Youth Sports

SANTA CRUZ—A dozen years have passed since a Watsonville-based Little League team won the District 39 Majors Tournament of Champions title.  Pajaro Valley Little League Nationals manager Robert Brooks came close to bringing a championship home two years ago, only to watch it slip away...

The Padres of Pajaro Valley Little League celebrated on the field after capturing the Majors Division championship following a 14-1 crushing win against the White Sox on June 3 at Ruso Field in Watsonville. With the win, the Padres will compete in the District 39...

SALINAS—The Watsonville Wildcatz defeated the Seteinbeck Tigers, 22-12, in the Monterey Bay Youth Football League Junior Peewee Sectional championship at Rabobank Stadium on Nov. 13. With the win, the ‘Catz advance to their first ever MBYFL Junior Peewee Super Bowl.  Giovanni Rivero finished with three rushing...

LIVE OAK—It’s been a little more than a decade since a Watsonville-based team won the District 39 Little League Tournament of Champions championship. The Nationals of the Pajaro Valley Little League were on the cusp of achieving that feat on Tuesday, needing just one more...

SANTA CRUZ—Aptos Little League All Star pitcher Dominik Castillo has suffered defeat on three different occasions when it came to the District 39 Championship round. The 12-year-old ace right-hander wasn’t about to let it happen again as he gave up just two runs while recording...

The Watsonville High softball team had its game against North Salinas postponed due to a potential ammonia cloud hanging in the area from a four-alarm fire at Taylor Farms in Salinas. The Wildcatz (9-6, 1-4) and Vikings (5-6, 0-4) will have a make-up game in...

Pajaro Valley Majors All-Stars third baseman Brady Duque was put in a situation during last week’s district title game that nearly every Little Leaguer dreams of being in.   The game was on the line, score tied in the bottom of the sixth with two outs...

RICHMOND—A local Amateur Athletic Union girls’ basketball team won a competitive tournament in the Bay Area this past weekend.  Athletic Club Santa Cruz beat out teams from Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco to capture the championship that was held at a local gymnasium in Richmond. ACSC...

SALINAS—Watsonville Junior Wildcatz standout Giovani Rivero has been nearly impossible to contain in the Monterey Bay Youth Football League this season. He’s been using his agile legs to juke opposing defenses and zipping past offensive lineman for quarterback sacks.  Rivero used his swiftness once again to...

Steve Okamura was a big contributor for kickstarting the annual Apple Cider Classic wrestling tournament at Watsonville High in 2010. The longtime Wildcatz wrestling assistant coach also helped pave the way for dozens of girls who were hesitant to step on the mat in a...