Plus, scores from around the Foothill League in flag football
Slowly but surely the West Ranch flag football team is starting to become the team that head coach David Therasse envisioned after his Wildcats completed the comeback win over Canyon, 18-13.
“I’m speechless. I know we’re close. We didn’t have a lot of time on the practice field over the summer and last spring, but we’re close,” Therasse said. “And today, we closed it down. That’s a good ball club [Canyon] and we’re finally turning the corner.”
In Tuesday’s win, the teams were tied at 6 apiece at halftime with neither able to pull away.
But with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, West Ranch’s (3-5, 2-2) Kara Carnes delivered a timely pass to Olivia Esparza for a touchdown to take the lead 12-6.
With a 6-point deficit, Canyon’s (5-3, 2-3) offense came out looking determined to tie the game and take the lead.
In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, Canyon’s Maribel Winkler tossed a 20-yard pass to freshman Emma White.
The Cowboys tied the game at 12 apiece and took the lead after the team converted the 1-point conversion.
With all the momentum on Canyon’s sideline, the Wildcats returned to the field on the following drive. And with a little over seven minutes remaining in the game, Carnes threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Alora Glass.
The Wildcats’ defense held on for the win and held the Cowboys’ offense scoreless in the fourth quarter.
After the game, Glass spoke on the team’s game-winning drive and mentality to come out on top over the Cowboys on Tuesday.
“I had to be there for my teammates and help put something on the scoreboard,” Glass said. “I did the best I could and got the touchdown.”
With the win, the Wildcats bounced back in Foothill League play after back-to-back losses and now hold a 2-2 record and are in fourth in the league’s flag football standings.
As the Wildcats look toward the rest of Foothill League play, Therasse believes the momentum from Tuesday’s win will help the team throughout the season as the Wildcats look to build upon their wins.
“It feels like we’ve been gaining momentum, even though we haven’t been winning games,” Therasse said. “We’ve been building off that momentum, and it finally paid off in a win.”
The Wildcats look to win again on Thursday at Valencia High School in a matchup against the Vikings with the game scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
As for Canyon, the Cowboys will look to bounce back in Foothill League play Thursday on the road at Hart High School in a matchup against the Hawks with the game set to begin at 6:30 p.m.
After Tuesday’s matches, here are scores from around the Foothill League:
Valencia 13, Golden Valley 6: Following a road win over the Grizzlies (2-9, 0-5) Tuesday, the Vikings (6-5-2, 4-1) are amid a four-game winning streak in Foothill League play.
With the win, the Vikings remain tied in first place of the Foothill League standings along with the Hart Hawks after Tuesday’s games.
The Vikings will look to build upon their momentum with a home matchup Thursday at Valencia High School against the visiting Wildcats with the game set to begin at 6:30 p.m.
As for Golden Valley, the Grizzlies will look to bounce back Thursday at Castaic High School in a matchup against the Coyotes at 4:30 p.m.
Hart 14, Saugus 0: After a shutout win over the Saugus Centurions (4-6, 2-4), the Hart Hawks (8-6, 4-1) are tied for first in the Foothill League standings with Valencia.
The Hawks will look to keep up the momentum with a home matchup Thursday at Hart High School against the Canyon Cowboys at 6:30 p.m.
As for Saugus, the Centurions will look to rebound in the team’s next Foothill League contest on Tuesday against the Cowboys at 6:30 p.m. at Saugus High School.
