Scotts Valley High lineman Bobby Arcangeli and Soquel defensive back Ben Palma were chosen to represent Santa Cruz County at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awards banquet for their contributions in the classroom, community, and on the football field.
More than a dozen student-athletes from Santa Cruz County have been chosen to compete in the 39th annual Central Coast High School Football All-Star Game.
Quarterback Sam Whelan helped the Soquel High’s football team win the CIF Division 4AA state title as a sophomore in 2023. For an encore, he accomplished an equally impressive feat: He helped the Knights become the first team from Santa Cruz County to go unbeaten in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division play.
Several directionally challenged Soquel High football fans likely double-checked the location on their smartphones once they stepped foot onto Archbishop Riordan’s field, confirming they weren’t at nearby City College of San Francisco.
Only two high school football teams from Santa Cruz County — Soquel and Aptos — made it into the Central Coast Section playoffs, and both compete in the Gabilan Division, the top tier of Pacific Coast Athletic League.
Soquel’s High’s football team earned one of the program’s all-time great wins Friday, and they made it look rather easy despite facing one of the top program’s in the Central Coast Section.
It was supposed to be another Pacific Coast Athletic League thriller — a matchup pitting a pair of top-three teams in the prestigious Gabilan Division — under the bright lights of Monterey Peninsula College on Friday night.
Kicker Julian Pizarro booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired, and the Monte Vista Christian School football team stunned Scotts Valley 25-23 in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission North Division game Friday night.