This week in Sonoma Valley High School sports

Tuesday, April 12

Girls lacrosse vs. Napa 5:30 p.m.

The Dragons didn’t have any games over the weekend since their 7-2 victory over the Trojans on Friday night, and will get back to the league circuit after matches against Windsor and Petaluma’s JV squads.

The girls relied on a steady defense to limit the possessions for Petaluma, with 15 players grabbing at least one ground ball in the winning effort.

Sonoma Valley (3-7, 0-5 VVAL) is looking for a reversal of fortunes against Napa on Tuesday after losing their previous league matchup 14-9. Since that game, the Dragons have shown improvement and development as a squad and will do their best to bring a strong showing to the field.

Softball vs. Napa 4 p.m.

Track and field vs. American Canyon, 3 p.m.

Boys tennis vs. Petaluma, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 13

Boys lacrosse vs. Rancho Cotate, 7 p.m.

After losing to St. Vincent’s in double overtime on senior night, Sonoma Valley is looking for a little redemption against Rancho Cotate.

In their second-to-last home game of the season, the Dragons took the Mustangs to double overtime, losing just 5-4.

Senior goalie Alex Hoffman recorded 15 saves in the low-scoring affair, setting up a heroic last-minute score by Ryder Calhoun. With just 20 seconds left and Sonoma Valley down 4-3, Calhoun scored to send the game into overtime.

The boys took two penalties in the first overtime, and managed to kill the remaining time while playing six on four against the Mustangs. Going into sudden death overtime, the Dragons continued to fight but came out on the losing side in the end.

While Calhoun finished with one goal, Sonoma Valley was led by sophomore Tommy McCabe’s two goals. On defense, seniors Rollo Benstead and Ian Anderson hawled in three takeaways each.

“Our lack of experience set us back, however the boys' tenacity and commitment to the process allows us to fight hard until the last whistle,” said head coach Gavin Kohler.

Rancho Cotate (6-5, 1-2) has been a tough team to gauge this season, with convincing wins over San Marin and Petaluma and crushing losses to Justin Siena and Vintage.

Though the Dragons could stay competitive with the Cougars, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to pull out a win.

“So far this team has done a phenomenal job of laying the foundation for lacrosse in Sonoma Valley,” Gavin added. “The boys lacrosse team is an incredibly tight group of young men who should be acknowledged for their courage to step out of their comfort zone and build a program from the ground up.”

Baseball vs. Justin Siena, 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 14

Boys tennis vs. Casa Grande, 2 p.m.

Softball vs. Justin Siena, 4 p.m.

Girls lacrosse vs. Justin Siena, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 15

Softball at Napa Tournament vs. Benicia/Vintage (10:45 a.m./1 p.m.)

After taking on Napa in league play on Tuesday, the Dragons will return to Napa for a doubleheader against Benicia and Vintage on Friday for a tournament.

Sonoma Valley (4-7, 1-3) enters this week on a two-game win streak after defeating Archie Williams and Petaluma last week. The Dragons brought out their offense in force against the two teams, scoring a combined 24 runs in the two games.

Benicia (8-4, 4-1 Diablo Foothill) is an offensive powerhouse, relying on their bats to win them games rather than their pitching staff. In a head-to-head matchup, Sonoma Valley stands a chance against the Panthers if they can hold their offense at bay and produce enough offense themselves.

The Dragons do have experience playing Vintage (10-1, 4-0), as they lost 2-0 against the Crushers earlier in the season. An increase in offensive production by the Dragons will bode well for them in this game as well.

Both the Panthers and the Crushers are supremely talented teams, and will be a formidable challenge for the Dragons’ shallow bullpen. If Sonoma Valley’s pitching staff finds itself in trouble in either game, it will have to make tough decisions on how to utilize their pitchers across the two games.

Baseball at Casa Grande 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 16

Baseball vs. Vacaville 7 p.m.

Softball at Napa Tournament vs. TBD, 9 p.m.

Monday, April 18

Boys lacrosse vs. Sonoma Academy 7 p.m.