SVHS winter season: The final stretch

The Vine Valley Athletic League is concluding the first half of its 2022 season

Dragon hoopers hold second after stomping Napa

Boys basketball won its sixth league matchup, a road rematch against Napa High School (2-15, 0-4), in true team fashion with a 69-36 blowout.

The Dragons had five players score double digit points, and the team extended its winning streak to four games to reach second place in the Vine Valley Athletic League.

Senior forward Anders Mathison led the offense for the Dragons, with 18 points on 7-13 shooting with four offensive rebounds, while senior guard Dom Girish added 14 points and 6 assists.

The Dragons accumulated 50 rebounds in all, their highest total of the season. While the team committed 16 turnovers, they also totaled 10 steals and 6 blocks to offset the sloppier play. It also helped that the Dragons shot 51% from the field as a team, and managed to put the Grizzlies away early to include their entire roster.

Sonoma Valley will host Rancho Cotate on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. to make up for their previous matchup which was postponed due to COVID-19 related issues for the Cougars.

Sonoma Valley girls soccer finds the middle ground

After winning just one its first five games in league play, the Dragons (5-4-2, 2-2-2 VVAL) ended the first half of its league season with a 2-1 win over the Napa High Grizzlies.

“The girls came out knowing they needed to handle business,” head coach Ellie Ceja said. “They set the tone of play, stuck to the plan.”

After giving up a transition look to the Grizzlies in the first half to fall down 1-0, the Dragon refocused and scored on a free kick in the first half and on the rebound of a corner kick in the second half. Ceja was proud of their effectiveness on the set plays, and said it was the first time this season that they have taken advantage of those opportunities. This win moved the Dragons into fourth place in the VVAL.

“Whomever our opponent, the league is set up so that whoever wants the game more will take the ‘W,’ and that has stuck true since our first game,” Ceja said. “They need to want it more every game as we play each team one last time.”

The Dragons host Petaluma (6-3-3, 3-1-2) on Friday, Jan. 28, at Sonoma Valley High School at 6 p.m. The Trojans are third in the VVAL, and a loss to the Dragons would leave the teams in a tie for that position.

Girls basketball loses rematch with Petaluma

To start the second half of their league season, the Dragon girls basketball team (7-10, 2-3) couldn’t repeat the success of their first matchup against the Trojans (7-13, 3-4), losing 39-35 on the road.

Apart from a big win against Napa, the girls have struggled offensively in league, averaging 35 points a game. They’ve lost four of their past five games, and are looking to improve their performance in their Friday, Jan. 28, matchup against the visiting American Canyon Wolves (14-6, 4-2). The game will take place at Sonoma Valley High School at 7 p.m.

Boys soccer running with the pack after first half

Among resounding victories against Justin-Siena (4-7-1, 2-4-1) and American Canyon (0-8-3, 0-4-2), Sonoma Valley’s boys soccer team stands in fourth place in the VVAL ahead of the aforementioned teams and behind the two juggernauts of Vintage (10-3-3, 5-1) and Casa Grande (8-0-2, 5-0-1).

After coming up short against Napa last Tuesday night, Sonoma Valley hopes to take advantage of a winless Petaluma team to gain some ground in the standings. The Dragons host the Trojans on Friday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.