-of-year awards for Sonoma Valley fall sports teams, players

Fall sports seems like a long time in the past, but in December good news came to the athletes of Sonoma Valley High in several ways.

Two varsity teams, the girls water polo team and the boys football team, earned scholastic championship team awards from the North Coast Section (NCS). The award is presented to the top three NCS varsity teams in each division. “Recognizing there are 179 schools in the NCS, this is an outstanding achievement,” said SVHS athletic director Mike Boles.

Boles congratulated the student athletes as well as head coaches Matt McGinty (water polo) and Bob Midgley (football), as well as parents, faculty, staff, and assistant coaches for what he called “this worthy accomplishment.”

In football, the Press Democrat’s annual All-League selection singled out two players for the first team, two more for the second team, and another two for honorable mention in the new Vine Valley Athletic League (VVAL).

Andrew Beatty was picked for first-team offense as a running back, and also for first-team defense as a safety. Tyler Winslow was also selected for first-team defense, despite a mid-season injury. Both boys are seniors.

Gavin Lehane, another senior, was chosen both for second-team offense as a lineman and second-team defense as a back.

Honorable mention went to Lawson Lee, a sophomore, and senior Ryan Sherwood.

The all-league selections were dominated by VVAL players from the Napa Valley, including player of the year Villiami Shaumkel, defense most valuable player Colton Fisher, and lineman of the year Luis Arroyo, all of Vintage High. The most valuable player on offense was Eddie Byrdsong of American Canyon.

Vintage won the league title with a 6-0 record, followed by American Canyon at 5-1. The Dragons ended the season with a 2-4 league record, 3-7 overall.