With athletes having been on the fields and courts for the past couple of weeks, another fall season of sports will soon be underway for area teams. Football, volleyball, soccer and cross country teams will be facing opponents in a couple of weeks as they begin their quests for post-season glory.
Holbrook’s football team is once again under the tutelage of Head Coach John Bokker. Last year the Birds posted a 6-4 mark, narrowly missing out on the Division V state playoffs. Currently Bokker and his staff have 26 players on the varsity roster. Ten seniors, eight juniors, seven sophomores and a freshman have donned the pads and are preparing for their scrimmage, which will be held on Friday night, Aug. 22, at Chinle. Winslow will again be Holbrook’s opening season opponent when the Bulldogs travel to Roadrunner Stadium on Aug. 29. While the Birds haven’t fared well against their Interstate 40 rivals, they do have a favorable six-week stretch of games early in the schedule before meeting up with St. Johns in mid-October. Holbrook was essentially one win away from a state tournament bid last year, and could finish with a similar win-loss mark this season, meaning they may only need one additional win to reach the post-season in Division V.
Leslie Baldonado has a veteran roster heading into the volleyball season led by six seniors Teyah Goldtooth, Demi Phaturos, Ashley Attakai, Dena Kinlicheenie, Terrilyn Lester and Lauren Silversmith. They are joined by juniors Darian Hollins, Nizhonie Begay, Alex Jeffers-Sample and Shayna Carlson. Sophomores Adriana Monroe and Dishie Kinlicheenie round out the squad. Last year the Lady Roadrunners went 20-15 to reach the post-season in Division III, where they fell to Monument Valley in the opening round. With Monument, Tuba City, Snowflake and Blue Ridge on their schedule, the Roadrunners will be well tested come state tournament time. Holbrook will host Chino Valley, Joseph City, Hopi and Winslow in a five-team scrimmage match on Friday, Aug. 29. Their first match of the season will be on Tuesday, Sept. 2, when they host Winslow.
The boys’ soccer team has just its second head coach since the inception of the program. Longtime assistant Tony Aguilera has taken over the reins from retired Dave Wright. Aguilera’s squad will host St. Johns in a scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 30, then open the season at Northland Prep on Wednesday, Sept. 3, in Flagstaff.
Beth Baloo heads into her second season as head coach of the girls’ soccer team, which will have a scrimmage match with Northland Prep and Chino Valley on Thursday, Aug. 28, in Flagstaff. The ladies will also open against Northland Prep at Roadrunner Stadium.
Holbrook’s cross country teams will again be under the direction of Raul Mendoza. Both squads will begin their season at the Hopi Invitational meet on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
