Sports

A look at the local high school football action happening in week 7.

Watching a pile of bodies crash into another pile of bodies for a total of three or five yards is not as fun as seeing a quarterback toss a perfect fade route down the sideline. But both methods produce the same result: touchdowns and wins.

The Register-Pajaronian High School Athletes of the Week for the week of Sept. 24-30.

The Register-Pajaronian's high school football power rankings for week 7 of the 2018 season.

Nick DeCarlo scored an impressive victory in the eighth annual Pat & Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout Race on Sept. 29 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.

Senior running back Matthew Barcelo scored the eventual game-winning touchdown for Watsonville (4-1, 1-0), and the defense made a gigantic stop on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line to start the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission division season with a momentum-building victory.

The Mariners have done plenty of winning in the short amount of time. Aptos has won eight of its last nine games, including its last four Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan division contests to grab second place heading into the second round of league play.

Perkin molded the Mariners into a local power over her eight seasons with the program. Aptos posted a 105-28-25 record during her tenure, and also captured the last five Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championships in an incredible run that included a 41-game winning streak against league opponents.

The Watsonville High Wildcatz have had two full weeks to flush their 49-7 preseason loss to Burlingame High, and now the North Salinas High Vikings will be at the forefront of their minds.