After an exciting week of football around the Santa Clarita Valley, this week is shaping up to deliver more fireworks under the lights.

Canyon (2-3) vs. Castaic (1-5)

After Friday’s blowout loss against West Ranch, the Canyon High School Cowboys return home to host the Castaic Coyotes. Canyon has had a rough start to the league season, losing their first league game. However, after last week’s bye week, Canyon is set to face off against the Coyotes. The Cowboys have had an excellent running game, with running back Ganstein Turner averaging 136 yards per game this season so far.

On the other hand, their opponents, the Coyotes have had anything but a perfect season with 1 win and 5 loses under their belt, two of those losses being league games. Castaic’s last game was a blowout loss against the Valencia Vikings, only scoring two field goals while the Vikings ran up the score to 66. Both Canyon and Castaic are looking to redeem themselves in their matchup, but only one team can come out on top. Canyon will host Castaic on Friday with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

Golden Valley (5-1) @ Valencia (3-3)

Following their blowout victory against Castaic, the Valencia Vikings are set to host the Golden Valley Grizzlies in their next league game. Golden Valley has had a very successful and almost perfect season. 2nd in the Foothill League behind West Ranch, the Grizzlies have proven their dominance on the field both offensively and defensively. Their ace up their sleeve, Ajani Smith, playing on both sides of the ball, is a force to be reckoned with, recording two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Grizzlies last matchup against Hart.

Will Valencia be able to counter Smith’s skills with an ace of their own? The Vikings stand at 4th in the league, but they have proven their resilience in their defense with defensive end Jake Pikor getting six sacks this season and middle linebacker Reid Farrell averaging 8.2 tackles per game. On offense, the Vikings passing game from quarterback Trey Erickson to wide receiver Brandon Boateng has excelled with the growing chemistry between the two young players. The Vikings will face off against the Grizzlies at Valencia High School on Friday with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

Hart (1-4) vs. West Ranch (6-0)

The Hart High School Indians get ready to host the West Ranch Wildcats after their devastating loss against Golden Valley. West Ranch looks to be Hart’s toughest opponent yet. The Wildcats are undefeated in the season, and ranked 1st in the Foothill League. The Wildcats’ perfect season is a reflection of their unstoppable offensive force. Wide receiver Chaz Hilst is averaging 105.2 receiving yards per game, from quarterback Ryan Staub who ranks 1st in the Foothill League passing game and 14th in the state of California. The Wildcats running game should not be overlooked with running back Luke Deperno ranking 1st in the Foothill League for rushing yards with 454 yards this season. On defense, the Wildcats look to linebacker Brady Van Bennekum and middle linebacker Connor Reyes to keep Hart out of the end zone.

Hart is going to need to be persistent against West Ranch if they hope to defeat the undefeated team. Hart has had an excellent passing game this season with wide receiver Shawn Irwin averaging 122.8 yards per game and ranking second behind West Ranch wide receiver Chaz Hilst. The battle of two dominant forces in the passing game will get underway Friday at College of the Canyons as Hart hosts West Ranch with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

Santa Clarita Christian (2-2) @ Malibu (1-2)

The Santa Clarita Christian Cardinals will be taking a trip down to Malibu to face off against the Malibu Sharks. Santa Clarita Christian, part of the Liberty (8-man) League, will be going into three consecutive league games after this matchup, so gaining momentum before that happens will be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for against Malibu. Santa Clarita Christian has had a successful passing game, with wide receiver Eli Duhm averaging 84 receiving yards per game from quarterback Cayden Rappleye. Rappleye is ranked 9th in the California passing yard leaderboards with 576 yards.

Malibu on the other hand has had a short season, only having three games so far. Malibu is part of the Frontier (8-man) league, with only three league games lined up for this season, keeping their season short. Malibu will be hosting Santa Clarita Christian in Malibu on Friday with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.

Trinity (3-1) @ Arrowhead Christian (3-2)

Trinity Classical Academy begins Mesquite League play on the road in a highly anticipated game as they battle the Arrowhead Christian Eagles. Arrowhead has been completely dominating the running game with running back Mason Lackey averaging 118 yards per game and ranking 1st in the Mesquite league in rushing yards. On defense, defensive tackle David Vega has made a name for himself with five sacks.

Trinity on the other hand has been dominating their passing game as wide receiver Rocco Izzo averages 65 receiving yards per game. Meanwhile, quarterback Dominick Smith often runs the ball, averaging 69.3 rushing yards per game. Both Trinity and Arrowhead are looking to assert their dominance early in Mesquite League play on Friday with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

Saugus (4-2) Bye Week

Saugus High School Centurions will be taking a bye week after a devastating loss against West Ranch, only scoring 6 points in contrast to the Wildcats 43 points over the Centurions. Saugus has shown their dominance in their passing game, with wide receiver Khai Ky-yeith averaging 104.3 receiving yards per game from quarterback TJ Cataldi. When they come back, Saugus will face off against the Hart High School Indians in an away game at College of the Canyons on Friday October 7th.

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