Santa Clarita Sports Report, February 24, 2017. This is your place for Santa Clarita’s 2016/17 Foothill League spring sports. 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.

The 2017 high school baseball season teeing off this weekend means one thing: Spring is here!

Santa Clarita High School Playoff Basketball

With CIF’s new divisional realignment, the prevailing thought was league rivalries would be rendered moot with nearly every team shuffled among different divisions.

Nearly every team. Not the top two girls basketball programs in Santa Clarita over the past few seasons. Both Canyon and Valencia were inserted into Division 1AA for the 2016/17 season and have blown past the competition to come one game away from the chance at a massive rematch for CIF glory.

St. Anthony and Oaks Christian stand in the way of an all-Foothill championship game.

Saturday’s girls basketball Semifinal playoff schedule:

7 Canyon (20-9) vs 11 St. Anthony (17-13)

These two teams opened the season against each other way back in late November at the Palisades Tournament with Canyon cruising to a 51-36 win despite a poor shooting night from Talia Taufaasau (3-for-18).

The Saints were a middling team for most of the season before rattling off seven straight wins and our the second hottest team in the division behind Oaks Christian.

The Cowboys have been on a mission ever since a 47-45 loss to Valencia on January 17th. Since then, Canyon’s only loss was a non-league game to Open Division No. 6 Harvard-Westlake, which includes three wins against ranked D 1AA teams (and crushing rival Valencia on the Vikings’ homecourt).

Oaks Christian (23-8) vs 1 Valencia (25-5)

Valencia has been the top team all season in Division 1AA for a reason. The Vikings are the most tested, thanks to strong non-league schedule, and they had Canyon to push them in the Foothill League.

They’ve been on cruise control in the playoffs, with an average margin of victory of 24 points through three games.

The test in this semifinal matchup will center around the Vikings focus on resolve. They can’t get caught looking ahead to the Final, especially against the hottest team in the division in Oaks Christian (13-game winning streak).

Santa Clarita High School Playoff Soccer

Friday’s girls soccer Quarterfinal schedule:

Division I

Hart (21-2-4) vs 2 Aliso Niguel (21-1-1)

The Indians won their first two playoff games in dramatic fashion thanks to late heroics from Taylor Moorehead (assist against Upland) and Taylor Scott (two game-winning goals in stoppage time and extra time).

They’ve done a good job of dictating the pace of play to their opponent and controlling possession, and freshman Tori Waldeck looks like a budding star. But now they’ll have to do it on the road against arguably one of the three or four best teams in the state.

Aliso Niguel is riding a 12-game winning streak and are simply dominant defensively. Through 23 games, the Wolverines have conceded just 11 goals.

This game has all the makings of another extra time nail-biter.

Saturday’s boys soccer Quarterfinal schedule:

Division III

4 Valencia (18-2-4) vs Saddleback (12-7-10)

Vikings head coach Tony Scalercio has this team completely locked in, and they are untouchable on the road this season.

After defeating Fullerton 1-0 in extra time, Valencia is a perfect 8-0 on the road with a +14 goal differential (17 goals scored, 3 goals conceded).

The reigning SoCal Regional champions have a very real opportunity at the treble, and they CIF playoff run shouldn’t be ending Saturday afternoon.

Division IV

Saugus (15-6-4) vs Colony (12-7-3)

Valencia isn’t the only team with two shutouts through two playoff games. The Saugus Centurions have yet to concede in the Division IV tournament and are +13 in their last eight matches (16 goals for, 3 goals against).

James Johnson has a staggering 24 goals in 22 games played and is a lock for All-CIF honors as well as potential Foothill League Player of the Year awards from the various Santa Clarita Valley media outlets.

With Johnson showing no signs of production slowing down and the Centurions back line playing its best as a unit at the right time, it would take a big upset to trip up this team now.

Colony knows upsets, however, knocking off one of the most dominant teams in California earlier this season in Montclair (its only loss of the season).

Kickoff for both matches is at 3 pm.

KHTS AM-1220 is your place for the 2016/17 winter sports season and the Santa Clarita sports report. If you have any news and notes about our teams to share please send them to jp@hometownstation.com and follow us @KHTSSports on Twitter.