Paddle goes to Petaluma

The Petaluma High boys lacrosse team defeats Casa Grande, 12-8, in the Battle for the Paddle, and clinches a certain share of first place in the process.|

The Paddle is in Petaluma possession after the Trojans established dominance over Casa Grande in the second lacrosse collision of the season between the two rivals last week.

This year’s Battle for the Paddle - the second meeting each season between the two local high schools - was controlled in the second half by Petaluma’s Trojans on their way to a 15-9 triumph. The win was the seventh straight without a loss in the North Bay Lacrosse League for the Trojans, who clinched a certain tie for the league title with the win. Overall, the Trojans are 10-3 on the season.

Casa Grande falls to 5-2 in league and 15-4 overall. The Gauchos’ only league losses were to Petaluma.

The Paddle battle, played on Petaluma High School’s sparkling new field, unlike the fast and furious first meeting between the rivals, won by Petaluma 18-17, was a moderately paced but very physical confrontation featuring bumps, bruises, falling bodies and flying flags.

Despite the frantic pace of play in the first game, there were no penalties for either side through the first three periods and very few for the entire game. At Petaluma, penalties came early and often with both sides often playing short-handed as players waited out official-imposed idleness.

The first half was an evenly played match of defenses.

Casa Grande’s defense - Sean Nussdorfer, Maverick Goggins, Adam Lopez and Dylan Gutch, packed in front of goalie Jacob Neal and kept Petaluma at bay through the first period, with goals by Dominic Giomi, Jeremy Bonner and Josh Garcia giving the Gauchos a 3-1 lead.

“They ran a zone (defense) we weren’t prepared for and it took us awhile to figure it out,” noted Petaluma coach Kevin Louchis.

Petaluma did figure things out and scored five unanswered goals in the second quarter, but it was still a tight battle as the teams broke for halftime with Petaluma leading, 6-4.

The game turned one sided in the second half with Petaluma’s defense - Skylar Horne, Nick Dooley, Justin Lord and Dante Ratto - supporting another outstanding performance from goalie Zach Scherer to shut down the Casa attack, while Ian lynch sparked a rejuvenated Petaluma attack.

“Once they got going, the guys were really relaxed and confident,” Louchis explained.

Lynch seemed to be involved in every Petaluma second-half goal, finishing with five for the game. “He was great,” said Louchis. “He was all over the field.”

Austin Frank was also instrumental in Petaluma’s second-half assault. He scored four goals in the game, getting one in the third quarter even as he was being pancaked by an onrushing Casa defender.

As he did to Casa Grande in the first meeting, and as he has done to every other team in the league, Petaluma’s Isaiah Blomgren severely limited the Gauchos’ opportunity to mount a sustained comeback by winning almost every faceoff.

The Gauchos did not gain a single possession off a faceoff in the entire final quarter when they were desperately trying to fight back against the inevitable.

“Isaiah just gives them possession after possession,” said Casa Grande coach Ben Hewitt.

Hewitt had praise for Petaluma as a team. “They have a great group,” he said. “They have a special team and they are well coached.”

Noting the high number of penalties, the Casa coach said, “There are some things you can’t control, and we didn’t do a very good job with the things we can control.”

Lynch’s five goals and Frank’s four led Petaluma, with Blomgren and Dominic Butts scoring two apiece and Justin Turner and Isaac Lynch one each.

Garcia led Casa Grande with three goals, with Logan Fabiani and Ian McKisick each scoring two and Jeremy Bonner and Dominic Giomi one apiece.

Casa Grande won the junior varsity game, 12-8.

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