Aptos High School has won the Pat Lovell Award for the fifth time in a row and remains the only school in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League to win it.
The Pat Lovell Award was established in 2019 to honor the legacy of SCCAL Commissioner Pat Lovell, who helmed the SCCAL for 30 years. The award is given each year to the school that earns the most points in SCCAL varsity competitions.
Aptos High sophomore Emilie Santiago (2) dribbles through Gilroy High School defenders Katherine Montero Carillo (7) and Roslyn Hernandez (23) in the second half of the girls match on Feb. 22.
To determine the winner each year, points are awarded for 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and so on, in the final varsity league standings for every SCCAL sport, and points are also awarded for winning an SCCAL End-of-Season Championship Tournament. The school with the highest point total at the end of each school year is awarded the Pat Lovell trophy.
Aptos High School dominated the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League (SCCAL), with Mariners teams capturing or sharing 10 league championships this school year. League titles came in boys cross country, girls flag football, girls tennis, girls soccer, boys wrestling, boys golf, softball, boys track and field, and girls track and field, while girls beach volleyball earned a share of the SCCAL crown.
Several of those teams did particularly well. The girls soccer team claimed its fourth consecutive SCCAL title, and softball completed an undefeated league season.
The boys soccer team added to the Mariners’ success despite narrowly missing a league championship. They finished second in the SCCAL with a 7-1-2 record, closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak, and handed league champion Harbor its only league loss.
The Mariners then went on to win the first Central Coast Section championship in program history.
2025-26 Final Standings
- Aptos – 115 pts.
- Santa Cruz – 99.5
- Soquel – 97
- Scotts Valley – 82.5
- Harbor – 70.5
- SLV – 45.5
- Mt. Madonna – 9.5
TOP PHOTO: The Aptos High girls soccer team celebrate their victory in the CCS championship game after the final whistle.