West Ranch running back Luke DePerno has been denied little to nothing so far this season.
DePerno made that point even clearer on Thursday night at Antelope Valley High School, where he pounded in five touchdowns against the Antelopes.
The junior running back has been the motor behind the West Ranch offense so far this season, leading the team from the backfield.
DePerno finished his night early with just 12 carries for 64 yards on his quintuple-score night.
Junior quarterback Liam McDaniel got his second straight start for the Cats after splitting time with senior Zach Wyre. The senior has shown incredible athleticism, moving over to wide receiver and becoming one of McDaniel’s favorite targets.
McDaniel finished 12-for-17 with 192 passing yards, one TD and one interception.
Cats senior Zehren Hilton had three receptions for 38 yards and caught the lone passing TD while Wyre reeled in two catches for 86 yards. Wyre also added an interception on defense.
After an eye-opening loss in week one, West Ranch is back on a tear. The Wildcats posted their second straight shutout victory in the 42-0 win over the Antelopes (0-3).
West Ranch’s defense was monstrous, highlighted by eight Wildcat sacks, three of which came from senior Dakoda Darby. The senior now has six sacks on the year.
The Wildcats (2-1) have thrown week zero’s loss at St. Francis well behind them and could head into league play with just as much momentum as anyone. The Cats will have one more non-league test before any Foothill League battles, a home matchup with the St. Paul Swordsmen (1-1).
St. Paul will aim to slow down DePerno, who currently sits at 306 rushing yards and 9 TDs on the season.
West Ranch hosts St. Paul on Thursday at 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons.
