High school sports season under way

The local high school sports season is underway with teams beginning practice last week at all of the high schools in Glenn County.

The Willows High School football team will have a slightly different look this year as longtime assistant coach Jim Ward takes over for the retired Curtis Parks as the head coach of the Honkers.

Mike Biggs returns as an assistant with Ward while Brad Mendes, a teacher in Princeton, will also assist. Mendes most recently assisted at Hamilton High School.

The Honker JV football team has Paul DiGrande back at the helm with help from Steve Barnes.

In volleyball, Carol Martin returns as the varsity coach while Darrell Schonauer is back to coach the JVs.

Don Byrd returns for his 27th year as a tennis coach at Willows High School. He will guide the girls team which could be in the hunt for a Sacramento Valley League title.

At Hamilton High School, the coaching staff remains status quo. Mark Cooley is back to guide the Braves in defense of their Division 3 championship. Hamilton posted a 13-0 record last year and lost only one game in the varsity and JV ranks combined.

Gilbert Mojica returns as the junior varsity coach. Last year, Hamilton was 9-1 at the JV level.

In volleyball, Erin Johnson is back to lead the Braves in defense of their Mid-Valley League championship. Hamilton was undefeated in league play last year. Martha Jaeger will coach the JV team again this year.

In Orland, coach Jake Petersen and the Trojans will try to rebound from an 0-10 season. Petersen has several familiar faces helping him this year. Longtime assistant coach Victor Perry returns after a year’s absence to help coach the defense. Meanwhile OHS graduate Josh Mason will help coach the offense.

Nate Stelzriede and Patrick Doyle will also coach, working mainly with the junior varsity squad.

Jerrod Lloyd is the freshman coach again this year with help from Jason Beauchamp and Bill Wathen.

In volleyball, Dan La Bar returns as the varsity coach while Miranda Coughlin is the JV coach and Amanda Moberg is the frosh coach.

George Valentin and assistant Adam Reimers return to lead the girls tennis team, which will seek to repeat as league champions.

John Batchelder coaches the swimming team in Orland while Tater Parham guides the Honker swim team.

Brian Close returns to coach the league champion Elk Creek volleyball team.