With an early start to the school year, it¹s time to get excited
about the prospects of fall sports in Windsor, in what could turn
out to be the best season in school history.
By the time the leaves start to turn in late October, several
Jaguar teams are expected to be in the heat of a title chase in
sports that include varsity football, girls soccer and golf.
Jags gridders ready to claim elite status
The Windsor varsity football team is coming off of its best
season ever in 2005, finishing with its first winning record at 7-4
overall. The Jags reached the North Coast Section playoffs for the
first time, falling in a heartbreaker to Rancho Cotate.
Head coach Jason Fayter returns for his fourth season, having
elevated the Windsor program from perennial doormat to serious
contender in just three years. The team has every reason to be
optimistic in 2006, returning 17 players to a varsity roster that
should include 34 athletes.
³We¹ve tried to improve every season and I expect this team to
be as good or better than we were last year,² said Fayter.
³Everyone knows we have good athletes, but I expect one of the
team¹s strengths to be our camaraderie.”
The Jags will be led by a group of outstanding offensive skill
position players that include senior all-leaguers: quarterback
Kevin Cramer, running back Erik Hernandez, and receivers Brandyn
Reed and Jamal Russell Black. The Jags will also ride the strong
legs of junior transfer fullback Leroy Green, who will be among the
best in the league at his position. Also adding to the firepower in
Windsor¹s spread offense are senior receivers Roy Edwards and Matt
Cudlip.
The offensive line looks solid with senior center Matt ³Bubbles²
Lamberson, senior guard Tommy Walton, senior tackle Tysen Gray and
junior guard Max Devlin. Other lineman in the mix are senior
tackles Omar Carreno and David Phillips.
The defensive line will include defensive ends Lamberson and
Gray, Walton, Devlin and junior Kyle Kellough at tackles. The
linebacking corps will be a run-stopping machine, led by senior
outside linebacker and leading tackler Mike Bogdanovich. He will be
joined by senior outside linebacker James Jewett, middle linebacker
Green. Bolstering the lineup will be senior backers Jason Freyer
and junior transfer John Fraga.
The defensive backfield will be ably manned by Reed, Hernandez,
Russell Black, Edwards and junior Dillon Morrow. Cramer will handle
the punting chores again this season, while Hernandez takes over as
the team¹s kicker.
With the Sonoma County League expected to be solid from top to
bottom this year, Windsor expects a dogfight with Analy,
Healdsburg, Casa Grande and Petaluma for the top spot, with Sonoma
and El Molino looking to be much improved.
³It¹s going to be a battle each week, so our focus will be on
taking it one game at a time,² noted Fayter. ³I think we match up
well with everybody and have the ability, we just have to go out
and execute.²
Windsor will host a three-team scrimmage this Saturday morning,
starting with the JV at 10 and the varsity at 11 a.m. Windsor opens
the preseason campaign at home on Sept. 8 against Maria Carrillo.
Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are set at 5/7:30 p.m.
Lady Jags look to move up in tennis
The girl¹s tennis team has gone from fledgling program to
respectability in just three years of existence under coach Xerxes
Whitney. The steady climb up the league ladder is best illustrated
by the team¹s improving record, having posted successive marks of
2-10, 4-8 and 6-6 in its first three seasons.
³We¹ve improved every year since we¹ve had a program, and I
expect us to continue that trend this season,² said Whitney, who
piloted the boy¹s team to its first-ever league crown last spring.
³Our goal is to finish above .500 this year.²
Despite just six returnees from last season¹s squad, the Jags
will boast one of the three best singles players in the SCL in
junior Jenny Johnson. She will be joined by projected number two
singles player Savannah Riley, along with possible top-four singles
player Melissa Lai. Another player expected to make a big impact is
talented freshman Robbie Watson.
Rounding out the projected roster are: junior Laura Consiglio,
junior Leah Hodges, senior Danielle Haxton, sophomore Chelsea
Carpenter, sophomore Danielle Brown, junior Tess Hanson, junior
Allison Grandi, junior Ashlee Green and junior Megan Fiorito.
The ladies will host Ursuline today (Aug. 31) in a non-league
match at Hiram Lewis Park at 4 p.m.
Boys soccer team on the rise
The boy¹s varsity soccer team (0-1) is enjoying a rebirth under
new head coach Tomas Acuna. With a record number (43) of kids
turning out this year, the team is already way ahead of last
season, both in numbers and attitude.
³I¹ve got to tell you, these guys are playing very hard,²
reported Acuna, assisted by Manny Ibarra, former head coach Alfonso
Salinas and JV coach Garrett Newell. ³We¹re building slowly,
working on defense. Our focus is on just improving with every game
and we know the wins will come. In sports, there¹s always too much
emphasis on the result, rather than the process.²
The Jags opened the preseason last Saturday with a 2-0 loss to
St. Vincent. Goalie Tomas Salinas had an outstanding game, making
several great saves. Travis Ibarra also turned in a solid game for
the Jaguars.
³Travis is providing great leadership, he¹s the spark plug on
the team,² said Acuna.
The Jags will host visiting Willits on Friday, Sept. 1 in a 6
p.m. clash, followed by a road game next Tuesday at Ukiah.
Volleyball team sets goals high for 2006
When new head varsity volleyball coach Kristine Behrens asked
her players to set a goal for the upcoming fall campaign, the team
was unanimous.
³We decided that our goal is to win the SCL and make the
playoffs,² said Behrens. ³I was really impressed and excited that
they set such high goals for themselves this season.²
Although winning league may be a tall order with perennial
powers Analy, El Molino and Sonoma standing in the way, it does
signal a change in expectations and attitude, key ingredients for a
winning team.
The Lady Jaguars will be led by returning four-year all-league
setter Chelsea Martin, one of the league¹s best at her position.
She will be joined by returnees: libero Heidi Hanssen, outside
hitters Angelica Aranda and Alyssa Rizo and setter/OH Kristyn
Straley. Moving up from last year¹s JV squad are: OH/libero
Danielle Landen and middle blocker Dani Ward. Other players
figuring to make an impact are talented freshmen middle blockers
Shelby and Taylor Nelson, freshman outside hitter Kayle Steele and
Brazilian foreign exchange student Maria Mastriani.
The varsity squad is expected to carry a roster of 12, with the
JV and frosh teams featuring rosters of 12 and nine respectively.
Rich Schwartz is the JV coach. The teams open the preseason
schedule next Tuesday, Sept. 5 with a road match at Piner. The JV
and varsity matches are set for 4:30 and 6 p.m.
Two-time defending Lady Jaguar booters set for title defense
The varsity girls soccer team has become the envy of the Sonoma
County League, with a pair of league titles in the last two years.
In six seasons under coach Juan Orozco, the program has gone from
0-14 to one of the elite teams in the North Bay.
Last season, the Lady Jags took the next step in their
progression, beating Santa Rosa, 2-1 in the North Coast Section
playoffs before falling to eventual runner-up Montgomery in the
semi-finals to finish the season at 12-6-1.
³Our goal every year is to win the league title and control our
own destiny,² said Orozco, who will coach both the varsity and JV
squads this year. ³We¹ve won two straight SCL titles and we have an
opportunity to move into the level of the Montgomerys and the
Ursulines, where we¹re the team to beat every year.²
Although Windsor lost five outstanding players in all-leaguers
Ellie Mendez (2005 MVP), Erica Wagner, Kelly Reed, Karlie Walters
and Nicole Watts to graduation, the Jags will return a star-studded
line-up in 2006.
Leading the way will be junior forward and team captain Ashley
Freyer, who set the SCL all-time record for goals scored with 40 as
a freshman in 2004. Last season, Freyer only played in a handful of
games when her family moved to Arizona. With a healthy Freyer back,
the ladies should have plenty of offense again this year.
Other returning players include all-league senior forward and
four-year star Kimmy Carroll, the ultimate gamer and scoring threat
who played hurt for much of last year, junior goalie and team
captain Jill Rizo, senior defender Alyssa Burgo and sophomore
defender Jennifer Conners. All-league sophomore Brittany Paz
suffered a season-ending knee injury and was lost for the year.
Also in the mix of expected returnees are: senior Brittany
Acevedo, sophomore Chaniece Acevedo, sophomore Janae Estrada,
sophomore Carly Fortunato, sophomore Heather Higgins, sophomore
Vanessa Ramos and senior Emily Sparacio.
The Jags have bolstered their lineup with eight talented
freshmen, including Kerrie Freyer, Ashley¹s younger sister. Four of
those freshmen may be in the starting line-up this year, while
several other players have made the jump from last year¹s JV squad.
Also in the mix is Victoria Alvarez, a transfer from Montgomery
HS.
The Lady Jaguars will face an early litmus test when they travel
to face Santa Rosa on Aug. 30, followed by a home clash with
Montgomery next Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.
³My philosophy is, if we want to be the best, we have to play
the best,² said Orozco.
Champion Windsor golf team ready to tee off
The defending champion Windsor girls golf team won its third
straight league title in 2005 and is eyeing a rare four-peat this
fall. The three league championships have already stamped the team
as one of the most successful sports programs in school
history.
The 2006 squad boasts two of the finest players in the county in
junior Meaghan Kari and senior Kate McCreary, and both were
dominant on the junior golf circuit this summer. Kari and McCreary
will be forced to carry the load this season on what looks to be a
young freshmen laden team (no official roster was available at
press time).
Former coaches Rick Hansen and Margie Neeley have turned the
reigns over to new coach Mike Sweeney, who will guide the team in a
road preseason match today (Aug. 31) against Amador Valley.
Windsor cross country team small but talented
The Windsor cross-country team may be small in numbers but the
squad will not be short on talent. The running Jags will feature
the reigning SCL girl¹s champion in talented sophomore Laura
Rogina, who added a State cross-country appearance to her league
title last November.
Expected returnees are Garrett Baker, Mark Henry and Kyle
Ibrahim. Newcomers include Ben Barker, Joe O¹Detto, and Alex
Banuet.
With just two girls on the squad so far, first-year coach Zenia
Lemos is encouraging all interested athletes to come out for the
team.
³We have a great group of kids out for the team so far, but we¹d
like to get a lot more to come out,² said Lemos.
The Jags kick off the preseason on Friday, Sept. 1 at the annual
Rancho Cotate Invitational meet in Rohnert Park.
