The Soquel High football team’s best start since 2006 is now its best start since 2017. The Knights (2-1) were forced to forfeit their 40-26, season-opening win over visiting Gunn on Aug. 24 after using an ineligible player.
Knights athletic director Stu Walters said he reported the error to Central Coast Section commissioner Duane Morgan.
“We had a 14-year-old play and I failed to do the proper paperwork,” Walters said. “It’s my mistake.”
The Knights, under first-year coach Dwight Lowery, take on host Scotts Valley (2-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Boys water polo
Soquel 12, Aptos 6 >> The Knights, who led by two goals at the half, outscored the Mariners 6-2 in the second half to earn the win in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division play at Cabrillo College on Wednesday night.
Matthew Morse scored twice for the Mariners.
Aptos goalies Kye Hurley and Aiden Gilbert made a combined nine saves. Gilbert, a sophomore, blocked a five-meter penalty shot from Luke Matthies.
Santa Cruz 21, Salinas 2 >> Senior Sam Culver scored six goals and drew five ejections to lead the Cardinals to the PCAL-G rout.
Sophomore Aidan Wells registered four goals and six assists.
Junior Zach Wagner had three goals and two assists. Sophomore Wilder Lockwood also scored three goals.
San Lorenzo Valley 15, at Palma 7 >> Senior Xander Krikke scored six goals and sophomore Nolan Alisago added three as the Cougars beat the host Chieftains in PCAL Pacific Division play.
Senior Gabe Enns and junior Alex Adams each scored twice for SLV, and juniors Gavin Wowack and Rowan Garties each added a goal.
Senior goalie Jaz Khokhar made 12 saves for the Cougars (3-0), who play York at Santa Catalina on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Girls water polo
Salinas 8, at Santa Cruz 7 >> Ruby Johnston headed a balanced attack with three goals, one assist and one steal, as the Cardinals fell short in the their PCAL-G match Wednesday.
Sofia Grossi added two goals and three steals. Sophia Rascon had three steals and scored a goal. Lena Noya also scored for Santa Cruz.
Josie Taylor had three assists and five steals.
Coya Laucher two assists, one save and two steals.
Goalie Zoe Pais made eight saves for the Cardinals (1-2).
Soquel 18, at Aptos 2 >> Shea Salvino recorded five goals, one assist and two steals, as the Knights remained undefeated in PCAL-G play on Wednesday.
Katelyn Bettencourt added three goals, one assist and one steal, while Riley Freitas and Aliya Ware each added two goals. Ware provided three steals and two assists, Annie Nigh had a team-high four steals, and Adrianna Howard had two steals and two assists for Soquel (6-1, 3-0), which will visit Santa Cruz on Wednesday.
Women’s volleyball
Fresno Pacific 3, at UC Santa Cruz 1 >> Claire Okerlund had a team-high 13 kills and five digs as the Slugs fell, 18-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-11, at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Wednesday.
UCSC had a kill percentage of .073.
Shania Andrews had five kills and a team-high 14 digs. Rachel Sveiven added 11 digs and Alana Susbilla had 18 assists and eight digs.
The Slugs (2-8) play two matches in the Slugfest at UCSC’s West Field House on Friday. They face Arcadia (5-1) at 11 a.m. and Mills (1-7) at 3 p.m.
On Tuesday, Okerlund was named Player of the Week by the Association of Division III Independents for the second straight week. She recorded 47 kills and 30 digs across four matches last weekend in Thousand Oaks.
Cabrillo 3, Monterey Peninsula 0 >> Lina Fiso had 13 kills to lead the Seahawks past MPC on Wednesday, 25-17, 25-19, 25-9.
Kylie Kvam added nine kills, three digs and an ace, while Ellie Cary provided nine kills. Kendra Lis had 43 assists and six digs, and Paige Schieferstein had four aces for Cabrillo (4-1), which will host American River and College of Sequoias on Saturday.
Men’s soccer
At Dominican 2, UCSC 1 >> Ari Statler scored with a diving header off a cross from Jacob Myers Norys in the 88th minute and the Slugs avoided being shut out Wednesday.
Zachary Lamb made four saves for the Slugs (1-4), who host Fresno Pacific (1-0-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Women’s soccer
Dominican 2, at UCSC 0 >> UCSC goalie Malia Starita made three saves, but the Slugs were shut out for their third straight game Wednesday and suffered their fourth straight loss.
The Slugs (2-4) host Pomona-Pitzer (4-1) on Saturday at noon.
Women’s golf
UCSC takes sixth in opener >> UCSC took sixth place at Texas Lutheran University’s Lady Bulldog Classic at Starcke Park Municipal Course in Seguin, Texas, on Tuesday.
The Slugs shot a two-day total of 703. Trinity University won the seven-team event with a 634 total.
UCSC was led by freshman Claire Oetinger and Mara Anunciacion, who both shot a 23-over 167 to tie for 12th place. They finished 11 strokes behind medalist Kendalyn Ferguson of McMurray.
UCSC next competes in next week’s California State Intercollegiate in Ventura County.