As we near the end of another year it’s only fitting that we look back and pay tribute to some of the best moments in local sports.
Although there were too many stories to list, we’ve tried to capture some of the best moments from the first half of 2017 in words and pictures.
We’d also like to take time to thank the many contributors that help make our sports pages a true product of the community each week. Your continuing help and support are greatly appreciated.
The following is part one of a two part series.
(1) Baller – Senior guard Kobe Roman went to the hoop in preseason basketball action for the Jaguars. Under veteran coach Travis Taylor, the Jags enjoyed an outstanding 2016-17 campaign, staying in NBL title contention until the final week of the regular season, Windsor went on to land a spot in the NCS playoffs before finishing the year at 20-8. Key players for the Jags were seniors Roman, Brandon Mallie Ethan Wright and Brock Tolson, juniors Riley Smith, Justin Smith, Travis Carlozzi, Uli Vielma, Kyle Bozzetto and AJ Whaley and sophomore Jordan Merical. Photo Greg Clementi
(2) State Caliber – Senior wrestler Steven Allee (top) capped a great 2016-17 campaign as one of three Windsor athletes to qualify for the prestigious CIF State Championships in Bakersfield in March. Other qualifiers included senior junior NCS champion Perez D. Perez and senior Luke Au-Yeung. Under longtime coach Rich Carnation, the Jaguars were the top scoring team from the Redwood Empire at the NCS meet. Other NCS qualifiers were seniors Aiden Henry and Kevin Correa, sophomore Brennan Brown, freshman Trent Silva, Brennan Tamayo, Connor Brown and heavyweight Austin Jacobs. Photo Guy Foster
(3) Floor leadership – Junior point guard Sabrina Simili was among a core of third-year varsity players for the Lady Jaguars in the 2016-17 basketball season, as Windsor made a return to the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs before finishing the year at 12-15. Led by longtime coach Jeff Paul, other team members included juniors Hannah May, Gabby Giddings, Cecellia Smith, Mattie Murphy, Alysha Woods and Jackie Vieyra and sophomores Tori Russott and Caitlyn Murphy. Photo Guy Foster
(4) Historic win – The WHS girls wrestling team displayed the NBL pennant after forging a co-championship with Ukiah in February. Under coaches Scott Hayman and Kenny Dixon, the Jags featured individual league titlists Whitney Lucchesi, Andrea Rocha, Adriana Espinosa, state qualifier Yulisa Medrano, Azucena Montesinos and Danitza Garcia. Other key team members were Ivory Osborn, Citlalli Santiago and Gisele Silva. Photo provided
(5) Soccer Success – The Jaguars celebrated a goal during a key boys soccer match at Rancho Cotate in January. Windsor turned in a resurgent 2016-17 campaign under head coach Andres Flores, making a strong bid for the NBL title before finishing in second place. The Jags went on to the NCS playoffs before ending the season with an overall record of 14-5-2. Key players included seniors Rigo Barragan, Leo Bossard, Dylan Moberly, Grant Sandwina, Dylan Manfredi and Carlos Rosas, juniors Paul Bossard, Olin Piotter and Raymundo Duenas. Photo Greg Clementi
(6) Watershed season – Elka Piotter fought for possession in a spring lacrosse match for the Lady Jaguars. The girls lacrosse team logged its first winning season in its three-year history last spring under head coach Kristin Piotter, finishing up preseason and league play at 9-4 before going on to the NCS playoff tournament. Standouts for the team were all-leaguers; sophomore Paige Diekmann and freshmen Piotter, Ashley McBride, Ellie Kohtz and Nicole Mattos. Other key players included Kat Jernigan and Ashlee Crowley. Photo Mark Kuklinski
(7) Up and over – Senior track & field veteran Maddie Call cleared the final obstacle at the NCS REQ meet in May. Under the watchful eyes of coaches Doug Hastings and Larry Arterberry, Call completed an historic career with a pair of top-three finishes in the 100 and 300 meter hurdle events. Other NCS qualifiers for the girls were Jayda Pignataro, Amber Balogh, Ellie Pool and Erin O’Mara. Top athletes for the boys were league titlists Ruben Mehler and Casey McLaughlin, Scott McLaughlin and Lucas Chung. Photo Michael Lucid
(8) Spring heat – Sophomore softball pitcher Sydney Hage fired a pitch in a May visit to Casa Grande. Under head coach and former Windsor star Morgan Rasmason, the Lady Jaguars enjoyed a resurgent 2017 campaign that included a second place league mark of 11-3 (17-8-1 overall) and a trip to the NCS playoffs. The team featured seniors Ashley Golding, Maddie Pellman and Shay Mendoza, juniors Camille Kahnberg, Natalia Baca and Alyssa De Casas, sophomores Hage, Kayla Scott, Caitlyn Murphy, Anis Acevedo and Hage, and talented freshmen Gracie Hernandez, Kassandra Jaramillo and Averie Gehrett. Photo Greg Clementi
(9) Slugger – Senior Joey Pignataro took a rip in a spring baseball game for the Jaguars. Windsor turned in a strong 2017 season under departing head coach Corey Sunday, posting a 6-8 league record before just missing out on an NCS postseason berth to end the year at 11-13. Other team leaders were seniors Kobe Roman, Tanner Kane, JT Stadum, Ethan Wright, Toli Partida, Chris Berndt, Anthony Chamberlain and Travis Broadhead and juniors Patrick Tappan, Tanner Tobon, Eric Begley, Travis Carlozzi, Kevin Winter and Akeko Fa’agata-Averbuck. Photo Greg Clementi
(10) New direction – The Windsor High School administration announced the hiring of head football coach Kevin Ballatore in April, ending a bizarre sequence of events last spring. Ballatore, a former star quarterback at Tomales High School, Santa Rosa Junior College and South East Missouri State, spent the past several seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at SRJC before accepting the Windsor job. He succeeded former Jags coach Tom Kirkpatrick, who was let go in March, and followed the hiring and sudden resignation of Cardinal Newman coach Paul Cronin a month earlier. Photo provided
