Basketball, baseball/softball and football are the premier sports almost anywhere you go, but water polo and running have proved to be two spots where Sobrato can be mentioned among the best in CCS.
And two athletes from those sports forever made their marks on Bulldog athletics and as they move on to make their marks in college and in life, they will have one more award bestowed on them: Athletes of the Year.
Nolan Dozier and Abbey Pfefferlen weren’t standouts in cross country/track and water polo, respectively, when they entered high school.
But leaving, their names will be among the greats.
Pfefferlen was a swimmer entering high school who was encouraged to take up water polo.
It must have stuck. She was named Senior and Sophomore of the Year for the Mt. Hamilton Division. Her junior year, she was named to the First Team All League.
“It was really fun to be around. It is what made my high school experience what it is,” Pfefferlen said. “I’d say some of my best friends are on the team.”
All three years she played varsity, Pfefferlen advanced to the Central Coast Section playoffs, and all three years the Bulldogs saw themselves in the quarter finals.
She was co-captain of the team her junior and senior years. In her senior campaign, Sobrato took second in the Mt. Hamilton Division and for the first time in team history, played for a BVAL championship, falling to top team Leland.
All of that and she wasn’t a bad swimmer either.
Pfefferlen advanced to CCS all four of her years.
Meanwhile, Dozier got into distance running just before he entered high school but really found his stride starting his freshman year.
Dozier went to the State Finals in both cross country and track and field. He competed at the CCS finals in cross country three out of his four years and went to the CCS finals in the 3200 three out of four years.
Dozier might have been a two-time state runner in cross country were it not for a fluke injury that sidelined him late.
“Not only did I beat the injury, I said ‘what up?’ to the injury,” Dozier said. “I said not only did I beat you, but now I can come back and be this much better. Getting over the injury was long and frustrating but looking back it was surprisingly simple. Getting to the state meet took so much more time and effort.”
But the runner returned with a vengeance his senior year advancing to state twice, even going from graduation to Clovis to run followed by returning to Morgan Hill to go to work the next day.
“It’s a treat,” Dozier said of finishing his high school career at state. “I originally didn’t think I was going to make it to state during the track season. But I really pulled it together in my training. …
“It also really means a lot to me given all the adversity I had to go through dealing with injuries” among other obstacles.
He had to fight to get himself on the big stages for running and had to fight to get himself at a level that would take him to the state competitions.
“Having this culture of underdogs, really, has been very beneficial to my development,” Dozier said. “I’m glad I went here. … Without that, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.”
Influences
Pfefferlen said working out with her club team helped her to become a better player.
But it was her relationship with co-captain Isabelle Okamura who especially helped along the way.
“That’s the one person I would say on the Sobrato team who was a role model for me,” Pfefferlen said.
Dozier said he was especially happy to be finishing his high school career so strong because of people like Ryan Corvese who was a senior when Dozier first got started.
“It means a lot, it really does, because I’m living up to a standard that was set for me in my freshman year by Ryan Corvese,” Dozier said. “I might not have run a faster time than him yet … he really set the bar. I basically tried my absolute hardest to match that or better it, in a good way.”
Moments of Pride
There was so much success for both athletes over the years, it was hard to pinpoint specific examples that stood out for them the most.
For Pfefferlen in swimming, when she took second in the 100 backstroke in league swimming.
In water polo, it was battling against Leland, who had routinely gotten the better of Sobrato, usually in a lopsided fashion.
“We’ve always competed with Leland and they always hammer us,” Pfefferlen said. “This year, we really competed with them. It was a really proud moment when the score wasn’t (lopsided). It just showed we competed.”
But the season was over too quickly for Pfefferlen.
She said she has her eyes to the future and is excited to compete at UC Davis and on club, but she said there was something special about playing with Sobrato.
“Ending with the school and ending with the team that I was with—especially with the seniors that I played three or four years with, to not be able to play with them again—that was tough,” Pfefferlen said.
Dozier’s career at Sobrato extended a legacy of running started by Lance Wolfsmith in the first years of Sobrato. That gave way to Corvese a few years later and ultimately has led to Dozier who has earned the right to be mentioned with them and the other running greats at Sobrato.
“It feels really validating,” Dozier said. “Really those two kids sought after an excellence that I wholeheartedly believe in. Being able to search my own excellence and almost get it is really validating. I look at them and I see a benchmark and I’m trying to reach that benchmark.”
Heading in the right direction
Sobrato has been a stalwart in the pool and on the course over the years. Especially in running where the Bulldogs have seen strong athletes come through the program, Dozier thinks that legacy will continue.
“I see Emily Harris, specifically, making a huge impact,” Dozier said. “I think if she stays consistent with training, stays injury free and commits to running specifically, I think she can probably match Lance Wolfsmith in terms of success.”
The freshman runner surprised some people with just how quickly she came on to the scene and Dozier things by the time she’s done, there is a real chance she’ll be spoken of for years to come at the school.
“She has a higher potential to leave a mark on Sobrato than me or Ryan Corvase,” Dozier said.
Advice
Dozier said commit to a sport and not try to do too much with your time. He said there’s a lot to do in high school and that’s fine, but to get really good, you need to be mindful of how much you’re doing.
“Become a student of the sport,” Dozier said. “The more you know and understand about your sport, the more not only can you help others but the better you can perform.”
Pfefferlen echoed the sentiment but said exposing yourself to a new experience might be the best thing to do.
“Don’t be afraid to get involved with a new sport as a freshman,” Pfefferlen said. “Honestly, I had never played water polo before but throughout the four years, I found out I loved it.”
