The KHTS high school football Game of the Week broadcast brings you Sierra Canyon vs Valencia live from Paul A. Priesz Stadium tonight! The Vargo Physical Therapy Pregame show begins at 6:45 with kickoff at 7:00.

The Valencia Vikings (1-1) are back at home for the first time since their 17-14 season opening loss to Arbor View (NV). Fresh off a 58-35 win at Silverado, the Vikings look to build on their first win against the Division 3 No. 10 Sierra Canyon Trail Blazers (1-2). Sierra Canyon’s losses have come against Div. 2 No. 5 Westlake and Div. 5 No. 4 Lawndale by a combined eight points.

The Trailblazers run a pro-style offense, led by sophomore quarterback Chayden Peery. Peery, who played in 11 games as a freshman throwing for 14 touchdowns, is listed at 6’1 and 200 pounds. He is already gaining traction in the recruiting circuit, with interest from schools such as Nevada and San Jose State. Peery’s best game came last week when he threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-7 win over Redondo Union.

Senior tailback/defensive back EJ Gable has been the team’s primary ball carrier. Gable is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and has four touchdowns through the first three games. Sophomore DJ Harvey leads the receiving corps with 286 yards on 19 catches.

Sierra Canyon is an extremely young team, with the bulk of the roster made up of sophomores and juniors. They play a tough non-league schedule this season which should prepare them well for the Gold Coast League.

Related story: High School Football Scores – August 31, 2018

The Vikings cruised last week in Victorville, dominating the first half against Silverado 38-7, giving head coach Larry Muir the luxury of playing some young players in the second half.

While the running game has been slow to develop (averaging just 3.2 yards per carry), senior quarterback Davis Cop found his rhythm and big play ability. Cop passed for 358 yards and two touchdowns at Silverado. He’s second in the Foothill League in passing yards, with one fewer game played than the leader Weston Eget (West Ranch).

Valencia is anchored by the heartbeat of the team, senior defensive end/left tackle Ben Seymour. Seymour is powerful on both sides of the ball, incredibly instinctive and always in the opposing offense’s backfield (leads the team in tackles for loss).

“He’s rarely out of position and he’s one of those guys that never leaves the field. Just a smart, impressive football player,” says Kyle Jellings of KHTS Sports.

The key to this game will be for Ben Seymour and the Vikings front seven to disrupt the timing of Sierra Canyon’s offense and keep them off script. Young players struggle to make in-game adjustments, and the experience of Larry Muir’s team should come in to play in a big way.

We’ll find out tonight. Be sure to tune in to KHTS FM 98.1 starting at 6:45 for the Pregame Show and an interview with Larry Muir, and stay tuned throughout the broadcast for live scoring updates of all the other Santa Clarita high school football games, including updates on the Dodgers in Colorado.

Friday’s schedule:

Sierra Canyon (1-2) vs Valencia (1-1) at 7:00

Crespi (2-1) vs Golden Valley (0-3) at 7:00

West Ranch (3-0) vs Royal (0-3) at 7:00

Canyon (1-1) vs Palmdale (1-1) at 7:00

Hart (1-1) vs Burbank (1-1) at 7:00

Thousand Oaks (0-3) vs Saugus (3-0) at 7:30

Final/Thursday

Santa Clarita Christian (3-1): 56

Morningside: 32