High School Sports

Scotts Valley High earlier this month announced that Kevin Taylor was named the new head coach of the baseball team. The 33-year-old Beaverton, Ore., native takes over for former coach Sean Coyne, who led the Falcons to the Central Coast Section Division IV semifinals this...

The season continues for the Scotts Valley High baseball team following a gem performance on the mound from senior Blake LaRiviere.  The ace hurler tossed six innings allowing just two runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts for the Falcons in a...

This week’s edition of the Press Banner Sports Ticker highlights local prep athletes for their performances during the week of April 8-14.   Editor's note: There was no Press Banner Sports Ticker for the week of April 1-7 as both Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley...

San Lorenzo Valley High senior quarterback Jack Dagan tossed four touchdowns for the Cougars football team in a 39-14 non-league victory over South San Francisco High on Aug. 31.  “This was a big win for our program,” SLV head coach Dave Grant said in a...

The Scotts Valley High girls’ tennis team closed out the regular season with a 5-2 win over Harbor High in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play Oct. 24.  With the victory, the Falcons placed second in the league standings with an 8-2 record behind this...

Going into the 2024 season, San Lorenzo Valley was regarded as one of the favorites to capture this year’s Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championship. However, it hasn’t been the start the Cougars were expecting. They currently own a 7-7 overall record, already doubling their...

Scotts Valley junior Ava Decleve wasn’t sure how she felt after crossing the finish line at last week’s Central Coast Section championships. At one point, it almost seemed like a blur to her. “It was a fast race,” Decleve said. “Going into it, there were so...

Steve Okamura was a big contributor for kickstarting the annual Apple Cider Classic wrestling tournament at Watsonville High in 2010. The longtime Wildcatz wrestling assistant coach also helped pave the way for dozens of girls who were hesitant to step on the mat in a...

Aptos High last week announced that Johnny Velez was named the new head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ wrestling teams. The 31-year-old Aptos High alum is replacing long time coach Rudy Guzman who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season. Guzman was an...

A new era under Zach Hewett officially began last week as the Aptos High football team took the practice field for the first time this season.  Prior to taking the helm, the 39-year-old head coach knew there wasn’t going to be much of a change.  For...