Trojans vs. Gauchos start off the court season

With the memory of fall’s football chill still lingering, local high school sports swing into winter with some interesting early basketball match ups.

Area rivals Petaluma and Casa Grande do in basketball what they couldn’t do in football ­­­- meet head to head - and they do it quickly, playing in the Coach Ed Iacopi Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Both teams will be debuting new coaches. Casa Grande will be led by Jake Lee, a former Casa player who replaces James Forni, the popular and successful Gaucho coach who passed away in June. Scott Behrs is the new Petaluma coach, replacing his father John Behrs who is an assistant this year.

Varsity tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. preceded by freshmen (4:30 p.m.) and JV (6 p.m.) games.

Petaluma has an engagement with Napa scheduled for this Saturday at home. The varsity game is at 3 p.m.

The St. Vincent boys also open Tuesday, playing Averroes of Fremont in a game that begins at 4 p.m.

The Mustangs boys game will be followed by a girls doubleheader against St. Helena, with the JVs playing at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity at 7 p.m.

The girls version of the Petaluma-Casa rivalry will be played Dec. 7 at Casa Grande.

Casa Grande also has a game at Northgate on Tuesday night.

Petaluma stumbled in a game played Monday, losing at home to Drake, 47-27.

The Casa Grande boys soccer team, playing for the first time as a winter sport, already has two matches under its belt. The Gauchos play Saturday at Freedom in Oakley and come back Tuesday with a visit to Montgomery.