The No. 3 seed Aptos High girls water polo team edged No. 2 Santa Cruz 5-4 in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Tournament semifinals at Soquel High on Wednesday.

Adriana Santillano, Riley Knudsen, Madi Knudsen, Adelaide Friedley, and Sophia Contreras each scored a goal for the Mariners (14-9).

Giulia D’Souza scored twice for the Cardinals (12-8). Kat Fanni had a goal and two assists, and Daphne Olson also scored.

Goalie Mary Suarez-Abraham made 11 saves for the Mariners.

Aptos (14-9) hosts Soquel (19-6) in the tournament championship on Saturday at 11 a.m.

At Soquel 14, Harbor 4 >> Junior Natalie Salerno and freshman Keira Burke each scored three goals and combined for five steals, as the No. 1 Knights beat the No. 4 Pirates in the SCCAL Tournament semifinals Wednesday.

Freshman Grace Graessle had two goals, one steal, and drew a pair of ejections. Sophomore Izzie Bridi-Milligan had one goal, three assists, and a game-high four steals. Sophomore Liz Penny also had a goal, two assists, and three steals.

Freshman leftie Alida Keet had one goal, two assists, and two steals. Juniors Natasha Ackerstein and Libby Forrest, and senior Mimi Gomez also scored a goal.

Soquel (19-6) plays at Aptos (14-9) in the tournament championship on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Boys water polo

Santa Cruz 18, Harbor 7 >> Pa’ kalani Vaka-Saxton scored five goals, and the No. 1 Cardinals beat the No. 4 Pirates in the SCCAL Tournament semifinals at Soquel High on Wednesday.

Xavier Hunter had three goals and two steals for the Cardinals (19-4). Jace Sandman, Nikolaus Kay, and Drake Harper each scored twice, and Tate Wilson had a goal and four assists. Grant Atkinson, Martini Cruz, and Gio Marini also scored.

Cardinals goalie Laird Bowser made nine saves and gave up one goal before giving way to Pierce Megoran.

At Soquel 18, Aptos 3 >> Cash Wolf scored five goals and teammate Stryder Stelck scored four as the No. 2 Knights beat the No. 3 Mariners in the SCCAL Tournament semifinals on Wednesday.

Kai Queenan and Nico Palandrani each scored twice for Soquel (16-7). Noah Piona, Tanner Connors, Sam Robertson, Cane Mitchell, and Jake Martinez also scored.

Senior goalie Jacob Henshaw made seven saves for the Knights, and teammate Donnie Slane made one save.Girls flag football

Watsonville 20, St. Francis 14 >> Stephanie Martinez had three touchdown receptions, and the No. 8 seed Wildcatz upset the No. 4 Sharks in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Tournament semifinals at Rancho San Juan High on Wednesday night.

The Wildcatz also upset No. 1 Hollister 26-24 in the quarterfinals, held earlier in the day. Brianna Leon recorded the game winning touchdown reception.

Martinez made two touchdown receptions, and teammate Isabella Alvarez rushed for a score, and recorded an interception on defense.

Watsonville plays No. 3 King City in the championship at Palma High in Salinas on Saturday at 12:20 p.m.

Aptos 32, SLV 0 >> Senior quarterback Gaby Dow completed 6 of 7 passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns in the Mariners’ SCCAL win Wednesday.

Dow threw a 50-yard touchdown to senior Izzy Graff, 46-yarder to freshman Julia Parello, and an 11-yarder to senior Mia Sanchez.

Junior teammate Ella Porter completed 5 of 8 passes for 76 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to freshman Jane Parry. Freshman Caylie Ashon completed all three of her passes, including a 12-yard scoring pass to Sanchez.

Natasha Newcombe made four tackles for Aptos, and Ellie Marta recorded an interception.

Soquel 15, Harbor 6 >> Quarterback Eliza Stevens threw a pair of touchdown passes to Siena Bettermann in the Knights’ SCCAL win Wednesday.

Chloe McGilvray scored on a 2-yard run for Soquel. Trinity Wilson scored an extra point.

Katie Niizawa and Chloe McGilvray recorded interceptions for the Knights.

Soquel (7-2) plays at Santa Cruz on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Scotts Valley 50. Santa Cruz 14 >> The Falcons won their SCCAL game Wednesday.

The Cardinals’ Malia Cooper hauled in a touchdown pass from Dahlia Montesinos. Teammate Leah Serna returned an interception for a touchdown.

Surfing

La Marginal Surfing Pro >> Santa Cruz’s John Mel advanced from his opening heat Thursday at the World Surf League’s La Marginal Surfing Pro, a Qualifying Series 3,000-point event.

The competition window for the event, being held at La Marginal, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, began Wednesday and runs though Sunday.

Mel took first in Heat 7 of the Round of 64 with a two-wave total score of 11.70 in 4- to 6-foot waves. Santa Barbara’s Jak Ziets (9.60) also advanced from the heat. Newport Beach’s Tyler Gunter (8.47) and Costa Rica’s Oscar Urbina (8.33) were eliminated.

“It’s my first time here, but I love it,” said Mel, in his pos-heat interview with the WSL. “It a pretty sic wave. It’s nice to be at something thats got some power behind it. Because most of the time were used to surfing a bunch of beach breaks all around. It’s fun surfing this wave, for sure.”

Santa Cruz’s Sam Coffey competes in Heat 16 of the Round of 64 when action resumes.

In the Round of 32, Mel will compete in Heat 4 against Dimitri Poulos, Ryland Rubens, and the Heat 8 winner from the Round of 64.

SCSSL No. 2 >> Santa Cruz’s Jack Stevens took first in the men’s shortboard final in event No. 2 of the Santa Cruz Scholastic Surf League season over the weekend at Steamer Lane. Soquel’s James Daniel took second, and teammate Julian Trang was third.

Aptos’ Harper King took first in the men’s longboard final. Santa Cruz’s Carson Grant took second, and Soquel’s Wyatt Dixon was third.

Santa Cruz’s Camille Cortazzo, Saga Espeland, and Layne Anderson earned the top three spots, respectively, in the women’s shortboard final.

Santa Cruz’s Elsa Espeland took first in the women’s longboard final. Soquel’s Zoey Howland took second, and teammate Cheryl Brightfield was third.

Event No. 3 takes place at Pleasure Point/The Hook on Nov. 23-24.

Girls volleyball

At MVC 3, Stevenson 0 >> Elizabeth McCuiston led in kills, and the Mustangs won 25-18, 25-14, 25-23 in their regular-season finale Wednesday to finish in third place in the PCAL Gabilan Division/

Samantha Boldtdi was second in kills and blocks for MVC, which will compete in the upcoming CCS playoffs. Maddie Mello had six aces and several kills and blocks. Hailey Gomez also contributed to the Mustangs’ win on senior night.

At St. Francis 3, Rancho San Juan 1 >> Junior setter Julie Lopez made 11 assists and 10 digs to help the Sharks rally for a 10-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-23 win in their regular-season finale Wednesday.

St. Francis finished tied for fourth place in the PCAL’s Cypress Division, and RSJ took third.

The Sharks celebrated senior night and held a pink out for breast cancer awareness.

Senior middle blocker Carley Anderson had 10 kills and senior outside hitter Sophia Fitzpatrick had five kills and an ace.

“It was great to see the girls play super strong together and pull off the win against a good team,” Sharks coach Sabrina Bracken said.

Junior outside Peyton Orradre had seven kills and 19 digs for the Sharks, and junior setter Georgia Otzman had 19 assists.

St. Francis (15-10, 7-7) has qualified for the upcoming CCS playoffs.

Women’s volleyball

Monterey Peninsula 3, at Cabrillo 0 >> The Seahawks lost 27-25, 25-23, 25-21 to the co-leader of the Coast Conference North Division on Wednesday.

Cabrillo (8-16, 3-4) plays at San Francisco (3-23, 0-7) on Friday at 2 p.m.