The Mariners enter the 2026 season as defending PCAL Mission Division champions, now promoted to the Gabilan Division. Only one senior graduated from last year's 13-3 squad — Player of the Year Spike Sorensen. The rest of the roster returns intact, led by senior midfielder Alex Sandoval (37 goals, 31 assists) and junior attackman Parker O'Hara (67 goals, 14 assists as a sophomore). Cole Moules returns in net after earning Second-Team All-League honors. Senior defender Greyson Agnello committed to play Division I lacrosse at Northern Arizona University, becoming the second Mariner to play at the D-I level.
The program will debut alternate gray uniforms to celebrate 20 seasons of Aptos lacrosse. In the offseason, Aptos alum Aidan Niklaus — valedictorian, Swiss National Team player, and Colorado College captain — returned to run a youth clinic, continuing the program's tradition of giving back.
Finding practice space has been a February ritual for the program. The Mariners train on Bobby Salazaar Field (Lower Grass Field) — a grass field behind campus that lacrosse shares only with freshman football in the fall. By February, winter rains have turned the surface to mud, and the overlap of soccer and lacrosse seasons means turf time is always spoken for. The team hopes to someday convert the field to turf, which would better balance the winter-to-spring transition when multiple sports compete for every available acre.
When Bobby Salazaar (Lower Grass Field) is unplayable, the team gets creative. Some February sessions move to Platforms Beach, where players set up 3x3 pop-up goals on the sand for 3v3 scrimmages — or sometimes stretch the field for full 5v5. The beach workouts have become a beloved preseason tradition, testing conditioning and footwork in a way no grass field ever could.
Last Updated: Monday, March 16th — PT
For the 12th consecutive year, the Aptos Lax Jam brought together high school lacrosse teams from across the region for a full day of preseason jamboree action. Eight teams descended on Cabrillo College — Christopher, Los Gatos, Junipero Serra, Pioneer, Santa Cruz, Soquel, Saratoga, and the host Mariners — for games that ran from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. under clear skies. It is the only preseason lacrosse tournament of its kind on the West Coast for CIF lacrosse.
The event was moved from its usual home at Aptos High School to Cabrillo College due to a scheduling conflict on campus. The change of venue did nothing to dampen the atmosphere. Hundreds of players got a chance to play the medicine game — many of them for the very first time in an officiated game. Friends, family, and fans filled the bleachers at Cabrillo’s stadium throughout the day, watching wave after wave of young athletes compete.
Fifteen Mariners played the first high school lacrosse games of their lives on Saturday. From freshmen to seniors, each one suited up, strapped on a helmet, and stepped between the lines for real. Stephen Yee — a star junior midfielder for Santa Cruz High — played in games that day and still found time behind the lens. Coach D was too busy running the event and preparing his group to photograph the Mariners in action, but Yee’s photography captured every moment.
Jared Magdalena, a senior midfielder, also made his lacrosse debut at the Lax Jam but was not photographed. Off the field, Jared and his mother ran the catering for the event through their family business, serving tacos all day to hungry fans, family, and friends. The food was a hit — and the Mariners hope to have them cater home games this season. With the jamboree behind them, the team turns its attention to the regular season. The first game is Tuesday — away at Carmel — and the 21st season of Aptos lacrosse officially begins.
The Mariners opened the 2026 season on the road at Carmel on March 3 — a physical, penalty-laden affair that had the feel of an early-season slugfest. The Padres drew 14 penalties while Aptos was flagged six times, the kind of sloppy, undisciplined play that comes with fewer than five padded practices under your belt. The team trailed at halftime but Cole Moules locked in with 13 saves, and the defense pitched a shutout in the second half to spark the comeback. Aptos pulled away for an 8-6 win to open the season 1-0 in Gabilan Division play. The same night, the Aptos boys soccer team advanced to the CIF NorCal semifinals — both soccer programs had reached the California state playoffs, a testament to the athletic depth at the school.
📸 Jared Chandler
Tuesday, March 10, the Mariners hit the road to Monte Vista Christian. Jared Chandler was on the sideline for the gray jersey debut, capturing the team in action as Aptos rolled 18-10 to move to 2-0 on the season.
Wednesday night brought a neutral-site matchup against Monterey at Harbor High. The Mariners put together their most complete game of the young season, blowing out the Toreadores 16-6 to move to 3-0. Back-to-back wins in two days.
Three games in, O’Hara, Murphy, and Sandoval have combined for 40 of the team’s 42 goals. Projected over 16 games at their current pace, the three are on track for roughly 213 combined goals and 293 combined points — numbers that, if they hold, would shatter any scoring trio in program history. Last season’s three-player combined total from those same players was 141 goals.
University High School made the trip down from San Francisco by coach bus for the home opener on Saturday, March 14. The Red Devils arrived ready to play, and the first half lived up to the billing — a back-and-forth affair with both teams trading possessions, University holding a slim 5-4 edge heading into the break.
The second half was a different story. The Mariners lost focus, made simple mistakes, and ultimately beat themselves as University pulled away to win 10-4. A disappointing defeat on home turf.
Two nights later the Mariners traveled to Los Gatos for their second Gabilan Division matchup. It was a rough night. The Wildcats outmatched Aptos from the opening whistle, pouring in goals in waves while the Mariners struggled to generate anything in response.
Ryan Murphy scored the lone goal for Aptos — a relentless individual effort, winning the ball on a ride and ripping a 20-yard shot to the back of the net. Final: Los Gatos 14, Aptos 1. A two-game skid and a bruising reality check heading into the back half of March.
The Mariners answered on Friday, March 20 with a dominant road win over Carmel. Aptos opened the game on a tear, building a 6-1 lead in the first quarter behind the scoring trio of O’Hara, Murphy, and Sandoval. The Padres mounted a quick 3-goal run at one point to make things interesting, but Aptos held firm and rolled to a 13-6 final.
The comfortable margin allowed the coaching staff to get every player meaningful time on the field — a critical development opportunity with so many underclassmen on the roster.
The Mariners closed out the week Saturday morning at Soquel High School against Windsor, a program making the trip down from Santa Rosa. Windsor had been on the road the night before — a 12-11 win over Santa Cruz in which Cardinals senior Stephen Yee won 23 faceoffs and scored five goals, yet still came up short. Windsor had one more game left in their trip, a matchup against Soquel later that afternoon — one they would lose 14-2.
Parker O’Hara took over from the jump against the Jaguars, pouring in five goals in an 8-0 first-quarter blitz. Aptos led 9-1 at the half — a dominant scoreline, though not without a blemish. The second quarter went Windsor’s way, a stretch the coaches flagged as a quarter surrendered. In lacrosse terms, giving away a quarter is its own kind of loss regardless of the scoreboard.
The final was 17-1. Freshman Christian Sandoval — one of 15 players who picked up a stick for the first time just months ago — got time on the field in a blowout that gave the entire roster meaningful minutes. The win snapped the skid and sent the Mariners into the week with momentum. Stevenson comes to town Monday.
Stevenson arrived at Trevin Dilfer Memorial Stadium on March 23 and left with a 16-9 win that exposed some cracks. Cole Moules had an uncharacteristic night in cage, surrendering too many outside shots he would normally smother. The close defense missed assignments they had made cleanly all season, and the Mariners couldn’t convert on the chances they created.
On a night the Pirates came to play, Parker O’Hara was simply unguardable — five unassisted goals, off dodges, off cuts, off pure will. Alex Sandoval answered the call at both ends of the field, locking down opposing attackers and still finding time for a hat trick of his own. Ryan Murphy pressured the Stevenson defense relentlessly, earning a goal and an assist through dodge-and-cut sequences that drew the crowd. But the ball didn’t fall, the groundballs didn’t go Aptos’s way, and the Mariners absorbed an honest defeat. The next test was Palma.
Palma came to Trevin Dilfer Memorial Stadium on March 25 for a low-scoring, possession-heavy affair. The Chieftains brought the Duke brothers — Eli, Cooper, and freshman faceoff specialist Saxon — and the Mariners worked tirelessly to contain them. Aptos had chances early. Three point-blank shots in the first quarter beamed the Palma goalie from in close without finding the back of the net. Another shot appeared to hit the netting and bounce out, drawing a celebration from the offense, but the officials never signaled a goal and play went on. Izayah Castro sat open on the crease on dodge after dodge, but the offense couldn’t connect the dots. The final was 7-5 Palma. It was a learning experience for a team that had now lost three close games — Stevenson, University, and Palma — each one a lesson the Mariners needed to learn before the second half of the season.
📸 Jared Chandler
Four days later Pacific Grove came to Trevin Dilfer Memorial Stadium for senior day. Senior Thomas Patterson got the start in cage for the first time this season. The early minutes were shaky — a few mental lapses on defense allowed Pacific Grove to score three times and knot the game at 3-3 with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter. None of the first three Breaker goals were entirely Tommy’s fault. A missed slide by Parker O’Hara on the first, Korey Callahan-Cade beaten topside on the second, and Sam Miller letting his man get to a high angle without adjacent help on the third — fixable mistakes, all of them.
Cole Moules took over in cage for the final three quarters, and from there it was all Mariners. Alex Sandoval orchestrated the offense with five goals and five assists, Parker O’Hara and Ryan Murphy each poured in five of their own, and freshman Guillermo Burgueno ran all over the field winning faceoffs and adding a goal. Izayah Castro found the scoresheet with a goal and an assist, and freshman Leif Walsh delivered a brilliant assist on the run to a cutting Ryan Murphy. The 17-7 final was emphatic, but the coaching staff saw details to clean up everywhere. The group had yet to play its best lacrosse, and the second half of the season was underway.
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19
17
| Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|
 Los Gatos |
1 | 0 |
 Aptos |
2 | 1 |
 Carmel |
0 | 2 |
 Pacific Grove |
— | — |
 Palma |
— | — |
 Stevenson |
— | — |
| Date | Matchup | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 2/28 |
Lax Jam
|
|
| Tue 3/3 |
Away vs. Carmel Padres
|
W 8-6 |
| Tue 3/10 |
Away vs. Monte Vista Christian Mustangs
|
W 18-10 |
| Wed 3/11 |
Neutral vs. Monterey Toreadores
|
W 16-6 |
| Sat 3/14 |
Home vs. University Red Devils
|
L 4-10 |
| Mon 3/16 |
Away vs. Los Gatos Wildcats
|
L 1-14 |
| Fri 3/20 |
Away vs. Carmel Padres
|
W 13-6 |
| Sat 3/21 |
Neutral vs. Windsor Jaguars
|
W 17-1 |
| Mon 3/23 |
Home vs. Stevenson Pirates
|
L 9-16 |
| Wed 3/25 |
Home vs. Palma Chieftains
|
L 5-7 |
| Mon 3/30 |
Home vs. Pacific Grove Breakers
|
W 17-7 |
| Sat 4/4 |
Home vs. Justin-Siena Braves
|
12:00 PM |
| Sat 4/11 |
Home vs. San Ramon Valley Wolves
|
1:00 PM |
| Mon 4/13 |
Away vs. Stevenson Pirates
|
TBA |
| Mon 4/20 |
Home vs. Los Gatos Wildcats
|
6:00 PM |
| Thu 4/23 |
Away vs. Santa Cruz Cardinals
|
7:00 PM |
| Tue 4/28 |
Away vs. Palma Chieftains
|
4:00 PM |
| Thu 4/30 |
Away vs. Soquel Knights
|
6:30 PM |
| Thu 5/7 |
Away vs. Pacific Grove Breakers
|
5:30 PM |
