A New Era Begins

A Season Nearly Lost

The 2017 season almost didn't happen. An officiating crisis rocked the MTAL when Peninsula Sports Inc. lost many of its referees to the Northern California Lacrosse Referees Association. Without enough officials, PSI notified the league it could no longer cover games. The replacement organization demanded a multi-year contract with higher fees, and the fallout was devastating — Harbor and Pacific Collegiate folded their programs entirely, and Watsonville was forced to go independent and lose all home games. At Aptos, the schedule wasn't finalized until weeks into the season, and some players had already checked out.

Amid the chaos, first-year head coach David Rosenow took the reins. Rosenow had risen from the junior varsity ranks to replace Jack Bergman, becoming the program's fourth head coach in four years. He inherited a roster that had lost a large senior class but found leaders in senior midfielder Lucas Junod, junior midfielder Jackson Carver, and sophomore midfielder Will Patterson. Perhaps the most unlikely contributor was freshman Herman Inderlied, who volunteered to play goalie in his first year of lacrosse and immediately started making what Rosenow called "amazing saves."

Wins over Christopher, Santa Cruz, and Salinas proved the roster could play through the chaos. A narrow 5-6 loss to Archbishop Mitty and a 5-13 defeat to defending champion Scotts Valley showed the ceiling hadn't changed -- the MTAL's elite were still out of reach. But the chemistry was unmistakable. "We lost a lot of seniors when they graduated," Junod said. "Without them we've played well and grew as a team. We have really good chemistry and that's helped us."

Rolling Through the Rain

With the early growing pains behind them, the Mariners found their stride. Rosenow's group strung together a dominant stretch that showcased the depth of their roster. Junior Blake Biscotti emerged as a scoring threat alongside Junod, and attackman Jack Hegerle provided a consistent offensive punch. Jackson Carver, who led the team with 35 assists and 40 total points, orchestrated the attack with an unselfishness that made everyone around him better. He also dominated the faceoff X, winning 69 of 103 draws -- possession on nearly two-thirds of every restart. When Carver controlled the ball, the Mariners controlled the game.

The peak came on April 17 at Gilroy High, where Aptos delivered one of the most lopsided results in program history. Playing in a driving rainstorm, the Mariners shut out Soquel 18-0. Biscotti and Junod each poured in four goals, Patrick Peoples added three, and the defense — anchored by freshman Inderlied in cage — didn't allow a single goal. The conditions were miserable, but Aptos was relentless.

Three days later, the Mariners were back under the lights against neighborhood rival Watsonville. The Wednesday night MTAL matchup was a physical, hard-nosed affair — Sentinel photographer Dan Coyro captured players from both squads battling for a groundball in a frame that perfectly encapsulated the rivalry's intensity. Sophomore Will Patterson, one of the three players Rosenow leaned on most alongside Junod and Carver, continued to develop into a reliable two-way midfielder as the season wore on. Aptos owned the series all year, winning all three meetings against the Wildcats by a combined score of 53-13.

The Tournament

The Mariners finished 15-5 overall and 7-4 in MTAL play, a strong debut season under Rosenow. In the MTAL Tournament semifinal, top-seeded Scotts Valley ended Aptos' season 13-3, with the Falcons' Tanner Gilton scoring four goals — including three consecutive unassisted strikes in the third quarter. Patrick Peoples scored two unassisted goals for the Mariners, but the gap between the two programs was still evident.

Junod finished with a team-high 36 goals and 41 points, with Hegerle matching him at 41 points on 32 goals. Blake Welle and Jackson Carver earned first-team all-MTAL honors. Junod went on to play lacrosse at the University of Utah. They couldn't catch Scotts Valley for the league title, but the foundation Rosenow laid in year one was undeniable. “Fun loving,” the coach had said of his team. “They're a good group of guys.” That loose, confident culture — paired with the ability to lock in when it mattered — would carry over into the seasons ahead.

The Goalkeepers

Herman Inderlied's path to the Aptos net was as unconventional as it gets. A freshman with no prior lacrosse experience, Inderlied volunteered for the position when the team needed a goalie. He stepped into the cage and never looked back, making what first-year head coach David Rosenow called "amazing saves" that kept the Mariners competitive in close games.

Inderlied's willingness to take on the most demanding position on the field as a complete novice spoke to the selfless culture Rosenow was building. Behind a strong midfield and defense, the freshman settled in and grew more confident as the season progressed. His presence in goal gave Aptos a foundation to build on for years to come.