High School Sports

WATSONVILLE—It was a memorable campaign for St. Francis High alumnus Saul Noel Aquino who closed out his senior year as a champion, while also earning a couple of accolades along the way.  The standout student-athlete was named the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast...

WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High football coach John Ausman doesn’t have much to work with when it comes to building a “powerhouse” program.  The school has roughly 220 students enrolled and the football program brings in about 20% of the student body—40 players—for both junior varsity and...

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...

APTOS—As soon as the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Coast season began, the Aptos High baseball team hit the launch button and never looked back.  The Mariners (23-7, 14-1)—who sailed their way to regular season and tournament titles—were rewarded for a stellar season at this...

WATSONVILLE—Monte Vista Christian senior Jacob Woods texted baseball head coach Johnny Ramirez on Friday night prior to their big game in the CIF NorCal Regional finals.   Woods, who recently pitched a seven-inning gem in Tuesday’s Division V first round win, told his skipper he was...

WATSONVILLE—There’s nothing fancy or stylish about the way the Monte Vista Christian baseball team has been playing this season.  Perhaps it’s the tank tops and flip flops or the casual beach road attire but whatever it is, it’s working.  “I just feel like my team needs...

The Cover 3 Sports Ticker highlights pivotal matchups in the Games of the Week, and provides updates on local athletes in the Local Stars and Pajaro Valley Little League sections. Games of the Week        Monte Vista Christian vs. Berean Christian, baseball, Saturday at 4pm: The...

WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High baseball coach Ken Nakagawa knew going into this season they were not expected to win the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission Division over teams such as Alisal, Monte Vista Christian and Soledad. But this particular group, especially the senior class, had already...

The St. Francis High and Monte Vista Christian baseball teams are both coming off Central Coast Section title runs for the first time in the programs’ history.  But the season is far from over for both squads after they received first-round home games for the...

SAN JOSE—It almost seemed like nothing was going in favor of the St. Francis High baseball team, which was down to its final three outs in the Central Coast Section Division IV finals Friday afternoon.  After being held to just one run in the first...