High School Sports

The St. Francis High baseball team entered last week’s Central Coast Section playoffs against The King’s Academy riding the high of a 15-game winning streak. It was a win-or-go-home scenario and, while both teams gave it all they had, the Knights concluded the Sharks’ season...

Pajaro Valley senior Cesar Velazquez had one goal and three assists in the Grizzlies’ 6-0 crushing victory over Rancho San Juan in Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division boys soccer action Monday. Juniors Raymond Mata and Andres Perez, along with freshmen Oscar Lopez, Julio Cruz...

Going into last weekend’s Central Coast Section Championships, Aptos junior Maya Schiro was going through a whirlwind of mixed emotions—mostly nerves and excitement. The primary goal for the standout Mariners runner was to place in the top five in the Division III race, and making...

In just his first year at the helm, Aptos boys’ wrestling head coach Johnny Velez was already experiencing what some would consider a Hollywood scripted season. The Mariners were sitting in a three-way tie with Santa Cruz and Soquel for the Santa Cruz Coast League...

Watsonville junior Max Aceves had a team-best 21 points for the Wildcatz boys’ basketball team in its 63-52 win over Salinas in non-league action Tuesday evening.  “It was our teamwork, we have good chemistry,” he said. “We also went over plays. They put confidence in...

Aptos High senior Tiana Smith knew it would be an uphill battle going into the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Tennis Championships as the No. 4 seed in the singles bracket. On Wednesday, she defied all odds on her way to a league championship after...

Aptos High’s boys’ soccer team suffered its first defeat in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play following a 2-1 loss to Santa Cruz High on Wednesday night. Haziel Parra scored the lone goal for the Mariners in the 32nd minute. The assist was credited to...

Watsonville senior Jillian Lerma typically hits at the No. 2 spot in the batting lineup, meaning her role is to get on base with the intention to score runs.  However, that all changed Wednesday afternoon when the speedy shortstop smacked a three-run double to help...

Aptos this past weekend accomplished something that no other group in the program has been able to do since it began hosting the Aptos/Santa Cruz NorCal Invitational 11 years ago. They captured the program’s first-ever tournament championship following a 52-47 win over Half Moon Bay...

Aptos senior Sofia Contreras last week missed her departure to go on a cruise ship with her family for a trip of a lifetime to Mexico. Instead, she decided to spend the time with her Mariners girls’ water polo teammates as they continued their journey...