Sports

The postseason run of dreams came to an end in the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal 4-A championship game.

Ruiz this season won the Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress division championship, took second in the CCS Division I race and advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation state meet for the second straight season.

At Aptos, freshmen Jazmin Castaneda and Rowan Bower have helped the Mariners get off to an undefeated start. Freshman Najeli Jimenez and sophomore Brianna Guerrero are powering a resurgence at Watsonville. And North Monterey County sophomores Maria Ramirez, Gina Huerta and Melanie Aquino have been goal-scoring machines for the undefeated Condors.

Paloma Ramirez had 16 points and seven rebounds, Mackenzie Tellez added 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals and Monte Vista Christian completed its dominant showing in the Don & Martha Price Christmas Classic with a 74-41 win over Valley Christian-Roseville in the tournament final on Saturday in Watsonville.

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

Pajaro Valley secured its first win of the season on Wednesday night, beating Palma 2-1 in Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission action.

Before last week, I was never curious as to why Watsonville used a z instead of an s at the end of its mascots' name. Like I said, I accepted it. It’s not a spelling mistake, which was my first thought when I went to my first high school basketball game, it’s the unspoken rule — like not putting ketchup on a hotdog. No Watsonville alumnus asks why, they just accept it.

Aptos, ranked 25th in the state by Maxpreps.com, almost saw its undefeated start to the season come to an end in a 1-1 draw against Santa Cruz, ranked 135th.

Ultimately, the Seahawks’ in-game adjustments, and rotational pliability proved sufficient to emerge victorious, 82-75.