Sports

For the second year in a row, a Greyhound won the Most Valuable Pitcher award as Eric Nielsen followed 2024's co-winner Mauro-Manos into the exclusive circle. Nielsen’s finishing record of 10 wins and 83 strikeouts led in the league and placed him among the top 10 high school pitchers statewide.

Nine Healdsburg High athletes qualified to participate in the May 17 North Coast Section, Redwood Empire area meeting in Fortuna, including...

Two recent track matches have helped bring the Healdsburg Greyhounds teams into focus. The distance runners continue to make strong showings, and sprinters pound the track to the finish line.

“Greatest loss of my career,” Coach Mike Domenichelli said. “The players gave it everything they had. The crowd was electric and it was like playing at Yankee Stadium. It was just unfortunate that someone had to lose.”

It was almost game time when the fog burned off of the North Coast to reveal the newly remodeled Arcata Ball Park, where Humboldt Crabs baseball fans streamed into the bleachers with high hopes for their team to surprise the league leaders, the Healdsburg Prune Packers. It was not to be.

With last year’s running back Frank Rea Jr. taking over the quarterback slot, the Greyhounds have had no trouble adjusting to his leadership. Other returning players including Hayden Mariani, Max Morris and Dillon Jocius, who all made their mark on the scoreboard as well.

“We brought the intent and spirit of our full team of 42 athletes to the Viking Classic, although only 17 were able to compete due to illness and family commitments over the holiday weekend,” said coach Kate Guthrie. “Those who stepped on the track or into the field did so with purpose, representing the work ethic and culture we’ve built this season.”

It’s getting to be an old story: This is the third straight year a new coach will take control of the team, the sixth time in eight years. That must be counted as a factor for the disappointing record the Greyhounds have run up since their last winning season, 2013. Perhaps, say the faithful again, this year will be different...

The season ends with two games against Piner, on May 7 (in Healdsburg) and May 9 (at Piner). League and division playoff schedules are yet to be announced, but the Greyhounds have had good luck in post season play in recent years, under coach Mark Domenichelli.

Hopes are always high at the beginning of a baseball season, and when they are rewarded by a five-game winning streak midway through league play, hopes can soar. That’s the position the Healdsburg High varsity baseball team is in this week, having won 5 in a row and looking for more...