Saturday evening, both the West Ranch and Castaic girls’ flag football teams earned victories in their respective semifinal matchups, advancing to their programs’ first-ever CIF championships.

The Wildcats, who also captured the Foothill League title, went on the road to defeat King High School in a tight 12–6 battle. With the win, West Ranch advances to the CIF-SS Division 4 Championship, where they’ll face the Poly Bears.

West Ranch’s defense has been a major factor in their success, racking up 37 sacks and 44 interceptions this season. They’ll need another strong defensive effort against a Poly offense that has scored an impressive 639 points.

In Castaic’s semifinal, the Coyotes also faced a tough road test, edging out Moreno Valley 19–13. The first-year program now heads to the CIF-SS Division 5 Championship against Anaheim.

Castaic has been led by standout quarterback Larkin “Lu Lu” Smith, who finished the regular season with 1,033 passing yards—second-most in the Foothill League.
In a previous interview with KHTS, Castaic Head Coach William Jones praised Smith’s impact, saying, “She’s a stud. If I had 12 of her on the field, there would be no problem. She’s one of our primary offensive threats, and generally, we have her covering the other team’s best players. It’s a testament to her athletic ability.”

Anaheim enters the title game behind quarterback Alyssa Avelar, who has thrown for 3,199 yards and 48 touchdowns this season. The Colonists’ defense has been dominant as well, totaling 76 sacks and 46 interceptions.

Once the game kicks off, however, season stats won’t matter; the only number that counts is the final score. Castaic and Anaheim are set to face off Saturday at 1 p.m. at Fred Kelly Athletic Stadium in Orange.

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