SCCAL News
The purpose of this page is to highlight breaking or interesting news items about past and present SCCAL individuals and teams. There will be periodic updates as the news cycle permits.
Posted April 7, 2026
Congrats to Soquel Surfers – Congratulations to the Soquel Surf Team. At the recent SSS High School State Championships in Oceanside, Soquel won the Women’s Longboard team title, and frosh Riviera Hunter was crowned the Women’s Shortboard state champion.
Posted March 1, 2026
Congrats to our CCS Winter Champions – In a terrific showing, three SCCAL teams won Winter Sport CCS Championships – Aptos Boys & Girls Soccer, and Scotts Valley Girls Basketball. Well done!
POSTED January 21, 2026
SCCAL Commissioner Opening – The SCCAL is accepting applications for the SCCAL Commissioner’s position for the 2026-27 school Year (and beyond). The application process will be on-line through EdJoin. To apply, please go to: https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/2189219
POSTED January 1. 2026
RIP Coach Mercer – Dave Mercer, a long-time SLV coach and teacher, passed recently. Coach Mercer was a Watsonville High grad, where he played football, basketball, and baseball, and he is a member of their Hall of Fame. He matriculated to San Jose State, where he continued to play football. Upon graduation, he began a 39-year career at SLV, teaching Social Studies and coaching football, boys and girls basketball, and boys golf. A Celebration of Life will be held in the SLV Gym on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 am.
POSTED November 16, 2025
Congratulations to our Fall CCS Champs – Congratulations to Harbor Girls Volleyball and to Scotts Valley Girls Cross-Country for winning Fall CCS Team Championships. Also congrats to Scotts Valley runner Hanna Shehorn for winning the D4 Cross-Country Individual Championship.
POSTED October 27, 2025
Congratulations Coach Walters – Congratulations to head football coach & Athletic Director Louie Walters of Scotts Valley High School. Coach Walters was recently named the 2025 CCS Honor Coach in Football. Coach Walters has been the head coach at Scotts Valley for 26 years. He is the only head football coach the Falcons have ever known. His teams have won 152 games and 7 league championships. Only 3 coaches in the 50-plus years of the SCCAL have won more league titles.
Crowned Champion – Congratulations to 2018 Scotts Valley alum and former Falcon wrestler Raul Ortiz. At the recent MMA Central Coast Fighting Championships, Raul was crowned the champion of the CCFC Bantamweight Division. Raul won by unanimous decision.
POSTED May 23, 2025
RIP Tex – Hilding “Tex” Ronning, one of the most successful wrestling coaches in SCCAL history, passed recently after his battle with cancer. His teams won 5 league titles, and produced a remarkable 62 individual league champions. Tex also coached football for over 20 years, and was an incredibly popular PE teacher. Tex also played competitive horse shoes, traveling to state and world championships. A Celebration of Life for Tex will be announced soon.
POSTED May 18, 2025
Spring Sports CCS Champions – Congratulations to Head Coach Kendall Ronzano and her Harbor Pirates on winning the D-2 CCS Championship in Boys Volleyball, their 1st in school history. Good luck in Nor-Cals!
POSTED April 14, 2025
Congratulations to DeMarco Hunter – Santa Cruz High junior boys basketball player DeMarco Hunter was named the Cal-Hi Sports State D-IV Player-of-the-Year. The 6’6″ forward and 3-year varsity player led the Cardinals to the CCS Championship and into the Nor-Cal Regional Finals. DeMarco recorded 30 double-doubles and averaged 25.5 ppg,, 12.3 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks.
POSTED March 27, 2025
RIP Mark Brewer – Mark was a successful head Girls Volleyball Coach at Aptos HS, but he made his lasting imprint as an official. Mark established the Santa Cruz County Volleyball Officials’ Association, and he officiated local high school boys and girls volleyball, in the gym and on the beach, for over 40 years. Mark also led beginning beach volleyball camps in the summer. Mark was an outstanding official, an excellent leader, and a generous, funny, and loyal friend. We’ll miss you Mark, RIP.
A Memorial for Mark will be held on Saturday, May 10, at 11:00 am, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 220 Elk Street, Santa Cruz.
POSTED March 2, 2025
Winter Sports CCS Champions – Congratulations to the Santa Cruz Boys Basketball team, and the Soquel Girls Soccer team, for winning CCS Championships, and good luck in Nor-Cals!
POSTED FEBRUARY 3, 2025
SCCAL Wrestling Finals Site Change – The Boys & Girls SCCAL Wrestling Championships, which happen this Friday, Feb. 7, have moved to SLV High School. Weigh-ins will start at 11:00 am, and prelims start at 12 noon. Admission will be charged.
POSTED FEBRUARY 1, 2025
National Football Foundation Scholarship Winners – Two SC County football players were recently awarded $1000 scholarships from the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. Lineman Bobby Arcangeli from Scotts Valley, and defensive back Ben Palma from Soquel, were honored at a Santa Cruz Host Lions Club luncheon. The Lions Club also awarded each student-athlete an additional $200 scholarship.
POSTED JANUARY 20, 2025
Two High School All-Star Games Coming-Up – On Sunday, Jan. 26, the inaugural Central Coast Girls Flag Football All-Star Game will be held at Santa Cruz HS, skills competition at 1:00 pm, with kickoff to follow at 2:00 pm. And on Saturday, Feb. 1, the 39th Central Coast High School All-Star Football Game will be held at Salinas HS, kickoff at 7:00 pm. Both games feature senior athletes from Sana Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. For more info on the girls game, go to reggiestephensfoundation.com, for the boys game, go to HSAllStars.com, or contact your Athletic Director.
POSTED DECEMBER 16, 2024
RIP Stub – Rick Stubblefield, a long-time fixture in Watsonville and Santa Cruz County athletics, passed peaceably recently at 73. For 50-plus years, Stub, as he was fondly known, was a youth coach, Little League board member and past President, scorekeeper, stat keeper, announcer, gate worker, anthem singer, clock operator, community volunteer, and much, much more. He greeted everyone with a smile and treated everyone graciously. There will be a Celebration of Life for him on Sunday, Feb. 2, in the main gym at Watsonville HS from 1-4 pm. RIP Stub, we’ll miss you.
POSTED DECEMBER 1, 2024
Eli Fitchen-Young – State Champ – Congratulations to Santa Cruz High cross-country runner Eli Fitchen-Young. He won the 2024 CIF State Division IV Cross-Country Championship, covering the 5000 meter course at Woodward Park in a blazing 14:41.3. He is only the second male cross-country runner from Santa Cruz County to win a state title, joining SLV’s Alex Dunn (2002).
POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Nor-Cal Champs – Congratulations to the Aptos High Girls Water-Polo Team and their head coach, Cody Gilbert. The Mariners beat Morro Bay HS 9-7 to win the CIF Nor-Cal Championship. Adelaide Friedley led Aptos with 3 goals.
POSTED NOVEMBER 18, 2024
Congratulations to our 2024 Fall Sport CCS Champions – Congratulations to CCS Cross-Country Champions Eli Fitchen-Young (Santa Cruz) and Ava Decleve (Scotts Valley), and to our CCS Team Champions, Scotts Valley in Girls Cross-Country and Aptos in Girls Water-Polo.
POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2024
Harbor’s Matt Schutz Named CCS Honor Coach – Harbor High School’s Matt Schutz has been recognized as the 2024 CCS Honor Coach in Girls Volleyball. In his 15 years at the helm of the Pirate ship, Matt’s teams have won six SCCAL team championships, earned multiple berths into the CCS playoffs, and were the 2023 CCS Champions. Congratulations Matt on winning this prestigious award.
Officials Appreciation Week – October 6-12 is Officials Appreciation Week for Fall sports, celebrating their hard work and dedication. Every year, our officials attend clinics, participate in rules meetings, and take tests to prepare for the season in order to provide our student-athletes with the best opportunities for fair play. Please support our officials and applaud their efforts.
POSTED SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
PVUSD Football Security – To increase security at all PVUSD football games (ie, Aptos, Pajaro Valley & Watsonville), any student under 18 who is not associated with either the Home or Away school must present ID and be accompanied by an adult.
POSTED AUGUST 19, 2024
JV & Frosh Girls Volleyball Jamboree – On Saturday, August 24, at Harbor HS, there will be an SCCAL JV and Frosh Girls Volleyball Jamboree. The JV’s start at 12 noon, and the Frosh at 2:30 pm.
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2024
Olympic Update – Nikki Hiltz (Aptos, 2013) and Dominique Parrish (Scotts Valley, 2015) both concluded their 2024 Paris Olympics events. Nikki finished 7th in the 1500m finals, and Dominique finished 0-2 in wrestling. Huge congratulations to both!
Two Football Jamborees Approaching – On Saturday, August 24, at Cabrillo College, the SC County JV and Varsity Football Jamboree will take place, JV’s starting at 3:00 pm, and the varsity at 7:00 pm. Most of the County schools will be playing.
On Saturday, August 31, at Harbor High School, is the SCCAL Girls Flag Football Jamboree. The action starts at 9:00 am.
Both events will be charging an entry fee.
POSTED JULY 25, 2024
Wharf-to-Wharf Race – The 51st running of the Wharf-to-Wharf is Sunday, July 28. This 6-mile race, from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to Capitola-by-the-Sea, is one of the most popular road races in the US, selling-out its 16,000 bib-numbers each year in days. The race has raised over $6 million for local SC County youth and high school sports. Hundreds and hundreds of SCCAL athletes have run in the race over the years, and several thousands more have volunteered over the years to support the race.
Santa Cruz County grads to win the W-to-W are Mark McConnell (Soquel), Dan Gruber (Aptos), and Armando Siquerios (Watsonville), who won in 1979, 1982, and 1984 respectively.
SCCAL Athletes in the Paris Olympics – Two former SCCAL athletes, Nikki Hiltz (Aptos, 2013) and Dominique Parrish (Scotts Valley, 2015), will be representing the US at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Nikki will run the 1500m, and Dominique is a wrestler. Nikki’s quest for an Olympic medal in the 1500m starts on August 6, and Dominique starts wrestling on August 7. Good luck to both!