Sports

After two straight failed attempts of placing atop the podium at the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships, the third time became a charm for Danica Kelley.   The Scotts Valley High star senior wrestler turned her dream into a reality following a first place finish...

Jacob Pauka is the kind of kid most parents would love to call their own, and most coaches would love to recruit.  Before attending Scotts Valley High School, this student owned the baseball diamond, leading the Pony League in batting average (.700) and clocking 14...

Hell Week language is scary. The drill descriptions are strong enough to put the fear of retribution into any young football player’s heart. Found on the coach’s advisory web site are these Hell Week ‘two-a-days’ drills:Discipline: Up downs, Suicides, Running (a lot, like 2 miles non stop), Death valley bear crawl (bear crawling with someone on your back)Hard hitting: Bull in the ring, Hitting tackling dummyBlocking: Pushing the sled, One-on-ones So the lingo is often scary. If you were in some other location where the coaches might have a ‘drill-sergeant’ like attitude and a ‘what-won't-kill-you-will-make-you-stronger’ mentality, those deadly terms were often prophetic.In 2003, heat-exhaustion deaths made the National Collegiate Athletic Association prohibit ‘two-a-days’ on consecutive days during the first five days of practice. NFL eliminated them all-together.In local high schools, the first few days are without helmets and padding, to ease dehydration.Both San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley high schools started football practices on Monday, August 10. Led by head coaches, respectively, Dave Poetzinger and Louie Walters, both teams prepare for the first competition – Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League's 2015 ‘FOOTBALL JAMBOREE’, to be held on Friday, August 28 at 5:30 pm at the Cabrillo College.Scotts Valley has a really ambitious preseason schedule, highlighted by the September 18 game at the 49’s Levi Stadium vs. Watsonville HS.On a sad note, it seems the Falcons’ new sports complex won't have the stadium lights as planned, due to a threatened lawsuit by the neighboring residents. In the past, Santa Cruz High School faced a similar predicament when their lights were to be installed. They solved their problem by using lower poles and special lighting with modifiers that prevent excessive light-spillage outside of the stadium. Perhaps not all is yet lost for the Falcons.

Scotts Valley High senior defensive lineman Andre Nice recorded a sack and seven tackles for the Falcons in a 28-0 shutout win over rival San Lorenzo Valley High in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play on March 27. The Falcons remained undefeated at 3-0 and...

Emily Hogye, 19, has brought Ben Lomond global attention over the last several years through her career in competitive equestrian vaulting.

Last year, the Scotts Valley High football team had a season full of uncertainty, not knowing if it’d get to play a game because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. They got through a six-game season in what would’ve been the Falcons’ spring training period, and...

In 11 years as head baseball coach at San Lorenzo Valley High, Ross Parmenter has spent every spring pushing to rebuild the emphasis on baseball the school. What was once a mighty program for the Cougars had tapered off since he left the area.

San Lorenzo Valley High football team has gone through some major adjustments and unfortunate situations over the past three seasons, including three coaching changes in that same time span. However, not everything is grim for Cougars’ first-year head coach David Grant, who has one of...

Scotts Valley High juniors Ellie Raffo and Siena Wong were instrumental in launching the girls’ lacrosse program two years ago. The Falcons began as a club in 2020 that was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year was their first season as a...

Scotts Valley graduate Kaleb Wing is already living the dream just one month after walking across the stage to receive his high school diploma. The 18-year-old former Falcon ace pitcher was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round with the 121st overall pick...