The Scotts Valley High School girls’ volleyball program is having its most successful season in school history with a current record of 18 wins and 8 losses.

Tyler Stow connected on a school-record five touchdown passes -- three of them to Carson Spence in second-half explosion -- as Scotts Valley won The Big Game of the Santa Cruz Mountains on Oct. 22, 35-14.The game, played under a bright blue sky before a packed stadium at SLV, was knotted 7-7 at the half.Last year Scotts Valley won 52-51 in a five-overtime thriller, but the excitement this year in the second half was all Falcon.The defensive unit for Scotts Valley held SLV’s power offense scoreless nearly the entire second half, while Stow went to work on the Cougar secondary.Spence would finish with four catches for 101 years, and Stow’s passing total reached 257 yards at game’s end.Elias Avalos had two sacks, and Tanner Gilton, Anthony Locatelli, Josh Eskew and Jason Bucio each had one. Bucio also blocked a field goal attempt.Falcon coach Louie Walters notched his 101st victory against his alma mater where he was a one-time assistant.The game had more on the line than mountain bragging rights, as the winner would be in a good position to secure a spot in the CCS playoffs.SLV travels to Santa Cruz next week, then hosts Aptos, which has won five straight league titles.Scotts Valley came within one touchdown of knocking off Aptos at home.The Falcons host Soquel in an afternoon game at home next weekend, then end their regular season at night at home against Santa Cruz.Kyle Rajala and Ryan Johnston each caught touchdown passes from Stow, who was 11-16.For SLV, Jackson Turner caught a TD pass from Tanner Murray in the first quarter, then Scott Poetzinger, the game’s leading rusher with 84 yards, scored with 8 seconds left in the game.

The San Lorenzo Valley Cougars are using cutting-edge helmet technology to take some of the sting out of hard-hitting football games.

The San Lorenzo Valley Cougars return home this weekend to face another big-school opponent, and try and remain unbeaten in non-conference play.

The visiting Balboa High team came to the Santa Cruz mountain field of San Lorenzo Valley off a winning record a year ago in a tough San Francisco prep league.

The Scotts Valley Falcons lost two-thirds of last year’s team, five of 11 starters on defense and offense.But Louie Walters’ boys are always tapped as one of the top teams in the league, and this year is no exception.Quarterback Tyler Stow led an almost-successful second half comeback with six straight completions against Los Altos on Aug. 26, a promising start for the Falcons.Walters is making some adjustments in his backfield, with Tyler Stone moving to fullback and Tanner Gilton moving from fullback to tailback.He says Gilton is the player to watch, and his second half performance in the first game set him off on a good start at the new position.Walters also lists running back Trevor Ponos and wide receivers RJ Johnston and Jason Bucio as keys to Falcon success this season.The coach said Tyler Stow has emerged as the team leader, and that showed in the quarterback’s second half against Los Altos.“We’re going to continue to run the ball – it’s a Scotts Valley tradition,” Walters said.He also said he liked the way his swarming defense stifled the Los Altos running game for much of the game, which was marred by costly turnovers.The defense will be led by defensive end Jason Bucio, 6-4, 230.Walters acknowledged that his biggest challenge is all of the new varsity players, but is mindful of the fact that last year’s junior varsity team shared the league title with Aptos and Santa Cruz.When asked for one word that summed up this year’s squad? “Heart”That was clearly on display in the opener.   2016 SCHEDULE Aug. 26,  7:30 p.m.Los Altos              Sept. 2  7:30 p.m.Carmel (Carmel )at Monterey Peninsula College              Sept. 9,  7:30 p.m.Watsonville at Scotts Valley Sept. 16,  7:30 p.m.Seaside at Seaside  Sept. 23,  7:30 p.m.         Eureka at Eureka              Oct. 7,  7:30 p.m.Aptos at Aptos              Oct. 14,  7 p.m.Harbor at Scotts Valley Oct. 2,  2 p.m.San Lorenzo Valley at SLV Oct. 9,  2 p.m.Soquel at Scotts Valley Nov. 4,  7:30 p.m.Santa Cruz at Scotts Valley

San Lorenzo Valley Coach Dave Poetzinger says he wants to take this season one game at a time. But looking at his roster, and the results of his opening dismantling of San Francisco’s Balboa High, it must be hard for him not to look ahead to his BIG games against Scotts Valley on Oct.22 and Aptos on Nov. 5.The Cougars lost to Aptos, winner of five straight league championships, by just two points last year, and fell in five overtimes to Scotts Valley 52-51.This year, 21 players in those games are back on the field for the Cougars.Many of this year’s seniors have played together since junior high school.Poetzinger ticks off the plusses for this year’s team.Three of last year’s starting four defensive linemen are back: junior Mark Carling, 6-1, 210;  senior Marcus Khokar, 6-3, 245, and senior Ryan Kinch, 6, 200.His three all-league linebackers are back: Jack Gentry, 6, 205, Ryan Levitra, 6-1, 190, and Jackson Turner, 6-2, 215.“It’s really a good front that’s coming back,” he said.This unit let one 75-yard touchdown run slip through against Balboa, then held them to minus-three yards the rest of the game.On offense, kicker and quarterback Tanner Murray moved back into that position after a year as wide receiver last year. In his first game, he was 6-for-6, for 178 yards.Poetzinger’s son, senior running back Scott, tallied 550 yards rushing last year, and is stronger this fall.And he has Joe Oard. The state finalist in the 400 meters last spring, Oard came out of the starting gate in a sprint, catching 5 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. He led the league last year.“Remember, we’re the smallest public high school in the county,” Poetzinger said, knowing full well that a key injury can hurt his team’s chances more than some other teams with more depth.That’s why he was happy to report weight and strength gains over the summer from some of his key players.He intentionally scheduled big schools – two or three times the size of SLV – in his first non-league games, to toughen his crew physically and mentally for league play.Observers have tapped SLV and rival Scotts Valley as the two teams with the best shot at ending the 30-game league winning streak of Aptos.The Cougars are off to a good start.   2016 SCHEDULE Aug. 27,  2 p.m.Balboa (San Francisco ) Sept. 2,  7 p.m.Homestead (Cupertino )at Homestead High School Sept. 10,  2 p.m.Santa Clara (Santa Clara )at San Lorenzo Valley High School Sept. 16,  7 p.m.King’s Academy (Sunnyvale )at King’s Academy Oct. 1,  2 p.m.Capuchino (San Bruno)At Capuchino High School Oct. 8,  2 p.m.Harbor at San Lorenzo Valley High School Oct. 14,  7:30 p.m.Soquelat Soquel High School Oct. 22,  2 p.m.Scotts Valleyat San Lorenzo Valley High School Oct. 28,  7:30 p.m.Santa Cruzat Santa Cruz High School Nov. 5,  2 p.m.Aptosat San Lorenzo Valley High School