Prior to the 2026 fall campaign, Scotts Valley High cross country head coach Todd Hoffman knew it was going to be a “rebuild”-type of year for the program.
The Falcon head coach saw a large number of seniors graduating from last season, including the departure of former standout runners Aaron Weiss and Ava Decleve.
It was nothing new for Hoffman.
He’s seen plenty of other greats from years past come and go. Such as Jeremy Kain and Ashlyn Boothby—both known for setting school, course and Santa Cruz County records.
But going into his sixth year at the helm, Hoffman took on one of his biggest challenges yet by leading an extremely young group that includes a plethora of freshmen.
On the girls side, team captains Hanna and Hailey Shehorn are running exceptionally well for the defending Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion Falcons.
“The girls, they’re looking good but Hanna and Hailey both are very strong,” Hoffman said. “Those two are incredible human beings, they’re just fierce.”
Hanna Shehorn has five victories under her belt, including two league meet races.
She had an impressive win in 15 minutes, 28 seconds on a 2.7-mile course at the Westmoor High Ram Invitational in Daly City on Sept. 26.
Shehorn also won the Seventh Annual Jackie Henderson Memorial Invitational in a personal best 16:55, and the Third Annual Tom Leikam Invitational in 17:13—both three-mile courses.
Haley Shehorn is in just her second cross-country season after an ankle injury ended her 2025 season. She placed fifth in 16:40.3 at the Ram Invitational and fourth in 18:08.4 at the Tom Leikam Invitational—both a personal best for her.
Stella Sutcliffe, a junior, returned from an injury she suffered during the 2026 track and field season. Hoffman said she’s performing well, while freshman June York recently recorded a major personal record of 20:22.6 for a 50th place finish at the Ram Invitational.
Scotts Valley seniors Josh Adams and Jackson Stull are a pair of Falcon team captains leading a young boys group that is expected to rely on freshmen, as well.
Hoffman’s method of handling a large inexperienced group is to introduce training gradually while building confidence and keeping the team engaged.
“I always say we’re a family and they want that, too,” Hoffman said. “Everybody’s respected and encouraged. It’s been really fun to watch everybody just growing into their role.”
This season has been somewhat difficult with the new stadium and all-purpose track still under construction, forcing the Falcons to train off campus.
Even with all the distractions, Hoffman expects the veterans to model team standards, hold one another accountable and support younger teammates.
“Kids are getting excited, we’ve got a real good vibe to the team and they’re bringing along the freshmen really well, too,” Hoffman said. “Both [boys and girls teams] are running really well, and I think the key is the leadership.”
Scotts Valley Middle School’s cross country program has strengthened the pipeline through year-round running and an offseason running club, giving incoming Scotts Valley freshmen more experience.
“They’re coming in here with more mileage under the belt and doing harder things,” Hoffman said. “It’s really paying off. They have been knowing what to do.”
Hoffman said they are treating this season as a building year while focusing on daily progression.
But as usual, the main goal for both squads is to qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships, and compete for SCCAL crowns.
“They’re going to have to really focus and go after it, but it’s totally obtainable,” Hoffman said. “They love league titles, we have those goals there. But to get there, each day we have to build on that.”
The Falcon girls team have won four of the past five league titles. San Lorenzo Valley High snapped the streak at three after it won the league championship in 2024.
The Falcon boys team had won six consecutive SCCAL titles from 2018-2023 until Aptos snapped that streak, and started its own after having won the past two years (‘24 and ‘25).
With two league meets remaining on the regular season schedule, the SCCAL remains highly competitive this year with others such as Harbor, Mount Madonna, Santa Cruz and Soquel in the mix.
“Ours is a building year, but other teams have really improved,” Hoffman said. “I’m liking that the other schools, they’re getting more kids running and our league’s getting stronger again.”
Next up, Scotts Valley will compete against Santa Cruz in SCCAL action at the University of California–Santa Cruz on Oct. 8, starting with the boys race at 4:30pm.
High school football
Scotts Valley 21, North Monterey County 20: Bryce McDonnell connected with Nick Acton in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead score to help lift the Falcons past the Condors in nonleague action Sept. 26.
With the win, Scotts Valley improved to a 3-2 overall record and have won two consecutive games.
The Falcon duo found each other in the first quarter when McDonnell tossed a 20-yard touchdown to Acton. Teammate senior Jake Locatelli put them ahead at 14-6 going into halftime.
Gabe Raya accounted for all three rushing TDs for NMC, which dropped to a 1-4 overall record.
Next up, Scotts Valley (3-2) plays at San Lorenzo Valley (1-4) in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission North Division opener Oct. 3 at 11:30am.
Pacific Grove 21, at San Lorenzo Valley 20: Senior quarterback Brayden Scoma accounted for three touchdowns in the Cougars’ nonleague loss to the Breakers on Sept. 26.
Scoma found junior wide receiver Dylan Chiechi for a touchdown pass that cut the deficit at 21-20 late in the fourth quarter. With momentum on their side, they gambled to take the lead with a 2-point conversion attempt but they failed to convert.
In the end, it was Pacific Grove that walked off the field victorious, and improved to a 2-3 overall record this season.
Junior running back Northrop Kirk had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Breakers, while teammate senior Andrew Nimri hauled in a 7-yard TD reception pass from sophomore Charlie Edmonds in the fourth quarter.
Senior running back Cody Goulart had 108 yards rushing on 18 carries, and an 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
Scoma tossed for 153 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, and added one rushing TD in the third quarter. Senior Gabe Robison finished with two receptions for 80 yards, while teammate senior Landon Pifer had a 30-yard reception.
Senior defensive back Garret Dahlen had one interception for SLV (1-4), which hosts Scotts Valley (3-2) in the teams’ PCAL Mission North Division opener Oct. 3 at 11:30am.
Editor’s note: Check back later this week for the newest episode of the Cover 3 Sports Podcast featuring Scotts Valley High football head coach Louie Walters as the latest guest on the Coaches Corner.
