After come-from-behind wins and statement victories in last week’s rivalry matchups, Foothill League implications are at stake this week in the Santa Clarita Valley.
In the Heritage League, Santa Clarita Chrsitian eyes a second-consecutive win following a road victory on Saturday as the Trinity Knights look to bounce back in league play.
Here’s a look at this week’s matchups:
Hart vs. Golden Valley
The Golden Valley Grizzlies (3-3, 1-1) are coming off their first Foothill League win of the season last week and will look to continue that momentum in a quick turnaround with a Thursday night home matchup.
But this week, the Grizzlies host the Hart Hawks (4-1, 1-0), the No. 63 team in the Southern Section and highest-ranked football team from the Santa Clarita Valley, according to MaxPreps.
The Hawks match up against a Golden Valley defense that allows an average of 22.3 points per game. And in last week’s win over Canyon, the Grizzlies allowed a combined 169 rushing yards.
Hart goes into Thursday’s game with a favorable matchup as the team averages 200.8 rushing yards per game.
If the Grizzlies want to grab their second Foothill League win of the season, preventing the Hawks’ rushing attack from having a big day offensively is key to win. But with players such as Matix Frithsmith and Josh Rogozik, two of Hart’s leading rushers, that’s likely to be a challenge.
Thursday’s matchup between the Grizzlies and Hawks is scheduled for kickoff at 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Hawks stay hot; Hart 31, Golden Valley 17
Valencia vs. Saugus
The Vikings (4-2, 2-0) are entering this Friday’s matchup on the heels of winning their 21st Foothill League game in a row.
This week, the Vikings hit the road and match up against the Saugus Centurions (4-2, 1-1), who are coming off a defeat to the Hart Hawks.
There’s a lot at stake for both teams: a shot at the Foothill League title is in play and, for Valencia, an opportunity for Evan McCalister to continue his strong play against a Saugus defense that has allowed 19.8 points per game.
But for Saugus, stopping McCalister will be a tough challenge. The sophomore tossed three touchdown passes in last week’s win over West Ranch. And McCalister leads all Foothill League quarterbacks in passing yards.
The matchup between Saugus and Valencia looks to be a thriller under the College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium lights but seems to have the Vikings with the edge.
Friday’s matchup between the Centurions and Vikings kicks off at 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Vikings win on the road; Valencia 38, Saugus 21
Castaic vs. Canyon
Friday’s game between the Castaic Coyotes (2-3, 0-1) and Canyon Cowboys (1-5, 0-2) could be a thrilling matchup between both programs that are in search of bounceback wins.
For Canyon, the Cowboys host the Coyotes at Canyon High School and still eye their first Foothill League win of the season following back-to-back losses to West Ranch and Golden Valley.
As for Castaic, the Coyotes return to Foothill League play Friday after the team took their scheduled bye last week.
Both teams seek their first Foothill League win, but the Coyotes seem to have the edge over Canyon for this Friday’s matchup.
Offensively, Castaic quarterback Cody King remains second in the Foothill League for passing yards despite not playing last week. And defensively, Lucas Duryea leads the Foothill League in total tackles with 44.
If the Cowboys want to win at home, preventing King from having a big day offensively is key after Canyon’s defense gave up 49 points in a loss last week to Golden Valley.
Friday’s game between the Cowboys and Coyotes is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Coyotes win narrowly; Castaic 27, Canyon 21
Trinity at Chadwick
After two straight wins over Desert Christian and Santa Clarita Christian, the Knights (2-2, 2-1) followed up their performance with a loss to Faith Baptist in Heritage League play last weekend.
With the loss, the Knights fell to .500 on the season with a 2-2 overall record but remain in second place in the Heritage League standings with a 2-1 record.
This week, the Knights will look to bounce back after last week’s loss on Saturday with a road matchup against the Chadwick Dolphins of Palos Verdes.
The Dolphins, who are 2-2 this season, are ranked as the No. 21 eight-man team in the state of California, according to MaxPreps.
Saturday’s game between the Dolphins and Knights is scheduled to kick off at 3:45 p.m. at Chadwick High School.
SCCS at Faith Baptist
The Santa Clarita Christian Cardinals (2-3, 0-1) returned to their winning ways with a road win over Cate on Saturday.
With the win, the Cardinals picked up their second overall victory of the year in the non-league season and will look to take that momentum into Heritage League play.
On Friday, the Cardinals travel down to Canoga Park and match up against the Faith Baptist Contenders, who are unbeaten with a 4-0 record.
The Contenders, who are coming off a 34-0 win over Trinity last weekend, will be a tough matchup for the Cardinals as Faith Baptist enters this week as the No. 5 eight-man team in California, according to MaxPreps.
Friday’s game between the Cardinals and Contenders is scheduled for kickoff at 4 p.m. at Faith Baptist School in Canoga Park.
