The regular season has officially wrapped up, and the CIF-Southern Section playoffs kick off this Friday with five Santa Clarita Valley football programs in action. All five teams enter the postseason with home-field advantage.

On Friday, November 7, Valencia, Hart, Saugus, and Trinity will all host first-round games, while Santa Clarita Christian School (SCCS) will take the field on Saturday.

Valencia (9-1) vs. Palos Verdes (7-3) — Division 3

The back-to-back-to-back Foothill League champion Valencia Vikings are set to host Palos Verdes in what promises to be one of the marquee matchups of the opening round.

Valencia is coming off one of its strongest seasons in recent history, with its lone loss a competitive 42–38 game against Bishop Amat. The Vikings went a perfect 6–0 in league play, allowing just 31 points across those contests.

Their non-league schedule was a gauntlet of top competition, highlighted by wins over Simi Valley (28–7), Chaminade (34–20), and Paraclete (47–44) — the latter behind freshman backup quarterback Evan McCalister.

Quarterback Brady Bretthauer has been the engine of the Vikings’ offense, completing nearly 75% of his passes for 1,511 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just two interceptions, while also rushing for 486 yards and nine scores. 

Running back Brian Bonner, a Washington commit, has powered the ground game with 962 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, plus 404 receiving yards and three scores through the air.

Receiver Ellias Holloway leads the team in receiving yards (537) and has seven touchdowns to go with it. He has also made a defensive impact with two interceptions and six pass deflections.

As a unit, Valencia’s defense has posted 26 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, and seven interceptions. 

They’ll need that defensive strength against Palos Verdes quarterback Ryan Rakowski, a true dual threat with 1,638 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and just one interception, along with 528 rushing yards and seven scores. The Sea Kings’ defense has also been opportunistic, recording 13 interceptions, 15 sacks, and 58 tackles for loss.

Game time: Friday, 7 p.m. at Valencia High School

Hart (7-3) vs. Mayfair (4-6) — Division 7

The Hart Hawks will host Mayfair, the second-place finisher from the Gateway League, in the first round.

Hart boasts one of the most dynamic offenses in the Foothill League, led by do-it-all star Matix Frithsmith, who topped the league in both rushing (977 yards) and receiving (952 yards) while accounting for 21 total touchdowns. 

Head coach Jack Goossen-Brown has repeatedly emphasized getting the ball into Frithsmith’s hands — whether through the air or on the ground — and quarterback Jacob Paisano has been the perfect partner to make that happen. 

Paisano ranks second in the league with 1,945 passing yards, while also adding 582 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

After a first-round playoff exit last year at Rancho Verde, Hart will look to advance deeper this postseason.

Game time: Friday, 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium

Saugus (8-2) vs. Schurr (7-3) — Division 7

The Saugus Centurions have completed one of the biggest turnarounds in the area. After winning just two games total over the last two seasons, they’ve stormed back with eight wins and a playoff berth, their first since 2022.

Quarterback Jake Nuttall has shattered multiple program records this year, including career passing yards (5,051), career completions (452), and single-game touchdown passes (7). In that same record-setting game, receiver Landon Lattimore broke the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a single game (5).

Running back Ty Hall has been equally impressive, rushing for 947 yards with six 100-yard games and 14 touchdowns, plus 172 receiving yards and a score. Defensively, Saugus has been opportunistic, tallying 10 interceptions, 15 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and two blocked field goals.

They’ll face Schurr, the Almont League champions, led by freshman quarterback Jacob Torres, who has thrown for 1,226 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.

Game time: Friday, 7 p.m. at Canyon High School 

Trinity (4-1) vs. Gabrielino (7-3) — Division 14

After a 1–3 non-league start, the Trinity Classical Academy Knights turned their season around in league play, finishing 4–1 and nearly capturing the Cottonwood League title.

Quarterback Andrew Carlson has been the Knights’ do-it-all player, contributing on both sides of the ball. He’s thrown for over 1,000 yards, rushed for 530 yards, and leads the team with three interceptions and has two tackles for loss on defense.

Gabrielino, the Mission Valley League runner-up, has stumbled late in the season, dropping two of its last three games.

Game time: Friday, 7 p.m. at Hart High School

Santa Clarita Christian (2-7) vs. Public Safety Academy (4-3-1) — 8-Man Division 2

Despite finishing below .500, the SCCS Cardinals earned an at-large bid into the 8-Man Division 2 playoffs after placing third in the Heritage League.

The Cardinals closed out the last three games 2-1, beating Lancaster Baptist (56-26) and Milken (34-28), then dropping the final game against Faith Baptist (48-7).

Game time: Saturday — 5:30 p.m. at Hart High School

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