Schools

With just three regular-season matches remaining, the team’s focus is beginning to shift toward the NCS Championship at Baywood Country Club in Arcata on Oct. 27, where they’ll look to finish their remarkable season in style.

With the coming of October the school year is well underway, and with it the exploits of the student athletes in the Greyhounds sports programs. Here’s a rundown of some action on our courts, fields and trails...

“This opening league win sets the tone for a season of growth and high expectations,” said coach Todd Au following the Sept. 16 match in Ukiah.

If nothing else the final score, 69-34, shows the Greyhounds were in the game, even after a forfeit the previous week kept them off the field. For the first time this year, they started with a full roster as the early season suspensions expired, giving the team a chance to get a tough game under their belt before the NBL-Mountain league debut this Friday in San Rafael.

With the football Greyhounds taking a break this past weekend (their Sept. 12 game against Santa Rosa forfeited due to injuries and suspensions), sports fans turned up at Frost Gym on Thursday to see the girls volleyball teams take on Montgomery High in not one but three games: freshman, JV and varsity teams all competed for a full evening of action in the close quarters of the former East Gym on the high school campus.

The Healdsburg girls tennis team is off to another strong season with several match victories already. Last year’s No. 1 player, Meher Dhiman, is back as a senior in the top slot, followed in order by Amelia Wickersham, Claire Berry and Sana Katsuki.

One quarter into last Friday's Healdsburg football game against Lower Lake, the word in the press box was that the two teams – then tied, 6-6 – were pretty evenly matched. “It’ll take a mistake or a lucky break for somebody to win,” said a long-time Boosters member. Then the breaks started...

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.

For the Healdsburg cross country running team, the year’s first invitational at Rancho Cotate gave them a chance to prove their status as one of the best teams in the county. On the other hand, only four schools participated: Healdsburg High, Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa and host Rancho Cotate.

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...