Entering Foothill League play, Golden Valley and West Ranch football are both riding a wave. That wave has led them to perfect 5-0 records as the two programs face off against each later today.
After winning just one preleague game all last season, this year’s No. 10 ranked team in Division 6, Golden Valley has turned things around to begin the 2019 season defeating each of its five opponents by no less than 12 points, while scoring 215 points combined.
A big reason for the Grizzlies’ success begins with the running game consisting of senior running backs Johnathan Kaelin and Christopher Alcantar along with junior utility player Luke McCoy.
Between the three hard-nosed backs, the Grizzlies have amassed over 1,300 yards on the ground while accounting for 23 of 31 touchdowns on the year.
Kaelin is coming off a record-breaking performance where he rushed the ball 26 times for 366 yards, breaking Earl Johnson’s record, in a 55-27 win over Newbury Park. As a team, the Grizzlies racked up 610 yards of offense gaining a huge chunk (514 yards) in the rushing attack to go with the six rushing touchdowns.
West Ranch, the No. 6 ranked team in Division 7, is coming off a bye, but don’t expect the Wildcats to come out sluggish with the Foothill League’s highest-scoring offense that has scored 246 points and allowed a league-low 74 points.
West Ranch junior quarterback Walker Eget, youngest of the Eget brothers, has lived up to the family name accumulating 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air in five games to lead the Foothill League.
Senior running back Reiger Burgin compliments Eget as the Wildcats’ primary back, ranking second in the league with 636 rushing yards to Kaelin with 723 yards.
The two undefeated programs will clash at 7 p.m. at Canyon later today.
