Sports

Only three players that were signed with Santa Cruz last season return to the team and head coach Casey Hill, who led the franchise to a championship in 2015 and is now the leader of the Agua Caliente Clippers, is also gone, replaced by first-time head coach Aaron Miles in July.

The girls captured their sixth straight title and 13th over the last 15 years in a miraculous one-point upset of Santa Cruz High, while the boys finished off their dominant league season with a commanding 47-point victory to repeat as league champs.

Monte Vista Christian, Pajaro Valley High and North Monterey County High all close out their regular season on Friday night.

The game is without a doubt a battle of heavyweight teams. Aptos (6-2, 5-0) enters on a five-game winning streak, while Salinas (7-2, 6-0) has won six straight. Both teams’ win streaks have come against league opponents.