The throes of summer are upon us. The heat has arrived, bringing about a new necessity — cooling off.

Majors Division

While the National Football League lockout has fans and players alike wondering what to do, 49ers kicker Joe Nedney took some of his newly acquired free time to spend with a group of kids from Vine Hill Elementary School. A batch of a dozen or so kids from Vine Hill won a raffle to participate in the punt, pass and kick day with Nedney in Scotts Valley at Skypark this weekend.

The Steelheads threw superstition to the wind, dawned brand new jerseys for the first time this season, and for the fourth year in a row, won the IOOF San Lorenzo Valley co-ed softball crown.

As the school year winds to a close, memories of the 2010-2011 sports year begin to fade as we begin to look forward to summer and to next years seasons. Though the last year is gone, there are a number of firsts, a collection of championships, and remnants of a year of success for both of our valleys. Here is a look back at what our local schools combined to accomplish this year.