Youth Sports

Reggie Stephens wasn’t sure what was in store for his future after he retired from playing professional football in 2006. So, he spent the next four years searching for a purpose.  That was until he ran into current Scotts Valley High football coach Louie Walters...

This past weekend, 32 teams from across the Bay Area—including Santa Cruz County—competed in the annual Bytheal Ratliff’s Blast By The Bay fastpitch tournament, hosted by the Cabrillo Gals Softball League. The event took place at Anna Jean Cummins Park and Soquel High School, drawing...

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...

From trouncing the competition to giving back to the community, Valley Fastpitch, a local 12U travel softball program, is helping young athletes find their way home. Founder and Head Coach Jeri Kievlan saw the need for a feeder team to help girls 12 and under...

Scotts Valley native Ashley Gettleman won the inaugural Utah Girls' Junior State Amateur Championship after a four-day battle against some of the best golfers in the country. Gettleman, the No. 6 seed, rallied from a three-hole deficit for a 2-1 win over top seed Aadyn...

The Scotts Valley Little League AAA Braves completed a stunning playoff run by beating the Padres 8-7 in the youth baseball championship game May 21 at Siltanen Park in Scotts Valley. The Braves finished fifth (out of six teams) in the regular season standings and...

Lucius Niesen is the kind of kid every parent would love to call their own. Smart, positive, well-mannered and with a smile that’s sure to melt plenty of hearts in the future, the Scotts Valley Middle School student carries a few things very well:...

The Santa Cruz Pop Warner 10U team is making the trek to the Sunshine State this weekend. But don’t think for one second this is any type of vacation to Universal Studios.  It’s more of a business trip for the Seahawks, who will battle for a...

Scotts Valley Trouble 8U fastpitch softball team capped off the summer tournament season in winning fashion by capturing back-to-back championships including the Pajaro Valley Strawberry Jam title on July 30.  Harper Swartz and LaVinnia Restivo had a combined 15 strikeouts over six innings in a...

The Capitola-Soquel Majors All-Stars team made some history earlier this month following a thrilling win to capture the District 39 championship for the first time in nearly a decade.  Ace pitcher Ryan Huffaker helped add one more chapter in their memorable run after he recorded...