The Foothill League is officially at the halfway point of its season, and with two undefeated teams in Hart and Valencia, both have a shot at the title while the third spot in the standings is still up for grabs.
As for the private schools, Trinity looks to secure its second straight Cottonwood League win at home, while Santa Clarita Christian will return to action next week.
And after a win over Castaic last week, Golden Valley will return in week eight following its bye.
Here’s a look at this week’s matchups:
West Ranch vs. Saugus
The Centurions (5-2, 1-2) picked up a big win on the road over Canyon last week, a victory that kept Saugus in the conversation for the third spot in the Foothill League standings.
Following back-to-back losses on the road to Hart and Valencia, Saugus concluded its four-game road swing with a win and returns home hosting the West Ranch Wildcats (1-5, 0-2).
As for the Wildcats, the team is coming off a tough loss on the road to Hart. But despite the result, its offense had its most productive performance since its last win over Antelope Valley, with 21 points at home over Hart’s defense.
With the return of Charlie Samuelson to an already limited roster, the Wildcats offense is showing the potential of what it can achieve.
Quarterback Blake Johnson threw for 130 yards and Samuelson caught a touchdown pass last week, showing the Wildcats have the capabilities to challenge the Centurions’ defense.
But doing so won’t be easy.
Saugus came away with two takeaways in the win over Canyon, with Degan Grant and Matt Long picking off Cowboys quarterback Carson Soria.
The Centurions’ offense dropped 48 points, and quarterback Jake Nuttall accounted for three touchdown passes. The win over Canyon was the Centurions’ highest point total so far in the Foothill League.
Friday’s game between Saugus and West Ranch is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium.
Signal Staff Pick:
Ryan Romero: Saugus wins at home, 35-28 Centurions
Canyon vs. Valencia
The Vikings (5-1, 2-0) return home following their bye week, hosting the Canyon Cowboys (1-6, 1-2).
Following a shutout win on the road over Castaic, Canyon’s offense just wasn’t able to replicate its success in the loss to Saugus.
The offense only scored 20 points, and the last touchdown came at the last second of the game last week. The Cowboys are in for a tough matchup against one of the premier teams in the Southern Section.
This week, Valencia is ranked No. 29 in the Southern Section via MaxPreps, with an offense that has scored 150 points in the past three games.
In week five, Valencia defeated Saugus, 55-14, with quarterback Brady Bretthauer throwing five passing touchdowns and 430 yards in the win.
With another favorable matchup at home with Canyon’s defense, which gave up 48 points to the Centurions, the Cowboys’ defense will need to do all it can to contain the Vikings’ offense.
Friday’s game between Canyon and the Vikings is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Valencia High School.
Signal Staff Pick:
Ryan Romero: Valencia remains perfect in league, 49-21, Vikings
Castaic vs. Hart
The Hart Hawks (5-2, 3-0) were perfect in the first half of Foothill League play.
With back-to-back 40-plus-point performances over Saugus and Golden Valley and a 63-point offensive output on the road against West Ranch, the Hawks are a serious challenger for this year’s Foothill League title.
This week, the Hawks will host the winless Castaic Coyotes (0-6, 0-2) who are coming off a loss to Golden Valley.
The Coyotes haven’t been competitive all year, but following three straight shutout losses the Coyotes scored their first points since August when quarterback Jack Mackler threw a touchdown pass to Takai Bogan in the loss to Golden Valley.
Despite the offensive struggles all season, the Coyotes’ defense did shutout the Grizzlies’ offense in the second half.
Lucas Duryea, who’s a transfer from Chaminade, made his debut in the loss following the sit-out period and was the biggest performer as he tallied 11 total tackles.
Despite the upside on defense, Castaic faces a Hart offense that has outscored its league opponents 149-84 and will be a tough matchup for the Sirr Guy Shakir-led Coyotes.
Friday’s game between Castaic and Hart is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
Signal Staff Pick:
Ryan Romero: Hart extends its winning streak, 42-14 Hawks
Silver Valley vs. Trinity
The Knights (2-3, 1-0) opened Cottonwood League play with a big win over the Webb Gauls.
And this week, Trinity host the Silver Valley Trojans at home with a good opportunity to start off 2-0 to begin league.
The 1-5 Trojans shut out Temecula Prep at home, but despite the win, it was the highest point total Silver Vally scored all season.
The Trojans have been outscored 58-193 by their opponents all season. And in last year’s matchup between Trinity and Silver Valley, the knights won at home 40-7.
And in the win over Webb, the Knights matched their highest point total and have a favorable matchup for their offense to score big again this week.
Saturday’s game between Silver Valley and Trinity is set to kick off at 6 p.m. at Cougar Stadium.
