JJ Says: Good decision for talented Petaluma sophomores

<p>There are two ways to view freshmen and junior varsity high school teams.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>One is to treat them as strictly training tools, teaching players the game and developing their skills. This philosophy holds that winning isn't important, that learning the game is what counts. This school of thought holds that when a player is good enough, he or she steps up to the varsity no matter what his or her grade level. </p><p>The other view is that underclass players learn not only skills, but also intangibles such as a winning attitude. Those with that philosophy believe that underclassmen, especially sophomores and freshmen, should play with their teammates and be promoted to the varsity as a group.</p><p>There is merit to both schools of thought.</p><p>Generally, and there are always exceptions, fans get all excited about their underclass teams when a school's varsity team is struggling. Of course, parents are interested in the team their son or daughter is playing for, but students and others don't pay a lot of attention to the underclass teams unless the varsity is losing.</p><p>It wasn't that long ago that the Petaluma High varsity baseball team started a freshman catcher on the varsity; it worked out pretty well, the catcher helped the varsity win and Chadd Krist is now playing at the University of California, Berkeley. </p><p>In the 2008 football season, Casa Grande had a talent-loaded junior varsity team that absolutely dominated all JV teams except for one slip at Windsor. Players such as Nick Sherry, Tyler White and others, who would be major contributors to this season's varsity, formed an exceptional team. </p><p>Meanwhile, players such as Matt O'Brien and Matt Nadolski put together a varsity season that took them to the Sonoma County League championship and into the NCS semifinals. </p><p>When the group of JV players came to the varsity, they were primed and ready, and missed just one beat, as they, too, advanced to the NCS semifinals. </p><p>Incidentally, both O'Brien and Nadolski played varsity football as sophomores. </p><p>Both approaches work.</p><p>Things are different with the Petaluma basketball team this season. There is no secret that the varsity team is struggling to win. Meanwhile, both the junior varsity and freshmen teams are undefeated (at the start of this week) against SCL opposition. </p><p>The junior varsity team has one or two sophomores who could play at the varsity level, and who could help the varsity team. The Petaluma coaching staff has chosen to keep the talented sophomores intact, letting them learn the new Trojan system as a unit.</p><p>It is a good decision. If the Trojans had brought a couple of the sophomores up, the varsity team might have won one or two more games. By keeping the players on the JVs, they get more playing time, learn more about how the current coaches want them to play the game, and learn how to win the close games.</p><p>It is way too early to predict anything dramatic for next season's Petaluma basketball team, but it will be a good team. The Trojans can build around a corps of this year's varsity juniors — Tyler Tuck, Anthony Sequiera and Ezana Kemmer. Add in the sophomores moving up from the JVs, and the future is definitely brighter.</p><p>And, the contributions of this year's seniors are not to be overlooked. The won-lost result has not been what they would have hoped for, but they knew starting the season, it was going to be tough. They have stuck it out, and showed the younger players how to overcome adversity, even when it doesn't show in the league standings. </p><p>You only have to see the Trojans play to understand they are having fun while building for the future. </p><p>(Contact John Jackson at acsports@arguscourier.com)</p>