The Foothill League football standings are starting to take shape in the Santa Clarita Valley with teams gearing up for this week’s matchups with playoffs bids at stake.
As for the Heritage League, both the Trinity Knights and Santa Clarita Christian Cardinals are in search of bounce-back wins following losses last week with the Cardinals playing host on Saturday.
Here’s a look at this week’s matchups:
Golden Valley vs. Castaic
This week’s matchup between Castaic (3-3, 1-1) and Golden Valley (3-4, 1-2) is a tossup.
For Castaic, quarterback Cody King suffered a left shoulder injury during Friday’s game and was ruled out in the Coyotes’ win over Canyon. King later announced on social media that he’d suffered a broken collarbone, ending his season.
As for Golden Valley, Jaxon Ray suffered an injury in last Thursday’s loss to Hart and did not return to the game. Going into this week, there is no timeline for when the sophomore quarterback will return.
With both teams’ starting quarterbacks out, the Coyotes and Grizzlies are expected to operate with run-heavy offenses in search of a Foothill League win.
Golden Valley’s Aaron McCormick and Castaic’s Justin Priestley, who both are in the top six in the Foothill League in rushing yards, will have their names called upon to lead their offenses.
Friday’s game between the Coyotes and Grizzlies is scheduled for kickoff at 7 p.m. at Valencia High School.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Grizzlies pick up league win; Golden Valley 24, Castaic 21
West Ranch vs. Hart
After a strong 2-0 start to Foothill League play, the Hart Hawks (5-1, 2-0) will play host to the West Ranch Wildcats (1-5, 1-1) this Friday.
The Wildcats will be in for a tough matchup on Friday as the offense will need to score against Hart’s defense, which has allowed 14.6 points per game.
As for West Ranch’s defense, if the Wildcats want to come out on top Friday, the team will need to stop Hart’s rushing attack.
Last week, both Matix Frithsmith and Joshua Rogozik combined for 248 rushing yards in a win over Golden Valley. And throughout the season, Hart has rushed for 213 yards per game and looks poised to have another big game this week in search of their third Foothill League win.
Friday’s matchup between the Hawks and Wildcats is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Hawks stay hot; Hart 42, West Ranch 14
Canyon vs. Saugus
The Canyon Cowboys (1-6, 0-3) and Saugus Centurions (4-3, 1-2) are in search of bounce-back wins after both suffered back-to-back Foothill League losses in the last two weeks.
For Canyon, the Cowboys began the Foothill League season 0-3 and face a touch matchup in the Centurions this Friday in search of their first league win.
The Cowboys take on the four-win Centurions and will look to snap a five-game skid this week before facing off against the Foothill League’s heavyweights in Valencia, and Hart in the team’s last two weeks.
As for Saugus, the Centurions’ path to the playoffs appears easier as the team faces Canyon, West Ranch, and Castaic in the last three weeks. All three teams have a combined record of 5-14.
With the Centurions controlling their destiny to the Foothill League’s third playoff bid, the team will look for both Brayden Connelly and Zach Barnes to continue alternating series as both quarterbacks have shined in their respective games.
This week, Connelly and Barnes are expected to lead the Centurions to the team’s second Foothill League win of the year and snap a two-game skid.
Friday’s matchup between the Centurions and Cowboys is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
Signal Staff Pick, Ryan Romero: Centurions bounce back; Saugus 42, Canyon 21
Trinity at Lancaster Baptist
Following back-to-back losses, the Knights (2-3, 2-1) will look to snap a two-game losing streak with a road matchup against the Lancaster Baptist Eagles (4-1).
This week, the Knights will look to bounce back in Heritage League play as the team currently holds the second spot in the standings and needs a win to remain in playoff contention.
As for Lancaster Baptist, the Eagles will kick off their Heritage League campaign and will be a tough matchup for the Knights as the team enters this week as the No. 23 eight-man team in California, according to MaxPreps.
Friday’s matchup between the Eagles and Knights is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at Lancaster Baptist.
SCCS vs. Laguna Blanca
After a road loss to Faith Baptist last week, the Cardinals (2-4, 0-2) look to win in non-league play with a home matchup following a five-game road stretch.
In the last five games, the Cardinals went 2-3 and will look to close out the season with a three-game home stand.
This week, the Cardinals play against the Laguna Blanca Owls of Santa Barbara, who are undefeated with a 4-0 record and ranked as the No. 20eight-man team in California, according to MaxPreps.
This Saturday’s matchup will be tough for the Cardinals, who ranked as the No. 33 eight-man team in California, according to MaxPreps. But with a win in non-league play, the Cardinals will have the momentum possible to close out the season for a playoff push.
Saturday’s matchup between the Cardinals and Owls is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at Canyon High School.
