Rick Reyes has been named Scotts Valley High’s new softball coach, athletic director Louie Walters announced Wednesday.
Reyes, 56, replaces Jackie Kain at the helm. He has served as a Falcons assistant coach the past five seasons, four under Kain. He has also coached travel softball programs the past 11 years.
Scotts Valley has won the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title the past three years and qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs the past five seasons.
“It has been a nice run,” Reyes said. “It’ll be a little challenge this year. (San Lorenzo Valley) is pretty loaded. I think we’ll be competitive.”
The Falcons finished 13-11-3 last season, losing to Notre Dame of Belmont in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs.
Reyes said he wanted to see seniors Alisha Patel and Lauren LaHood finish up their prep careers.
“They started off as bewildered freshman,” Reyes said. “It would be nice to see them through.”
All four of Reyes’ children are Scotts Valley alums who went on to compete in college.
His youngest son Nick, 19, is a redshirt freshman on Simon Fraser’s wrestling team and his youngest daughter Sarah, 20, completed her sophomore softball season at Menlo College last spring. Michael, 27, played baseball for Academy of Art in San Francisco and Amanda, 29, played softball for Florida A&M.
Women’s basketball
Catholic 73, UC Santa Cruz 67, 2OT >> CJ Catina and Katie Young each scored 17 points, but the Slugs saw their losing streak reach six games after falling in double overtime at the December Classic at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
Catina also had seven assists and seven rebounds.
UCSC’s Katherine Mauldin scored 12 points in 29 minutes off the bench and Kim Tom added 10 points. Katilin Stephenson had nine points, a team-high 15 rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
California Lutheran faces Catholic at KP Arena on Thursday at 4 p.m.
The Slugs (2-8) play Amherst at the 2017 d3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas on Dec. 28 at noon.
Boys basketball
Pajaro Valley 72, at King City 64 >> Pajaro Valley climbed back to .500 with their nonleague win.
The Grizzlies (4-4) play at Aptos on Friday at 7 p.m.
Late Tuesday Girls basketball
Watsonville 42, at King City 31 >> Senior center Julisa Vega had nine points, nine rebounds and nine blocks to help the Wildcatz win their nonleague road game.
Senior guard Savanah Quintana had 16 points and nine rebound and senior guard Evelyn Rios had 16 points.
The Wildcatz (6-2) host Pacific grove on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Men’s basketball
UCSC 81, Messiah 71 >> Forward Sam Gabbard had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Slugs won their finale at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.
Guard Adam Marlow finished with 13 points, making two of the Slugs’ eight 3-pointers.
Will Crain added 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench.
The Slugs (8-4), winner of three straight games and five of the past six, play at Occidental (6-2) on Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.
