Cents win back-to-back league titles, and scores from around the Foothill League
On a day when Saugus High School celebrated its seniors, the Centurions made it a memorable one, as the program achieved its 15th softball Foothill League title in its history following a 14-0 win over the Golden Valley Grizzlies Thursday.
“I’m just super proud of my girls and super proud of this group,” Saugus head coach Kyle Mark said. “They worked hard every single day for this moment and for it to come to fruition, it’severything we’ve been working for and dreamed of.”
Mark said after the game that he’s happy to send the seniors off with a Foothill League championship and noted that the girls who’ve been with the program for all four years contributed to the title-winning season.
“They’re leaders by example. They’re the first ones here. They work to clean up the field and set it up, and they support their teammates,” he said. “They set the perfect example for our juniors to be seniors next year and I’m just super proud of the culture they’ve created.”
One of the seniors Mark mentioned was catcher Amelia Johnson, who is committed to continuing her career at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Johnson kickstarted the Centurions (18-8, 11-0) offense in the first inning in the win over Golden Valley (4-17, 0-11) after the senior catcher hit a three-run homer.
Johnson hit her ninth home run of the season and leads the Foothill League.
Mark said that the Centurions lineup, filled with seniors one through nine, followed Johnson’s tone-setting homer by adding more runs.
“This is something we preach, and they continue to do that,” Mark said on the Centurions’ approach at the plate. “I just emphasize the team to have good … quality at bats and they continue to do that.”
The Centurions repeat as the Foothill League champions for the second consecutive year with an 11-0 record.
With one more game in league play, and in the regular season, Mark is focused on the matchup with the Valencia Vikings and ending the year strong as the Centurions look to win in the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs.
“We have a game against Valencia next week,” he said. “That’s where our focus is so we’ll come back and get to work”
The Centurions play again on Wednesday at home against the Vikings with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
As for Golden Valley, the loss dropped the Grizzlies to 0-11 in Foothill League play and they remain in seventh in the standings
The Grizzlies will look to bounce back on Tuesday for a matchup against the Vikings at home with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
After Thursday’s games, here are scores from around the Foothill League:
Canyon 19, Valencia 11: The Cowboys (8-16, 3-7) picked up a big Foothill League win over the Valencia Vikings (10-8, 5-5).
With the win, the Cowboys remain fifth in the standings and half a game lead over the sixth-place Coyotes.
The Cowboys will look to win on the road on Friday against the Wildcats with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
As for Valencia, the Vikings will look to bounce back on Tuesday for a road matchup against the Grizzlies at 3:15 p.m.
Hart 13, Castaic 1: On a day when Hart High School celebrated the jersey retirement of alumna Aly Kaneshiro, the Hawks (12-12, 7-4) delivered a win for the Hart faithful over the Castaic Coyotes (8-9, 3-8).
With the win, the Hawks remain in third place in the Foothill League standings with a 7-4 record.
The Hawks will look to build upon their momentum on Tuesday with a road matchup against the West Ranch Wildcats while the Coyotes face the Cowboys at Canyon High School.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m.
