Petaluma Argus-Courier FEBRUARY 1, 2018 ■ SECTION B
Sports Plus
Tough Trojan tumble
Loss to Piner make have put PHS out of title chase. B2
Dinosaur facts
Can you outrun a dinosaur? B6
JJ Says
Welcome to the VVAL
Petaluma, Casa Grande moving to Vine Valley Athletic League
John Jackson
It can’t
be told
too often
L
ast Christmas I apolo-
gized for continuing to
bring up the hurtful mem-
ories of the tragic accident in
2004 that took the life of prom-
ising Casa Grande athlete Brett
Callan and forever scarred the
lives of three other teens.
After the column, an annual
missive written just prior to
the basketball tournament that
honors Callan’s memory, was
published, I received an email
suggesting that once a year
wasn’t enough. “It should be
written every week,” the writer
said.
The suggestion might have
JOHN O’HARA / FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER
been hyperbole, but the senti-
ment was spot on. Petaluma played Vintage in football in 2015. When the two play next fall, it will be in a Vine Valley Athletic League game.
It happened again last week.
A 14-year-old boy, riding in By JOHN JACKSON esting and productive working with North Bay League’s existing bylaws.
the back seat of a car being ARGUS-COURIER SPORTS EDITOR representatives from schools coming “Everyone agreed that the North Bay
W
driven by his grandfather, was elcome to the VVAL. from such divergent backgrounds. League had done a good job, and we
severely injured when their car That’s the Vine Valley Ath- “Everyone comes to the table with should just adopt their bylaws,” O’Brien
was struck by another vehicle letic League, the new home for unique ideas,” he said. “We have tried to said.
on Sonoma Mountain Parkway. Petaluma and Casa Grande high school meld all the ideas into one league.” The new league will continue to host
According to police, the athletics. Adding to the challenge was that the post-season tournaments where appro-
accident resulted from two cars The new league, with Petaluma, Casa league’s directors were dealing with priate for team sports.
racing along a heavily traveled Grande, Sonoma Valley, Napa, Vintage, There are still decisions to be made.
city street. One of the vehicles American Canyon and Justin-Siena, will Adding a sense of urgency making those
was driven by a 17-year-old boy. debut as a member of the North Coast decisions is is an early start to the 2018-
As of this writing, police have Section with the fall 2018-2019 season. “Everyone agreed that the 2019 school year. Most schools open Aug.
not determined who was driv- Casa Grande athletic director and North Bay League had done a 15, meaning football practice can begin
ing the other vehicle involved former head football coach Rick O’Brien July 30.
in the race, because the driver is serving as the new league’s first good job, and we should just “We still have a lot of work ahead, but
cowardly left the scene of the commissioner. Petaluma High School adopt their bylaws. We still we have an outstanding group of people
accident. principal David Stirrat is the league working on it,” O’Brien said.
The speeding driver of the president. have a lot of work ahead, but The league’s fall schedules are already
car that crashed is a 17-year-old At the request of the Napa schools, the we have an oustanding group in place. Each team will play six league
student. He has been arrest- NCS Board of Managers voted unani- games and each will have a bye during
ed for allegedly street racing mously to approve the new league last of people working on it.” the league season. The league season
causing injury. He made a bad October. —Rick O’Brien, Casa Grande athletic director, will begin Sept. 14 with Napa at Sonoma
decision or, as one adult put it, O’Brien pointed out that the VVAL Vine Valley Athletic League commissioner Valley, Petaluma at Justin-Siena and
“he made a stupid mistake.” brings together schools that are current- American Canyon at Casa Grande.
Because of that mistake, a ly in five different leagues. Petaluma and The Egg Bowl will continue, but will
14-year-old boy is critically in- Sonoma Valley are in the Sonoma Coun- multiple sports. For example, one school now be a league-counting contest. It will
jured, as is his grandfather. The ty League, Casa Grande is in the North would be coming from a league where be played Oct. 26 at Petaluma.
most important thing now is to Bay League, Napa and Vintage are in the golf matches consisted of one round of North Coast Section first round games
support Christopher Hopkins Monticello Empire League, American 18 holes, while another might play 9-hole are scheduled for Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.
and his family as he begins Canyon is in the Solano County Athletic matches twice a week. Tennis, soccer and The VVAL girls golf season starts
the long and painful road to Conference and Justin-Siena is in the other sports faced similar challenges. Aug. 28; the volleyball season begins
recovery. Marin County Athletic League. VVAL officials were saved a great deal Sept. 4 and the girls tennis season starts
A gofundme page has been O’Brien said it has been both inter- of work when they voted to use, as is, the Sept. 16.
set up at gofundme.com/help-
christopher-hopkins-recover.
Casa retires Forni’s Gaucho jersey number
See JJ, B4
Tuesday Former Gauchos player,
coach who passed away “(He was) a man who
prep in 2015 honored at game changed so many lives
by being a man of high
basketball By JOHN JACKSON
ARGUS-COURIER SPORTS EDITOR
No Casa Grande High School
character to everyone he
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF boys basketball player will ever came in contact with.”
The Casa Grande boys again wear No. 21. —Rick Duarte, describing James Forni
basketball team won its The school officially retired
third North Bay League the number worn so proudly
game of the season on its by the late James Forni in an with.”
home court Tuesday night, emotional ceremony prior to Forni, a 1998 graduate of
beating Santa Rosa, 67-53. last Friday’s game against Casa Grande, was one of the
Ian Cerutti hit three Montgomery. best all-around athletes ever at
shots from beyond the arc Forni, an outstanding player the east-side school. He excelled
to lead the Gauchos with at Casa Grande and later in football, basketball and
17 points. Josh Jovick varsity basketball coach and volleyball.
scored 13 and Dom McHale physical education teacher at Although he loved basketball,
and Noah Bailey 11 each. the school, died in June 2015 Forni played football in college,
The Gauchos are now after losing a long fight against first at College of Marin, briefly
3-8 in NBL play and 7-16 cancer. at the University of Oregon
on the season going into The Montgomery game and later at the University of
a game Thursday night at was chosen for the ceremony Redlands.
Ukiah. because Forni had a close After returning to Casa
At Petaluma High personal relationship with Grande, he took over the Casa
School, the T-Girls contin- former Montgomery coach Tom Grande basketball program and
ued undefeated in Sonoma Fitchie. coached until his illness finally
County League play, shoot- The two coached against one forced him to step down follow-
ing down El Molino, 46-28. another in Forni’s first game ing the 2014-2015 season.
Jaden Krist led Petalu- as head coach, and later in his He was an excellent coach,
ma with 11 points, while final regular-season game. well liked and well respected by
Nichole Costa added eight. The Montgomery coach his peers, but it was as a man
Petaluma is now 18-5 on presented a plaque to the Forni and a teacher that he is best
the season and 9-0 in SCL family commemorating Forni’s remembered. He had a way to
play going into a big game contributions to basketball and relate not just to his players,
against Analy on Saturday coaching. It will be displayed but to all students and to all
afternoon (2:20 p.m. tip-off) with a white traveling jersey at who worked with him and knew
in Sebastopol. the school. him.
At Tomales, St. Vincent A black traveling jersey with His enthusiasm for life was
swept a doubleheader from Forni’s No. 21 was presented to infectious and his courage and
PHOTO BY CAMPBELLSPORTSPHOTO
the host Braves, with the his wife, Mary, for display in the determination in the face of
Mustang girls winning a family home. James Forni’s wife, Mary, with her late husband’s framed jersey that will his illness inspired the school
thriller, 41-39, while the Mary was accompanied at the be on display at Casa Grande High School following the retirement of his and community to adopt as its
boys prevailed, 64-46. ceremony by James’ mother Gaucho number. unofficial motto the coach’s
Alex Ditzio led St. Vin- and father, Jim and Jan Forni; expression, “Vincero.” Loose-
cent with 16 points and 14 his brother, Chris; his sister, Jill Forni’s friend and assistant changed so many lives by being ly translated into English, it
rebounds. Fahey; and several other mem- coach Rick Duarte described a man of high character to means “I will win” or “I will
bers of the Forni family. the late coach as “A man who everyone he came in content overcome.”
