In six seasons coaching Aptos lacrosse, Paul Murtha had never had a team this relentless. The 2013 Mariners didn't just beat league opponents — they buried them. Aptos steamrolled through SCCAL play without a loss, outscoring opponents by lopsided margins in most games. A 15-1 win over Santa Cruz, a 15-6 drubbing of rival Soquel, and a 16-6 demolition of Scotts Valley set the tone early. The offense was fueled by three players who each topped 40 points on the season: Noah Wolfe led the way with 68 points, Nick Wameling added 52, and Tyler Kawata chipped in 42.
Only two teams cracked the code, and both were non-league powers. Carmel overwhelmed Aptos 18-10 with an attacking display the Mariners couldn't match. Stevenson was even more clinical, suffocating the offense in a 10-3 rout that served as a reminder: perfect in the SCCAL didn't mean perfect everywhere. But those defeats did nothing to dent Aptos's grip on the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, where the team went a perfect 8-0 in league play. Even when it got tight, the Mariners found ways to survive. York pushed them to 5-4. Pacific Grove did the same. Both times, Aptos held on — the mark of a team that knew how to close games even when the offense went cold. By the time the SCCAL Tournament arrived in May, the Mariners had established themselves as the clear class of the league.
The SCCAL Tournament championship game on May 8 pitted Aptos against Soquel for the third time that season. Unlike the two regular-season blowouts, the Knights came to play. Soquel rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and seized a 4-3 lead — the only time all season a league opponent held the lead against the Mariners. Aptos regained control before halftime, building a 6-4 advantage, and stretched it to 9-4 in the second half. Soquel mounted a late charge, cutting the margin to 9-7, but goalie Max Bowman and the defense held firm to clinch the championship.
Freshman attackman Noah Wolfe delivered three goals in the title game, including the clincher. Senior defender Tyler Sweeney-Marquez dominated the ground ball battle with 20 pickups, while Bowman made 16 saves behind him. Sweeney-Marquez finished with a league-high 159 ground balls on the season, anchoring the defense that powered a fourth consecutive championship. "They came out and they wanted the game," coach Paul Murtha said of Soquel's effort. "It was nice that there was a challenge." Weeks later, Sweeney-Marquez was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American — the first such honor for an Aptos player — and assistant coach Phil Dundas was named assistant coach of the year. The 17-2 season and fourth consecutive SCCAL title cemented the program's status as the premier lacrosse team on the Central Coast. Four straight. The dynasty wasn't just intact — it was accelerating.
| Team | Overall | League |
|---|---|---|
| Aptos | 17-2 | 8-0 |
| Scotts Valley | 5-9 | 4-3 |
| Soquel | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| Harbor | 4-9 | 3-4 |
| Santa Cruz | 1-9 | 0-8 |
| Matchup | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|
Home vs. Harbor Pirates |
13-2 | W |
Away vs. Watsonville Wildcatz |
15-0 | W |
Home vs. Saratoga Falcons |
8-4 | W |
Away vs. Pacific Grove Breakers |
5-4 | W |
Away vs. Carmel Padres |
10-18 | L |
Away vs. Christopher Cougars |
10-5 | W |
Home vs. Santa Cruz Cardinals |
15-1 | W |
Away vs. Scotts Valley Falcons |
16-6 | W |
Away vs. Stevenson Pirates |
10-3 | L |
|
Home vs. Pacific Grove Breakers |
11-6 | W |
|
Away vs. Harbor Pirates |
17-4 | W |
Home vs. Palma Chieftains |
11-6 | W |
Home vs. Soquel Knights |
15-6 | W |
|
Away vs. Santa Cruz Cardinals |
0-0 | W |
Home vs. York Falcons |
5-4 | W |
|
Away vs. York Falcons |
T 0-0 | |
|
Away vs. Soquel Knights |
15-2 | W |
|
Home vs. Scotts Valley Falcons |
11-3 | W |
|
Away vs. Scotts Valley Falcons |
14-1 | W |
|
Away vs. Soquel Knights |
9-7 | W |
24 players
| # | Name | Position | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles Beaudoin | Jr. | ||
| Noah Wolfe | Fr. | ||
| Max Bowman | So. | ||
| Owen Staveland | Jr. | ||
| Kordel Wilson | So. | ||
| Sean Collins | Jr. | ||
| Tyler Kawata | Jr. | ||
| Johnathan Murtha | Jr. | ||
| Michael Meidl | Jr. | ||
| Kyle Marks | Fr. | ||
| Phillip Mansfield | So. | ||
| Vince Porporato | Jr. | ||
| Nick Wameling | Jr. | ||
| Blake Kennerson | Jr. | ||
| Adam Antuna | Jr. | ||
| Johnny Goode | So. | ||
| Matt Holser | Jr. | ||
| Taylor Goetzl | Jr. | ||
| Zack Stagnero | So. | ||
| Tyler Sweeney-Marquez | Sr. | ||
| Jordan Bills | So. | ||
| Alex Gordo | So. | ||
| Brodi Bennett | Jr. | ||
| Brandan Fraley | Jr. |