Sonoma’s Delorefice Is Flag Football Force
By Steven Serafini
Sonoma Valley Sun Sports Editor
Following last year’s inaugural season, which had Sonoma Valley High School’s girls’ flag football team winning only two of 21 games, this year’s squad got the 2026 fall season off to a sluggish start by losing the first three contests of the current campaign.
But the Lady Dragons then found their footing and surged up the flag football ladder by winning 10 of their next 11 games, including six of seven in Redwood Empire League (REL) play, and currently own a 10-4 overall record and 6-1 REL first-place mark.
After dropping a 25-18 decision to Vintage in their league opener, the Sonoma girls have won six straight REL games, beating St. Helena 6-0, Casa Grande 12-6, Petaluma 27-0, American Canyon 26-7, Napa 31-0, and Vintage 33-6 in a rematch this past Monday night in Napa.
The flag football Lady Dragons, who faced league foe St. Helena September 30 – results were not available at press time – have been led by two-way junior standout Capri Delorefice, who was rated as the 17th top player in the Bay Area preseason rankings by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Delorefice has more than lived up to her rating as she entered the week leading the North Coast Section, and ranked second in the state in touchdowns and rushing yards. And nationally, she was ranked second in interceptions with 22, eighth in rushing with 1,334 yards, and 17th in touchdowns with 28.
First-year head coach Garrett Sathre heaped praise on his young team, saying, “We are really proud of how the season has gone so far, and probably the biggest story for us is the growth of the program, with the team finishing 2–19, last year, so the turnaround and confidence this group has built has been awesome to watch.” Sathre, is assisted by RyanOlivier.
Also pacing the Lady Dragons on defense, along with Delorefice, is senior Lily Ryan, who had 20 sacks, 25 flag pulls-for-loss and 31 quarterback hurries.
Comprising all of Sonoma’s flag football girls team are seniors Ryan, Izabella Paz Bermudez, Avery Hinkle, Xiomara Morales, Alessia Munoz, Lily Noh, Solis Schnabel and Sheccid Zarco; juniors are Delorefice, Adelyn Drake, Sabine Golly, Isla Spencer, Carla Vargas; sophomores are Izzy Mughannan, Elle Sathre and Melia Suazo; and freshmen girls are Amy Echeverria, Alyson Padgett and Jordan Williams.
The final four 7 p.m. games of the REL season for the Lady Dragons are Monday, October 5, when they travel to Casa Grande, followed by hosting Petaluma on Wednesday, October 7, then playing at American Canyon on Wednesday, October 14, and concluding with visiting Napa on Monday, October 18, at SVHS’s Bob Midgley Field.
Photo: Lady Dragon junior Capri Delorefice (00), seen gaining yardage on a run earlier in the season with teammates senior, Avery Hinkle (34) and junior Sabine Golly (24).
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