San Lorenzo Valley High School cheerleading coach DeAnna Heywood went out with a bang. In Heywood’s final event as coach, her competitive cheerleading squad performed all-but-perfectly over two days to win a cheerleading national championship March 26 through 28 in Anaheim.

Robert Mullins slides into third base during San Lorenzo Valley High’s 8-3 non-league win Saturday, March 27, against visiting Leigh High. Mullins is batting .273 and is tied with teammate Zach Settles for the team lead with seven RBIs. The Cougars are 4-4 on the season, including a 1-2 mark in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League. They will play in the Easter Tournament at Salinas High School this weekend, April 2 through 5.

Every year, I wait patiently for my Easter lilies to come up in the garden. The shoots are now about 6 inches tall, but they are a long way from blooming, and I’m looking forward to those huge, fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers.

Bethany University split a doubleheader against Minnesota’s St. Catherine University on Wednesday, March 31. The Bruins fell in extra innings in the first contest, 3-2, before rallying to a 9-1 victory in the second game against their non-conference foe.

A week from Sunday, Christians across the world will celebrate Easter, the Christian holiday that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley, services and Easter celebrations are plentiful at local churches.