Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some say that love is blind. With the season that West Ranch High School had, there should be no qualms with the school winning The Signal’s Sports Awards Program of the Year.
Knocking off Valencia after a three-year stay winning the award, the Wildcats finished the year capturing seven Foothill League titles including boys and girls tennis, boys and girls golf, boys cross country, girls track and boys volleyball.
The Wildcats earned 50 bonus points for winning the most league titles (seven) with the second-place team having five.
“I think it really shows that all of our coaches and kids are working hard day in and day out, on the field and in the classroom,” said West Ranch Athletic Director Dr. Cassandra Perez. “We have great support from administration and that lets our coaches coach to the best of their ability.”
Racking up 181 total points, the Wildcats had nine different teams make a playoff appearance with the girls tennis team making it the furthest, defeating Los Alamitos 13-5 to advance to the second-round of playoffs.
After the points were tallied and the dust had settled, the girls tennis team earned 18 points (the most of any Wildcats team) and were the last team standing out of the Foothill League tennis girls teams.
Sophomore to-be Zoe Campos was the lone Foothill League individual to win a state title, winning the 2017 CIF Girls State Golf Championship.
“She is an exceptional young woman and very modest about her accomplishments,” Perez said. “Even when she won she was mild-mannered and she plays with such confidence and class. I think not winning CIF was a little burn, but I think she will come back even stronger next year.”
Valencia finished the year in second place with 110 total points, rounding out the year with three Foothill League titles and edging out Hart, who had five Foothill League titles, by four points and ended with 106 total points.
Canyon finished fourth with 64; Saugus was fifth (47) and Golden Valley rounded out the schools in sixth with (33).
“Honestly, I think it’s finding the right coaches and the right people,” Perez said. “People that will be mentors to our students because we believe that it’s not just about athletics. They are student-athletes and we want to find coaches that foster that ideology.”
2017-18 standings
1) West Ranch, 181
2) Valencia, 110
3) Hart, 106
4) Canyon, 64
5) Saugus, 47
6) G. Valley, 33
Point system
Most league titles bonus: 50
League title: 10
Second place in league: 3
Playoff appearance: 3
Playoff win: 2
Foothill’s last team standing: 3
CIF divisional final: 10
CIF division/section title: 20
CIF regional title: 25
State title: 30
Individual CIF division title: 10
Individual state title: 20
Past Programs of the Year
2016-17 — Valencia
2015-16 — Valencia
2014-15 — Valencia
2013-14 — Hart
2012-13 — Saugus
2011-12 — Saugus
2010-11 — Saugus
2009-10 — Saugus
2008-09 —Saugus
2007-08 — No award given
2006-07 — Valencia
2005-06 — Hart
