Sports

APTOS — The Aptos High girls’ volleyball team was two points away from having at least a share of this year’s Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championship.  But the Mariners came up short in a five-set loss to Harbor High on Thursday. The scores were...

The former head coach and general manager of the four-time Arena Football League-champion San Jose SaberCats, Arbet didn’t promise to break his foot off in his player’s “John Brown hind parts,” as Denzel Washington so eloquently said while playing Boone in the 2000 football flick. But the Seahawks’ heavyweight offseason hire does expect his players to be as close to perfect as possible.

APTOS—The mission couldn’t have been any clearer for Aptos senior Caden Prichard who was set to battle Salinas for just the second time in his career. The ace running back helped lift the Mariners past the Cowboys, 44-41, in a thriller that went down to...

Marea Zlatunich could have had a very different high school experience. Now a league, section and state champion runner for the Aptos High Mariners, Zlatunich didn’t show up to the first day of cross country practice during her freshman year. “I honestly didn’t want to do cross country,” Zlatunich said. “I did it as an eighth grader and I wanted to quit after the first day, but my family didn’t let me.” But when her friend, Annika Niles, begged her to come out for the second day of practice because “she didn’t have any friends on the team,” Zlatunich reluctantly obliged. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of her young life.

Sophomore shortstop Shea Garcia capped a 10-run explosion with a monster grand slam over the centerfield fence, and Aptos High cruised to a 10-6 victory over San Lorenzo Valley High on Friday to clinch its first Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title since 2011. “It took us some time,” said Aptos head coach Phil Rojas, “but it’s rewarding now.” Early on, it looked like the Mariners (13-9, 11-1) would have to wait until next season to end their league title drought.

Capitola-Soquel All-Star pitcher Dylan Hull recorded a complete game shutout on Saturday in a 7-0 win against the Aptos Little League All-Stars in the District 39 11s championship at Franich Park.

The Mariners were also hoping the Toreadores would take their foot off the pedal a bit after. That wasn’t the case either.

Cabrillo College baseball got back in action on Jan. 25, hosting West Hills College in its season opener.

Nikki Hiltz made her first-ever trip to Boston to compete at the Boston Athletic Association Invitational Mile on April 13 and did what she’s been doing throughout her prestigious running career.

Aptos High senior Matt Perko reaches on a throwing error to Soquel High junior first baseman Ryan Murtha during their Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League baseball game in Aptos. Photo by Bryce Stoepfel