After back-to-back wins in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, the West Ranch girls’ flag football team won in a thriller over the Canyon Springs Panthers in the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats defeated Canyon Springs, 34-20, and advanced to the semifinals of the Division 4 California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs.
“It’s kind of tough when you’re up 14-0 and then you kind of give them 14 points back,” West Ranch head coach Mark Hornberger said. “But this team has showed their grit all season, and they take their punches and they buckle down when it mattered, and they just put one foot in front of the other, and we just take one flag pole at a time, one play at a time, and I’m really proud of these girls.”
In the opening quarter, the Wildcats took a commanding 14-0 lead following back-to-back offensive drives that resulted in quarterback Kara Carnes throwing a touchdown.
But in the second quarter, the Cougars clawed back and tied the game following two interceptions from the Canyon Springs defense and scored when out on offense.
With three minutes left to go in the first half, Carnes had a pass intercepted and, following the pick, the Wildcats’ defense came up big to force the turnover on downs at midfield.
As the Wildcats drove down the field, Carnes completed timely passes to her receivers and had the offense in the red zone.
But with 15 seconds left to go in the half, the Wildcats ran a trick play with Hailey Hornberger throwing downfield only to have her pass picked off in what could have been a scoring drive for West Ranch.
Following the game, coach Hornberger said that the halftime talk was simple, and it was more about keeping his team grounded and not getting ahead of themselves after the blown lead.
“It went like we didn’t lose, we didn’t win. It’s zero, zero. We got to start from scratch. And let’s put this thing together,” he said. “So, it was just a matter of getting them to focus one play at a time. You know, it’s just a testament to these girls and just the fight that they have.”
And in the second half, the Wildcats came out looking like a new team.
On the Wildcats’ first drive, Carnes threw her third touchdown pass of the game, and second to Patton, as West Ranch took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.
With two minutes left to go in the third, the Cougars scored another touchdown but failed on the one-point conversion.
Despite the score, the Wildcats didn’t falter and punched right back as they ended the game with two more touchdowns to extend their lead by two possessions in the fourth quarter.
On Canyon Springs’ final drive of the game, Patton intercepted a pass intended for Canyon Springs receiver Kaleayah Marshal and came down with the ball one-handed.
“We put Savannah there, and she got beat a couple of times early on. But when it came down to it, when it mattered most, she came through for us like she has all season,” Hornberger said.
Patton sealed the game with an interception and ended the day with three receiving touchdowns.
Following the pick, the Wildcats’ offense ran the clock down and won the game.
With the win, the Wildcats advanced to the semifinals and are one game closer to a shot for a Southern Section title.
“It’s surreal. So proud of the girls, so proud of the coaching staff. We’re putting this thing together,” Hornberger said in response to what it means to have a deep playoff run with the program. “Just the battle, the battle on all three phases of the game. It’s just tremendous to be a part of it.”
The Wildcats play again on Saturday against King High School of Riverside.
The game is set to kick off at 5 p.m. at West Ranch High School.
