Sports Shorts

The regular season of all the high school winter sports is over. The playoffs have started!
Boys Basketball 
Boys’ basketball: In the Santa Cruz County Athletic League (SCCAL) semifinal, San LorenzoValleyHigh School played St.FrancisHigh School at the ScottsValleyHigh School gym on February 18. SLVHS jumped to almost 20 points lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and it looked like they would blow the St. Francis Sharks out of the water. At the end of the second quarter, the Cougars’ lead had shrunk to just six points and eventually St. Francis prevailed, 51-43. The Cougars made it to the CCS playoffs, and will host HarkerAcademy on Thursday, February 25, at 7:00 p.m.
Wrestling: CentralCoast Section’s wrestling tournament was held at IndependenceHigh School in San Jose on February 19th and 20th. Fourteen local wrestlers entered: four boys and two girls from San LorenzoValleyHigh School, three boys and four girls from ScottsValleyHigh School, and one boy from MonteVistaChristianHigh School in Watsonville.
Christian Rebottaro pinned all his opponents except for the final one, whom he outscored 5-3 to claim the CCS heavy weight championship.
Gabbie Sandoval was the other local champion. She pinned her 111 lb. weight opponent, and goes, along with Rebottaro, to the next State meet in Visalia.
Wrestlers who made it to the CCS finals are:
SLVHS: Jeremiah Aquirre, Dominic Aguirre, Wyatt Atchley , Jed Kraft, Alexandra Stevenson and Ruby Saltrain-Miller.
SVHS: Jared Rossiter, Nick Reyes and Franky Graves, Kendal Darneal, Cassidy O’Brien Kerr and Cailin Smedstad. 138 lb. wrestler.
SLVHS Jed Kraft’s four-year varsity career ended after dominating the league although he suffered an unusual twist in his senior year. Last November, he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during a preseason practice. Normally, this would mark the end of a season for an athlete.
After contemplating his options and debating with his family, coaches, friends and doctors, Kraft decided to postpone necessary surgery until after the season ended. His sports doctor recommended therapies to strengthen the ACL-supporting muscles. The seriousness of his injury was kept secret to prevent his opponents from exploiting it. He finished the season unbeaten, with a13-0 record and his third in a row league title. He won his first two matches at the CCS, but his ACL snapped in his quarterfinal match and that was it. He placed 6th overall. Now he can schedule the surgery.
On Saturday night, February 20, the unbeaten SVHS Lady Falcons met Soquel High School at the Kaiser Arena post-season SCCAL tournament final. With the 77-49 final score and third title in a row, ScottsValley will play on Saturday, February 27, against the winner of the Castilleja-Santa Cruz CCS section IV game, just three games away from the CCS title.