Dragon’s Football On the Rise
Sonoma Valley Dragons football has had an amazing start to the season compared to the last few years going 3-3, defeating Oakland High, Terra Linda, and Kelsyville. The team’s center, Keenan Sharp, senior, commented on what he thinks has helped the team find a few wins, saying, “Playing teams of similar skill and IQ.” Last year the team was playing schools far beyond our skill level, but they competed nonetheless.
It is still early in the season but the team’s dedication has been impressive. The last season was not something to brag about, however even after losing game after game, the players and coaches have proven their love for the game by demonstrating new plays and high game play I.Q. gained from off-season training, resulting in many strategic plays that had the team walking off the field with some wins under their belts.
The Dragons took on the Oakland High Wildcats for the team’s first home game of the season ending with a score of 45-8. The offensive players completely dominated the opposing team, while our defense would not let up, keeping Oakland from making calculated plays.
Their second win was against the Terra-Linda High Trojans, played on the opposing team’s field with a final score of 15-13. This was a nail biting game where the teams were in a constant battle both offensively and defensively. Both teams desperately wanted this win. Terra-Linda walked away with the win as they were up with a few seconds left on the clock. This is when starting quarterback Trent Ohman, junior, clutched the game in the last play with a 10 yard scrambling touch down giving the Dragons their second win of the season.
Their next crucial game was against the Kelseyville Knights on the Dragon home field. The Dragons defeated Kelseyville 27-26. The team put on a performance that ignited the crowd. The Dragons came together and left everything on the field. The most notable take away from the game was the connection between the quarterback and star receiver, Hudson Griatta, junior. Hudson walked off the field with two deep receiver catches, and one running play resulting in touchdowns that were extremely crucial to the game. As the game the team’s morale was high, the players were excelling the entire game. Receiver Spencer Jacobs, senior, was another memorable player who demonstrated his athleticism by breaking the other team’s defense, advancing the ball closer and closer to the endzone.
This year’s football team has made a name for themselves, finally breaking the losing streak and providing a demonstration of skill, I.Q. and dedication to the sport.
I am Ryder Calhoun, a writer for the Dragon's Tale newspaper, as well as a student and varsity athlete at Sonoma. I was part of the start-up of the varsity...