Petaluma shines through the fog at Windsor

<p>Not even the fog that clung tenaciously to Windsor High’s shiny new all-weather turf could obscure Petaluma Trojan dominance under very bright Friday night lights.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Final score on a damp and chilly fall evening was Petaluma 55, Windsor 21, and the game wasn’t even that close. </p><p>Two Windsor touchdowns came in the fourth quarter against second- and third-team Petaluma defenders. Even the Jaguars’ first-half touchdown was the result of a great catch by Michael Campbell in the end zone off a low throw from quarterback Dj King, who made the toss as he madly scrambled away from a bevy of pursuing Trojan defenders. </p><p>“Ricky is the man,” Petaluma quarterback Mike Russell said of the Trojans’ senior fullback Ricky Sims after the Trojans had won their ninth straight game without a loss. </p><p>No one argued after Sims busted through the Windsor defense for 167 yards on 17 carries, and scored three touchdowns. He also had a great defensive game, helping completely shut down Windsor’s running game in the first half.</p><p>“We really feed off our defense,” Sims said. “It is what gets everything started.”</p><p>Sims wasn’t the only man in a Trojan uniform on a night when Petaluma clinched a certain tie for the Sonoma County League championship.</p><p>There was Sean Sullivan, the catch-me-if-you-can halfback, who established the tone for the night by scampering 37 yards for the Trojans’ first touchdown. Despite having his every step tracked by the Windsor defense, he managed 106 yards on 13 carries.</p><p>There was Russell himself, who threw just three times, and completed two for 48 yards and a touchdown. His only incompletion was a sure-touchdown throw that was dropped in the end zone. He also ran for a touchdown, and did a commanding job administering Petaluma’s triple-option offense.</p><p>There was Joe Soares, who made a great leaping catch of a 12-yard Russell pass for a touchdown, and stopped the Windsor possession following his score with an interception.</p><p>There was Dalton Johnson who not only teamed with Chris Kane and Soares to contain King and the vaunted Windsor passing game, but turned in a highlight-reel 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.</p><p>There was Blake Olson and Petaluma’s blitzing linebackers who made passing life miserable for King. He did pass for two touchdowns, and threw for 191 yards, but completed just 12 of 27 passes.</p><p>There was Braeden Ross, who all but eliminated the Jaguar pitch and other wide plays to his side of the field.</p><p>There was a host of rotating offensive and defensive linemen — Nick Ziegenhagen, Aaron Randall, Shawn Swanson, Jeremy Mahrt, Justin Wambold and center Reggie Baker — who dominated both scrimmage lines.</p><p>And, when the reserves took over the in fourth quarter, there was Ryan Dentoni, who ran seven yards for his first varsity touchdown, and Adam Nizibian, who closed off the final Windsor drive with an interception.</p><p>“That was a great win,” said Petaluma coach Steve Ellison. “Windsor has a great football team, but our offense really clicked. Our offensive line played great and all three of our options worked.”</p><p>The coach was especially pleased with the defense. “They are a scary offense to defend. They have a lot of weapons,” he pointed out.</p><p>The Trojan domination in chronological order.</p><p>First quarter: Sullivan breaks for his 37-yard touchdown. A 37-yard pass from Russell to Johnson and a 32-yard run by Sullivan put Sims in position for a 2-yard touchdown burst. Petaluma leads, 14-0.</p><p>Second quarter: King, fleeing from a trio of rushing Trojans, throws low into the end zone from 12 yards out and Campbell makes a diving catch. Sims breaks a 63-yard run to the Windsor 6-yard line and Russelll romps in from there. Following a snap over the punter’s head, one of two such miscues for Windsor in the game, Russell and Soares connect for a 12-yard touchdown. Petaluma leads, 28-7.</p><p>Third quarter: Sims blasts 54 yards to highlight a 79-yard Trojan drive that ends with a 6-yard touchdown run by the fullback. Windsor’s second bad punt snap is followed immediately by a 3-yard plunge by Sims. Petaluma leads, 42-7.</p><p>Fourth quarter: Windsor, still trying and passing, goes 62 yards on the throwing and running of King, scoring from the 2-yard line on a run by Steven Hutchison. Johnson returns the following kickoff 90 yards, finding an extra gear as he sprints by the last Windsor tackler at about the 50-yard line. Windsor gets a touchdown against Trojan reserves on a 26-yard pass from King to Cj Landwehr. Following Nizibian’s interception, Petaluma reserves go 22 yards on two runs by James Molinari and Dentoni’s touchdown. Petaluma wins, 55-21.</p><p>Petaluma can complete a perfect regular season and win all of the SCL championship when it plays at home against Healdsburg Friday.</p>