West Ranch seeks its first 4-0 start since 2011 when it travels to Oak Park on Friday night.
The Wildcats (3-0) surge to open the season has landed them at No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 9 standings, coming off a 48-28 victory over Thousand Oaks. They’ve outscored opponents 142-47 through three weeks.
For Wildcats coach Chris Varner, preparation for Oak Park has been somewhat of a balancing act — trying to maintain confidence while not instilling too much of it.
“That’s a daily challenge,” Varner said. “You want them to be confident but not overconfident. We really put that stress on them during practice to keep them on their toes during games.”
MORE: West Ranch football eclipses Lancers
Senior tailback LeRon Huff has certainly helped build the Cats’ momentum over the last two weeks, rushing for six touchdowns in that span. He had 16 carries for 162 yards in last week’s win.
“Really couldn’t be more proud of him,” Varner said. “Last year I wouldn’t have expected him to be in this position. I’m especially proud of what he’s been able to do in the classroom. Just an all-around great year for him.”
This will be West Ranch’s first meeting against Oak Park through Varner’s two-year tenure and he singled out 6-foot-3 wide receiver Michael Hewitt as a player to watch on the Eagles.
