Football Preview 2021

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FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · WWW.SIGNALSCV.COM · B1

Foothill League rosters B4

Saugus tops Canyon in opener Foothill League: Centurions’ QB completes 26 of 31 passes for 314 yards

By Matthew Lechuga For The Signal

It was a much more muted kind of football experience than players, coaches and fans are used to when the Canyon and Saugus football teams met Thursday night.

There were masks worn, red tape designating seating areas in the stands, chants from the cheer squad were prerecorded and instead of a postgame handshake between the teams there was a wave across the field. But after a nearly a year and a half absence, football is back in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Saugus (1-0) took the season opener over Canyon 41-20 at Canyon High School in a game that many were just happy to be having, even if it’s mid-March.

“It’s obviously been a tremendous challenge for us in terms of waiting as long as we’ve had to wait,” said Saugus head coach Jason Bornn. “If nothing else, it’s given us an opportunity to really make this a memorable experience, especially for our seniors. These kids have been

through a lot, so for them to get back out here is really special.”

The long Saugus layoff hasn’t 41 hurt Centurions quarterCanyon back Colton 20 Fitzgerald, as he completed 26 of his 31 passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns.

The first came immediately after Saugus took its opening drive 51 yards, capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Fitzgerald to Hunter Girch, the first of three touchdowns the pair would link up on.

“It’s awesome to finally play with my seniors, finally play with these underclassmen, we deserve it. We worked our tails off this offseason,” said Fitzgerald. “I put the ball into the playmakers’ hands, they’re the ones that make me look good. Our offensive line did amazing tonight as well. I’m proud of all of them.”

Bobby Block/The Signal

(Above) Saugus High School player Austin Teachy holds onto the ball as a group of Canyon High players tackle in Foothill League opening-night play Thursday. (Below) Canyon’s Felix Garcia (9) kicks off the second half of Thursday evening’s game against Saugus.

Saugus pushed its lead to 20-0 on Fitzgerald touchdown passes of 68 and 33 yards before Canyon (0-1) found the end zone. That came on a 22-yard strike from Angel Vasquez to Colin Figueroa, the first of two touchdowns for the duo, making the score 20-6 going into the half.

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter with Fitzgerald finding Girch from 3 yards out, and Canyon responding with an 80-yard pass from Vasquez to running back Dylan Roof to make the score 27-13 headed into the fourth.

That’s where Saugus put the game away after another 3-yard

TD pass from Fitzgerald to Sebastian Dallaire and an 80-yard pick-six from Braden Salazar to make the score 41-13 “The biggest thing for this season is making sure everyone stays as healthy as possible. That’s the biggest concern,” said Canyon head coach Joe Maiale. “We didn’t have much time to prepare, so their health is the biggest thing.

We’ve been pretty fortunate with the lack of injuries so it worked out well.”

Canyon stayed competitive, capping the scoring with a 57yard touchdown connection from Vasquez to Figueroa, setting the final score at 41-20.

Saugus will continue the fiveweek season next Thursday against Hart, and Canyon will look to earn its first win next Friday versus Valencia.

Bobby Block/The Signal

Saugus’ Mikel Rabadi, 23, tackles a Canyon player during Thursday night’s game.

Foothill League preview

Canyon optimistic on outlook

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

Canyon High football head coach Joe Maiale used two words to describe the preseason situation as well as anyone could, after learning his team would, in fact, have the season his players have been preparing for since last August: “ever changing.”

While Maiale is still establishing traditions with his second year at the helm of the Cowboys, it’s safe to say no one expected a year like

Bobby Block/The Signal

Canyon High football head coach Joe Maiale works with his players during a preseason practice as the team gets ready for its five-game Foothill League schedule.

Bobby Block/The Signal

The Canyon High football lines up at practice before the team’s first game. the one coaches and players have been challenged with this year.

“The best part is the enthusiasm,” Maiale said. “The kids love being out there.”

The play has surpassed expectation, he added, especially since, before the last two weeks, the players hadn’t touched a football in a team practice since last March.

“We’re gonna have to pare down a lot of what we do,” he added, describing the first week back on the field, “and really just focus on fundamentals.”

Maiale is looking forward to seeing more big plays from wide receiver Colin Figueroa, whose highlights last season included an 87-yard touchdown reception.

Figueroa put together an impressive 52-catch, 760-yard effort last year on both sides of the ball, playing as a defensive back, as well.

“He’s a playmaker,” Maiale said. “He’s got incredible hands, route running, he’s a leader ... he just really is a special ballplayer.”

Throwing to Figueroa See CANYON, B5

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B2 · FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

Grizzlies get ready for gridiron

By Perry Smith

Signal Managing Editor

Golden Valley head coach Dan Kelley has been looking forward to this season for about 18 months.

In 2019, a school-best 8-2 season (3-2 in the Foothill League) ended with the Grizzlies inexplicably being denied an at-large bid in the Division VI playoffs, an oversight widely cited as an example of the problems in the CIF’s current at-large playoff-bid selection process.

From that group, he was supposed to have 27 players coming back, but due to the delays and COVID-19, he’ll probably have about 40-45 total players, like most of the teams this year that are seeing reduced numbers due to a variety of factors.

One of the aspects that Kelley knows he will be able to rely on, however, is the play of his experienced returners like Luke McCoy, who was praised for his play as a running back and linebacker, in addition to being voted a captain last year as a junior. “(Jaxson Miner) was a big contributor last year,”

Kelley said, talking about his quarterback. “And he’s only a junior this year, so he’s got one more year, but he’s stepping up as a leader this year.”

Miner, who threw for 777 yards as a sophomore last year, completed 53.1% of his passes with a quarterback rating of 91.2, according to MaxPreps.com.

Kelley is no doubt looking forward to seeing how another year of development will further an offense that scored almost 33 points per game last season.

Carlos Meza will be looking to finish his career as a three-year starter for the Grizzlies with a strong senior effort at middle linebacker and wide receiver.

A contributor on both sides of the ball, Meza garnered 60 tackles, four tackles for a loss and three interceptions as a defensive leader from the middle linebacker

Bobby Block/The Signal

Golden Valley head coach Dan Kelley has a number of returning players from a school-best 8-2 effort last season. position, and a couple hundred receiving yards.

Kelley expects Meza to be relied on more on the offensive side this year, in addition to his experience on defense.

Speaking of increased roles on offense, Jacob

Cipperley was an all-league punter who also was starting free safety last season for the Grizzlies, but the senior wide receiver is expected to play a bigger role in the offense this season for the first three downs in the 2021 season, as well.

At the line of scrimmage, Kelley is looking at three seniors who will be important pieces for the team this year: David Kim, who’s playing defensive tackle and offensive guard; Steven Eakins, who plays offensive line and defensive

tackle; and Raysean Gilmore, who plays defensive end and offensive tackle.

“Those three guys are going to be our nucleus,” Kelley said. “When it comes to defense and offense, we’re going to build around those guys.

Bobby Block/The Signal

A number of key contributors coming back, including a group Kelley referred to as his “nucleus” at the line of scrimmage, is cause for encouragement at Golden Valley.

Hart High set to hit the field

Bobby Block/The Signal

Junior quarterback Chase DePaco is new to the position, but playing at a school with a tradition of excellence under center, which has produced a number of D-I prospects.

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the season, Hart High head coach Rick Herrington was happy to hear his brother Mike Herrington, who announced his retirement last year after a 40-year coaching career and more than 300 wins, decided to pull the headset off the shelf

for one more year, at least.

“The big story for me was Mike agreeing to come and call the plays for

one more year,” Rick said with a laugh, adding that between his brother calling the offense and coach Dave Padilla calling the defense, it’s taken some pressure off so he can focus on getting the team as ready as possible in the short time they have.

As far as which aspect would be more dominant this year, he said people will have to “wait and see,”

as the Indians will have a relatively young squad with a lot of potential.

While his offensive and defensive lines will be young, there will be significant experience at wide receiver coming back this season, with four returning: Riley Bodemer, Daniel Larkins, Luke Madison and Ryan Tomaszewski.

Of the returners, Tomaszewski led the group statistically with nearly 500 yards receiving last year.

“We‘ve got some pretty good receivers coming back,” Herrington said, “so that’s going to help

our new quarterback a little bit because they know a lot of the offense from last year.”

Under center, junior Chase DePaco is moving over from wide receiver and linebacker to try and be the next in line for a program steeped in tradition at the quarterback position. “He’s learning,” Herrington said. “He’s getting better and better each day.”

He’ll be following in the shoes of Zach Johnson, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards last year on his way to earning a spot

Bobby Block/The Signal

Hart High might have a new quarterback, but four of the team’s wide receivers are coming back from last year, which will be a big help in what’s expected to be very competitive league play in a shortened season.

on the roster at University of California, Berkeley.

In the backfield, senior Ryan Rossi and sophomore Donovan Dunn — who had one brother play for Rick when he coached at Alemany and another just wrap up his career at College of the Canyons — are both expected to share carries for the Indians.

As a leader for the defense last year, Dylan Vradenburg is moving over from defensive end to linebacker, in hopes that he can be even more involved in the scheme.

“We’re gonna move him in there so he can be more involved and get even more tackles,” Herrington said.

Leading the defense at the middle linebacker position will be sophomore Alberto Favela, whom Herrington moved up from junior varsity after a couple of practices because of what he showed on the field in the first few practices when the teams returned to the field.

Senior Cade Cavin and junior Cole Spivey will also be expected to help lead the way on the offensive and defensive lines for the Indians.

THE SIGNAL · FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · B3

Saugus to lean on senior savvy

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

Saugus head coach Jason Bornn kept in contact with his players — as much as possible given quarantine conditions — and attributes their dedication to the program, for how his current group has stayed together since March 16, 2020.

He recognized the group coming back has been through incredible adversity, losing a full season, prom and just being with their friends on campus. But through encouragement, he’s been happy to report the Centurions have about 50 players or so to open the season.

And after recognizing the commitment that got the team to this point, he was as pragmatic as the rest of the Foothill League coaches with respect to offensive and defensive schemes that those allowed in the stands will see this season.

“In terms of offense

and defense, look — I’ll be happy if our guys can block and tackle. That’s what I’m looking for,” Bornn said a few days prior to Thursday’s season opener. “If our guys can block and tackle and protect the football, then that’s a victory for us.”

In terms of playmakers, Bornn is looking at a number of impact players on his roster, including 21 seniors, who’ll be trying to make the most of their last season.

Having a signal caller among that group, especially one with 10 starts, 2,200 passing yards and “critical game time experience plus a year to get bigger and develop and get bigger, stronger, faster” like Colton Fitzgerald has, is “absolutely critical,” Bornn said.

In the backfield, he’ll be handing off to running back Julian Bornn, who led the team in carries and tied for the lead in rushing touchdowns, in addition to more than 354 yards on the ground.

He’ll share carries with

sophomore Jacob Faraldo. Their coach described both running backs as having great vision, speed and hands, which will also help Fitzgerald.

The key targets for Fitzgerald will be wide receivers Sebastian Dallaire, Hunter Girch and Anthony Marchionie, Bornn added.

On the defensive side, senior linemen Seth Edwards and Zack Swartz both have the size and strength to make an impact at the line of scrimmage, and Kaiden Mathis is another senior who will be a leader for the defense from the inside linebacker position.

In the defensive backfield, Braden Salazar and Tyler Long are both expected to start at corner, with Dallaire and Cody Collier helping the team out at safety.

Bornn also mentioned a few underclassmen who could quickly have an impact on the game, including Dylan Hampsten, Vinnie Gallagher and Dario Sandoval.

With the challenges ahead, Bornn said the group will have to be especially focused this season on error-free execution of the playbook as much as possible.

“You really have to just focus in on a few things,” Bornn said, referring back to the shortened run-up to the season, “and try to do those things really, really well.

And that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”

Bobby Block/The Signal

(Above) Returning starter Colton Fitzgerald will start the season under center for the Centurions and head coach Jason Bornn (below), who’s looking forward to seeing how this group of seniors will come together after an almost 18-month hiatus due to COVID.

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B4 · FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

Vikings ready for 5-week ‘sprint’

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

Valencia head coach Larry Muir said the traditional 10-game football season — which coaches generally start prepping for in January, not long after the previous season

ends — can be similar to running a marathon in terms of how it can wear a team down.

This year, he said, everyone’s running a fivegame sprint, with three weeks of lead-in time.

“The biggest thing is you have to be flexible,

Bobby Block/The Signal

Valencia football head coach Larry Muir’s team once again features several talented players likely to earn opportunities to play college football, as well as a number of valued returners, who will be playing important roles for the Vikings this season.

ROSTERS

Canyon 2 James Mendibles 3 Colin Figueroa 4 Aybess Bodian, 5 Maximiliano Sanchez 6 Dominic Burton, 7 Jimenez, Casey 8 Figueroa, Zach 9 Jarrett Reeser 10 Angel Vasquez 11 Felo Ibrahim 12 Ty Sparks 15 Mekhi Killings 18 Navin Srinivasan 19 Brandon Ritter 20 Dylan Roof 22 Porter Lawler 22 Adrian Ramirez 24 Angel Reyes 29 Joshua Perrin 30 Ryan Leskin 33 Derek Gonzalez 50 Brombart, Westin 51 Garcia, Felix 52 Ernesto Aguirre, 53 Benjamin Ramirez 55 Damian Guerrero 56 Ivan Castillo, 58 Matthew Santos 61 Hyrum Vega 64 Edward Peifer, 66 Ricky Romero, 70 Jeremiah Hartounian 75 Eric Tovar 77 Ethan Winchester 80 Josiah Fechtelkotter 84 David Shaker (Injured) Golden Valley # Name 1 Carlos Meza 2 Julian Brown 3 Ethan Crosley

Y r. Pos. 12 WR/DB 12 WR/DB 12 TE/LB

# 4 7 8 9 11 12 15 16 19 20 21 22 25 28 42 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 65 72 75 76 77 78 87

Name Yr. Pos. Noah Thompson 12 WR/DB Lucas McCoy 12 RB/LB Anthony Wilson 12 TE/DL Ryan Garcia 11 QB/DB Mekhi Newton 12 WR/DB Adrian Rios 12 WR/DB Jaxson Miner 11 QB Christopher Melkonian 10 QB/DB Benjamin Gavina 11 WR/DB Noah Rodriguez 11 RB/LB Jacob Cipperley 12 WR/DB Amaree Brown 11 RB/LB Shane Upshaw 12 RB/LB Jared Giles 11 RB/DB Joseph Escobar 11 TE/LB Raysean Gilmore 12 OL/DL Steven Eakins 12 OL/DL Nicholas Machado 11 OL/LB Joshua Roby 11 OL/DL David Kim 12 OL/DL Grant Gabledon 11 OL/DL Zachary Ziese 12 OL/DL Caleb Fouts 11 OL/DL Peter Ramirez 11 OL/DL Malcolm Lyons-Moore 10 OL/DL Alejandro Cruz 10 OL/DL Nicholas Nye 11 OL/DL Joseph Poole 12 OL/DL Shant Melkonian 11 TE/LB

Hart High # Name Pos. 2 Chase Depaco QB, LB 3 Riley Bodemer WR, DB 5 Ryan Tomaszewski WR, DB 9 Luke Madison WR, DB 10 Cole Spivey OL, DL 11 Daniel Larkins WR,S 28 Fletcher Murphy RB, DB 12 Dylan Vradenburg DE, TE 14 Connor Ellis WR,CB 18 Cruz Lopez K,DB 19 Danny Delgado WR, DB

Yr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr.

# Name Pos. 21 Daniel Lawson WR, DB 24 Donovan Dunn RB, CB 25 Zach Stothers RB, OLB 26 Peyton Mcclain QB, DB 27 Brandon Sandoval WRDB 29 Jacob Rasmussen WR,FS 33 Sam Keller WR, FS 37 Luke Michaelson RB, DB 44 Ryan Rossi RB, MLB 45 Colin Beck MLB, WR 50 Joseph Landeros G, DL 51 Nick Lopez OL, DL 52 Audric Torres OL, DL 53 Alberto Favela OL, LB 54 Emmanuel Solorio T, DT 55 Vince Tiscareno DT, OL 58 Cade Cavin OL, DL 63 Joseangel Mayorga OL, DL 64 Max Mckeon OL, DL 66 Bradley Tristan DT,OL 70 Evan Garciga OL, DL 75 Ryan Curtis G, DL Saugus # Last First Yr. 2 Salazar Braden 11 4 Correa Christian 11 5 Collier Cody 11 7 Girch Hunter 12 8 Goodman Allan (AJ) 10 9 Treahy Austin 10 10 Viger Jacob 10 11 Ky-Yeith Khai 10 12 Beauchamp Dylan 12 13 Dallaire Sebastian 11 14 Molina Evan 11 15 Encinas Diego 11 16 FitzGerald Colton 12 17 Murrietta Gino 11 18 Martinez Leo 11 20 Schanks Tanner 12 21 Bornn Julian 12 22 Hampsten Dylan 10

Yr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Off Def WR DB WR DB RB DB WR DB WR DB WR LB RB DB WR DB TE LB WR DB K WR DB QB DB WR DB WR DB TE LB RB DB TE LB

and we’re trying to be flexible to figure all this stuff out,” Muir said, “and that’s the key. You have to be flexible every day because you never know what’s going to be brought your way.”

In addition to flexibility, Valencia has brought a whole lot of winning to the Foothill League table, coming off another 5-0 run through the SCV last season, which resulted in the school’s 11th straight league title.

While everyone is in a situation where “experience is your No. 1 ally,” Muir said the team has been impressed with the play thus far of quarterback Tyler Voss, a junior who will be taking his first varsity snaps this season.

Part of that comfort comes in knowing the receiving corps is led by junior Zamondre Merriweather, who was second in the team last year with more than 530 receiving yards and has already received significant NCAA Division I attention. Muir also mentioned junior Duhron Goodman and senior Jayden Shakir as important parts of the passing game.

In the backfield, Muir mentioned a couple names that will help carry the load, including senior Christian Alcantar and junior Giorgio Spiropoulos.

One of the foundations of the offensive line will be Vincent Casillas, a three-year varsity player, Jack Seymour and Jackson Stein.

Seymour and Stein are also going to provide leadership on the other side of the ball as defensive ends, Muir said. Senior Max Begley is expected to lead the linebackers, alongside brothers Chad and Jake Stich, who are juniors.

For the cornerback position, junior Brandon Tompkins is another who # 23 26 27 30 31 32 33 40 42 44 48 50 52 54 54 55 56 57 58 59 63 65 66 68 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 82 85 86 87 88 89

Last First Yr. Rabadi Mikel 11 Faraldo Jacob 11 Long Tyler 11 Hopper Jackson 11 Gieson Lake 11 Lande Ethan 11 Gallagher Vinnie 10 O Brien Ethan 11 Donato Anthony 11 Mathis Kadyn 12 Zimmerman Blake 11 Scott Tristan 12 Anaya Cristian 12 Beauchamp Riley 12 Dahring Trevor 12 Ascencio Ryan 12 Moore JT 10 Ochoa John 12 Pineda Yeshua 11 Rodriguez Jack 11 Tull Jack 11 Cordola Amedeo 11 Cereoli Nicholas 11 Murillo Sean 11 Kunkel Reno 11 Lee Brandon 11 Lee Justin 11 Albiston Riley 10 Edwards Seth 12 Macedo Nathan 12 Swartz Zack 12 Durazo Ty 11 Sandoval Dario 10 Smith Cole 11 Hachey Brent 12 Cox Alex 12 Galbreath Sean 11 Marchione Anthony 12

Off Def RB DB RB DB WR DB TE LB TE LB TE LB RB DB RB LB WR DB RB LB RB LB OL DL OL DL OL DL OL LB OL DL OL DL OL DK OL LB OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL OL DL TE DL TE DL WR DB WR DB TE LB WR DB

Valencia # Name Pos. Yr. 1 Ramirez, Leo CB JR 2 Tompkins, Brandon CB/WR JR

Bobby Block/The Signal

While there’s a new quarterback at the helm, coach Larry Muir is confident that Tyler Voss will come along quickly, with the assistance of several experienced receivers.

has playmaking potential for the defense.

As far as special teams go, Muir will look to kicker Ty Morrison, who went six of 12 on field goal attempts last year, with a long of 41 yards, and 40 successful PATs. “It’s a five-game sprint,” Muir said, “and usually ... it’s like a marathon, you have spring football and offseason workouts, summer ball and fall camp, it’s like a marathon ... you have to pace yourself, and you # 3 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 30 32 33 36 37 38 40 44 47 48 50 51 54 55 56 57 59 61 62 65 66 73 75 88

Name Pos. Yr. Shakir, Jayden WR/S SR Merriweather, Zamondre WR/S JR Berney, Tate WR SR Antzoulatos, Colton OLB JR Prieto, Jalen WR/S JR Voss, Trevor WR JR Voss, Tyler QB JR Stich, Jake ILB JR Stauffer, Jake WR/S JR Altmayer, Devan WR JR Cho, Caleb WR JR Sainz, Victor OLB JR Bassett, Kaden WR JR Erickson, Trey QB SO Harrington, Caden S SR Goodman, Duhron CB/WR JR Spiropoulos, Giorgio RB/LB JR Townsend, AJ S JR Estrella, Jermaine DE SR Stich, Chad OLB JR Morrison, Ty K SR Hernandez, Daniel RB/LB Farrell, Reid OLB FR Alcantar, Christian RB SR Quintanilla, Thoren CB JR Trujillo, Roberto CB JR Begley, Max ILB SR Manno, Max ILB SR Baker, Matthew S JR Turek, Mason K JR O’Steen, Keller NG JR Seymour, Jack DE/T SR Mitchell, Frank LS/G SR Narciso, Juan C JR Tran, Douglas G/DE JR Arellano, Max T SR Nunez, Joaquin G/DE JR Albert, Zackary G/DE SR Waldron, Evan T JR Stein, Jackson G/DE SR Casillas, Vincent T SR Alrabadi, Deyar G/DE JR Harris, Lucas G JR Hall, Don Ray WR JR

have to kind of take a step-by-step approach ... steps one through 10,” he said, explaining what the preseason has been like up to Friday.

“Well, we skipped like five or eight steps, so we’re just doing the ninth step, and so we’re just going,” he added, “and now just turns into a sprint.”

Muir hopes his team will be able to move quickly toward the finish line when Valencia’s season kicks off Friday against West Ranch.

West Ranch 1 Brady VanBennekum LB So 2 Walker Eget QB Sr 4 Joseph Cervantes WR Sr 5 Isaac Rodriguez WR Sr 6 Nicholas Kohl WR Sr 7 Emiliano Maldonado DB/WR Jr 8 Dylan Cotti WR Jr 11 Tyler Lujan OLB So 12 Ryan Staub QB So 13 Tyler Jones DB So 14 Brett Liljedahl QB So 17 Nathan Dongo WR Jr 18 Owen Strunck WR Sr 19 Jake Sullivan WR Jr 21 Derek Miranda RB Jr 22 William Seidel DB/WR So 23 James Lee DB Jr 24 Maverick Diaz RB So 26 Jakob Padula LB Jr 27 Richie Padilla Jr. K Sr 28 Asa Cardona DB Jr 32 Grayson Gill DB So 33 Aidan Mulry LB So 34 Ike Sibal LB/RB Jr 36 Aaron Salvador LB Jr 37 Jake Anderson K Jr 41 Marcus Smith LB Jr 44 Keven Cho DL Sr 45 Austin Varner LB So 50 Thomas Wunsch DL/OL Jr 51 Nathan Martinez DL Sr 60 Joseph Sullivan OL Jr 63 Griffin Nibarger OL/DL So 65 Russell Westall OL Jr 66 Ryan Lucero OL/DL So 73 Kyle Antepara OL/DL So 74 David Tsiligian OL Sr 75 Christopher Ramirez DL Jr 85 Isaac Ellis WR So 87 Sean Scott OL/DL So 90 Adrian Palafox DL Jr 99 Jacob Erenberg DL Sr 10/16 Jake Priske LB Jr 55/70 Sean Castor DL Sr 56(54) Max Johnson OL So

THE SIGNAL · FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · B5

Wildcats ready to make strides

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

“It’ll be interesting,” was how West Ranch head coach Chris Varner described the situation with respect to the abbreviated season, echoing the sentiments of every coach in the Foothill League.

He joked that he had a January plan, and an August plan, but he didn’t necessarily have a mid-March plan in place for a season.

As far as tempering expectation, Varner wouldn’t be surprised if play ranged from the exciting and high-scoring, as well as including mistakes and fumbles, as teams had a fraction of their normal prep time. Varner is certainly capable of the former, leading a high-powered offense that finished the 2019-20 season 10-3 and averaging 40 points a game.

“I’ve got a young team, so there’s a lot of question marks,” he said, then adding, “We’re young, but we’re going to learn fast.”

The team lost four very tal Bobby Block/The Signal ented All-CIF starters on both West Ranch football head coach Chris Varner is excited about the prospects sides of the ball — linebackers Zachary Van Bennekum this season for quarterback Walker Eget, who will lead the offense.

and Bryce Buchanan, and on offense, wide receiver Brandon Wyre, and offensive lineman John Collier.

However, Varner is hopeful that his seasoned starter under center, San Jose State-bound, All-CIF quarterback Walker Eget will be able to get the offense to come together quickly in the sprint that is the fivegame 2021 season.

He expects junior free safety/running back Derek Miranda and senior wide receiver Nick Kohl to also play important roles in that effort, as well.

“This is also the biggest offensive line I’ve ever had,” Varner said. As far as upside and potential goes, the sky is the limit for the offensive line, as it’s an all-sophomore group among the starters, which also could present challenges in a shortened season.

On defense, there could

be five sophomores starting, and the rest could be juniors, which means that 2021 is going to offer “a very quick learning curve,” Varner said.

Senior Sean Castor was described as a defensive end who’s “got a big motor” and has been all over the field making plays for the Wildcats, Varner said. The same can also be said for Grayson Gil, a speedy sophomore who was moved up to varsity early in the shortened preseason based on how he’s impressed coaches.

Jake Priske had his season shortened by an ankle injury last year, and Varner noted he’s healthy and doing well in his move from primarily a receiver to outside linebacker.

“He’s playing a new position, but really making some nice strides,” Varner added.

“I will say, this is one of the most enjoyable teams that I’ve ever coached, just for what we’ve asked them to do in three weeks,” Varner said.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than what they’ve given me.”

The Wildcats’ season starts today against reigning league champion Valencia.

Bobby Block/The Signal

The Wildcats hope to build on last year’s high-scoring output on offense to balance a relatively young group on defense that will have a handful of underclassmen starting.

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Canyon High’s punter and kicker Jarrett Reeser averaged 47 yards per punt last season, and went 6-of-7 on field goal attempts for the Cowboys.

CANYON Continued from B1

will be Angel Vasquez, senior starting quarterback whose physical ability and 6-foot, 3-inch, 210-pound frame have also garnered attention from college coaches due to his play at linebacker for the Cowboys. Vasquez was the backup quarterback last year, but his skills and athletic ability have commanded a more prominent role. “We had to get him on the field,” Maiale added, “and he really excelled in his one year at linebacker.”

At the line of scrimmage, Maiale said senior Matt Santos will be someone the offense and the defense depend on to make critical stops at the line of scrimmage and support the team’s playmakers, as well as in the locker room — or wherever the team is preparing for the game in lieu of COVID-19, as the restrictions might limit teams from gathering indoors before kickoff and at halftime.

“He’s definitely an emotional leader for the team,” Maiale said, “and really a guy who brings guys together.”

Jarrett Reeser will anchor the special teams as a senior punter/kicker who also plays forward for the Canyon High soccer team.

He averaged about 47 yards per punt in 11 games last season and made six of seven field goal attempts, including a 43-yarder, according to statistics available on MaxPreps.com.

“It’s nice to have a dedicated kicker,” Maiale said, noting the challenges that come with putting together special teams in such a hectic preseason. “He loves doing it, he works hard on his own, and it’s impressive.”

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B8 · FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

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