Friendly rivals, San Lorenzo Valley High freshman Anna Maxwell and Scotts Valley High sophomore Vanessa Fraser finished third and fourth, respectively, in Division IV at the California Interscholastic Federation State cross country championships in Fresno, Nov. 27.

Scotts Valley High coach Jim Hart is a bit on the optimistic side going into this fall season of girls basketball. After all, what isn’t to be optimistic about?

In what can best be described as a bitter loss Saturday, Nov. 20, the No. 3-seeded San Lorenzo Valley High football team fell 36-14 in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs to an impressive No. 6-seed Menlo High School.

The San Lorenzo Valley High Cougars completed an undefeated Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League schedule with a win over Harbor High and face Menlo School of Atherton in a first round playoff matchup on Saturday.

Led by two star runners and a host of strong teammates, the Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley girls cross country teams are bound for the state championship.

Both the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley high school boys and girls cross country teams are headed to the Central Coast Section Championship meet this weekend after strong performances at last weekend’s Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League meet.

In certainly the muddiest game of the season, the San Lorenzo Valley High football team defeated valley rival Scotts Valley High, 23-7, last Saturday, Oct. 30. The win gave the undefeated Cougars sole possession of first place in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League with two games remaining, against Santa Cruz High and Harbor High, the SCCAL bottom feeders.