More than the game to cheer about for Trojans

While the Petaluma High School football teams were exciting their fans with both junior varsity and varsity wins over Terra Linda last Friday night, a special story was observing the action from lawn chairs set up on the sidelines.|

While the Petaluma High School football teams were exciting their fans with both junior varsity and varsity wins over Terra Linda last Friday night, a special story was observing the action from lawn chairs set up on the sidelines.

I initially wrote “quietly observing,” but that would not have been entirely accurate. Dr. David Sisler has never done anything quietly and Ellie O’Neill’s clear and stirring renditions of the National Anthem have been enjoyed by fans at events and venues all over town.

Friday night, they sat side by side, Sisler watching his beloved Trojans and O’Neill proudly watching her brother, William, play his first varsity home game.

Ellie and Doc are friends, which is not surprising. Ellie and Doc are each, in their own way, friends with almost everyone who they have ever met.

Doc is, or was until a stroke forced him into retirement a few years ago, a vanishing breed - a true family physican. For more than a half century he was the sideline doctor at Petaluma High football games and provided free the mandatory physical exams for all Petaluma athletes. It is probably safe to say that he has seen more Petaluma Trojan football games than anyone else - ever.

I’m happy to say that Doc is looking good these days, although his days of covering me with his umbrella on those almost-forgotten rainy nights at what was then Durst Field are probably in the past. Doc’s latest endeavor is reading Louis L’Amour westerns. He is trying to read all 89 novels, which will leave him only 14 story collections and two non-fiction books to read. Long an advocate of the forward pass, he was delighted to see Petaluma throw for two touchdowns Friday night.

Ellie is a couple of generations down the line from Doc, but they are kindred spirits in their enthusiasm for life,

I first encountered Ellie when I was blown away with her singing of the National Anthem at a Little League game and later watched her play basketball at Petaluma High and last year at St. Vincent, where she was a member of the outstanding Mustang team that won 26 games and reached the state playoffs.

Ellie has courageously been battling cancer and recently had to undergo open-heart surgery to remove a tumor from her heart. Yet there she was with a big smile greeting well-wishers, chatting with Doc and watching Will play football. She also graciously answered questions about her health, although I am sure she would have much rather have talked about many other topics, including heading back to Seattle University in January.

There was a lot to cheer about Friday night at Steve Ellison Field.

(Contact John Jackson at johnie.jacison@arguscourier.com)

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