Sports

Earlier this year, outside hitter Jillian Rodriguez committed to Long Beach State and defensive specialist Cameron Dueck committed to Pepperdine.

A star on the soccer team in the winter and the track and field squad in the spring, Mitchell is one of Aptos High’s young rising athletes poised to become a leader this school year.

According to the placement of teams in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s four divisions, those scores are all shockers. Soledad, a member of the Mission division, losing to a team two tiers below it shouldn’t have happened, right?

Hunter Matys and Marcos Reyes combined to rush for 230 yards and four touchdowns, Fisher Johnson returned a fumble 88 yards for a score and the Aptos High Mariners passed the first test of their Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan division season with flying colors, thumping San Benito High, 42-20, Friday night.

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.

Kelly will try to join former teammate Paul Colosi as the school’s second-ever individual section champion when he toes the line at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course in Belmont.

With their backs against the wall versus the top team in Northern California, the No. 8-seeded Vikings (17-9) hit harder, moved faster and played with an uninhibited confidence resembling that of the two-time state champion Seahawks (26-3).

Junior Elyanna Magdaleno scored two goals and dished an assist, and sophomore Brianna Guerrero and freshman Nayeli Jimenez each scored once and made an assist in Watsonville’s 5-0 win over host Carmel on Thursday.

The two up-and-coming programs played to another bitter 2-2 tie.