As students return to Healdsburg High School this week, five sports programs in the fall season get underway. While football for the boys, and volleyball for the girls, tend to be the most visible to the public and press, all student-athletes deserve equal recognition for their participation and commitment.
Volleyball continues to be a popular and exciting sport for girls in the fall. This year new coach Jonathan Nuttall, an assistant coach at Rancho Cotate last year, takes over leadership for the girls varsity. “We are in an interesting spot because we had a large team last year, 16 girls,” he said. “And of them, 10 were juniors. Not all of them will be returning, but I still expect us to be a very senior-dominant team.”
He continued, “The key factor I’m aiming to take advantage of this season is stellar defense, on and off the net. I see us having the best block in the league, led by seniors Alexandria Espinoza and Ashley Behrens, and supported by junior Tatum Kiff. They’ll be backed by defensive superstar Melissa Casas, who is in the running for best libero in the league.”
The new league configuration means that last season’s Redwood champions, Ukiah, moved to the Oak league, and the graduation of second-place Rancho Cotate’s star and captain leads Nuttal to say, “I think there might be a big shakeup in league standings this year. Where we’ll fall 12 weeks from now I can’t say, but I see the potential for this team to surprise some people.”
The first few matches will be played away or in tournaments; the first home game is Tuesday, Sept. 3, against Santa Rosa. “I hope to see the community come out and support us!” Nuttall said.
Football also has changes to the league configuration, to create more evenly matched competition. This year’s new Mountain division will include San Rafael, Novato, Archie Williams, Terra Linda (all Marin County teams), plus Piner, Sonoma Valley and Healdsburg.
Healdsburg’s football team has a new coach as well, former HHS athlete Criss Rosales. He played football and wrestled as a Greyhound, and later at SRJC. For the last couple of years he was the offensive line coach at St. Vincent. He was hired this past spring when previous coach Randy Parmeter had a disagreement with school staff after his first year on the job.
Though this is Rosales’ first year as head coach—a role he finds “different, more demanding”—he believes the Greyhounds can field a winning team this year. Nova Perrill II will return as quarterback, and Rosales is confident he will perform well.
“He’s been having a lot of private QB coaching,” the coach said. “There was a lot to work with, and I think he made a huge leap. I think he’s one of the premier quarterbacks around here for sure.”
A number of other returning players among the pre-season turnout of about 50 should allow for both JV and varsity rosters, giving the untested coach plenty to work with as he strives to bring the first football victory to Healdsburg in three years.
The season begins with a home game against Cloverdale on Friday, Aug. 30, at Rec Park.
Cross country is an unusual “co-ed” sport, in that both boys and girls programs run (no pun intended) at the same meets. The first of these will be held Friday, Aug. 30—the Rancho Cotate Invitational in Rohnert Park. A large number of athletes from area schools compete, and it’s the first chance most people have to evaluate the field of both boys and girls in the sport.
Top distance runner Kaeden Anderson, who suffered through a broken bone in his foot much of last season, should return to winning form as a senior. Jake McWilliams is back as a junior, and among the girls top finishers, Beatrice Hawkes and Sierra Anderson return as well.
Subsequent meets though September are also multi-school invitationals; the first dual that Healdsburg takes part in is on Oct. 2, when it meets Ukiah at the Hoot Owl Vineyard course in Alexander Valley. Mike Efram and Amy Anderson are returning as coaches.
Tennis is usually a popular sport for both boys and girls, with the girls competing in fall and the boys in spring. “It looks like we have a full team and a demanding match schedule coming up,” said Mary Beth Chandler, head coach of the varsity girls tennis team.
The number of returning players includes last year’s #2 Meher Dhiman, #3 Amelia Wickersham, #4 Claire Berry, #1 Doubles Team Ruby Leffew and Isabel Lickey, and a number of #2 and #3 Doubles players.
“There is such a positive energy with these girls, and no one thinks they can win the day on their own,” Chandler said. “They are made of sterner stuff, this group.”
First meet is next Tuesday, Aug. 20, against Montgomery in Santa Rosa, with the first home meet two days later against Windsor on the high school campus, at 4pm.
Girls Golf is the other fall sport that attracts participants. Home meets are held at the Healdsburg Golf Course at Tayman Park, with the first one against Ukiah on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 3pm.
