When Dairien Boyd took over as head coach, the program he inherited was in flux. The 2022 seniors — Lampman, Niklaus, Curran, Hood — had taken their 118-point seasons and CCS playoff appearances with them. What remained was a roster slotted into the PCAL Gabilan Division, a gauntlet featuring powerhouses Stevenson and Los Gatos.
The roster featured a strong senior class led by Quinn Kerko, Fabian Cortes, Alex Bjorn, Mikey Ruso, and goalkeeper Massimo Gigli. But the challenge was clear: Aptos was competing above its weight class.
The Aptos Lacrosse Jamboree (Lax Jam) kicked off the preseason with Live Oak, Palma, and Casa Grande visiting for a day of lacrosse. It was a glimpse of what the program could become under new leadership.
Reality hit hard. Stevenson, the division's top team, dismantled the Mariners 18-5. Los Gatos was just as unforgiving — a 16-1 loss at home. Then Valley Christian edged Aptos 5-4 in a game that was there for the taking until the final two minutes.
Three losses to elite competition could have broken a young program under a new coach. Instead, Boyd's team showed up to spring break practice when nobody was watching. While other programs emptied out, the Mariners put in the work — Collin Mennie developing that lefty shot, Quinn Kerko refining his faceoff technique, everyone learning to trust the system.
The boys came back with a different edge. Palma fell 7-1. The identity was forming — this team might not beat the league's best yet, but they would outwork everyone else.
The second half of the season belonged to Quinn Kerko. In a defining game against Carmel, Quinn Kerko scored six of Aptos's seven goals in a 7-6 thriller. Six. Every time the Mariners needed a response, the ball found Kerko's stick and Kerko found the cage. The Santa Cruz Sentinel highlighted it as one of the year's best individual performances — and for the Mariners, it was the moment the season turned.
The Mariners beat Soquel twice, 13-4 and 14-2, establishing dominance over their nearby rival. Massimo Gigli was a wall in the cage, and Fabian Cortes patrolled the field as one of the league's best long-stick middies.
The boys were locked in, maintaining a winning streak heading into the final stretch.
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Senior Night was a celebration of the players who built the program's new foundation. A spotlight series honored each senior — the returners, the newcomers, and the five who picked up a lacrosse stick for the very first time as Mariners.
The final game against Pacific Grove was a thriller for the ages. Collin Mennie came up big in a finish that had the home crowd on their feet.
When the whistle blew on a 7-6 season, the numbers didn't tell the whole story. Competing in the Gabilan Division against Stevenson and Los Gatos was a crucible that forged toughness. Quinn Kerko and Fabian Cortes earned first-team All-Gabilan honors. Alex Bjorn and Mikey Ruso anchored the second team.
The season ended the way Coach Dee wanted it to — at the beach, with tacos, and with the knowledge that Year One had set the standard: play hard, play together, and never stop building.
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The 2023 Class
Senior goalkeeper Massimo Gigli was the last line of defense for the 2023 Mariners. His physical presence in the cage and big-game composure — highlighted by his standout performance in the comeback win over Carmel — made him a leader the team could rally around.
Jordi Martinez was the valedictorian of Aptos’s 2023 class — a baseball catcher, a football player, and someone who never once picked up a lacrosse stick in high school. That changed the summer after graduation. With classmate Alex Bjorn heading to Cal Poly SLO, Jordi grabbed a stick and started learning. No club experience. No camps. Just reps against the wall and the will to compete.
By his sophomore year he’d earned a spot on the man-down unit. By his junior year he was a starting close defender, team president, and one of 14 players to dress for every game — all while pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. At 5’10”, 185 pounds, he plays bigger than his frame and embodies everything the 2023 class was about: show up, work hard, figure it out.
Four Mariners earned All-Gabilan Division honors in Boyd's inaugural season. Quinn Kerko earned first-team honors with 36 goals, 2 assists, and 20 ground balls, alongside Fabian Cortes, the team's lockdown long-stick midfielder who anchored the defense with 26 ground balls. Alex Bjorn and Mikey Ruso anchored the second team. These seniors set the standard for what it meant to be a Mariner. Cortes continued playing after graduation for the CSU Monterey Bay Otters.
First Team All-PCAL
First Team All-PCAL
Second Team All-PCAL
Second Team All-PCAL
Sportsmanship Award
| Team | Overall | League |
|---|---|---|
| Stevenson | 14-7 | 8-0 |
| Los Gatos | 9-11 | 6-2 |
| Aptos | 7-6 | 4-4 |
| Carmel | 2-7 | 2-7 |
| Pacific Grove | 0-10 | 0-8 |
| Saratoga | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Matchup | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|
Away vs. Pacific Collegiate Pumas |
12-4 | W |
Away vs. Stevenson Pirates |
18-5 | L |
Home vs. Los Gatos Wildcats |
16-1 | L |
Away vs. Valley Christian Warriors |
5-4 | L |
Away vs. Palma Chieftains |
7-1 | W |
Away vs. Soquel Knights |
13-4 | W |
Away vs. Carmel Padres |
7-6 | W |
|
Home vs. Carmel Padres |
10-5 | W |
|
Home vs. Soquel Knights |
14-2 | W |
|
Away vs. Los Gatos Wildcats |
11-5 | L |
|
Home vs. Stevenson Pirates |
15-4 | L |
Away vs. Pacific Grove Breakers |
10-5 | W |
|
Home vs. Pacific Grove Breakers |
8-7 | W |
