Sports

The Aptos High boys’ basketball team turned on the afterburners before the start of Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play last season and soared to a share of the league championship.  The Mariners shared the SCCAL title with Santa Cruz High by beating the Cardinals...

APTOS—The Aptos High girls’ cross country team is back in training and looking to rebuild after the loss of a few of last season's influential teammates.  With a good amount of returning talent and a large number of newcomers, the defending Central Coast Section Division...

Despite having one of the best female ballers in the state, sophomore point guard Heleyna Hill, on the roster, the Cabrillo College women’s basketball team has demonstrated that it is not invincible.

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.

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

The Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title wasn’t on the line, the Cardinals already had that wrapped up, but the Mariners were on a quest to spoil a perfect season in league play for their longtime adversary.

The Aptos Mariners — battered and bruised by the end of the night — did their best Rocky Balboa impression, swinging away at the “big piece of meat” over and over again, but there was no fairy tale ending for the group of scrappy underdogs.

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