The Wildcats perfect season continued into the playoffs as Staub and company carry West Ranch to 42-21 victory.

After a perfect regular season that granted West Ranch High School its first Foothill League title in program history, the Wildcats began their CIF playoff run with a matchup versus St. Pius St. Matthias.

And while the Wildcats dominated throughout their perfect 10-0 season, they still call it a game of inches for a reason.

With the game still scoreless late into the first quarter at Valencia High School, the Warriors looked to put the first points on the scoreboard from the Wildcats one-yard line.

But After a lengthy scrum at the goal line on fourth down, it was the Wildcats’ Connor Reyes who emerged with the ball and returned the fumble 99 yards for a West Ranch touchdown.

One more inch, and the Warriors would have dealt the first blow. Instead, the Wildcats stood tall and never looked back from there.

“He just did what he does,” Head Coach Chris Varner said of Reyes’ play. “I was surprised he was able to go 99 yards on it,” he concluded with a chuckle.

The Wildcats would enter the locker room with a 14-0, but quickly jump ahead 28-0 in the third quarter.

St. Pius St. Matthias would score two unanswered touchdowns to cut the West Ranch lead in half, but the game never felt particularly close, thanks in large part to the dynamic Wildcats offense led by Quarterback Ryan Staub and his four-touchdown performance. 

Staub threw for three scores and ran one in, a fourth down play from the fifty yard line in the fourth quarter with the score 28-14.

With the 42-21 victory, West Ranch advances to the next round of the CIF playoffs where they will oppose Upland next weekend on the road.

“Just their tradition. They’re a physical team- we had some injuries, so kind of a chess game we’re going to have to do some coaching of who’s moving where,” Varner said of the teams upcoming matchup.

With a perfect regular season, their first Foothill League Title, and now a playoff victory under their belt, the Wildcats keep inching closer to a potentially historic season.

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