In the second year of the program’s existence, the West Ranch girls’ flag football players are Foothill League champions.
The Wildcats defeated Valencia on the road, 34-0, and secured the league title with every Santa Clarita Valley team participating in the sport.
“From starting camp back in May to battling through the heat in the summer, and the grind that it takes just to kind of get everybody on the same page, and each week we got better and better, it’s a sweet feeling to know,” West Ranch head coach Mark Hornberger said. “These last two games have been just awesome to see them fly around the field. It’s been tremendous.”
For the Wildcats (13-3, 12-2), it’s not just a team achievement but a family one as Hornberger is celebrating the title with his daughter Hailey.
Hailey Hornberger, who’s been the quarterback for West Ranch throughout the season, led her team to a shutout win over the Vikings (8-17-1, 5-9).
After the game, coach Hornberger credited his daughter for the adversity she faced and how she battled through all year.
“It’s been a tough year, and she fought through a lot,” he said. “Every team goes through its up and down, but she battled and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Hornberger threw three second-half touchdown passes in the win, including a 20-plus-yard touchdown play to Sofia Forbes in the fourth quarter that put her team up 34 points.
With the win, the Wildcats finish atop the league standings with a 12-2 record. And although that is the same record as Hart, the Wildcats hold the tiebreaker following a season sweep over the Hawks in the regular season.
With the regular season over, coach Hornberger reflected on this season’s achievements, saying he never thought his team would have this type of success and was grateful for those around him.
“I knew we were going to be there in the grind, but I just didn’t think we would be able to put it together like we did,” he said. “At the same time, I knew the girls that we’ve assembled on this year were gamers and I just knew that there was a possibility of us going deep.”
As for Valencia, the Vikings conclude their regular season with a loss, but in their first year in the sport finish tied for fifth with Saugus as both teams have a 5-9 record.
West Ranch joins Castaic, Hart and Vasquez as the teams representing the Foothill League in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs.
It will be the second year in a row in which the program will be in the postseason following an appearance in the Division 4 playoffs last season.
“Next practice, we got to study some film, and figure out who we are going up against,” he said when asked prior to the CIF releasing the matchups. “Then it’s back to the drawing boards and then we got to get prepared for next Tuesday.”
The Wildcats play on Tuesday in the first round of Division 4 playoffs at Chaparral with the game set to begin at 5 p.m.
