Sports Shorts

Scotts Valley PAL football contends for titles
At the midpoint of the season, four Scotts Valley Police Athletic League football teams are contending for division titles.
**The Junior Peewees, coached by David Conte, are second with a 2-1 record in their division. They are 4-1 are overall after a 23-7 win on the road against Evergreen last weekend.
**The Peewees, coached by Steve Gilton, are second in their division after a 14-0 win over Evergreen. They are 2-1 in the division and 3-2 overall.
**The Junior Midgets, coached by Jim Danels, are in first place and clinched their division title after a 7-6 win over Evergreen. They are 3-0 in the division, 5-0 overall.
**The Midgets coached by Joe Espinola are second in their division after a 34-0 win over Evergreen. They are 3-0 in the division and 3-2 overall.
Wolverines take two more
The Scotts Valley-San Lorenzo Valley Soccer League Wolverines defeated the Monterey County FC 3-0 for their first shutout of the season Saturday, Oct. 9.
Goalkeeper Jasper Stemm was rarely challenged but came up with saves when they were needed. On the offensive, Matt Olson scored all three goals, earning his first hat trick of the season.
The next day, the Wolverines defeated Alum Rock 3-2 on a late goal by Taj Yanez, assisted by Kyle Raymond.
Olson scored two goals in the first 15 minutes, the second on a penalty kick when Luke Balch was taken down in the box. Alum Rock pulled even at halftime before Yanez’s game winner.
Falcon runners in the mix for league title
Led by senior captain Tyler Edwards, senior Andrew Brockmann and junior Sean Kennedy, the Scotts Valley High boys cross country team boasts a 4-0 Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League record heading into the final month of the season.
The Scotts Valley team placed fourth at the Stevenson Relay Meet, 26th at the Stanford “mega-meet” and 12th at the Artichoke Invitational at Half Moon Bay.
With senior leadership and contribution from underclassmen — three freshmen and sophomores are in the top eight — the Falcons are looking forward to invitationals at Toro Park and Crystal Springs and a showdown with league rival San Lorenzo Valley High on Oct. 28.
For the girls, top runner Vanessa Fraser placed third at Stanford’s statewide meet and set a course record at the Artichoke Invitational. She is supported by a strong Falcon team led by juniors Twyla Hawley, Abby Utic and Krista McNulty and leadership from captain MacKenzie O’Toole.
On the strength of a second-place finish at Stevenson and a team championship at the Artichoke Invitational, the girls are ranked fifth in the section by the San Jose Mercury News.
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