Sonoma Valley’s standing in new Vine Valley league still TBD

Going strictly by the numbers, the Dragons should win this game - but on any given Friday night, anyone can win.|

Friday night at Arnold Field, the Sonoma Valley High Dragons, both varsity and junior varsity, will face off against American Canyon for the first Vine Valley game in town. JV kickoff is at 4:45, varsity at 7 p.m.

At present, only a week into the VVAL season, the Dragons are tied with the American Canyon Wolves for first place in the league, along with Casa Grande, all of whom won their first league games last week. They all share a league record of 1-0; Vintage has yet to play a league game, though they’ll meet Casa Grande in Petaluma this weekend.

Going strictly by the numbers, the Dragons should win this game: the Wolves have given up 191 points this year in five games, second worst defense in the league, while the Dragons have been the stingiest team in the league, allowing only 65 points (about a third of them in the first game, when they lost to Cloverdale 21-0).

But the Dragons have got to score: while their points have climbed almost all season long, last week’s 28 was their highest. American Canyon racked up 43 in their upset of Petaluma last week, so anything is possible.

Oddly, for both American Canyon and Casa Grande, last week’s game was their first win on the season, defeating Petaluma and Justin-Siena respectively

Pre-season favorite Justin-Siena – the smallest school in the league, but as a private Catholic school a perennial area competitor – lost to Casa last Friday, and also fell to Piedmont to open their year, giving them a 3-2 record at present.

But the Justin-Siena offense is not to be underrated, having scored a league-leading 182 points so far this year. Sonoma Valley will play Justin next week, again at Arnold Field. That’s a game to watch, or attend.

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