Sports

GILROY—As Bert Mar walked the grounds at South Valley Middle School, he was met with big smiles and warm greetings at every turn. Cars that whizzed by the school turned around when they saw him, the drivers eager to say hello. Mar recognized each instantly and answered them with a bright smile, a wave and a unique nickname he’d undoubtedly given them several years ago. He’s a familiar face in Gilroy—and for good reason.

On the inbound play to start the second half, Owen McCarry came up with a steal before dribbling the length of the floor and making a nifty behind the back pass to Duncan Ellis, who scored an uncontested layup. The play summed up Christopher...

The geographical center of Central Coast Section girls field hockey expertise and success lies within the city of Gilroy as both local high schools are among the section’s elite. With September ending and the season at the halfway point, Gilroy High is on top with...

The Christopher and Gilroy field hockey teams both advanced out of the second round of the Central Coast Section playoffs with dominant victories on Wednesday.  The Cougars (15-1-2) rolled to a 5-0 win over Homestead and advanced to a quarterfinal matchup against a St. Ignatius...

The Christopher High football team didn’t gain any style points in its 20-0 victory against Alisal High on Oct. 21, but then again, artistic value wasn’t necessary.  “We were looking at this as kind of a playoff game,” Cougars coach Darren Yafai said. “We had...

Alexis Bembry and Karina Rodriguez had waited all season—check that, years—for another breakthrough performance in their respective events. In the Pacific Coast League Track and Field Masters/Central Coast Section Qualifier Meet on May 27, they experienced the jubilation of having everything come together.  Bembry (Christopher),...

The Gavilan men’s basketball team will go for win No. 7 tonight as the Rams continue to climb the state rankings thanks to their perfect 6-0 start. The Rams are ranked No. 6 in California and No. 3 in Northern CA, sitting just behind Sequoias...

Coming off its greatest season in program history—where have you heard that one before?—the Christopher High girls soccer team looks to ascend even greater heights now that it is playing in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mount Hamilton Division, which along with the West...

For the first time since the 2017-2018 season—a span of eight matches—Christopher High has beaten crosstown rival Gilroy High in boys soccer.  On Jan. 25, the visiting Cougars rolled to a 3-0 win in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa East Division match—nearly five...

When Santa Clara County public health officials gave the green light for the resumption of high school outdoor sports last week, it marked a joyous occasion for thousands of student-athletes. It also meant administrators are working overtime to deal with the bevy of logistical...