Homecoming game scores high in spirit

Friday night’s Homecoming game produced a raucous crowd, the acclaimed selection of the King and Queen, an energetic “parade” of the four classes showing off their school spirit and — most unusual of all — a touchdown for the Sonoma Valley Dragons on a well-executed passing play.

It was almost enough to compensate for the final score, as Justin-Siena High School took advantage of fumbles and interceptions and missed tackles to win the match, 35-7. But the play on the field marked a significant change of pace for the Dragons, who to this point have relied on a grinding ground game with infrequent passing, no more than five attempts in a game. Friday night saw sophomore quarterback Trent Ohman take to the air frequently and with some success – 26 attempts leading to 10 completions for 110 yards and that 34-yard touchdown heave to Tate Baker midway in the second quarter.

Baker was Ohman’s favorite receiver with seven catches, junior Spencer Jacobs got a pair and senior Enzo Marino grabbed one. Unfortunately Ohman also had an interception, and had to scramble to recover several misfired hikes.

The Dragon touchdown made the score a respectable 14-7 at halftime, when the teams ceded the stage to the students. The five pairs of Homecoming Royalty paraded out with waves and smiles, including two suited-up football players, Rollo Benstead and Miguel Molina. It was Molina who had the better night, as he was crowned Homecoming King and his partner, Ferne Alvarez Cisneros, was named Queen.

Following the coronation, the four classes raced cheering before the stands to rouse spirits even further, and a tentative optimism prevailed as the Dragons took field for the second half. But the third quarter was all Braves – they leapt farther ahead on a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception from Zachary Zurowksi to Robert Sangiacomo (one of several Sonoma residents playing for Justin-Siena). Another TD play, Zurowski to Eric Gutierrez, made it 28-7, and as the quarter ended Zurowski himself turned in a 62-yard run for the game’s final score, 35-7.

The Dragons’ uncharacteristic passing game meant their go-to offense all season, the run, took a back seat. Ohman had 15 carries of his own – either on broken passes, quarterback option or by design – and he picked up a couple first downs to keep the Dragons’ hopes alive. But two big sacks put his running totals in negative territory as he ended the game with minus 23 yards. Baker, usually a workhorse in the running game, carried just twice, while junior Spencer Jacobs had five touches for 32 yards to lead the team.

Landen Waldrop, who had 123 rushing yards in in the Terra Linda game, and Justin Borgnis, who had 105 yards in that same game, had just one carry between them, Borgnis for three.

The seniors made their impact on defense as Junior Meza had nine tackles, seven of them solos, and Waldrop and Molina each made five solo tackles. At times the Dragons defense was tough, but it was those big pass plays proved the difference in the final score.

The loss gave Sonoma Valley an 0-5 record for the year, 0-2 in the league, while the Napa prep school now sports a 3-3 overall, 1-1 in Vine Valley. If 2021 does not add up to a winning year for Sonoma Valley, there’s hope in the future: the Dragons the JV team easily defeated the Braves JV, 38-16, and now sport a 5-1 season record, losing only to American Canyon last week.

Although Homecoming is most often played on the final home game of a season, the Oct. 1 game wasn’t the last. This Friday, Oct. 8, Sonoma Valley (0-2) meets Casa Grande (1-0) in a Vine Valley meeting at Dragon Field, before finishing out their season with three games on the road. The junior varsity takes the field at 4:30, varsity at 7 p.m., broadcast live on SonomaTV’s Facebook stream.