The Wildcats may have seven losses through the season but following a 14-0 win over the Castaic Coyotes, West Ranch recorded its second win of the season on Friday at College of the Canyons and is one victory away from being eligible for an at-large playoff bid.
“This is huge for us because it means that our last game of the season is really meaningful for us,” West Ranch coach Sean O’Brien said. “We have a chance to go out, and if we take care of business against Golden Valley, that puts us in a nice 3-3 position in league. We can apply for an at-large bid.”
According to the Southern Section’s playoff eligibility rules, if a football team finishes the season 3-7, it would be eligible for at-large bid. And following Friday’s win over Castaic (3-6, 1-4), the Wildcats (2-7, 2-3) remain in position to apply for a bid with a 2-7 record.
Should the Wildcats be victorious next week against the Golden Valley Grizzlies in the final week of the regular season, West Ranch has a chance for playoff football.
While the circumstances are easy to get distracted about, O’Brien was happy to see his team execute in Friday’s win over Castaic.
Defensively, the Wildcats shut out the Castaic Coyotes and put up a much-needed scoreline for West Ranch after the defense gave up 82 points in the last two games.
For O’Brien, the defense’s performance was good to see, and he believes it will provide momentum for next week’s game.
“It’s not just about the zero. Castaic is no joke. We had a lot of backed-up stands, where we were backed up in the shadow of our own goal post and we held it together,” he said. “There were a lot of reasons where our kids could have decided ‘no, let’s go ahead and give up on this one’ and they didn’t. They dug in and played with tenacity.”
While the defense played great, offensively the Wildcats showcased their potential with a few explosive plays.
In the first quarter, junior quarterback Humza Harsolia found senior receiver Charlie Samuelson for a 30-yard touchdown. And in the first half’s final moments, senior running back Mesziah Ramos punched the ball in for the game’s final score off a 6-yard rushing touchdown.
O’Brien said he was glad to see scoring drives but reiterated that there was “still left meat on the bone” for his offense to take advantage of with a few missed scoring opportunities.
As the Wildcats look to finish their season with a win and keep their playoff hopes alive, O’Brien said the win on Friday has brought a newfound motivation for his team after a long season. And with a thrilling matchup against Golden Valley, the Wildcats have all to play for Friday against the Grizzlies at Canyon High School at 7 p.m.
“The team that comes out and makes the fewest mistakes and plays with heart. That team is going to come out ahead,” O’Brien said. “It’s really not about the X’s and the O’s, but the Jimmy’s and the Joes and about how well they play, how well you can motivate them to play. And after a win against Castaic, our guys are motivated again.”
As for Castaic, the loss dropped the Coyotes to 3-6 overall; they remained eligible for an at-large bid with the team out of contention for an automatic playoff berth through the Foothill League.
The Coyotes will look to bounce back in the team’s final game of the season against the Saugus Centurions at Valencia High School with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
