As the 2026 high school football season kicks off, local programs around the Santa Clarita Valley are gearing up for the season ahead with non-league action to start the year off in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section’s designated Week 0.
This season, the Castaic Coyotes are the first to kick off the football season with a home matchup on Thursday, while Trinity Classical Academy looks to win in its first year back in the eight-man division.
The Santa Clarita Christian School Cardinals begin the season next week on Aug. 29 with a bye scheduled in the first week of the season.
Here is a look at this week’s matchups:
Castaic vs. Buena
The Coyotes are the first football team to kick off the 2026 football season for the Santa Clarita Valley.
On Thursday, the Coyotes host the Buena Bulldogs of Ventura at Valencia High School and are eager to start the season with something the program hasn’t done since 2024: Win.
Last season, the Coyotes suffered a winless season but returned young talent with the likes of sophomore Cody King, junior receiver Lincoln Kusumi and junior linebacker Lucas Duryea on defense.
All three players were on last season’s 0-10 team, but all three are eager to switch the tides and bring winning football to Castaic High School. And with a home matchup to start the season, the Coyotes will have a favorable matchup to start the season 1-0 in front of the Castaic faithful.
Thursday’s game between the Coyotes and Bulldogs is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Valencia High School.
Valencia at Simi Valley
The three-time reigning Foothill League champions are back and reloaded for the 2026 season.
After the departures of Brady Bretthauer, Brian Bonner and Elias Holloway to name a few, the Vikings have revamped with young talent, especially at the quarterback position.
Sophomore Evan McCalister takes over as the gunslinger and after he threw for 598 yards and five touchdowns in limited action during his freshman season.
While Valencia’s offense is new, the Vikings’ defense is not. Last season, the Vikings held the Simi Valley Pioneers to seven points in a week 0 win in the 2025 season.
With the likes of seniors Anthony Vernon, Rocco Testa, Caysen Badawi all returning for Valencia again on defense this season, the Vikings have an experienced roster to kick off the year with another win.
Friday’s game between the Vikings and Pioneers is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Simi Valley High School.
Hart vs. Birmingham
After the Hart Hawks accomplished the program’s first playoff win since 2019 last season, head coach Jake Goossen-Brown and his team are looking to do more of the same this year.
This year, the Hawks start the road back to the playoffs with a home matchup against the Birmingham Patriots of Lake Balboa, and it’s the third time both teams have faced each other in three seasons.
Last season, the Hawks lost on the road to the Patriots, 24-14, in the opening week of the season and will look to avoid doing the same.
But this year, the Hawks will have a new name under center after the departure of Jacob Paisano.
Junior quarterback Camren Ketner will take over as this year’s Hart quarterback after being named the starter by Goossen-Brown.
This season, Ketner will have a reliable target in senior Matix Frith-Smith, who recorded a total of 254 all-purpose yards and touchdowns in the loss to Birmingham last season, and is a player poised for a breakout game to start this year.
Friday’s game between the Hawks and Patriots is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at College of the Canyons.
Saugus at Agoura
After the Saugus Centurions secured 10 wins and a California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section semifinalist finish, head coach Jason Bornn and his players are ready to tackle the 2026 season.
But they will do so with a new quarterback and running back.
After the departure of Jake Nuttall at quarterback and Ty Hall at running back, Bornn will start Mono Ortega in the backfield but hasn’t named this year’s Saugus gunslinger.
Bornn said on the Foothill League media day, which was held Saturday, that the current quarterback competition between freshman Zach Barnes and junior Brayden Connelly hasn’t produced a clear-cut No.1.
Although a name hasn’t emerged, Bornn is confident that his offense will be ready with returning senior Landon Lattimore, who ended his junior season with 1,670 all-purpose yards.
This season, Lattimore will lead the Centurions on the road to Agoura to take on the Chargers, who finished last season as semifinalist in the Division 6 playoffs, in what will be a battle betweentwo CIF semifinalists from last year.
Friday’s game between the Centurions and Chargers is set for 7 p.m. at Agoura High School.
Golden Valley at Pasadena
Last season, the Grizzlies missed out on the playoffs by three points in a week 10 loss to Saugus.
This year, the Grizzlies are back with multiple returners from last year’s roster who are keen to win this season.
Senior Aaron McCormick, who ran for 614 yards and seven touchdowns, returns for the Grizzlies this season with a sophomore quarterback in Jaxson Ray to help lead the offense.
This Friday, both McCormick and Ray lead the Grizzlies with a road matchup to begin the season at Pasadena in a matchup against the Bulldogs.
Last season, the Bulldogs ended the season 6-5 overall and suffered a first-round defeat in the Division 10 playoffs.
The Grizzlies kick off the year with a tough matchup on the road but are ranked 407th in California while the Bulldogs are placed at 459th, according to MaxPreps.
Friday’s game between the Grizzlies and Bulldogs is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Pasadena High School.
Canyon vs. Knight
The Cowboys will have a young team representing Canyon High School for the 2026 season.
After the departures of quarterback Carson Soria, and running backs Keyshawn Wooten and Semaj Richardson, head coach Ken Holsenbeck is eyeing the youth movement.
Senior Julian Carlin takes over at quarterback after seeing limited action on the field last season and is joined by Benicio Wright, a junior who will take over No. 1 running back duty.
Both will be joined by Jeremiah Herreres, who will play as a receiver, and with Canyon’s new-looking offense, the Cowboys seek a statement to win at home Friday against Knight of Palmdale.
The Knight Hawks, who ended the season 4-6 overall last season, will be a favorable matchup for the Cowboys with a home contest for the first week of the season.
Friday’s game between the Cowboys and Hawks is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
West Ranch vs. Harvard-Westlake
The O’Brien era is well underway at West Ranch High School for the 2026 season.
O’Brien and his Wildcats kick off the year with a home game at Valencia High School and a matchup against the Harvard-Westlake Wolverines of Studio City.
Last season, the Wolverines ended the 2026 season 3-7 overall and ranked 654th in the state of California, according to MaxPreps. The Wolverines enter the year as the 562nd team in the rankings and ahead of West Ranch, who are placed as the 623rd team.
As for West Ranch, the Wildcats will look toward junior quarterback Humza Harsolia to lead the team as this season’s starter under center.
Last year, Harsolia threw for 258 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore in limited playing time.
This year, Harsolia is the No.1 guy and will have targets like seniors Charlie Samuelson at receiver and running back Mezsiah Ramos helping the junior quarterback lead West Ranch in the 2026 season.
Friday’s game between West Ranch and Harvard-Westlake is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Valencia High School.
Trinity Classical Academy at Sage Hill
This season, the Knights will compete in the Heritage League, but in week 0 will begin their slate of play with non-league action.
On Friday, the Knights match up against the Sage Hill Lightning of Newport Beach.
Last year, the Lightning finished the 2025 season 4-5 overall and made an appearance in the Division 1 eight-man playoffs.
The Knights will look to the likes of junior receiver Aiden Visconti to lead the team into Newport Beach as the Trinity football program seeks its first win under new head coach Joe Visconti.
Friday’s game between the Knights and Lightning is at Sage Hill High School in Newport Beach with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
See The Signal’s annual special publication, “SCV Football Preview,” featuring team profiles, photos, schedules, rosters and more, which publishes in Friday’s edition of The Signal. FoothillLeague teams begin their season with non-league games on Thursday night and Friday night.
