Sports

The Santa Cruz Warriors could not hold on to a 20-point lead in a 127-123 Wednesday night loss to the South Bay Lakers in El Segundo.

And it’s arguably the biggest reason why the No. 3-seeded Hawks, powered by an airtight defense and an on-fire attack, will play at top-seeded San Marin High tonight for the NorCal Division V championship.

Jabari Brown, who Santa Cruz Warriors head coach Casey Hill called the missing piece, poured in 36 points on 10 of 16 shooting and his final make from the charity stripe proved to be the difference in Wednesday night’s first round Game 1 win over the Okla

And top-seeded South San Francisco High, with enough heart and passion to make NBA great Kevin Garnett seem tame, took full advantage to dethrone the defending Central Coast Section Division III champs, 66-50, and win the program’s first-ever section title at Piedmont Hills High.

For several local student-athletes, the last 12 months were filled with championship performances, inspirational efforts and unforgettable matchups. Some used their skills on the court, field, pool, track and trails to wow spectators, while others showcased their drive and attitude to inspire young and old.

Greg Ryan is the new head coach at St. Francis, replacing former coach Diana Inman, who was let go after three seasons at the helm.

High School Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan. 7-13.

Aptos produced six league champions at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Finals on Feb. 8 at San Lorenzo Valley High.