Windsor figures to be battle tested after tough preseason
The varsity football Jaguars will be well rested and battle tested when they take the field in the newly aligned North Bay League opener this Friday, Sept. 28 at Analy High School in Sebastopol.
Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
The Jaguars, one of six teams placed in the competitive NBL Oak Division, are off to a 2-3 start, with pre-league wins over Casa Grande and Montgomery.
The Analy Tigers have also posted a 2-3 record through five games, stamping Friday’s NBL opener as a huge game for both teams.
Other Oak Division teams include Cardinal Newman, Rancho Cotate, Maria Carrillo and Ukiah.
Both Windsor and Analy are coming off a bye week in the schedule, with each looking to start the league campaign on a positive note.
“This is absolutely a must-win game, but every game from here on out is a must win,” Jag’s head coach Brad Stibi said. “Having last week off was definitely a key and allowed us to recover from the preseason.”
The Tigers, five-time defending champions of the former Sonoma County League, enter this week’s contest with the same sense of urgency, knowing the tough road that lies ahead.
“We’re looking forward to getting into league play,” Analy coach James Foster said. “Windsor is a good team and it should be a competitive game.”
The Jags have momentum after turning in a stellar defensive effort in their most recent outing, a 14-0 win over Montgomery on Sept. 14. Windsor will be looking to build what has been an outstanding running game with a few new wrinkles on offense.
“We had a very crisp week of practice and focused on the little things, the things we can control,” Stibi noted. “Offensively, we’re focused on sustaining drives and showing a sense of urgency, while defensively we’ve been working on tackling. The kids are eager to get back on the field and we’ll be ready to play on Friday night.”
Windsor offensive leaders through five games include quarterback Nick Pariani, running backs Lorenzo Leon, Nick Landeros, Jeremiah Pignataro and Octavio Vega and receivers Jake Sievers, Landon Estrella and Mikey Contreras.
Top defenders have been Ben Smith, Cristian Sanchez, Cy Soltanizadeh and Oscar Mayorga.
