Success of fall teams sets Napa teams back

By ANDY WILCOX
Register Sports Writer

Most connected to Napa High sports would like to see the volleyball and football teams go as far as possible this year.

Indians basketball coaches Darci Lewis and Chuck Johnson and wrestling coach Nacho Franco are ecstatic to see some of their prospects winning league titles already, but wouldn’t mind seeing them take steps toward doing the same in winter sports a little sooner.

Lewis plans to have just eight players on her girls basketball roster — all juniors — and two of them, Tatum Souza and Maggie Wessell, were playing in the Northern California Div. I volleyball semifinals Saturday night.

“I’m still waiting for those girls, but they’re having such a once-in-lifetime volleyball season and they should enjoy it,” Lewis said.

Franco has been waiting for defending Monticello Empire League 275-pound champion Charlie Schumacher and fellow senior Conor Trombetta, third in the MEL last year, to finish their pursuit of a second straight Sac-Joaquin Section football crown.

Johnson may be the most eager for football to end, not only because he’s in his first season as varsity boys basketball head coach but also because he has so many gridders who have vowed to play for him — such as Ben Ballantine, Brandon Washington, Michael Ruffino and Charles Boyett. He’ll field a team of mostly sophomores until the gridders are finished, rested and ready to shoot hoops.

“There are probably 10 guys from the football team who verbally told me they wanted to come out,” Johnson said. “I’m kind of stuck because if I teach a bunch of stuff to to the kids I have right now, I’ll just have to re-teach it when the football players come out.”

Girls Basketball

Lewis has eight solid players in 6-foot-1 post player Maria O’Byrne, who is in her third varsity season, second-year varsity players Noelle Roldan (5-6 point guard), Shannon Rankin (5-8 forward), Taylor Willis 5-5 point guard), Rayna Chrisco (5-8 forward) and Souza (5-9 forward), and varsity newcomers and Caitlyn Bubak (5-11 post) and Wessell (5-9 post).

Lewis — assisted again by her sister, Michelle Lewis — said a couple of players quit before the season. She might promote JV players later in the season but, for now,she thinks eight will be enough.

“We have some very talented, hard-working players,” she said. “Our defense will have to be tweaked due to limited subbing, but we still plan on heavy pressure. We just need to be in fantastic shape.”

The coach doesn’t know yet who will be the go-to player or players.

“Everyone has leadership qualities,” she said. “I expect a lot from Noelle and Taylor at the point because they will set the tone on offense. I expect a lot from Maria, and am hoping she stays healthy after two seasons with injuries. Shannon should come out and do some great work offensively and defensively.

“Rayna has improved tremendously from last year and is working so hard. Tatum leads us in our press defense. Maggie didn’t play last year, so I am curious to see how she comes out, but she’s a very strong player. Caitlyn came up from the JV and has already shown tremendous growth.”

Boys Basketball

The Indians are led for now by a pair of 6-foot-2 returning starters, junior point guard Tyler Imhoff and senior guard Brandon Andrews.

Once he gets his full team together, Johnson said Napa will try to slow down opponents.

“I like to make (opponents) grind it out in the half court, and try to stop the fast-break as much as possible by slowing down the rebounders,” he explained. “I think that’s our best chance because we face pretty athletic teams. We’re still going to press and come at you and trap you at times, not just sit back in a zone, but we’re going to pick our spots. We want to keep our opponents off balance so they can’t come up with the same thing every time.

“My philosophy is we’re going to take better shots than you, high-quality, good, wide-open shots, and hope the other team takes not-so-high-quality shots.”

Johnson is counting on having a pretty athletic team himself.

“Boyett can pretty much ‘D’ up anybody in the league. Ben is 6-foot-7 and a lot stronger and bigger, Brandon Washington can slash to the basket and he’s got a great outside shot, and Ruffino’s a beast inside who looks to muscle up and set screens and do all that dirty work that doesn’t show up on stats.”

Wrestling

Along with Schumacher and Trombetta, Franco expects 140-pounder Drew Alves to lead the Indians. The senior hopes to make his third trip to sections, also known as the Masters Meet.

“Drew is ready to make his senior year the best year ever, Charlie should have a lot of great matches, and Conor should be a wrestler to watch out for at 171 with his work ethic and commitment to offseason training. Our expectations as coaches are always the same: work hard, no regrets.”

Junior Uriah Morgan was second in the MEL last year, and sophomores Jonny Douma, Tim Warren and Abraham Alba and juniors Cole Farley and Brandon Rogerson will try to improve on third-place MEL finishes.

Franco added that senior Jason Calderon and junior Narcisco Avina, a second-year wrestler, will fill holes in the lineup with great athletic ability and desire to compete.

“Last year we were second in league behind Vacaville,” said Franco, who is in his fifth season as Napa’s head coach and 12th with the program, “but we should make a better run at them this year and take some wrestlers to the state tournament in Bakersfield.”

Editor’s Note: The following is part of a series of winter sports previews throughout the Napa Valley. Today: Napa High School and Trinity Prep. Monday: Justin-Siena High School and PUC Prep.

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