Aphrodite Ayala makes fast ascent
When Aphrodite Ayala decided to compete in wrestling for the first time in her sophomore year, she had it in the back of her mind that it could lead to something greater. The Gilroy High senior proved prescient, as she signed her letter of...
Lauren Castro, Canisius College teammates give back
Lauren Castro was born and raised in Gilroy, and like many Gilroyans, was devastated when she learned of the shooting at last year's Garlic Festival. She thought raising funds to go to the victims would be a nice way of showing support and giving...
Christopher falls short in CIF NorCal quarterfinals
With its season hanging in the balance, the Christopher High boys basketball team got the shot it wanted. Rickey Becker had curled around a screen to the top of the key, and even though there were two defenders in his vicinity, he had just...
Christopher’s dream season continues
Immediately after the Christopher High boys basketball team lost to Hillsdale last Saturday in the Central Coast Section Division II championship game, CHS principal Jeremy Dirks approached coach Tim Von Urff and said, "Get ready to go to Humboldt." When a team loses in...
Chase Saldate completes his mission, wins state title
Three days before the start of the Central Coast Section Championships, Gilroy High senior Chase Saldate was at the American Kickboxing Academy wrestling with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. After two five-minute rounds, Saldate was exhausted. After all, not only was Saldate grappling with...
Christopher’s dream season continues
Duncan Ellis lay in his bed, reliving the indelible moments of Christopher's 52-45 win over host Gunn-Palo Alto in a Central Coast Section Division II playoff semifinal. Thursday night had bled into Friday morning, and Ellis couldn't fall asleep, too excited and pumped after...
Becker powers Christopher into CCS semifinals
The shortest player on the Christopher High boys basketball team made the biggest impact in the Cougars' 43-37 win over Santa Clara on Tuesday in a Central Coast Section Division II playoff quarterfinal. Sophomore Rickey Becker, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard, went off for a...
Gilroy wrestling dynasty stronger than ever
Just call him The Comeback Kid. After winning the 170-pound title in the Central Coast Section Championships last Saturday at Independence High, Chad Sakamoto was greeted by a flood of teammates, coaches, family members and friends as he came off the mat. The comeback...
Fresh off CCS appearance, Gilroy poised for repeat
A 3-0 loss to Menlo School in the opening round of the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs couldn't put a damper on what the Gilroy High girls soccer team accomplished this season. The Mustangs, who accumulated the most points to earn the No....
Gilroy cruises in league; CCS next
For the Gilroy High wrestling team, last Saturday's Pacific Coast League Gabilan Division Championships was all about one thing: get in, get out. And that's exactly what the Mustangs did. They totaled 274 points to cruise to another league championship victory in what they...
