Just a season ago the Valencia Vikings finished sixth in the flag football Foothill League standings.
But Valencia head coach Cedric McCalister knew the potential to make history in the 2026 season was real for his Vikings. And after a 32-20 semifinal win over the California Condors of Whittier to advance to the championship, McCalister and the Vikings are looking to do what hasn’t been done yet in the Santa Clarita Valley – win a California Interscholastic Federation championship.
“It’s exciting, not just for me but more so for the girls and six seniors that we have on the team that have given it their all since day one and two years ago when the program started,” McCalister said in an interview with The Signal. “So, coming from last place last year in the Foothill League to going to the finals is just an amazing feeling.”
After the win on Saturday in the semifinals, McCalister spoke about his team’s resiliency throughout the postseason, which has been historic for the Vikings.
In the first round, the Vikings secured their first-ever playoff win and built upon their momentum with a shutout on the road over Lawndale.
In the quarterfinals, the Vikings hosted the then-undefeated Compton Tarbabes and secured the narrow win – a matchup that McCalister said was the biggest opponent they’ve faced all year.
McCalister thanked his team’s defense for the historic playoff run and credited them again in Saturday’s win over the Condors.
“I just remember at the beginning of the year, I emphasized defense,” he said. “But now everybody realizes why I emphasize defense so much because defense is what won those games for us.”
With the win, the Vikings are set to match up against the Quartz Hill Royals, who are 21-2-1 overall and are ranked as the No. 56 team in the state of California, according to MaxPreps.
Saturday’s Division 3 title game is expected to be a thriller, but don’t expect it to have the same result from earlier in the season when the Vikings and Royals tied in August in a non-league contest, according to McCalister.
McCalister said both teams have improved since then and will look to use every practice as a means to get his team better and prepared for what will be a historic day for the Valencia flag football program.
“Everybody has changed and coaching has changed. The girls have changed in what they do, and the plays have changed,” he said. “So, we have to look at the film and the mannerisms and then we got to put it into play and have a game plan.”
Saturday’s Division 3 championship matchup between the Royals and the Vikings is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. at Huntington Beach High School.
