Santa Cruz County advanced three high school boys soccer teams — up one from last season with the re-emergence of Watsonville — for the 2026 Central Coast Section playoffs.
Andrew Lopez headed in corner kick on a pass from Eddie Alvarez to knot the score in the 100th minute, but the No. 4 Aptos High boys soccer team lost to No. 5 Junipero Serra 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout after finishing two overtimes deadlocked at 4-all in the teams’ thrilling Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinal on Saturday.
The top two boys soccer teams in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, Aptos and Harbor, were the lone squads from Santa Cruz County to qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs.