High School Sports

WATSONVILLE— The Saint Francis High boys’ soccer team struggled throughout the preseason to barely get just enough players on the pitch to begin a match. It’s been quite the challenge for Sharks’ first-year coach Valentin Barrelleza, who saw roster numbers reduced to as little as...

APTOS—The Aptos High baseball team is off to a great start this season thanks to its strong pitching. Jorden Espinoza, a sophomore, was the latest Mariners’ pitcher that helped extend their win streak to six with a 10-1 non-league victory against Alvarez High on Tuesday. The...

WATSONVILLE—A typical day of practice for Pajaro Valley High senior Karla Leyva is highly unlike most of the other soccer players in the area. Instead of meeting up after school with her teammates, the Grizzlies girls’ soccer team is already on the pitch before the...

WATSONVILLE—It’s been a shaky start for the Pajaro Valley High football team after it lost two straight non-league games to begin the season.    The Grizzlies are far from giving up, however, and head coach Joe Manfre said a lot of the goals they set at...

APTOS—Aptos High boys’ golf coach Paul Zech felt a lot of pressure to have a good season this year, especially considering the program’s rich tradition of winning on the course. The first-year head coach was also filling in the shoes of longtime skipper Jamie Townsend,...

FELTON—The Aptos High boys’ track and field had a strong outing at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Championships on May 7.  But, there were some shocking upsets and surprises on the day that helped the Mariners cruise to a league title.  Aptos junior Trent Nosky...

APTOS—Aptos High softball coach Phil Rojas had high hopes going into the spring season with a group primed to make a run at a league title. The Mariners (11-11, 6-6) found themselves instead sailing to a third-place finish in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League...

WATSONVILLE—The past three years haven’t been too kind for St. Francis High senior Seth Vazquez, who has had to battle his way through injuries and a rough start during his freshman year.  But the veteran outfielder has been more than clutch this season for the...

St. Francis High senior Julian Vargas and a group of other local high school runners put on a strong performance at the 34th CIF State Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning.  Vargas, who qualified as individual, took 12th out of 205 runners in 15 minutes,...

SANTA CRUZ—It’s been said that the best defense is a good offense. St. Francis High proved it Friday evening with four interceptions that resulted in three touchdowns, just in the first half alone. Senior running back Johrdan Garibay had another stellar night with three touchdowns...