High school basketball is approaching midseason, and the Valencia girls’ program leads the Foothill League. Meanwhile, Trinity Classical Academy and Santa Clarita Christian School aim to climb the Heritage League standings.

Valencia (8-1, 3-0):
The Vikings lead the Foothill League with an undefeated 3-0 record. On Friday, they defeated Castaic 83-19, with senior Cara McKell scoring 16 points, followed by freshman Sophia Sarkar with 15 and sophomore Kamilla Basyrova with 14. 

Valencia recorded 26 steals and five blocks, holding Castaic to 19 points. They followed with a 59-30 win over Palm Desert, extending their winning streak to four games. 

The Vikings face Cerritos on Friday at 1 p.m. in the La Salle Winter Showcase.

Saugus (7-2, 3-1):
Saugus sits one game behind Valencia, with its only league loss coming against the Vikings. The Centurions have league wins over Castaic, Canyon and West Ranch. 

They begin a slate of non-league games on Friday at 6 p.m. against Mission Oak.

Canyon (5-7, 2-1):
Despite a 3-6 non-league record, the Cowboys hold third place in league standings at 2-1. Sophomore Debby Dunn leads the team with 297 points and 36 steals. Shannen Wilson has a team-high six blocks and 30 steals.

West Ranch (8-3, 2-2):
The Wildcats are 2-2 in league play. They opened league competition with dominant wins over Golden Valley (50-26) and Castaic (60-23) before falling to Canyon (56-33) and Saugus (54-27). 

With eight league games remaining, West Ranch looks to rebound. They travel to Simi Valley on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Hart (3-7, 1-2):
The defending Foothill League champions are off to a slow start, but have won two of their last three. They defeated Golden Valley 59-25 after starting on a 9-0 run supported by strong defense.

“We’ve been trying to create our identity on the defensive side, and I think the girls, to their credit, came out, they really focused on getting that good start on the defensive end,” said Hart head coach Zach Koebel Friday night after the game.

Hart hosts Mission Oak Saturday at 1 p.m.

Golden Valley (8-5, 1-2):
The Grizzlies have performed well outside league play but have struggled in Foothill League competition. Freshman Brighton Blythe leads the team with 263 points, while Krysta Ezenwa leads the defense with 33 steals and 19 blocks. Golden Valley faces Poly on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Castaic (3-7, 0-4):
The league’s newest program continues to search for momentum. With nearly half the season complete, the Coyotes aim for a win on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Taft.

Santa Clarita Christian School (3-3, 1-2):
The Cardinals are at .500 overall and 1-2 in Heritage League play, with multiple league games ahead. Their next matchup is a road contest on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Vasquez.

Trinity Classical Academy (6-4, 0-0):
The Knights remain last in the Heritage League standings because they have yet to play a league game. Trinity sits above .500, led by Noa Pena with 201 points. Pena also leads the team in steals (21) and blocks (4). Trinity faces Santa Paula in a non-league matchup Friday at 7 p.m.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.