Dissa and Data: Loss of Gabby Giddings, other starters has led to difficult season for Windsor Jaguars

It's been a tough basketball season for the Windsor girls. The Jaguars are 8-14 and have lost nine of their past 10 but there's a good explanation for the free fall. Only two starters remain from the original five who began the season. Injuries and personal reasons took a toll.

“Gabby Giddings, our leading scorer, broke a finger during a pep rally,” coach Jeff Paul said. “It's been that kind of year.”

Edens signs for softball

Cloverdale's Teanne Edens has signed a letter of intent to pitch for Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb., next year. The scholarship is for full tuition and fees.

Edens, who is preparing to pitch her final softball season for the Eagles, struck out 236 batters in 165 innings last year. Her ERA was 1.48. In her career, she has 537 Ks and 54 wins.

Edens was All-Empire small school Player of the Year as a sophomore and co-MVP in the NCL I the past two years. She's been a three-sport athlete for Cloverdale playing basketball and volleyball as well as softball.

In addition to getting instruction from her high school coach Margaret Fitzgerald, Edens has been taking pitching lessons from Santa Rosa High coach Jeff Pratt since she was in seventh grade.

Season over for Krist

Jaden Krist, a freshman starter for the Petaluma girls basketball team, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Krist was injured in the Jan. 15 game against Piner.

“She also plays volleyball and softball,” coach Janelle Robello said. “Unfortunately, she's going to need surgery.”

Joelle Krist, Jaden's older sister, is a freshman attending the University of Arizona and playing softball.

Letter of intent day

Today is national letter of intent signing day for football, soccer and men's water polo high school athletes who will be enrolling in colleges for the 2016-17 academic year.

This is the initial signing day, meaning athletes also can sign anytime after today.

The NLI is a binding agreement between an athlete and a school that commits the athlete to that school for one academic year with the school agreeing to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year.

Press Democrat curse?

Tomas Morales, named The Press Democrat's All-Empire Large School girls soccer coach of the year, is stepping down from his post at El Molino High after leading the Lions to their first postseason appearance in years. The reason is likely the impending graduation of his daughter, Anamaria Morales, a first-team All Sonoma County League pick. But that leaves room for some other coaches who got praise from their peers this season to make a run for the honor next fall: Santa Rosa's Nikki Kumasaka, Cardinal Newman's Paul Dixon, Ukiah's Adriane Bray, Piner's Barry Commerfield and Sonoma Valley's Mike Verdu.

Mutual respect

Six coaches' names were nominated for the large-school volleyball coach of the year selection.

There were plenty of quality leaders in both leagues, as Cardinal Newman, Maria Carrillo, Sonoma Valley and Analy all put together very successful teams this season.

Cardinal Newman coach Jeff Nielson said he wishes his staff could be honored because they all did such a great job taking over a program for the first year.

Coaches from the North Bay League and Sonoma County League are interviewed before the choices are narrowed to one. The winner will be revealed in Thursday's paper, along with the All-Empire first and second teams and the player of the year.

Kerry Benefield, Lori A. Carter and Howard Senzell contributed to this report.