In the early hours of Saturday, the West Ranch Wildcats made history as the team made its first appearance in a Southern Section title game in the Division 4 championship in Orange.
In the end, the Poly Riverside Bears’ offense was too much for the West Ranch Wildcats to handle as they were defeated 27-18.
“They just fought their tails off,” West Ranch head coach Mark Hornberger said. “It was a good team that we faced. Made a couple of mistakes, but nothing they should be hanging their heads for.”
All year long, the Wildcats made history and faced plenty of adversity every game this season as the team, in the second season of its existence, was one game away from bringing its community a Southern Section title.
Despite not achieving the accomplishment, the loss doesn’t take away the effort that Hornberger has seen from his team this year.
“It’s really a testament to the players we have,” he said. “The grit, the fight, just the battle, the battle mentality that they bring each and every game. They didn’t back down. We just got just got our number.”
In the first quarter, it was a defensive battle with neither team able to score.
But following an interception from Rachelle Clark that prevented a would-be scoring drive for Poly Riverside, momentum was with the Wildcats.
Quarterback Kara Carnes utilized the momentum and threw a touchdown pass to Alora Glass to lead 6-0 in the opening quarter.
The lead, however, was short lived. On the following drive, the Bears took the lead following a trick play 2 yards out from the goal line for a touchdown.
With five minutes left in the first half, the Wildcats trailed for the first time all game as the Bears’ Ashlynn Gillman scored her second touchdown of the game.
With a 13-6 deficit, the Wildcats opened the second half with possession, but Carnes threw her second interception of the game which was brought back to the end zone for a pick-six.
And in the fourth quarter, it began to look bleak for West Ranch.
Gillman came down with her third touchdown reception of the game, a scoring drive made possible with timely receptions she caught to keep her offensive alive.
Her three-touchdown reception game was too much for the Wildcats’ defense to handle as the Bears sealed the game and championship for the win.
With the loss, the season ends in the championship game for the Wildcats.
Although Hornberger and his team didn’t claim the title, the 2025 season was a historic one for the program as the team accomplished a Foothill League title and signature wins along the way.
“It’s tremendous and surreal, and I keep saying the same word over and over again, but it’s just remarkable what we’ve done, where we’ve come from,” he said. “I’ve preached all year long. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And it felt like these girls busted their butts today and just can’t be more proud of them.”
