By Justin Vigil-Zuniga and Tyler Wainfeld
Signal Sports Writers
High school football in Santa Clarita is loaded with three games starting off the week on Thursday.
Only Valencia remains without a win with another tough battle ahead, while West Ranch aims for its first home victory of the season.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s slate of football in the Santa Clarita Valley:
West Ranch welcomes winless Antelope Valley
A week after lighting up Cleveland for their first win of the year, the West Ranch Wildcats (1-1) can get their first home win on Thursday when they host the Antelope Valley Antelopes (0-2).
The Wildcats saw five different players reach the end zone last week, three receiving and two rushing. Seniors Andrew Hamilton and Gabe Cotti and sophomore Charlie Samuelson all caught TD passes while senior Justus Morris and junior Aidan Lynch ran in TDs.
Junior quarterback Cooper Jackson threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns in the contest and senior Luke DePerno had 73 yards on just nine carries a week after putting up 136 yards in week one. Samuelson caught three passes for 107 yards to lead the Wildcats.
The Antelopes have had a rough go of it through two games. They were shut out the first week before putting up just 6 points in last week’s home loss to Golden Valley.
Antelope Valley has given up 76 points thus far while West Ranch gave up just 6 points last week after Pacifica scored 42 points on the Wildcats in week one.
Thursday’s game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Valencia High School.
Valencia treks down to Murrieta Mesa Thursday
The Vikings (0-2) have shown tons of promise in a preseason full of tough competition. Valencia just fell in a shootout in week one before self-inflicted wounds piled up last week, leading to the program’s first 0-2 start in almost 10 years.
Valencia will keep heading straight into more adversity with a short week and a long two-hour bus ride to Murrieta Mesa (0-2).
The Vikings have allowed two straight monster rushing performances to open the season and will look to limit the production of Rams back Artyone Celestine. Valencia junior Symeon Wilkins will be a big factor in that, coming off a stellar performance with three tackles for a loss.
The Valencia offense has had flashes from its “Killer Bs” as Brady Bretthauer and Brian Bonner have moved the ball to start this season. However, the B’s are the only Vikings who have found the end zone so far this season, so look for coach Larry Muir to try to get Nick Seymour and freshman Matthew Steen more involved. Steen is also coming off a solid outing against Santa Barbara with five catches for 105 yards.
The Vikings and Rams both hunt for their first win on Thursday at 7 p.m. down in Murrieta.
SCCS opens up league play with Milken
Santa Clarita Christian football (1-0) enters week two of eight-man football for the second straight season. Winning matters even more already for SCCS, which will open up Heritage League play early with the Milken Wildcats.
Milken runs a similar system to the Santa Clara Saints, a team the Cardinals walloped on Saturday.
The Cards will enter the league contest with just three days of practice to prepare for the Wildcats, who have been readying for this game for months as the contest will be Milken’s season opener.
SCCS hosts Milken on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Hart High School.
