It looked like the first game of the league season in many ways for both Canyon and West Ranch. With a bunch of turnovers and sloppy offensive play on both sides, it was going to up to who could win ugly, and the Wildcats were able to do just that.

Trailing 11-5 late in the first quarter, West Ranch was in need of a spark. That’s when senior big man Jonah El-Farra stepped up into the role that would characterize the rest of the game.

El-Farra made his presence felt defensively with a huge block that led to an easy bucket in transition, and sent the Wildcats off to the races. They finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 13-11. It was the closest the Canyon Cowboys would get the rest of the way.

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West Ranch poured it on offensively in the second quarter with 23 points, their best output in the game. Max Morales provided another jolt off the bench for the Wildcats, knocking down a three and finishing with 14 points for the game.

By halftime it was 36-22, and a frustrated Cowboys coach Sean DeLong and team walked off the court. They had a chance to score before the buzzer and couldn’t get a shot off.

Canyon came out swarming defensively in the third quarter, forcing three turnovers and three missed shots on West Ranch’s first six possessions of the second half. However, they could only muster four points out of it, and there again to halt the Cowboys momentum was Jonah El-Farra.

El-Farra had two more excellent defensive plays to go along with six points in the quarter, and Canyon was silenced for the remainder of the game en route to the 64-50 loss to West Ranch.

“It was a team effort, we were all boosting each other [throughout the game], we came out ready to play like dogs, and it was a collective effort,” said El-Farra.

The senior finished with a game-high 18 points. Canyon sophomor Matt Heyne led the Cowboys with 16 points and Anthony Regalado chipped in with 10 points.

The Wildcats, who have faced their share of adversity with a midseason coaching change, now move to 10-8 and 1-0 in the Foothill League with a big game upcoming at Saugus on Friday night.

“We’re ready to move forward, play our hearts out, and just do the best we can in League,” said El-Farra.

Canyon, which had its four game winning streak snapped, must figure out where they can find some go-to scoring. The Cowboys have only reached 60 points once in their nine losses. Their next chance to get it right is Friday when they host Golden Valley.

KHTS Sports is your place for the 2019 Santa Clarita high school winter sports season and your Santa Clarita Dodgers coverage. 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.