KHTS Game of the Week

4 West Ranch (5-0, 1-0) vs Saugus (3-3, 1-0)

This game features the only matchup this week with both teams having won their league openers last Friday, meaning whichever team emerges victorious will own at least a share of first place. Add in the playoff ramifications, and it becomes more understandable why most, if not all, of the Foothill League coaches preach that league games are playoff games.

In fact, if the Wildcats win, not only will they be 6-0 for the first time ever, but it’ll also be just the second win over Saugus in program history. These ingredients should make for an exciting KHTS Game of the Week.

Last season, Saugus edged West Ranch, 17-16, and it was a game indicative of each teams season. The Centurions were 4-1 in games decided by six points or less in 2016, while the Wildcats were 3-3 in such games.

The West Ranch offense has increased its scoring by almost 24 points per game this season, and it has come down to finding a good run/pass balance. Backup quarterback Weston Eget has scored nine total touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) in two games while Colton Mitchell recovers from a shoulder injury.

Saugus has struggled to put up points without starting quarterback Nathan Eldridge, but senior running back Quinn Sheaffer (772 rushing yards on 6.1 per carry) has kept the offense churning out yards as the workhorse of the team.

It will be important for Sheaffer to keep the chains moving and force the explosive West Ranch offense to stay on the sideline. Another close game between these teams looks to be on the horizon.

Golden Valley (3-3, 0-1) vs Valencia (5-1, 1-0)

Coming off a disappointing shutout loss to Saugus last week, the Golden Valley Grizzlies are trying to get their offense back on track and that begins with quarterback Zach Chevalier.

After fumbling a ball in the end-zone early in the first quarter, Chevalier never seemed comfortable as he accounted for all four turnovers for the Grizzlies, which included three interceptions.

“I think his inexperience showed last week against [Saugus]. He is trying to do too much, rather than staying with his key reads on defense. He’s a first-year varsity player so as a coach I can’t get frustrated. We are not giving up on him we are going to continue to work and keep moving forward with him,” said Head Coach Dan Kelley about his young quarterback.

The Grizzlies offense will need to keep the turnovers down to a minimum as they face off against a ball-hawking Valencia defense that has caused 15 turnovers in just six games this season.

On the other side of the ball the Grizzlies face off against one of the most potent offenses that the Foothill League has ever seen.

The way that quarterback Connor Downs commands the offense with such calm and poise is indicative of how the Valencia offense works.

Add in senior running back Moises Haynes, who seems to break the 100-plus yard mark almost every game, to the mix coupled with star wide-receiver Mykael Wright who has caught nine touchdowns, the Golden Valley Grizzlies will have to play a near perfect game to pull the upset against the No. 5 ranked team in Division 2.

– Diego Marquez

Hart (3-3, 0-1) vs Canyon (3-3, 0-1)

The oldest rivalry in Santa Clarita is renewed again, this time being the 50th game played between these schools.

Both teams come into the game desperate to avoid falling to 0-2 in the Foothill League and searching for some consistency as a team.

Hart’s sluggish starts have plagued its season so far, failing to score in the first quarter in five of the six games, and it has CAL commit JT Shrout pressing.

“He’s gotta not worry about making the big play all the time, and just go through our read and progressions and be able to hit open receivers,” said head coach Mike Herrington.

Canyon, on the other hand, had the opposite problem this past Friday, getting shut out in the second half after opening up a 14-0 lead on West Ranch.

“We need to complement the run with the pass,” said coach Rich Gutierrez noting, “we’ve just struggled a little bit there.”

This is a classic game of something’s got to give. Whichever team can put together a complete game of offensive football, limiting mistakes for 48 minutes will move to 1-1 in the Foothill League.

KHTS Sports previews each matchup in the Foothill League for Week Two of the league season. KHTS Sports is your place for Santa Clarita’s 2017 Foothill League football season and your daily Dodgers update. Find all the latest news and updates on your hometown schools here as they compete in the Foothill League, Heritage League, Western State Conference and GSAC. If you have any news and notes about our teams and players to share please send them to jp@hometownstation.com, like us on facebook.com/khtssports and follow us @KHTSSports on Twitter and Instagram.