Football Preview 2016 online

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Signal M U LT I M E D I A

2016

PUMP FAKE 2015 didn’t go as expected for QB trio

Left to right: Canyon’s Miles Fallin, Valencia’s Aaron Thomas, Hart’s Nick Moore p. 10

GV’S GUARDIANS

O-line key for Grizzlies p. 36

SHEER PRESSURE

Saugus pass rush returns p. 32

REBOUND ON THE RANCH

U-turn for Wildcats? p. 42

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BE EXTRAORDINARY! PM |5 2016 8/18/2016 Football1:04:59 Preview

Sports Editor Mason Nesbitt mnesbitt@signalscv.com 661-287-5524

Design

Christy Shewmake

Director of Creative Deborah Runions

Sports Staff Lorrie Reyes Haley Sawyer

Photographers Dan Watson Katharine Lotze

Contents TABLE OF

Our Predictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Making the Right Read . . . . . 44

Signal sports reporters make their Foothill League picks.

SCCS’s Tristan Miller found what he was looking for with Cardinals, not under Texas' friday night lights.

5 Nights In The Fall . . . . . . . . 10

Lesson Received . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Three Foothill League QBs ended 2015 season in a very different place than they started.

Trinity’s Ryan DeMarois learned a lot about himself in his time away from football.

Contributors Dan Agnew Erik Boal Craig Leener Paul Putignano Jon Stein

Advertising Steve Nakutin Advertising Sales Executive Manager snakutin@signalscv.com 661-287-5557 Maureen Daniels Major and National Accounts/ Marketing Director maureen@signalscv.com 661-287-5566 Monica Jaffe Toni Sims Brody Womer Dawn Begley Multimedia Account Executives Courtney Briley Sales Assistant

Management Chuck Champion President and Publisher Gary Sproule Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer Russ Briley Executive Vice President of Community Relations & Audience Development Jason Schaff Vice President & Editor

Extras

Team Previews

SCV Weekends . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Foothill League

Valencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Saugus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Golden Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

West Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 14 16 18 20 22

Private Schools Santa Clarita Christian . . . . . . . . . . 24 Trinity Classical Academy . . . . . . 26

The local high school and college products who are now playing at four-year college football programs and in the NFL.

Dividing Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 SCV teams find themselves in myriad CIFSouthern Section playoff divisions entering 2016.

All-SCV Player of the Year. . . 55 A list of all the past winners.

Signal Victory Bell. . . . . . . . . . 57 The team with the best record against other SCV teams gets the prize. Here’s the list.

Profiles 100 Miles An Hour . . . . . . . . . .28 Valencia’s Tariq Speights is reclaiming his aggressive playing style after ACL surgery.

Blue Rush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Saugus' defense returns four players from aggressive front seven. Foothill QBs beware.

Take Your Pick . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 When Hart's CJ Stokes and AJ Stanley compete with each other, the Indians benefit.

Building Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 If Golden Valley is going to keep last season's momentum, it will start on the O-line.

Apsay's Epiphany. . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Signal is a newspaper of general circulation as defined by Section 6072, Government Code, State of California, and is adjudicated to be a newspaper entitled to print and publish legal advertising by decree, No. NVC15880, dated March 25, 1988, of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, State of California. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. All contents © The Signal, 2015.

6 | 2016 Football Preview

Last in line of Canyon High brothers finds that he too was born to be a Cowboy.

Breaking from Bad . . . . . . . . . 42 New West Ranch coach aims to build Wildcats program from the ground up.

Photo by Jordan Glenn/For The Signal

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2016 Football Preview | 7

THE PREDICTIONS

MASON NESBITT

1

Signal Sports Editor

VALENCIA

You won’t recognize a number of the Vikings’ names, but their talented newcomers should push them over the top. Having senior quarterback Aaron Thomas doesn’t hurt, either.

2

HART

The Indians have renewed swagger with QB Nick Moore healthy. Their star power on defense (Charles Ike, CJ Stokes, AJ Stanley) rivals any team in the league.

3

SAUGUS

The Centurions return arguably the most talent on defense (led by an impressive pass rush), and they have a lot of confidence in Nathan Eldridge’s ability at quarterback.

4

CANYON

The Cowboys and quarterback Miles Fallin will right the ship. An at-large berth is possible in the new CIFSouthern Section playoff system.

5

GOLDEN VALLEY

The Grizzlies return talent on defense and the offensive line, but their skill positions were hit hard by graduation. The rematch with Canyon will be interesting.

6

WEST RANCH

New coach Chris Varner brings hope to a program that has struggled in recent seasons. The Wildcats will still have a hard time in an always competitive league.

8 | 2016 Football Preview

1

LORRIE REYES

JON STEIN

HALEY SAWYER

Signal Staff Writer

Signal Contributor

Signal Staff Writer

VALENCIA

Even when it could be a down year, it’s not. Valencia has shown that it can adapt and win. And they’ll do it again for an eight-peat.

2

HART

Quarterback Nick Moore and a stingy defense are back. Hart won’t go out without a fight, but with some untested skill position players, it might come up short.

3

GOLDEN VALLEY

1

VALENCIA

I’ve picked against the Vikings over and over — and I won’t do it again. So Hart will probably take the crown, because I never get this part right.

2

HART

As quarterback Nick Moore goes, Hart goes was the lesson of last season. With the senior back on the field, I’m betting the Indians are in the hunt in 2016.

3

CANYON

The Grizzlies lost some big names, but a majority of this team has been together for years. Can’t fake chemistry, and it’ll nab them a winning-league record.

The gap between second and third is a mile wide in the Foothill. Nonetheless, I expect Canyon to rebound and lead the league’s second tier.

4

4

SAUGUS

GOLDEN VALLEY

Saugus hangs its hat on defense. But I’m worried where the offense is going to come from after a majority of it graduated when Louis Eusebi did.

An inexperienced quarterback under center is always a concern, and while 2015 wasn’t a fluke, fourth is the ceiling again.

5

5

CANYON

SAUGUS

There’s no question that third-year-startingquarterback Miles Fallin is talented. But can his O-line hold up and his defense keep points off the board?

The Centurions are the league’s perennial overachievers, and if any team on this list will make me regret its placement, it’s Saugus. But they’ll have to prove it.

6

6

WEST RANCH

There are a lot of question marks for a Wildcats squad that boasts a new head coach, new quarterback, and just a lot of new personnel.

WEST RANCH

It’s going to be a slow process for the Wildcats, as new coach Chris Varner looks to strengthen the team and revitalize the culture.

1

VALENCIA

The first impression of football I got when I started working here was that Valencia is good. Period. Linebackers are on lock, as is the receiving corps.

Both good places to be good.

2

HART

Nick Moore returns this season with a talented offense behind him. And two very good defensive backs in AJ Stanley and CJ Stokes. They might not come in first, but they’ll certainly put on a show.

3

SAUGUS

Although QB Louis Eusebi is gone, there are still some pieces to build around, especially on defense. If defense wins championships, the Cents will be in decent shape this year.

4

GOLDEN VALLEY

Golden Valley has momentum on its side thanks to last year’s improvements.

If the line can protect its eager, intelligent quarterback, the Grizzlies can do big things.

5

WEST RANCH

This is an angry team.

Mad about last year.

Their new coach can push that momentum onto the field for results better than last year.

6

CANYON

Skill is good to have, which Canyon certainly does. But attitude is just as important, and the Cowboys had some changes to make off the field before the season.

Go to a game “There’s something about the feel of Friday night football”

- Garrie Calhoun

HartDistrict.org

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2016 Football Preview | 9

2016 SCV HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

5 NIGHTS IN THE FALL

Handful of games altered 2015 season for trio of QBs

(Left to right) Canyon High's Miles Fallin, Valencia High's Aaron Thomas, Hart High's Nick Moore. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

By Mason Nesbitt Signal Sports Editor

T

he 2015 Foothill League season wasn’t so much the year of the quarterback as it was the year of the unexpected for the quarterback.

Canyon High’s Miles Fallin, Hart High’s Nick Moore and Valencia High’s Aaron Thomas entered their junior years in very different places.

Fallin was the established starter of the bunch, a 6-foot-4-inch gunslinger who’d thrown for more than 2,800 yards as a sophomore.

Moore was the rising star, a safetyturned-triggerman striving to make his way at a high school shadowed by the legacy of his NFL-quarterback brother, Matt.

Thomas, well, he had little hope of unseating Cole Parkinson as Valencia’s starting quarterback in the team’s bid for a seventh straight Foothill League title.

It was an airtight script: Fallin would

10 | 2016 Football Preview

build on his burgeoning legacy as the next great Canyon quarterback. Moore would capture the attention of the Santa Clarita Valley with his electrifying ability, or at the very least his last name. And Thomas wouldn’t see the field until 2016.

Then 2015 happened.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

Chaminade at Valencia This wasn’t Thomas’ moment. No, it belonged to Parkinson, who threw for 257 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 43-38 loss. Thomas, though, took mental reps on the sideline, playing out what he’d do on each down if he were on the field, and correcting himself when he threw a pick in his mind’s eye.

He prepared that way every week, practicing and watching film like he’d be the guy taking shotgun snaps and flinging the ball toward blurs of purple.

“Cole (Parkinson) taught me a lot about knowing the reads: Always anticipate.

Throw to the route,” Thomas says.

OCTOBER 16, 2015

Golden Valley High at Canyon Sometime after 9 p.m., Fallin headed for Canyon’s locker room. Regardless of body language, he held his head high. Golden Valley had just won its first-ever Foothill League game, 35-6, sending Grizzlies onto the field in celebration and water gushing onto Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley’s head. But to Fallin, the defeat, like the Cowboys’ previous five losses in six contests, was just another game.

He hated it, but no more than any other loss.

“It drives me every day, whoever we lose to or whoever we beat. Doesn’t matter,” Fallin says. “Every game we lose or win, I’m thinking about how we can get better.”

OCTOBER 23, 2015

Golden Valley versus Hart, at College of the Canyons

Hart owned a swagger. Off to a 6-1 start, Moore had established himself as the best dual-threat (if not best, period) quarterback in the league, and the Indians looked destined for a Foothill title showdown with Valencia in the regular-season finale.

Then the season went pop.

Moore can’t remember the exact play call, but he started right before a blitzing Grizzly linebacker forced him left and into a pile.

Moore tried to give himself up (“live to fight another down”) but before he could, his knee got contorted in the mass of bodies.

He thought he was OK. He sprinted on the sidelines, never thinking to test lateral movement.

On Hart’s next drive, he dropped back to pass and his knee gave out.

“Then I knew something was really wrong,” Moore says.

He’d torn his ACL. The Indians managed to fend off Golden Valley in double overtime, but they lost, 24-0, to Saugus High the following week. After a four-point loss to Valencia, Hart looked listless in a first-round playoff drubbing at the hands of Mission Viejo High.

“Worst experience of my life,” Moore says of watching from the sideline.

NOVEMBER 6, 2015

Canyon versus West Ranch High, at Valencia The Cowboys ended their season the best way a 1-8 squad could: with a 47-26 win over West Ranch. Fallin threw for 212 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to finish the year with 1,855 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, stats decisively down from 2014.

Fallin was often running for his life, and he was moved from shotgun to under center for a team that switched offensive coordinators after four games. Yet, he appreciates the experience.

“I learned more about football than any other year just because there were some coaching changes, some issues on the team,” Fallin says. “I think it really showed me a side of football I hadn’t seen before.

“As hard as it was, I’m definitely grateful for the experience.”

Fallin also knew he had room to

improve, and he’d use the offseason to prepare for a rebound.

NOVEMBER 13, 2015

San Juan Hills High of San Juan Capistrano at Valencia, CIFSouthern Section West Valley Division first round Thomas manned the sideline for seven wins, three losses and a Foothill League title. On this night, he idled for only a half.

Parkinson broke his leg in the third quarter, something Thomas felt awful about. But Thomas believed what Viking players and coaches already knew: He was ready.

No. 15 trotted out and threw a 20-yard touchdown on his first and only attempt.

The Vikings won, 38-28.

“It just boosted my confidence that much more going into the next week,” Thomas says, “knowing that all my weeks of prepping everyday (had paid off).”

Valencia’s offense and defense rode separate buses to Chino Hills High for the quarterfinals, so Tariq Speights, a linebacker and close friend of Thomas, texted encouraging words to the quarterback. Thomas probably appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn’t necessary.

“I had all the confidence in the world we were going to win,” Thomas says. “That’s the mentality I had the whole way down.”

The Vikings didn’t ease Thomas into the game. A five-wide-receiver formation on the first play foreshadowed a night of aggressive passing against a ferocious defense (Chino Hills entered with 40 sacks).

Thomas avoided oncoming Huskies and completed 25-of-40 passes for 347 yards.

He ran for a touchdown, and his 10-yard pass to Tim Wiggins on fourth down set up a potential game-winning field goal with less than a second left. It was no good. The Vikings lost, 16-14, but they’d done it with a starter-to-be at quarterback, not a backup.

The offseason Moore had surgery on Nov. 12. He then progressed from 10 minutes on a bike to lunges to weights.

In May, his doctor tested the knee.

Moore jumped out as far as he could in

three bounds on his right leg. The doctor measured it. Then Moore repeated the exercise on his left.

His dad, Don, couldn’t watch.

But Moore covered more ground.

“I’ll see you on the sidelines,” the doctor said.

Moore will wear a brace, but he says it doesn’t impede his play. He always knew he’d come back, he says, it was just a matter of how big a year he’d have.

“MINOR SETBACK MAJOR COMEBACK,” reads his Twitter bio.

Moore believes people doubt his arm strength (he believes he has the league’s best arm), his height (6 feet, 1 inch) and his chances of playing in the Pac-12 (Oregon State, Matt Moore’s alma mater, is his dream school). But like the pressure of being the younger brother of the Miami Dolphins’ backup quarterback, critics only fuel him.

“I’m ready to prove a lot of people wrong,” Moore says. “And not just me — I think the whole team is.”

Fallin, too, has his critics, though they don’t seem to drive him as much as a desire to improve.

He attended camps over the summer. He worked on foot speed with Olympic gold medalist Denean Howard-Hill on Sunday mornings at COC. He watched football on TV, trying to view the game through polished passers’ eyes.

“When I walk up to the line, I want to know what the defense is doing,” Fallin says.

Fallin and coach Rich Gutierrez talked after the season about changes Canyon needed to make.

One alteration came in moving the team’s offseason weightlifting from the afternoon to 6 a.m.

“Everybody was showing up at 5:50, waiting to get in the gym,” Fallin says.

Thomas frequented the gym, too, resulting in the addition of 20 to 25 pounds to bring his 6-3 frame to 194 pounds. He’s adjusted to being a leader on a Valencia team now looking for an eighth straight league title. And he, like Fallin and Moore, is waiting at the door, hoping to impose his will on 2016.

2016 Football Preview | 11

A A RON T ORNY

CLAY POK

IGHTS

E TARIQ SP

ERMAN

ERIC LIEB

HO M A S

INS

TIM WIGG

S G N I K I V A I C N E L A V

LE U D E H C S 6 201 S T L U S E Sept. 2 2015 R Final record: 8-4 overall, 5-0 Foothill League (first place)

Palmdale Chaminade Valencia Valencia Centennial Valencia* Valencia* Valencia* Valencia* Valencia* Valencia** Chino Hills** *Foothill League game

32 43 42 57 59 37 21 44 42 21 38 16

Valencia Valencia Highland Santa Monica Valencia Golden Valley Saugus West Ranch Canyon Hart San Juan Hills Valencia

26 38 7 0 7 0 7 6 3 17 28 14

** CIF-SS West Valley Div. Playoff game

By Mason Nesbitt Signal Sports Editor

Hudl highlight videos can only tell you so much, especially when a player is competing against smaller, less talented opponents on the freshman or junior varsity levels.

But clips of Valencia High football players like junior Moises Haynes and sopho-

12 | 2016 Football Preview

PROJECTEEDRS

START

Palmdale

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 9

at Chaminade

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 16

Newbury Park

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23

at Bakersfield^

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 30

Calabasas

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

Hart*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 14

at Golden Valley*#

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21

Saugus*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 28

West Ranch*

7:00 p.m.

Aaron Thomas Moises Haynes Tim Wiggins Brendan Adam Mykael Wright Zion Dunson Parker Kernek* Justin Aguirre Eric Lieberman Tanner Miller CJ McHenry

Nov. 4

at Canyon*

7:00 p.m.

DEFENSE

^at Centennial of Bakersfield #at Canyon High * Foothill League game

more Jayvaun Wilson jump off the screen.

In one 2015 clip, Haynes, a 202-pound running back, shoves a junior varsity wouldbe-tackler to the ground before scampering to the end zone.

Wilson, the 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound younger brother of former Vikings star Jay Jay Wilson, hurdles a freshman

defender in another clip.

It’s newcomers like these who give Valencia hope it can overcome the loss of 17 starters to graduation or transfer, and win an eighth straight Foothill League title. “If we all keep pushing and going in the right direction, I think this team has a chance to See, VALENCIA page 49

OFFENSE

Ben Seymour Josh DeNeal Michael Parker Jordan Trujillo Clay Pokorny* Tariq Speights* Max Gutierrez Jayvaun Wilson Garlon Wizzard Tim Wiggins Ryan Haith

QB RB WR WR WR WR LT LG C RG RT DE DE NG LB LB LB SS S S CB CB

* Returning All-SCV player

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A THE B HEAD COACH: larry muir

12th season (career record at Valencia: 93-41-1) Base offense: Spread Base defense: 3-4 Returning starters: Offense - 3 Defense - 2 Top returner on offense: WR Tim Wiggins - 32 catches, 291 yards, two touchdowns Top returner on defense: LB Tariq Speights - 63 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles Potential NCAA Division I players: QB Aaron Thomas, OL Parker Kernek, WR

Effie Davalos, running back

Zion Dunson, RB/LB Moises Haynes, WR/ DB Mykael Wright Key losses: QB Cole Parkinson, OL Sean Gallagher, OL Trevor Hendrickson, WR Riley Herrera, DE Jermaine Brown, DE Tayler Manuel, DB Drew Rivello, RB/DB Jahmar Berkley, OL Aaron Tapia, WR/DB Ely Doyle Top returners: QB Aaron Thomas, RB Effie Davalos, OL Parker Kernek, WR/DB Tim Wiggins, OL Eric Lieberman, LB Clay Pokorny Top newcomers: WR/DB Mykael Wright, DE/OL Ben Seymour, RB Moises Haynes, WR Zion Dunson, RB/S Jayvaun Wilson

THE NUMBERS When I say 7

The number of consecutive Foothill League titles Valencia has won.

347

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The number of yards then-junior quarterback Aaron Thomas threw for against Chino Hills High in the quarterfinals of the 2015 CIF-SS West Valley Division playoffs.

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33

The number of points Valencia allowed in Foothill League play last season, the fewest of any league team. Saugus allowed the second fewest with 59.

The Vikings’ CIF-SS playoff division for 2016, the highest division of any Foothill League team.

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#

NAME

POSITION

YEAR

1

Tim Wiggins

WR/DB

SR

2

Ryan Rivera

DE/H

SR

3

Jack Velek

S

JR

4

Tyler Haas

QB

JR

5

Ryan Haith

WR/DB

SR

6

Jayvaun Wilson

RB/S

SO

8

Mykael Wright

WR/DB

SO

10 Tariq Speights

LB/H

SR

11

WR

JR

12 Brendan Adam

Kyle Quintal

WR

SR

13 Kuan Glasgow

WR/DB

SO

14 Connor Downs

QB/DB

JR

15 Aaron Thomas

QB

SR

16 Zion Dunson

WR

JR

17 Anton Xerez-Burgos

K

SR

19 Ethan Bain

WR

JR

20 Carson Sato

LB/RB

JR

21 Garlon Wizzard

S

SR

22 Matthew Heinrich

K

JR

23 Darren Hames

LB

SR

24 Cameron Gearhart

DB

JR

25 Effie Davalos

RB

SR

26 Max Gutierrez

SS

JR

27 Parker Seitz

DB

JR

28 Evan Tucker

DE

SR

30 Kyle Stan

WR

JR

32 CJ Martinez

LB

SR

33 Jordan Trujillo

LB

SR

34 Brandon Balayan

LB

SR

35 Jake Calver

K

JR

36 Jorden Betsch

DB

JR

38 Hogan Kim

RB

SR

40 Reilly Royce

LB

JR

42 Chris Viramontes

DE

SR

43 Moises Haynes

RB/LB

JR

44 Clay Pokorny

LB/RB

SR

45 Kyra Guerra

WR

JR

48 Zach Semko

WR/DE

JR

49 Anthony Hernandez

LB

JR

50 Eric Lieberman

C

SR

51 Ben Seymour

DE/OL

SO

52 Michael Parker

DT

JR

53 Cole Edwards

OL

JR

54 Bryce Hurley

DT

SR

55 Tyler De Santis

OL

SR

56 Kyle Williams

DE

JR

57 Cody Paul

OL

JR

58 Cole Sharbonow

OL

SR

60 Tanner Miller

OL

SO

63 Justin Aguirre

OL

JR

65 Chris Lukin

OL

JR

66 Raymond Bauer

DT

JR

67 Parker Kernek

OL

JR

71 Josh Washington

DE

JR

72 CJ McHenry

OL

SR

73 Chase Korell

DE

SR

74 James Haight

OL

JR

75 Brandon Baer

OL

JR

78 Johnathan Mitchell

OL

JR

79 James Liddy

DT

JR

82 Josh DeNeal

DE/H

JR

88 Louie Esparza

WR

JR

2016 Football Preview | 13

JOHNSON TAHJEEM RAHMAAN NATHAN

E

ELDRIDG

ILMARTIN

DANIEL G

E

N JARED PA

S N O I R U T N E C S U G U A S LTS SCHEDULE

JAELIN

KINNEY

2016

2015 RESU

Final record: 6-5 overall, 4-1 Foothill League (second place)

Saugus Newbury Park Buena Ventura Saugus Saugus* Valencia* Saugus* Saugus* Saugus* Upland** *Foothill League game

37 26 21 20 35 42 21 31 24 12 45

Simi Valley Saugus Saugus Saugus Agoura West Ranch Saugus Canyon Hart Golden Valley Saugus

21 14 9 0 14 7 7 21 0 10 10

** CIF-SS West Valley Div. Playoff game

By Erik Boal For The Signal

Saugus High is competing in a new CIF-Southern Section football playoff division and will have a brand new starting quarterback.

But the Centurions are also seeking a newfound consistency following a second-place finish in the Foothill League

14 | 2016 Football Preview

PROJECTEEDRS

Aug. 26

Santa Barbara#

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 2

Camarillo

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 9

at Buena

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 16

Ventura#

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23

at Agoura

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

Golden Valley*#

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 14

at West Ranch*^

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21

at Valencia*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 28

Canyon*#

7:30 p.m.

Nov. 4

at Hart*#

7:30 p.m.

#

^at Valencia High # at College of the Canyons * Foothill League game

last year, looking to build upon that success and challenge for their first championship since 2011.

In order to do so, Saugus will have to overcome its recent history and erase past trends to qualify for the postseason in Division 6, which also includes league rival Canyon High.

Saugus hasn’t made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2010-11. The Centurions haven’t produced back-to-back winning records in league since 2007-08. And 14th-year coach Jason Bornn hasn’t won a Foothill title outright in eight years.

“The nature of our business See, SAUGUS page 51

START OFFENSE

Nathan Eldridge Quinn Sheaffer Daniel Gilmartin* Jared Pane Coleman Vanderhorst Chase Seyforth Christopher Christensen Jeff Lytle Richard Meza David Lemus Nathan Tripp

DEFENSE

Luc Borrelli Jordan Durden Jaelin Kinney* Daniel Gilmartin* Tyler Hampsten James Stirwalt Gabriel Velasco Coleman Vanderhorst Noah Turner Gary Bojorquez Tahjeem JohnsonRahmaan

QB RB TE WR WR WR LT RT LG RG C DE DT DE LB LB LB LB CB CB FS SS

* Returning All-SCV player

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A B THE HEAD COACH: Jason Bornn

14th season (career record at Saugus: 72-74) Base offense: Spread Base defense: 3-4 Returning starters: Offense - 4 Defense - 5 Top returner on offense: WR Jared Pane - 28 receptions, 304 receiving yards, 1 TD Top returner on defense: DE Jaelin Kinney - 56 total tackles, 11 sacks, 1 forced fumble Potential NCAA Division 1 players: DE Jaelin Kinney, WR Jared Pane

Gary Bojorquez, safety

Key losses: QB Louis Eusebi, OL Kerner Mark, DL Michael Stanford, RB David Aubrey, LB Austin Giraldo, DB Zach Preciado, DB Anthony Salinas, WR Jaime Whisler Top returners: LB Daniel Gilmartin, DL Blake Walkowiak, DE Jaelin Kinney, WR Jared Pane, SS/RB Tahjeem Johnson-Rahmaan Top newcomers: C Nathan Tripp, RB Quinn Sheaffer, LB Tyler Hampsten

THE NUMBERS 2008

The last time the Centurions won an outright Foothill League title.

40

The number of sacks recorded by the Saugus defense in 2015, most by any Foothill League team.

Hart had the next most with 33.

206

The number of points scored against the Centurions in 2015, second-fewest of any Foothill League team.

Golden Valley allowed 170 in one fewer game.

43

The percentage of Saugus’ scoring that nowgraduated quarterback/ kicker Louis Eusebi was directly responsible for in 2015 (does not include his four passing touchdowns).

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#

NAME

POSITION YEAR

2

Elijah Gragas

QB/DB

3

Gary Bojorquez

WR/DB

SR

4

Jared Pane

WR/DB

SR SO

JR

5

Jake De Britz

WR/DB

6

Andrew Sanchez

WR/DB

SR

7

Luc Borrelli

TE/DL

SR

9

Tre Durden

RB/DL

SR

10

Angelo Bornn

TE/LB

SO

11

Coleman Vanderhorst

WR/DB

SR

12

Noah Turner

WR/DB

SR

14

Anthony Mckinnes

WR/DB

JR

16

Mike Brooks

WR/DB

SR

17

Daniel Gilmartin

TE/LB

SR

18

Logan Miler

K

SR

20

Cliff Alvarez WR/DB

SR

JR

21

Ben Culver

WR/DB

SR

22

Devin Thomson

WR/LB

SO

23

Amir Bishop

WR/DB

SR

24

Quinn Sheaffer

RB/DB

JR

25

Tyler Hampsten

WR/DB

JR

26

Eric Jackson

TE/LB

JR

27

Tanner Brown

K

JR

28

Nathan Eldridge

QB/DB

JR

29

Brandon Seiver

RB/DB

JR

30

Nick Thanaet

WR/DB

SO

31

Adam Barragan

TE/LB

SR

32

Dylan Dozal

RB/LB

JR

33 34 35 37 40 41 42 43 45 46 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 60 61 63 67 68 71 72 75 76 77 80 85 88 89 99

Jordan Durden Waide Brummer Alex Boron Chase Seyforth Tahjeem Johnson-Rahmaan Christian Logerot Blake Lin Myles Garrett James Stirwalt Jaelin Kinney Gabriel Velasco Jeff Lytle Lorenzo Pulido Chasen Hardy Juan Esquivel David Lemus Nathan Tripp Hayden Esparza Kolby Venger Joaquin Casillas Eddie Corleto Richard Meza Gaetano Ferrera Miles Allen Jacob Heaton Christopher Christensen Victor Fierro Jared Neri Noah Jones Ryan Herman Cade Derry Cameron Scott Richard Godfrey Blake Walkowiak

RB/DL TE/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DL TE/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB OL/LB WR/LB WR/DB TE/DL

JR JR JR SR SR SO JR SO JR SR JR SR JR SR SR SR SO JR SR SR JR JR SO JR JR JR JR JR JR JR JR JR JR SR

2016 Football Preview | 15

ORE

NICK MO

S CJ STOKE S

CHARLES

RKIN MATT LA

S N A I D N I T R HA

LEY

AJ STAN

LE U D E H C S 6 201 S T L U S E Sept. 2 2015 R Final record: 7-4 overall, 3-2 Foothill League (third place)

Hart Hart Hart St. Bonaventure Hart Hart* Hart* Hart* Saugus* Valencia* Mission Viejo**

IKE

38 38 47 42 29 52 45 24 24 21 49

Downey Paraclete Muir Hart Ventura Canyon West Ranch Golden Valley Hart Hart Hart

14 16 12 38 21 28 7 21 2OT 0 17 14

*Foothill League game **CIF-SS West Valley Div. Playoff game

By Lorrie Reyes Signal Staff Writer

It seemed like everything was clicking for the Hart High football team in 2015.

The Indians started the year 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Foothill League. Then quarterback Nick Moore tore his ACL in a double-overtime win over Golden Valley High, and the

16 | 2016 Football Preview

at Downey

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 9

Arroyo

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 16

at Antelope Valley

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23

St. Bonaventure#

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 30

at Ventura

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

at Valencia*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 14

Canyon*#

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 21

West Ranch*#

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 28

at Golden Valley*^

7:00 p.m.

Nov. 4

Saugus*#

7:30 p.m.

# at College of the Canyons

trajectory of the season took a nosedive.

Hart lost its final three games, finishing third in league and watching its season come to a screeching halt in a firstround playoff loss to eventual CIF-Southern Section divisional champ Mission Viejo High.

Fast forward to 2016 and Moore is healthy, several stars

#

^ at Canyon High

* Foothill League game

return on defense, and the Indians appear ready to compete for a Foothill League title.

“The goal every year is to go 10-0,” said Hart linebacker Charles Ike. “I want everyone, and expect everyone, to be on their game and trying every play. If we do lose, I don’t expect to lose by a lot. That’s See, HART page 52

PROJECTEEDRS

START OFFENSE

Nick Moore* Chase Garcia Grant Thuente

QB RB WR

Jack Sheehe Daniel Madison AJ Stanley* Matt Larkins Blake Strannigan Joseph Jaramillo* Isacc Montes Marc Caporal

WR WR WR LT LG C RG RT

DEFENSE

C.J. McMullen Steven Hansen Isacc Montes Vincent Gonzalez Nick Soto Charles Ike* Thomas Anderson AJ Stanley* Da’Von Jones Justice Provost CJ Stokes*

DE DT DT DE OLB MLB OLB FS SS FS CB CB

* Returning All-SCV player

S C I S A THE B HEAD COACH: Mike Herrington 28th season (career record at Hart: 266-77-2) Base offense: Spread Base defense: Multiple Returning starters: Offense - 2 Defense - 4 Top returner on offense: QB Nick Moore - 1,856 passing yards, 16 TDs, seven INTs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs Top returner on defense: LB Charles Ike - 131 tackles, four sacks

AJ Stanley, wide receiver/safety

Potential NCAA Division 1 players: QB Nick Moore, LB Charles Ike, SS AJ Stanley Key losses: RB Nelson James, WR Brock Williams, WR Ethan Lazarek, OL Colby Pursell, K/P Andrew Nielsen, WR Dominic Carillo Top returners: OL Joseph Jaramillo, DB CJ Stokes, DB AJ Stanley, DB Justice Provost, LB Nick Soto Top newcomers: DB Da’Von Jones

THE NUMBERS 5

3

0-3

2007

The number of interceptions Hart safety AJ Stanley made against Golden Valley last year, a single-game Hart record.

Hart’s CIF-SS playoff division for 2016.

Hart’s record last season after starting quarterback Nick Moore tore his ACL. Hart started the year 7-1.

The last time Hart won a Foothill League title.

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#

NAME

POSITION

YEAR

2

Chase Garcia

RB/DB

SR

3

Daniel Madison

WR/DB

SR

5

Thomas Anderson

WR/LB

SR

6

Ben Rosen

RB/DB

JR

9

Stephen Wideman

WR/DB

SR

10 Nick Moore

QB/DB

SR

11 Steven Hansen

TE/LB

SR

12 Vincent Gonzalez

RB/DE

SR

14 Justice Provost

WR/DB

SR

15 Gabriel Ruelas

WR/DB

JR

16 JT Shrout

QB/DB

JR

18 AJ Stanley

WR/DB

SR

19 Devon Kim

K/P

JR

20 Nick Soto

WR/LB

SR

21 Trevor Laibl

WR/LB

JR

22 Da’Von Jones

WR/DB

JR

23 Charles Ike

RB/LB

SR

24 CJ Stokes

WR/DB

SR

25 Grant Thuente

WR/DB

SR

26 Michael Uribe

WR/DB

JR

27 Tyler Barnett

RB/LB

JR

32 D.J. Palmer

WR/DB

JR

33 Ryan Schuman

WR/DB

JR

34 Joseph Lotta

K/P

SO

35 Joshua Clark

WR/DB

JR

36 Joshua Sewani

WR/DB

JR

37 Jake James

WR/DB

JR

42 Julian Salazar

WR/LB

JR

43 C.J. McMullen

TE/DE

JR

50 Randy Jackson

OL/DE

JR

51 Jacob Jaramillo

OL/DT

SO

53 Marc Caporal

OL/DE

JR

54 Matt Larkins

OL/DT

SR

55 Isacc Montes

OL/DT

SR

58 Grant Nix

WR/LB

SR

61 Blake Strannigan

OL/DE

SR

62 Joseph Jaramillo

OL/DT

SR

63 Justin Sain

OL/DT

SR

65 Nathan Bradder

OL/DT

JR

66 Daniel Tristen

OL/DT

JR

72 Thomas Bambrick

OL/DT

JR

74 Justin Solorio

OL/DT

SR

76 Gabriel Hatley

OL/DT

JR

77 Kaden Parks

OL/DT

SR

80 Arturo Herrera

WR/DB

SR

81 Aaron Rodriguez

K/P

SO

83 Parker Christensen

WR/DB

JR

87 Dylan Blackman

WR/LB

SR

88 Jack Sheehe

WR/DB

SR

Authorized Dealer 2016 Football Preview | 17

LAVELLE

LANO

JOSH VA

CALVIN

IKE

KJ MADU

HIM RAY IBRA

S E I L Z Z I R G Y E L L A V N E D L GO E SCHEDUL ARTERS N

W TAI BRO

16 0 2 S T L U Aug. 26 2015 RES Final record: 6-4 overall, 2-3 Foothill League (fourth place)

Golden Valley Royal Golden Valley Golden Valley Golden Valley *Valencia *Golden Valley *Hart *Golden Valley *Saugus

23 Antelope Valley 6 Golden Valley 26 31 39 Crescenta Valley 20 Agoura 20 35 Hawthorne 14 43 Golden Valley 0 37 Canyon 6 35 Golden Valley 21 2OT 24 West Ranch 0 35 Golden Valley 10 12

*Foothill League game

P R O JE C T E D

at Antelope Valley

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 2

Royal^

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 9

Crescenta Valley^

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 15

Agoura^

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23

at Rio Mesa

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

at Saugus*#

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 14

Valencia*^

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21

at Canyon*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 28

Hart*^

7:00 p.m.

Nov. 4

at West Ranch*+

7:30 p.m.

+ at Valencia High # at COC ^at Canyon High * Foothill League game

By Lorrie Reyes Signal Sports Writer

It automatically becomes the narrative.

When a team goes winless in the Foothill League for a decade and it finally breaks through, like Golden Valley High did last season with its first and second league victories, how does a team duplicate

18 | 2016 Football Preview

that success?

Or even more difficult, how does that program out-do itself?

“That’s the big thing,” said Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley. “You don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. And now, people look at you in a different way. So we just need to take one game at a time. And

that was our motto last year.”

Last year, Golden Valley’s one-game-at-a-time motto not only helped the Grizzlies win their first two Foothill League games, but they finished just outside of an automatic playoff berth in 2015, winning a program-best six games.

But this isn’t last year.

See, GOLDEN VALLEY page 53

ST

OFFENSE

Josh Valano KJ Maduike Tyson Green Jalin Lewis Lavelle Calvin Ray Ibrahim CJ Ravenell Fernando Bajo Cameron Wills Joseph Ibrahim* Michael Hawley

DEFENSE

Michael Hawley Tai Brown* Fernando Bajo Joseph Ibrahim* Darius Anthony Ray Ibrahim DJ McIntyre Devin Lewis Kai Shelton Lavelle Calvin Jalin Lewis

QB RB WR WR WR WR RT RG C LG LT DE DE DT DT LB LB FS SS SS CB CB

* Returning All-SCV player

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A B THE HEAD COACH: Dan Kelley

3rd season (career record at Golden Valley 9-11) Base offense: Spread

Julian Torres, LB Trevor McKnight, OL/LB Bryan Barrera, WR/DB Jake Gilliland, QB Victor Corona

Base defense: 4-2-5 Returning starters: Offense - 4 Defense - 3 Top returner on offense: RB KJ Maduike - 277 yards rushing, four TDs, on 50 carries Top returner on defense: DL Tai Brown 31 tackles, eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss

Top returners: QB Josh Valano, RB KJ Maduike, RG Fernado Bajo, LG Joseph Ibrahim, LT Michael Hawley, CB/WR Lavelle Calvin Top newcomers: WR/CB Jalin Lewis, LB DJ Turner

Key losses: RB Jesse Camacho, WR

THE NUMBERS

h

The number of Foothill League wins the Grizzlies posted last season (the first league victories in program history).

Santiago Rd.

Fri & Sat till 9pm

The Grizzlies’ CIF-SS playoff division for 2016.

164

The number of rushing yards per game Golden Valley averaged in 2015 (the most of any Foothill team).

4

In 2015, the Grizzlies won four games in a season for the first time. They finished 6-4.

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Crazy Otto’s Diner is honoring the Korean War Veterans Voted AV’s Best Breakfast Year behalf of all Korean-Americans in Antelope Valley.

POSITION

Tai Brown

RB/LB

YEAR SR

2

Kai Shelton

WR/SS

SR

3

Devin Lewis

WR/SS

SR

4

Ahvie Harris

WR/FS

JR

5

DJ McIntyre

WR/FS

SR

6

Bubba Daire

RB/CB

SR

7

Josh Valano

QB

SR

8

Darius Anthony

WR/MLB

SR

9

Mike Lozano

WR/CB

SR

10 Michael Marquez

QB

JR

11 Jalin Lewis

RB/SS

JR

12 Isaiah Toscano

WR/FS

JR

14 Joseph D’ambrosio

WR/CB

JR

15 Anthony Reddick

WR/CB

JR

16 Alex D’ambrosio

WR/SS

JR

18 Gabriel Rios

RB/MLB

SR

20 DJ Turner

RB/MLB

JR

21 Lavelle Calvin

WR/CB

SR

22 KJ Maduike

RB/MLB

SR

23 Jordan Escobar-Brief WR/FS

JR

24 Tyson Green

WR/CB

SR

25 Ricardo Aguiniga

WR/CB

SR

26 Rey Paragas

WR/CB

SR

34 Ray Ibrahim

WR/LB

SR

50 Fernando Bajo

C/DT

SR

51 Charles Stumpf

T/DE

SR

52 Cristian Zepeda

G/DT

JR

55 Carlos Montiel

G/MLB

SR

56 CJ Ravenell

T/DT

JR

58 Michael Arreguin

G/DT

SR

63 Adrian Klock

C/DT

SR

64 Michael Hawley

T/DE

SR

68 John Berenguer

T/DT

SR

69 Andrew Mariscal

G/DT

SR

70 Luis Diaz

T/DT

SR

77 Joseph Ibrahim

T/DT

SR

78 Cameron Wills

C/DT

JR

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2016 Football Preview | 19

JIVANNI

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COLTON C

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O RELLAN HENRY A

LE U D E H C S 6 201 S T L U S E Aug. 26 2015 R Sept. 2 Final record: 2-8 overall, 1-4 Foothill League (fifth place)

Calabasas Thousand Oaks Canyon Burbank St. Francis Hart* Golden Valley* Saugus* Valencia* Canyon*

48 53 33 35 35 52 35 31 42 47

Canyon Canyon Eastside Canyon Canyon Canyon Canyon Canyon Canyon West Ranch

14 26 14 6 20 28 6 21 3 26

Moorpark

7:00 p.m.

vs. Burbank^

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 9

at Oxnard

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 16

Highland

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23

at Simi Valley

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

West Ranch*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 14

at Hart*#

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 21

Golden Valley*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 28

at Saugus*#

7:30 p.m.

Nov. 4

Valencia*

7:00 p.m.

*Foothill League game

By Jon Stein For The Signal

Last year’s 2-8 season was a trying one for the Canyon High Cowboys, as much mentally as it was physically.

The team’s struggles on the field were evident to any observer sitting in the stands.

What wasn’t so visible were the struggles in the locker room and on the practice field

20 | 2016 Football Preview

# at COC ^ at Burroughs High * Foothill League game

— where many on this year’s squad point to poor leadership, a lack of desire, and an attitude among supposed “team leaders” that would have preferred nepotism be rewarded over talent.

As the losses piled up, so did the stress.

According to multiple players, disinterest hit its peak when the Cowboys were soundly

defeated by Golden Valley High, and players were met on campus with shocked questions of “how?” from the student body.

“There’s some guys you can’t change, and no matter how much you give input, you can’t make people do things they don’t want to do,” said coach Rich Gutierrez. “What hapSee, CANYON page 54

PROJECTEEDRS

START OFFENSE

Miles Fallin Brian Devereaux Camden Apsay*

QB RB WR

Jivanni McKoy Jake Gavin Brian Stuart Colton Costanza Richard Bueno Justin Hamalainen Max Graham Tim Huss

WR WR WR LT LG C RG RT

DEFENSE

Riely Ward Chris Borella Colton Costanza* Cole Manclow Henry Arellano Brian Devereaux Jake Gavin Camden Apsay* Jivanni McKoy Brandon Wilson Roland Hardson

DE DT DT DE LB LB LB FS SS CB CB

* Returning All-SCV player

FS

S

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A B THE HEAD COACH: Rich Gutierrez 6th season (career record at Canyon: 32-23-1) Base offense: Spread Base defense: 4-3 Returning starters: Offense - 8 Defense - 7 Top returner on offense: QB Miles Fallin - 1,855 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, nine interceptions Top returner on defense: LB Cole Manclow – 45 total tackles, one fumble recovery

Brian Stuart, wide receiver

Potential NCAA Division 1 players: QB Miles Fallin, WR/FS Camden Apsay, WR Jivanni McKoy, RB Brian Devereaux Key losses: LB Travis Clarke, WR/DB Markeill Taylor Top returners: OL/DL Colton Costanza, WR Brian Stuart, WR/DB Jivanni McKoy, WR/FS Camden Apsay, RB/LB Henry Arellano, OL Tim Huss Top newcomers: RB/LB Brian Devereaux, CB Brandon Wilson, CB Roland Hardson, OL Max Graham

THE NUMBERS 2001

The last year before 2015 that Canyon went 1-4 in league.

3

The number of Canyon preleague opponents last season who went on to make at least a CIF-SS divisional semifinal.

Calabasas won the Western Division title after thumping the Cowboys 4814 in Canyon’s opener.

6

Canyon’s CIF-SS playoff division for the 2016 season. Saugus is also in Division 6.

20

The average margin of victory in Canyon’s two 2015 wins.

CALL FOR SPECIALS!

#

NAME

POSITION

YEAR

1

Camden Apsay

WR/DB

SR

2

Jivanni McKoy

WR/DB

SR

3

Brian Devereaux

RB/LB

SR

4

Jake Gavin

WR/DB

SR

5

Roland Hardson

WR/DB

JR

6

Riely Ward

WR/DE

SR

7

Jason Preece

QB/LB

SR

8

Greysen Holmes

WR/DB

JR

9

Anthony Gutierrez

WR/LB

JR

11

Miles Fallin

QB/DB

SR

12

John Bones

QB/DB

JR

15

Jacob Starcer

WR/DB

SR

16

Damon Lucero

WR/DB

SR

19

Conner Reyes

WR/DB

JR

20 Jaden Murria

RB/DB

SR

21 Brian Stuart

WR/DB

SR

22 Andrew Quezada

WR/DB

SR

23 Ryan Sinclair

K

SR

24 Miguel Nino

RB/LB

JR

25 Joey Lopez

WR/DB

SR

26 Brandon Wilson

CB

JR

27 Andrew Dahlquist

RB/LB

SR

28 Taylor Tepesano

RB/DB

JR

32

Henry Arellano

RB/LB

SR

41

Cole Manclow

WR/LB

SR

49 Trent Mears

WR/LB

JR

50 Luis Vargas

OL/DL

JR

51 Noah Dilley

WR/LB

JR

52 Philip Carrillo

OL/DE

SR

54 Luke Wesley

OL/DL

SR

55 Jake Holsenbeck

OL/DE

JR

56 Chris Borella

OL/DE

JR

61 Max Graham

OL/DL

SO

65 Tim Huss

OL/DL

SR

66 Colton Costanza

OL/DL

SR

74

Justin Hamalainen

OL/DL

SR

75

Luke Lesseos

OL/DL

JR

76

Richard Bueno

OL/DL

JR

78

Joseph Lloyd

OL/DL

SR

81

Angelo Aleman

WR/DB

JR

83

William Diaz

OL/LB

JR

Follow us on Twitter

@signalsports

26845 Oak Ave #4 • Canyon Country, CA 91351 Hours : Mon – Fri 8am -5pm • Sat 8am-2pm • Sun Closed 2016 Football Preview | 21

CINA

NATE RA

DILLA

MATT PA JORDAN

TRISTAN

GEORGIO

S T A C D L I W H C N A R T S WE ULE

AFFERTY RK MCCL

MA

FORTNER

ED H C S 6 1 0 2 S Aug. 26 T L U S E R 5 201 Final record: 3-7 overall, 0-5 Foothill League (sixth place)

West Ranch West Ranch Antelope Valley Thousand Oaks West Ranch Saugus* Hart* Valencia* Golden Valley* Canyon*

62 33 56 43 35 42 45 44 35 47

San Marcos Pasadena West Ranch West Ranch Oxnard West Ranch West Ranch West Ranch West Ranch West Ranch

*Foothill League game

14 6 14 7 34 7 7 6 0 26

PROJECTEEDRS

at Simi Valley

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 2

at Pasadena

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 9

Antelope Valley

Sept. 16

at Thousand Oaks

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23

Oxnard#

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7

at Canyon*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 14

Saugus*#

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21

at Hart*^

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 28

Valencia*#

7:00 p.m.

Nov. 4

Golden Valley*#

7:30 p.m.

#

7:00 p.m.

^ at COC # at Valencia High * Foothill League game

By Haley Sawyer Signal Staff Writer

West Ranch High is going back to square one.

“When you lose, I think you’ve got to look everywhere,” said first-year coach Chris Varner, who takes over a team that finished 0-5 in Foothill League play last year.

“You just start looking and

22 | 2016 Football Preview

say, what can you do right and just kind of wipe the slate clean and start over and hope you’re making the necessary changes to improve.”

The team is being built around players who emerged to the front of the pack early during the offseason, two of which are senior linebackers Tristan Georgio and Jordan Fortner.

“They had the most gametime experience,” Varner said. “So they were the ones who asserted themselves right away, naturally. We just tried to build momentum behind what was already here and see if we could keep things going behind those type of kids.”

Georgio finished last season with 91 tackles, which was See, WEST RANCH page 55

START OFFENSE

Wyatt Eget Koby Garcia Aidan Jackson

QB RB WR

Jovan Camacho Tyler Walsh Jesse Sepulveda Jacob Cuevas Nate Racina Matt Padilla Mark McClafferty

WR WR OT OG C OG OT

DEFENSE

Dylan Joscak Jesse Sepulveda Rene Valles Taggert Barton

DE DT NG DE

Jordan Fortner

LB LB

Tristan Georgio Ryan Antepara Jovan Camacho Ryan Camacho Hunter Anderson Jake Killingsworth

LB CB CB S S

* Returning All-SCV player

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A THE B HEAD COACH: Chris Varner

1st season (career record at West Ranch: 0-0) Base offense: Spread Base defense: 4-3 Returning starters: Offense - 2 Defense - 3 Top returner on offense: RB Jake Rice four catches, 99 yards, two touchdowns Top returner on defense: LB Tristan Georgio - 91 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles

Tristan Georgio, linebacker

Key losses: QB Jackson Clark, WR/DB Adam Varga-Thompson, OL Travis Bird, KR/PR/RB Jordan Hunt, DL/LB Bridger Allan, LB Kyle Lingscheit Top returners: LB Jordan Fortner, QB Wyatt Eget, DB/WR Hunter Anderson Top newcomers: CB/WR Jovan Camacho, DB/WR Ryan Camacho, SS Jake Killingsworth

THE NUMBERS 30

The number of seniors on the Wildcats’ 2015 roster.

16

The total number of sacks the West Ranch defense recorded in 2015, down 12 from 2014.

9

West Ranch’s CIF-SS playoff division for the 2016 season.

62

The number of passes thrown by Wyatt Eget as the backup QB in 2015 (he completed 27 of them for 351 yards). Eget is slated to start this season.

#

NAME

POSITION

YEAR

2

Hunter Anderson

SS

SR

3

Tyler Walsh

WR

SR

5

Ryan Antepara

OLB

SR

7

Holden Bleecker

WR

SR

8

Jason Ellis-Kisanaban S

SR

9

Rory Mita

OLB

SR

10

Nik Pasamba

S

SR

11 Wyatt Eget

QB

SR

13

Jared Staub

WR

SO

17

Steven Beverly

S

JR

18

Jake Killingsworth

SS

JR

20 Christopher Sandavol DB

JR

21

OLB

JR

22 Ryan Camacho

DB/WR

SO

23 Grayson Thomas

DE

SO

28 Jake Rice

RB

SR

30 Jordan Fortner

LB

SR

34 Chris Sanchez

CB

JR

42 Jovan Camacho

CB/WR

SO

44 Dakota Fetter

OLB

JR

45 Skyler Brigman

K

SR

50 Giovanni Nicolazzo

LB

JR

52 Mark McClafferty

DE

SR

53 Nate Racina

C/NG

SR

55 Matt Padilla

G/DT

SR

56 Taggert Barton

DE

SR

58 Austin Braun

OT

SR

65 Austin Rhatigan

OG

SR

67 Rene Valles

DT

SR

72

OT

SR

73 Jacob Cuevas

OG

SR

77

Antranig Asmarian

DT

SR

78

Anthony Case

OG

JR

81

Dylan Joscak

DE

JR

82 Carlos Lozano

WR

SR

83 Tristan Georgio

LB/FB

SR

86 Aidan Jackson

WR

SR

87

Jake Wheeles

DB

JR

TBD Alexandro Sanchez

DB

JR

TBD Koby Garcia

RB/CB

SR

Kyle Singleton

Jesse Sepulveda

Follow us on Twitter

@signalsports

2016 Football Preview | 23

TRISTAN

ALINSKE

TYLER K N

BRANDO

MILLER

SS JACOB MO

AGLE

LOGAN E

S L A N I D R A C SCCS

PHILLIPS

LE U D E H C S 6 201 S T L U S E Aug. 26 2015 R at Horizon Christian

7:00 p.m.

0 28 7

Sept. 3

South Pasadena#

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 10

Campbell Hall#

7:00 p.m.

Gabrielino#

7:00 p.m.

0 18

Sept. 17 Oct. 1

at Trinity #

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 8

at The Webb Schools*

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 14

at Capistrano Valley Christian*+

7:00 p.m.

Oct. 22

Fairmont Prep*#

7:00 p.m.

Final record: 7-4 overall, 3-2 San Joaquin League (tied second place)

SCCS 54 South Pasadena 31 SCCS 49 SCCS 64 SCCS* 54 SCCS 42 SCCS* 34 Capistrano Valley 37 Christian* Saddleback Valley 62 Christian* SCCS* 53 Desert** 36 *Foothill League game

Blair SCCS Horizon Christian Firebaugh Southlands Christian Trinity The Webb Schools SCCS

18 24 21

SCCS 25 Fairmont 40 Prep SCCS 26

** East Valley Division playoff game

By Paul Putignano For The Signal

It has been four seasons since the San Joaquin League expanded to six teams.

Four seasons of growth for Santa Clarita Christian.

Four seasons of grit.

24 | 2016 Football Preview

Oct. 28 at Southlands Christian* Nov. 4

Saddleback Valley Christian*^

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

+ at San Clemente High ^ at TBD # at Canyon High * San Joaquin League game

Four seasons of looking up the standings at the likes of Capistrano Valley Christian and Saddleback Valley Christian.

The Cardinals want to change that in year number five.

“This is the hungriest I’ve seen a group of guys,” said SCCS coach Garrick Moss.

“They are wanting to be in the weight room. They’ve wanted to be in the classroom setting studying film. They wanted to See, SCCS page 56

PROJECTEEDRS

START OFFENSE

Tristan Miller Seth Yu Jacob Moss Tyler Kalinske Blaike Orth Aidan Espinosa Josh Fehr Brandon Phillips Logan Eagle Andrew Phillips Bryan Hixson Tommy Shields

DEFENSE

Michael Brooks Brandon Phillips Josiah Park Tommy Shields Isaiah Kammerdiener Aidan Espinosa Seth Yu Logan Eagle Jacob Moss Tyler Kalinske Billy Latch Blaike Orth

QB RB WR WR WR TE TE LT LG C RG RT DE DT NG DE OLB OLB OLB MLB SS FS CB CB

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A B THE HEAD COACH: Garrick Moss

15th season (career record at SCCS: 101-52-1)

Tyler Kalinske, wide receiver/safety

Base offense: Spread Base defense: 4-3

Potential NCAA Division 1 players: Jacob Moss, Tyler Kalinske

Returning starters: Offense - 6 Defense - 6

Key losses: RB/LB Brody DeRevere, OL/ LB Riley Pettee, OL/DL Tanner Mattila, OL/DL David Webb, OL/DL Lance Legault

Top returner on offense: QB Tristan Miller - 3,476 passing yards, 41 TDs, 24 INTs, completed 59 percent of passes

Top returners: WR/DB Jacob Moss, WR/S Tyler Kalinske, OL/DL Brandon Phillips, OL/DL Tommy Shields

Top returner on defense: LB Logan Eagle - 98 tackles, four forced fumbles

Top newcomers: WR/S Aidan Espinosa, RB/LB Isaiah Kammerdiener, WR/DE Michael Brooks, OL/DL Noah Nnabuo

THE NUMBERS 3,476

13

153

The number of yards SCCS’s CIF-SS playoff The number of receptions then-junior Tristan Miller division for 2016. There Caden Brenner and Jacob COLOR ADinPRODUCED BYcombined THE SIGNAL threw for in 2015 (the most are 13 divisions the Moss for last in the East Valley Division, Southern Section. season. They finished No. 1 ORDER-IMG#.: according to MaxPreps).ADVERTISER: and No. 2, respectively, in Miller was second in the the East Valley Division in SIZE: SALES REP: division in touchdown that category. passes PUB:(41) and first in RUN DATE: interceptions (24).

29750_1

41.5

The average number of points SCCS allowed in its four losses. The Cardinals allowed an average of 15.3 points in their seven wins.

#

NAME

POSITION

1

Aidan Espinosa

WR/SS

YEAR SR

2

Jacob Moss

WR/CB

SR

3

Blaike Orth

RB/DB

JR

4

Billy Latch

K/CB/WR

SR

5

Caden Brenner

WR/DB

JR

6

Hudson Ming

WR/DB

SO

7

Blake Kirshner

QB

SO

9

Michael Brooks

WR/DE

JR

11 Ethan Schwesinger

WR/FS

SO

12 Tristan Miller

QB

SR

13 Jadon DeRevere

RB/LB

FR

14 Kade Kalinske

WR/CB

SO

15 Isaiah Kammerdiener RB/DB

SR

18 Tyler Kalinske

FS/WR

SR

20 Seth Yu

RB/OLB

SO

21 Joshua Boelter

OL/DE

SO

24 Josh Clark

OLB/TE

SO

25 Lucas Pettee

RB/DB

FR

32 Ryan Gray

WR/DB

FR

34 Josh Fehr

TE/DE

SR

36 Shane Smith

WR/DB

SO

51 Andrew Phillips

OL/OLB

FR

52 Paul Veluzat

OL/DL

SO

54 Tommy Shields

OL/DL

JR

55 Logan Eagle

OL/MLB

SR

56 AJ Katerelos

OL/DL

JR

62 Bryan Hixson

OLB/OL

SR

74 Brandon Phillips

OL/DL

SR

OL/DL

SR

OL/DL

JR

TE/DL

SO

5918 - REALTY EXECUTIVES - ALBERT RODRIGUEZ 77 Noah Nnabuo TONI 5x3 82 Ethan Frields FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 08-26-16 ARTIST: EL CRX: XXX 76 Josiah Park

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2016 Football Preview | 25

E

TYLER LE

AFER OBY SCH

K ROIS

STERS

LUKE MA

MA RYAN DE

S T H G I N K Y T I TRIN EDULE LP

CADEN KU

H C S 6 1 0 2 S LT Aug. 26 2015 RESU Final record: 4-4 overall

Trinity 50

Desert Christian 44

Trinity 44 Southlands 28 Christian Trinity 68

Santa Rosa Acad. 0 Trinity 26

SCCS Trinity Mary Star of the Sea Excelsior Charter

42 54 48

Calif. School 0 for the Deaf** Trinity 18 Sherman Indian 0 Trinity 14

35

*Trinity was a freelance team in 2015

Trinity 26 **School is in Riverside

By Haley Sawyer Signal Staff Writer

In the past two years with Trinity football, coach Les Robinson has constantly been dealing with changes.

In his first year, he had to adjust to a new program after coming from Santa Clarita Christian. The year after, he had to transition his team to 11-man football.

This year may be the year when he can

26 | 2016 Football Preview

PROJECTEEDRS

START

Silver Valley#

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 9

Tyler Lee

QB/S

Century #

7:00 p.m.

Caden Kulp

RB/LB

Sept. 16

at St. Bernard

7:00 p.m.

Oscar Hernandez RB/LB

Sept. 24

at Southlands Christian

7:00 p.m.

Ryan DeMarois

WR/LB

Oct. 1

SCCS^

7:00 p.m.

Koby Schafer

WR/CB

Oct. 8

WR/CB

McAuliffe#

7:00 p.m.

Kelton Gibson

Oct. 14

at Carpinteria

7:30 p.m.

Phineas Yi

Oct. 21

Rio Hondo Prep*#

7:00 p.m.

Hobbs Christopher OL/DL

Oct. 28

at Firebaugh*+

7:00 p.m.

Nov. 4

at Polytechnic of Pasadena*

3:15 p.m.

Marcus Andrews TE/LB S

Julian Cortes

OL/DL

Luke Masters

OL/DL

Sam Su

OL/DL

+ at Lynwood High # at St. Francis High (La Canada) ^ at Canyon High * Prep League game

finally breathe.

Or not.

“To me it feels the same because we’re still growing, we’re still matriculating, I’m still trying to get them to a level physically and mentally where I think they should be,” he said. “The process has been the same. It’s just a different year.”

The Knights ended last season with a 4-4 record. Not too shabby, considering the bench was severely depleted at the end

of the season due to injuries. The small roster size forced players to play both ways, causing fatigue and injury, according to Robinson.

To compensate, the Knights had to rely on their intelligence, a technique that will continue into this season.

Most players on the team are straight-A students. Starting running back Caden Kulp has the highest GPA on the team at See, TRINITY page 57

2016 ROSTER

S C I S A B THE HEAD COACH: Les Robinson 3rd season (career record at Trinity 13-6) Base offense: Spread Base defense: 3-4 Returning starters: Offense - 5 Defense - 3 Top returner on offense: RB Caden Kulp - 902 yards rushing, 13 TDs, 376 yards receiving, five TDs

Caden Kulp, running back

Top returner on defense: DL Luke Masters – 34 total tackles, four tackles for loss Key losses: TE/LB/S Ian Caddow, OL/DL Trey Christopher, OL/DL/LB Jordan Thomas Top returners: RB Ryan DeMarois, QB Tyler Lee, OL/DL Hobbs Christopher, WR/ CB Koby Schafer Top newcomers: WR/CB Greg Salazar, QB/S Rick Roberts

THE NUMBERS 13

The Knights’ CIF-SS playoff division for 2016. There are 13 divisions in the Southern Section.

1

The number of years Trinity has played 11-man football.

1,557

The number of all-purpose yards Caden Kulp amassed during his junior year in 2015 (902 rushing, 376 receiving, 221 on kick returns, 12 on punt returns and 46 on interception returns).

134

The number of total tackles averaged per year by nowgraduated linebacker Ian Caddow over his final three seasons.

# 3

NAME

POSITION

YEAR

Ryan DeMarois

WR/LB/S

11

4

Beau Howell

RB

12

7

Rick Roberts

QB/S

9

9

Tyler Lee

QB/TE/S

11

10 Marcus Andrews

TE/LB

10

12 Phineas Yi

QB/S

10

20 Andrew Dever

WR/CB

10

22 Caden Kulp

RB/LB/CB

12

24 Oscar Hernandez

RB/LB/CB

11

25 Koby Schafer

WR/CB

12

76 Luke Masters

OL/DL

10

77 Hobbs Christopher

OL/DL

11

TBD Dillion Bixler

WR/CB

9

TBD Julian Cortes

OL/DL

12

TBD Kelton Gibson

WR/CB

12

TBD Ethan Lewis

OL/DL

9

TBD Lance Lott

OL/DL

9

TBD Aiden Martinelli

RB/CB

9

TBD Greg Salazar

WR/CB

9

TBD Sam Su

OL/DL

10

Stay updated with Santa Clarita Valley sports news every day.

2016 Football Preview | 27

VALENCIA VIKINGS

100 MILES AN HOUR Valencia High linebacker looking to reclaim aggressive style after ACL tear.

By Mason Nesbitt Signal Sports Editor

V

alencia High inside linebacker Tariq Speights knows he tore his ACL on the 104th play of the Vikings’ win over Saugus High on Oct. 16.

He knows because he cued up the sequence on his desktop Mac twice a day following the diagnosis.

Over and over, he watched himself swarm to assist on a tackle before someone fell into his knee, before he lay on his side clutching at a burning sensation.

He made 11 total tackles before leaving the field under his own power shortly after halftime.

In just seven games, he had made 63 tackles, 14 for loss.

Now a senior, he’s fighting

for a starting spot again, trying to recapture the 100-miles-anhour mentality the Vikings so desperately need.

“I feel like I was starting to get there last year,” Speights says of being “the guy” on Valencia’s Foothill League-best defense. “... Definitely that’s something I want to be for our team.”

The last step of ACL rehab is mental. A player’s knee may be stronger than before the injury, but it’s a matter of the mind trusting the body to perform.

Speights is in that final stage. Medically cleared

in July, the 5-foot-11-inch, 208-pounder worked out with Valencia this offseason and has been exercising with a personal training group in Los Angeles.

He said Valencia’s first week of official practice this month was hit and miss. He felt he had the worst practice of his life one day and one of the best the next. He says he’s been practicing with the first-team defense, but he knows at Valencia nothing is simply given.

However, the Vikings, who return one other starter from last year’s defense, need the Speights you see on 2015 film

ABOVE: Valencia linebacker Tariq Speights made 63 tackles last season as a junior before tearing his ACL in the Vikings' seventh game. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

28 | 2016 Football Preview

— a player guided by preparation and premonition, darting to the ball and plunging into opponents’ lower limbs.

Speights has always played with tenacity, even with flags on his hips. As a kid, he earned the nickname “100 Miles an Hour” playing flag football.

“He was just all-out all the time. He only knew one speed,” says his father, Fabian.

Fabian knows how devastating an ACL injury can be. He tore the ligament as a senior linebacker at James Monroe High of North Hills. Dreams of playing at West Point or Columbia University never materialized because of it. He believes Tariq, who says he’s received interest from NCAA Division 1 FCS schools, can be different.

“I did try to comfort him as much as I could and support him, knowing that it was going to be a difficult thing to overcome but certainly possible,” Fabian says. “Technology is so much better 25 years later.”

What impressed Fabian most was Tariq’s mindset. On the night of his injury, Tariq demurred when teammates offered condolences. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the sentiment: He did. He just wanted their focus on Saugus.

They had a game to win.

“Them focusing on me wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things,” Speights says.

When he found out on a Thursday night that his season was definitely over, he waited to tell his teammates until they gathered for film on Saturday. He wanted their focus on Canyon High.

“He put the team before himself and showed how much he cared about us and wasn’t a

selfish person,” says Jermaine Brown, a star defensive end and 2016 Valencia graduate.

Despite not wanting attention, Speights didn’t disappear. He brought positivity to practices, games and team functions, an act recognized by players and coaches when they made him an honorary captain, the first underclass-

Section divisional quarterfinal), and he started rehab later that week. Looking back he says the next eight months flew by. Time slowed only when his mind raced ahead of his body.

Doctors told him he could jog — he wanted to run. Doctors told him he could run — he wanted to cut and dart.

Now all that holds him back is his mind. He’s close to playing the only way he’s ever known.

“Once the pads come on, it’s business,” Valencia quarterback Aaron Thomas says of Speights. “And he’s always been known for that.”

Valencia High senior linebacker Tariq Speights is competing for a starting linebacker spot again this season, as he was in this August 2015 file photo. Speights won a spot last summer with his toughness and aggression. Signal file photo by Dan Watson.

man to earn the distinction in coach Larry Muir’s 11 seasons.

“It was like he was on the team,” Brown says. “You know some guys get hurt and they step away. He was with us through everything.”

“He didn’t skip a beat,” Muir says.

Speights had surgery on Nov. 30, 2015 (10 days after Valencia lost, 16-14, to Chino Hills High in a CIF-Southern 2016 Football Preview | 29

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SAUGUS CENTURIONS

BLUE RUSH Saugus returns four from 2015's fearsome front seven.

By Erik Boal For The Signal

A

fter some struggles during preleague dress rehearsals last year, when it came time for Saugus’ defense to command the spotlight during the Foothill League schedule, the Centurions delivered one of the best performances in program history.

Despite the graduation of four standouts on defense, including Foothill Defensive

Player of the Year Michael Stanford, Saugus is highly motivated to deliver an encore presentation.

With the return of Jaelin Kinney and Blake Walkowiak at defensive ends, along with linebacker Daniel Gilmartin and linebackerturned-strong-safety Tahjeem Johnson-Rahmaan, the Centurions again possess a defensive unit capable of leading Saugus to a CIFSouthern Section Division 6 playoff berth.

“Having most of our defense returning, it makes us very confident because it really helps on building fundamentals within our position groups and allows some of the returners to help the incoming players with the knowledge on how to play our defense,” JohnsonRahmaan said. “We are so well-rounded, I think we can handle any situation.”

Perhaps the toughest situation facing Saugus entering the season is the status of Walkowiak, who is awaiting medical clearance to compete as a result of concussion symptoms. Walkowiak, an all-league second-team pick,

had 48 tackles and seven sacks last year.

“We’re just waiting to see what happens,” said Saugus coach Jason Bornn. “If he can’t play, then it’s next man up and that’s our philosophy for every position. Our defense isn’t just about one player; it’s about the whole group. We can choose to let it affect us or we can be proactive about it and continue to prepare everyone to be ready to play because it’s a special group of kids.”

The Centurions’ offseason preparation involved some shifting of roles and responsibilities to address the losses of Austin Giraldo, Zach Pre-

ABOVE: (Left to right) Saugus defenders Blake Walkowiak, Daniel Gilmartin, Jaelin Kinney and Tahjeem Johnson-Rahmaan return after a strong 2015. The Centurions led the Foothill League with 40 sacks last year. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

32 | 2016 Football Preview

ciado, Anthony Salinas and Stanford, but Saugus’ versatility and depth has allowed for a smooth transition.

Even with the uncertainty regarding Walkowiak’s future, the senior isn’t concerned about the Centurions’ ability to control the line of scrimmage and force turnovers. Saugus had a plus-10 edge in turnover margin last season.

“The defense will be dominating even with the loss of our senior players,” Walkowiak says. “We have made a few changes regarding positions, but that has only increased our ability to succeed.”

Much of Saugus’ success last season was attributed to its persistent pass rush, which resulted in 40 sacks.

Kinney led the Centurions with 11 sacks, along with 56 tackles, in addition to Walkowiak recording seven sacks, Gilmartin five and Johnson three.

“It gives us a ton of confidence. I trust my guys will be making plays consistently,” Gilmartin says. “Our pass rush is very good, and I trust our corners and safeties will be on top of things and give us time to sack the quarterback.”

The support of linebackers Tyler Hamsten and Jimmy Stirwalt, along with the experience of Gary Bojorquez and Noah Turner in the secondary, have been instrumental in Saugus’ development, allowing the defensive learning curve to accelerate in preparation for the Aug.

26 season opener against Santa Barbara High.

“Each player on the defense has an ability that is specific to them. I strongly feel that this is a great thing because our defense possesses a variety of abilities and specialties that give us an edge on the field,” Kinney says. “In little time, those who switched grew accustomed to the techniques and schemes of their positions.

In our 7-on-7 scrimmages and practices, players have shown improvement in their positions each day and have adapted to new techniques, plays and perspectives on the field.”

Saugus showcased significant improvement last year in the second half of the season, allowing a combined 73

points in its final six regularseason games after surrendering 88 in the first four.

The Centurions know how important their defense will be early in the season as the offense finds its rhythm with a new starting quarterback.

“The defense is going to have to step up. This means our unit as a whole will have to achieve impressive goals and make extraordinary plays if we are going to have an excellent season,” Kinney says. “The offense contains a lot of promise and talent and it will not be hard for them to click and work together as a whole. But for now, the defense is going to have to play hard these first few games.”

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HART INDIANS

TAKE YOUR PICK Hart High teammates battle for interception supremacy — who's your money on?

By Lorrie Reyes Signal Staff Writer

T

here’s been an ongoing battle in the Hart High defensive backfield.

And it hasn’t been with opposing offenses.

It’s been between senior defensive backs CJ Stokes and AJ Stanley — which one of them can bring in more intercep-

tions.

In 2015, the Hart defense tallied a Foothill League-leading 19 picks. The then-juniors combined for 14 of them.

“I think it was the first game (against Downey High) when we both got one (interception),” Stokes, a cornerback, says about when their friendly rivalry began. “We are both very competitive players, and

it’s always just been a competition with us.

“We’ve always wanted to be the best DB — not only on the team, but in the league, in the area, the state, whatever it may be. That’s kind of how we are, that’s kind of our instincts.”

For Stanley, though, their duel went back a little further.

“I don’t know about him, but for me it started sophomore year on JV,” Stanley says. “We were still competing back then. We’re brothers on the field, so we’re always smack-talking each other and competing and seeing who can

get the best of one another. At the end, though, we all know it’s fun, and we all try to make the team better.

“But I think when Friday night comes, and we’re scrapping out there, we always say, ‘Hey man, good luck tonight.

Let’s see how many we can get.’ But in our minds we’re always competing with each other. It’s definitely fun.”

After the duo each pulled down a pick in the opener, they repeated the feat one week later versus Paraclete High of Lancaster.

Stanley pulled ahead with

ABOVE: Hart High senior defensive backs AJ Stanley, left, and CJ Stokes combined for 14 of the Indians' Foothill League-best 19 interceptions in 2015. Stanley recorded five of those against Golden Valley High, good for a single-game school record. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

34 | 2016 Football Preview

two interceptions in Hart’s first loss of the season against St. Bonaventure High of Ventura in the Indians’ third game. But Stokes came right back to tie the season total at four with two of his own against Ventura High in the final preleague game of 2015.

“If you have them on defense and there’s a jump ball, most of the time they’re going to come down with it,” says Hart quarterback Nick Moore. “They’re both crazy on the defensive side of the ball and just ballhawks. It’s nice to know you have that help on defense.”

Stanley again went out in front with a pick against Canyon High, and again, Stokes came back strong against West Ranch High to tie it back up at five.

At the end of their junior seasons, Stanley got the better of his counterpart, bringing down nine interceptions, while Stokes finished the season with five.

The separation came in Hart’s double-overtime victory against Golden Valley High on October 23, 2015, where Stanley had a single-game, school-record five interceptions, the final one sealing the Indians’ win.

“We were tied going into the Golden Valley game,” Stanley recalls of the interception competition. “I got one, I think, in the first quarter and then I got a second one. Right then I was like, ‘I’m going to keep going for the ball and see what happens.’

“God was looking out for me that night — it was a special night. They just kept coming my way, and I was taking advantage of it.”

Stokes was excited to get the win, but he couldn’t help wondering...

“My first reaction was like

awesome, because that was a close game and that was a tough game,” Stokes says. “But I always had that deep feeling inside like, ‘Dang, I couldn’t get at least one of those?’

“But I know the feeling, once one comes it just feel like nothing can beat you. You feel like this is your moment, and that was definitely AJ’s

loss from 2015, and Stanley wants to try to double his efforts and pull down 10 interceptions in a game.

But they both can agree on one thing: They both want to go out on top of the Foothill League standings and end a seven-year reign for Valencia High.

That doesn’t mean they

"I don't know who's going to win. It's going to be hard for AJ to top last season and people might not throw it toward him, so maybe CJ? I don't know."

- Charles Ike, Hart linebacker

moment.”

In Hart’s film session the following day, though, it looked like Stokes could have pulled in a pick that night.

“I compete in everything I do. And if I were to say one person is more competitive than I am it’s AJ,” Moore says about Stanley. “We watched film the next day and AJ actually knocked the ball out of CJ’s hand. We didn’t know that at the time, and it was an ongoing joke that AJ did it so CJ couldn’t catch up to him.

It was just funny. But they’re both competitive like crazy, and it just makes us better.”

The double-OT win over the Grizzlies would not only be the Indians’ final victory of the season, but it was the last time either Stanley or Stokes pulled in an interception.

Moore tore his ACL, and Hart lost its final three games of the season, ending at 7-4 overall.

Stokes and Stanley are using the end of their junior seasons to fuel the pursuit of their goals this season.

Stokes wants to avenge his

won’t continue to battle each other along the way.

“We’re having a bet which one is going to have more

picks at the end of the season, AJ or CJ,” says Hart middle linebacker Charles Ike. “AJ is a really good safety, he’s good at being a ballhawk, so we expect big things from him. And CJ is a really good corner, his technique is really good and he covers his third of the field well.

“I don’t know who’s going to win. It’s going to be hard for AJ to top last season and people might not throw it toward him, so maybe CJ? I don’t know.”

So who is going to win the interception battle?

“Me,” Stokes and Stanley say almost simultaneously.

“Did you really think we were going to say anything else?” Stanley asks.

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2016 Football Preview | 35

GOLDEN VALLEY GRIZZLIES

BUILDING BLOCKS Golden Valley's hope of more Foothill success starts with O-line.

By Craig Leener For The Signal

T

he process of building team chemistry in football begins with an attempt to define what it actually is.

Let’s say team chemistry is defined as the combination of the qualities players contribute to the team and the interactions

between those players.

In that case, the challenge for a savvy football coach might be to assemble players who meet certain criteria — the need to be part of something, the need to be important and the need to be loved.

For Golden Valley High coach Dan Kelley, who lost most of last season’s skill

players to graduation, Grizzly team chemistry in 2016 can be found firmly rooted in the offensive line.

That’s where long-time friends and teammates Joseph Ibrahim, Michael Hawley and Fernando Bajo will band together to serve and protect the newest crop of talent and provide the opportunities needed for success.

“Those three guys bring in a lot of experience in what you need,” Kelley says, “and everybody knows that’s how

you win football games — up front.”

All three are seniors and are undersized for their positions when measured against what is normally on the front lines in the Foothill League. Ibrahim, Hawley and Bajo all check in at 6 feet tall. Bajo is the heaviest at 227 pounds.

So if their collective size alone is not necessarily intimidating to opponents, that leaves the intangibles derived from a friendship that began in the third grade as the three

ABOVE: (Left to right) Golden Valley High offensive linemen Fernando Bajo, Joseph Ibrahim and Michael Hawley all return as starters from the 2015 Grizzlies team, which had the best season in school history . Golden Valley won its first two Foothill League games ever and recorded a program-best six wins. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

36 | 2016 Football Preview

linemen are about to enter their fourth season together at Golden Valley.

“They’re like my brothers,” says Ibrahim, a team captain and the Grizzlies’ left guard.

“I wouldn’t trade them for anybody.”

Bajo, the team’s right guard, also spoke of a deep kinship when describing his brethren on the O-line.

“We’re just hard workers,” he says. “If someone falls, we give him a hand and pick him up.

We’re all brothers out here.”

The strength of that alliance was tested last year.

Golden Valley enjoyed its first-ever winning season, finishing at 6-4 overall, but it closed out Foothill League play at 2-3. It was a deceptive record for a team that could have easily gone 4-1 in league and punched its ticket to the postseason.

In the regular-season finale against Saugus High with the chance to close out Foothill action with more wins than losses, the Grizzlies took a lead into the fourth quarter but lost, 12-10, after the Centurions kicked a late-game field goal.

Earlier in the season, Golden Valley had its heart sledgehammered when the team fell to Hart High at College of the Canyons in double overtime, 24-21, after giving up a lead in the fourth quarter.

“I was so upset, I couldn’t drop a tear,” Bajo says of the loss to Hart. “It was terrible. I don’t want to go through that ever again.”

Neither do Ibrahim or left tackle Hawley, so they’ve all been hard at work on the practice field since January to prepare for the Aug. 26 season opener on the road at Antelope

Valley High.

“I was happy with the way our program played in league last year, and we’re going to build on it this season,” Kelley says. “I think the kids believe in themselves and believe in the program and in what we’re teaching them.

Being confident in what you’re doing is a big part of the game, and I think the seniors on our offensive line are a large part of that.”

Ibrahim, Hawley and Bajo, who are all 17 years old, will be asked to look after senior quarterback Josh Valano, who served as understudy last year to signal caller Victor Corona, who graduated.

Also under the protection of Golden Valley’s offensive line will be 17-year-old running back KJ Maduike. In fact, Bajo made the preseason assertion that the offensive line is dedicating the 2016 campaign to Maduike.

“I told him the season is for him,” Bajo says, “because he’s our brother, and he’s got the skills to take it really far.”

Bajo’s proclamation came as a surprise to Maduike.

“I didn’t know that, but it’s really great to hear,” Maduike says.

Maduike was candid when he described the faith he puts in the linemen who will pave the way.

“When I’m running with the ball, those first 10 yards are all them,” says the 5-foot-9-inch, 190-pound senior. “When I see those guys blocking for me, it calms me down. We’ve built chemistry from a young age, and we’re implementing it now in our senior year. The way we mesh is perfect.”

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CANYON COWBOYS

APSAY'S EPIPHANY Youngest in line of Canyon High brothers finds that he too was born to be a Cowboy.

By Jon Stein For The Signal

C

amden Apsay has spent more years on the Canyon High campus than some of the school’s own employees.

The senior, who plays both varsity football and basketball, remembers filming his oldest

brother Coley’s varsity basketball game when a jubilant chant from the student body sent prideful goosebumps crawling down his skin.

“Kiss my Apsay!”

A few years later, as a ball boy for the varsity football team in eighth grade, he again heard Canyon’s student body erupt for another older

brother, Cade.

“Kiss my Apsay!”

His brothers laid an athletic foundation at Canyon, one Camden wasn’t sure he could, or even wanted to, live up to.

“Whenever I was compared to my brothers before eighth grade, I hated it. I hated being compared to people that I wasn’t. Going into freshman year, I was supposed to go to (Santa Clarita Christian School) and I was supposed to create a name for myself outside of Coley and Cade,” he says.

Separating himself from the legacy of his brothers was always going to be an impossibility on the Canyon campus.

And Camden was as aware of that fact as anyone.

The name, in recent history, is virtually synonymous with Cowboys athletic success.

Eldest brother Coley and middle brother Cade both have their names entrenched on the school’s gymnasium wall — plaques prominently display their Male Athlete of The Year honors won in 2012 (Coley) and 2014 (Cade).

ABOVE: Canyon High's Camden Apsay was the Cowboys' leading receiver in 2015. He caught 29 passes for 397 yards and two touchdowns. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

40 | 2016 Football Preview

Coley was a standout star on the basketball court, with Cade’s success coming on the football field.

With that sort of history, Apsay may have been the name on the back of Camden’s jersey, but it wasn’t the name that he wanted to define him.

“I was too worried I wouldn’t be able to live up to the expectations, and I didn’t want that pressure on me,” Camden says. “It was a lot.”

But the closer Apsay was to catching passes for the Cardinals rather than the Cowboys, the more he began to realize where he truly belonged.

He belonged at Canyon. He belonged home.

“I realized no matter what I do; no matter where I go. It’s all because of them,” he says.

“I’ve been taught everything on a field or court or life from them, and I realized that I shouldn’t hate the fact I’m being compared to them, I should feel honored. I’ve realized Canyon is where I belong.

Canyon is a home to me.”

Camden was wrong about one thing, though: His jersey might say Apsay on its back, but it didn’t take him long to prove he’s his own person.

Like his two brothers before, he is motivated to succeed athletically, but he places a much larger emphasis on academia.

He has a goal of placing his name on the gym wall near Coley and Cade’s. It’s just that his goal isn’t to be the school’s most athletically gifted student.

It’s to be the school’s most academically gifted athlete.

Camden’s eyes are set squarely on another award: Student-Athlete of the Year.

He still wants to win on the field, of course. He just wants to pull straight-A’s while doing so.

“He’s always been more successful in the classroom

he might be its most poignant.

“He’s a pretty positive kid,” Coley says of his youngest brother. “I think for Camden, he leads by example. He’s a pretty shy kid, and he’s quiet.

"When I tell people about my brothers, I say Coley is the basketball guy; I'm the football guy; And Camden is the everything guy.

He's the overall, it's like a child 3.0."

- Cade Apsay, former Canyon quarterback

than me,” Cade says. “When I tell people about my brothers, I say Coley is the basketball guy; I’m the football guy; And Camden is the everything guy. He’s the overall, it’s like a child 3.0.”

If Canyon ever needed someone with the best qualities of Coley and Cade to walk onto its football field, it’s now.

The Cowboys finished a disappointing 2-8 overall last season, settling for fifth place in the Foothill League.

As much as the team struggled physically, it imploded mentally.

“I consider that season as a lesson that teaches us that we need more leadership, we need effort,” Camden says. “Last season, what it came down to was coach was trying to teach effort, but you can’t teach effort.”

Apsay’s effort was never questioned in 2015, leading the team in receptions with 29 and yards with 397 in his first year of varsity football.

Quiet by nature, Apsay prefers to lead with character, not force.

He’s far from the team’s most outspoken athlete — but

But when he does speak, they listen.”

Camden’s been listening, too.

His sophomore season, already called up to the varsity basketball team, he drained a three-point shot on the hardwood to help Canyon beat crosstown rival Golden Valley High.

He heard a familiar sound coming from the bleachers.

“Kiss my Apsay!” they chanted. “Kiss my Apsay!”

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WEST RANCH WILDCATS

BREAKING FROM BAD New West Ranch coach looking to turn Wildcats around after winless league season.

By Dan Agnew For The Signal

R

esist the temptation to compare this situation to Canyon High School in 2010.

Chris Varner was the head coach of that Canyon team, his last year leading the program, and he’s the new man in charge of West Ranch High this year.

The comparisons pretty much stop there.

Canyon was a traditional football power when he took over, whereas West Ranch is a program still in its infancy having only existed as a varsity team since 2006.

That was the same year Canyon won a state championship with Varner on the coaching staff.

West Ranch isn’t anywhere near the same scenario.

“It’s culturally very, very different than it was at Canyon,” Varner says of West Ranch.

“This is not predominantly or traditionally a football school.

At Canyon, a lot of things kind of took care of themselves.

Now that being said, the pressure was much greater there. …

It’s really been about coming here and being on campus and getting kids excited, getting the school excited about football.”

Varner is returning to head coaching for the first time in five years, but his passion for

the game never waned. He worked as a color commentator on Fox Sports West’s coverage of high school football games, and he even took on a small role helping out Canyon’s football team for part of last season.

The coaching itch was always there, but his time away has brought him newfound perspective and humility.

“It was really when I stepped away from coaching when I realized you think it’s a bigger deal than everyone else thinks it is,” Varner says.

At West Ranch, Varner has

ABOVE: First-year West Ranch coach Chris Varner, center, sees seniors Hunter Anderson, left, and Jake Rice as the kind of character players with which to build a new foundation. The Wildcats went 3-7 overall in 2015. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

42 | 2016 Football Preview

inherited a team that went 0-5 in Foothill League play last season before graduating its starting quarterback, its most productive wide receiver, best offensive lineman and several key defensive players.

In essence, it’s a clean slate.

And he intends to build the program from the ground up.

“My first impression of him was that he was intense,” says senior running back Jake Rice of the new coach. “Not scary, but he was really passionate about this, and he really seemed to care even though he hadn’t met us yet. He seemed like he really wanted to do something here, and I really liked, right off the bat, that it was go-time from the second we met.”

Because Varner also took a teaching job at West Ranch,

he’s able to meet with players after school for film breakdown and weight-room sessions before practice. Off-campus coaches don’t usually have such

“He is also looking out for our future,” Anderson says of Varner. “He’s like a father figure to us all. Not only is he a good coach and he wants us to

"My first impression of (coach Varner) was that he was intense. Not scary, but he was really passionate about (football)."

- Jake Rice , West Ranch running back a luxury.

Players like Rice and senior safety Hunter Anderson – two of the few returning varsity starters on the team – noticed right away how much extra time the players are getting with the new coaching staff and how much it’s paying off in both football and non-football terms.

be the best team out here, but he wants us to have a good future and become young men.”

It’s one thing to lift weights and watch film, though. Varner recognized that personalities like Rice and Anderson are critical to establishing the new norm. Both players have been in the program since they were freshmen and both are dedi-

cated to turning things around at West Ranch.

“It seemed like they’re the ones that brought the attitude,” Varner said of the senior duo. “They’re the ones that would sort of jump into that leadership role if necessary. They were the ones who would hold people accountable.”

This team won’t be expected to turn everything around overnight. And because of that, this team isn’t going to dwell on wins and losses as much as it will look for things that are less tangible but perhaps more meaningful.

Words like improvement and potential come to mind.

Those words can be the first bricks of the foundation.

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SANTA CLARITA CHRISTIAN CARDINALS

MAKING THE RIGHT READ Tristan Miller found what he wanted at SCCS, not under Texas' Friday night lights.

By Paul Putignano For The Signal

T

here is an aura that surrounds football in Texas, something different that gives “Friday Night Lights” a unique tone.

But Tristan Miller, then a

young sophomore quarterback at Earl Warren High School in San Antonio – enrollment somewhere around 5,000 students — wanted something else.

A new environment.

A new challenge.

A new level of unity.

His family, already planning to move to Southern California to live closer to Miller’s grandparents, stumbled upon Santa Clarita Christian while searching for a new school.

Since then, Miller has not only established himself as a commanding talent, he’s earned the respect of his newfound teammates.

“What Tristan was able to do with only eight weeks of training was incredible,” says

SCCS head coach Garrick Moss, of Miller’s 2015 season.

“Now, with a full offseason of training, studying the playbook with (offensive coordinator Chazz Anderson), he’s really taken ownership of the offense. He could really have a huge year. He really could.”

As a junior new to Anderson’s complex college-style spread offense, Miller threw for 3,476 yards and 41 touchdowns, helping the Cardinals to a second-place finish in the

ABOVE: Santa Clarita Christian senior quarterback Tristan Miller is the catalyst of the Cardinals' prolific offense. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

44 | 2016 Football Preview

San Joaquin League, their highest finish since the league expanded to six teams in 2012.

He threw for three or more touchdowns in nine of 11 games, twice throwing six scores and once amassing seven. He also threw 24 interceptions, but there’s reason to believe he’ll minimize turnovers in his second year in the system.

“That was the result of a great team behind me,” he says. “Coming here, it was a lot more responsibility. I think things were a lot more set in Texas, where it was a simpler offense. Coach Anderson just knows what we are capable of.

“At first, it was a little overwhelming, but all the guys were helping me, and the coaches were so dedicated.”

That unity was ultimately

what drew the young pocket passer to SCCS. The Miller family learned of former Cardinals quarterback Jonathan Saavedra’s school-record-setting 2014 season, when he threw for 3,703 yards and 49 total touchdowns.

Then they paid a visit to the campus in the spring.

Miller knew instantly he was home.

“First and foremost, from a faith standpoint, Tristan has grown a ton. For us, that’s a foundation for not just football, but for everything we do,” Anderson says. “In just a short time, he has grown into a pretty incredible young man who’s really been embraced by the team and by the SCCS community.

“From a football standpoint,

he really loves the game. He’s a student of the game. He’s very cerebral. For him, that’s a competitive advantage.”

Lineman Tommy Shields can attest to the transition as well.

“Last year, he came into it extremely serious and not really knowing what he was getting into,” Shields says. “This year, he’s more loose. He still takes it very seriously, but he knows what to expect now.”

He loves it.

All of it.

The game.

His team.

The chance to compete.

“He’s pretty impressive,” Shields says. “For a quarterback, he’s definitely very ahead of the curve on weightlifting.

He lifts a lot more than a lot of our linemen. The other day,

he went in at right tackle. It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. … He does not shy away from responsibility. Anything you need him to do, he’s the first to do it.”

Trading the limelight of a Texas football field has given Miller something greater than football.

More than 30 new family members to fight for.

That could spell trouble for the Cardinals’ opponents.

“Back in my old school, obviously it was way bigger and there were less upperclassmen trying to help teach the up-and-coming players,” he says. “A big factor is us being a Christian school. We are always looking out for each other.”

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2016 Football Preview | 45

TRINITY CLASSICAL ACADEMY KNIGHTS

LESSON RECEIVED Trinity wideout DeMarois learned a lot about himself in time away from football.

By Haley Sawyer Signal Staff Writer

R

yan DeMarois sat in the grass singing “Take Me Home Tonight” after Trinity Classical Academy’s first day of two-a-days.

“It’s the only song I know,” the wide receiver says of his song choice.

It’s the same old song, but

not the same old dance for DeMarois.

After playing 11 games and accumulating 407 yards receiving his freshman year, he was set to continue to improve on the field in his sophomore year.

Instead, he only touched the field once.

He injured his hip running down to cover a kickoff.

“When I came back and played that one game, I felt great. Running, cutting, I did put in a lot of work before that,” DeMarois says. “I was just running like crazy and then when that happened, it was like, ‘Oh, this sucks.'”

A hip injury kept him from football, and later basketball.

Now, he’s ready for a fresh start with the boys of fall.

“Ryan is a great athlete. His potential is unlimited,” says coach Les Robinson. “He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s smart, and we

haven’t been able to unleash him. It’s been frustrating for him, for us and the school.

Everybody knows that we’ve got this beast. He’s here, but we can’t unleash him.”

Robinson noted DeMarois is one of his physically strongest players. At 220 pounds, he benches 260. He’s spent countless hours in the weight room building up strength and concentrating on the muscle around his hip, which he had surgery on in December.

“He trains really hard,” says

ABOVE: Trinity Classical Academy wide receiver Ryan DeMarois only played in one game last season due to a hip injury. He was the Knights' second-leading receiver as a freshman in 2014. Playing 8-man football that year, he caught 33 passes for 407 yards and eight touchdowns. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

46 | 2016 Football Preview

senior running back Caden Kulp, who has played with DeMarois since their Pop Warner days. “As hard as anyone I know, and he’s always out there trying to get better.”

Quarterback Tyler Lee is DeMarois’ best friend. The two spend time hanging out by the pool or playing catch for fun, and Lee’s eager to take their casual games of catch under the lights.

“He’s one of my favorite people to throw to. He catches everything,” Lee says. “It’s going to be great, being able to throw to him and we get a touchdown together and celebrate.”

DeMarois’ injury would have made quitting sound like a good idea, but DeMarois says the grind is what makes the sport worth it. It’s been that

$

way ever since he was a kid in Pop Warner.

“I would just cry about everything,” he said of his early football years. “Coaches yelled at me and you just start bawling your eyes out because no one has ever yelled at you before. That just gets you tougher

" Coaches yelled at me and you just start bawling your eyes out because no one has ever yelled at you before. That just gets you tougher..."

- Ryan DeMarois, Trinity receiver

and like, when your parents ask you, ‘Do you want to play again?’ you’re like, ‘Yeah.’”

DeMarois said that he had usually been in the starting lineup for most of his athletic

rts s o p s al c i s phy

30

career, and although sitting out last season killed him inside, the sideline life gave him a new perspective.

“I have so much more respect for the guys that don’t get in as much,” he said. “You have a whole other level of respect for them just coming out. Maybe

they’re not going to get in one game or the next game, but they’re there. They’re still trying to help the team.”

He found himself excelling in an unexpected role. Players

began approaching him with problems or aches that they didn’t tell coaches for fear of losing playing time.

He was in limbo between player and coach, and he was OK with that.

“I’ve built my trust up with all the guys on the team and it’s just ... it sucks sitting out, but also it was fun. It was a whole new experience for me,” DeMarois says.

“I learned that sports isn’t my whole life, even though that’s what I live for. But I can still function without it, and I can still be a great teammate to the guys that are playing and aren’t playing.”

But this year, he will be playing. And that’s a dance that never goes out of style.

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SCV WEEKENDS The following is a list of current four-year college football players and NFL players who either played high school or college football in the Santa Clarita Valley.

College Rhett Almond, Brigham Young, sophomore, (Hart) Triston Brown, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, junior (COC) Israel Cabrera, San Diego State, RS freshman (Canyon) Liam Cabrera, San Diego State, RS freshman (Canyon) Alec Chadwick, Houston Baptist, sophomore (Valencia, COC) D’errick Chambers, Lindenwood University, junior (COC) Jacob Chobanian, Chapman University, sophomore (Hart) Caleb Clarke, Brown, freshman (Golden Valley) Anthony Costleigh, Henderson State, junior (Valencia, COC) Jeff Coprich, East Carolina, senior (West Ranch) Tony Dawson, Houston Baptist, senior (COC) Brody DeRevere, Aurora University, freshman (SCCS) Egidio DellaRipa, Vanderbilt, junior (West Ranch, COC) Caleb Durst, Chapman, junior (Trinity) Loni Fonua, Minot State, senior (COC) Isaiah Foster, Murray State, junior (COC) Anthony Fowler, Illinois State, sophomore (COC) Linwood Foy, Louisville, junior (COC) Jake Gilliland, University of La Verne, freshman (Golden Valley) Wyatt Hixon, University of Sioux Falls, grad student (COC) Trent Irwin, Stanford,

sophomore (Hart) Patrick Isacsson, Nichols College, junior (Golden Valley) Leon Jacobs, Wisconsin, junior (Golden Valley) Jonathan Jerozal, Stetson, senior (Canyon) Zach Kelley, Coastal Carolina, senior (Valencia, COC) Davis Koppenhaver, Duke, RS sophomore (Hart) Patch Kulp, Whitworth, junior (Trinity) Niko Lachman, Occidental College, senior (Valencia) Austin Lee, Linfield College, senior (Hart) Kerner Mark, Coe College, freshman (Saugus) Ryan McAleenan, UNLV, senior (COC) LJ Mealancon, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, junior (COC) Kristian Megowan, Southeastern Louisiana, senior (COC) Cole Murphy, Syracuse, junior (Valencia) Austin Murillo, Coastal Carolina, senior (Hart, COC) Eli Newman, Robert Morris University, Illinois, junior (COC) Nick Nowakowski, Utah, RS senior (West Ranch) Will Pretty, Northern Michigan, junior (COC) Blake Porter, Northern Arizona, junior (Hart) Dakota Prochnow, Benedictin College, senior (Trinity) Alex Rassool, UCLA, RS sophomore (West Ranch) Alonte Riley, Faulkner University, junior (COC) Jarrett Rodriguez, Cal Lutheran, freshman (Golden Valley) Billy Shipman, Cal Poly

48 | 2016 Football Preview

San Luis Obispo, senior (Valencia) Jacob Shore, Occidental College, sophomore (Hart) Jacob Smith, Faulkner University, junior (COC) Joshua Stanton, Sacramento State, sophomore (Valencia) Tedric Thompson, Colorado, senior (Valencia) Julian Torres, University of La Verne, freshman (Golden Valley) Garrett Updegraft, Kansas Wesleyan, junior (Hart, COC) Brady White, Arizona State, sophomore (Hart) Chase White, Wheaton College, junior (Hart) Tim White, Arizona State, redshirt senior (Hart, COC) Jay Jay Wilson, Arizona State, sophomore, (Valencia) Connor Wingenroth, Colgate, junior (Hart) Drew Wolitarsky, Minnesota, senior (Canyon) Martin Zdimal, University of Redlands, sophomore (Hart)

NFL Karim Barton, Houston Texans (COC) Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins (Hart) Domata Peko, Cincinnati Bengals (COC) Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants (COC) Mychal Rivera, Oakland Raiders (COC) Brock Vereen, Kansas City Chiefs (Valencia) Shane Vereen, New York Giants (Valencia)

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VALENCIA

Continued from page 12

be really special,” said 12thyear coach Larry Muir. “I think it really does.”

Some of that falls on the coaches and their ability to teach the youngsters.

“The more we teach, the better off we’ll be,” Muir said.

“I think the kids have absorbed a lot. They had a really good summer, one of our best summers in a while.”

Valencia graduated nine All-Santa Clarita Valley players, and four other starters transferred, headlined by leading-receiver Riley Herrera (Oaks Christian) and NCAA Division 1 prospect Ely Doyle (Alemany High).

The Vikings, though, return two starters on the offensive line — center Eric Lieberman and left tackle Parker Kernek — and their quarterback, kind of.

Senior Aaron Thomas took over under center when starter Cole Parkinson broke his leg in the first round of the CIFSouthern Section West Valley Division playoffs. Thomas then threw for 347 yards in a 16-14 loss to Chino Hills High in the quarterfinals. Muir, for one, doesn’t believe it was a fluke.

“I think he’s the best unknown quarterback in Southern California,” Muir said.

Thomas will be throwing the ball to a talented but largely unknown group of receivers, too.

Senior Tim Wiggins (32 catches, 291 yards, two touchdowns) is the leading returner, and senior Brendan Adam saw time last year. The newcomers hold tremendous upside, as Muir sees both junior Zion Dunson and sophomore Mykael Wright as D1 prospects.

“The kid has amazing hands, some of the best I’ve seen,” linebacker Tariq Speights said of Wright, who will miss the first two games after transferring

from Antelope Valley High.

“He attacks the ball.”

That mirrors the running style of Haynes and Wilson, who will operate by committee in the backfield, along with junior Carson Sato.

Senior Effie Davalos, Valencia’s leading rusher last season (614 yards), broke his leg on the first day of official practice.

It was a clean break, according to Muir, and the team hopes to have him back sometime in league play, where Valencia has dominated the last seven years.

Finding continuity on a defense that returns just two starters appears to be the biggest obstacle to an eighth straight title.

“We’re going to need to learn how to play team defense,” Muir said. “I think that will be the big thing. I think experience is going to be one of the big deals. As long as they go to work everyday and learn to play together, we’ll be in a good place.

“There’s a lot of talent there.

It’s just a matter of learning how to do responsibilities.”

Speights and senior linebacker Clay Pokorny are the veteran starters. Speights made 63 tackles before tearing his ACL in Valencia’s seventh game last year. Pokorny made 46 stops and three interceptions. Both players entered fall camp battling for starting spots with senior Jordan Trujillo and juniors Anthony Hernandez, Reilly Royce, and Sato.

“I think it could be any kind of mix,” Muir said.

Sophomore Ben Seymour will start at one defensive end, likely with junior Michael Parker at nose guard and junior Josh DeNeal at the other end.

The line has daunting shoes to fill after the graduation of Tayler Manuel and Jermaine Brown, a duo that combined for 33 sacks and 40 tackles for loss in 2015.

In the secondary, Muir likes the size of his corners — Wiggins (5-11) and senior Ryan Haith (6-2) — and the physicality of his safeties: Wilson, senior Garlon Wizzard and junior Max Gutierrez.

Muir also likes to challenge his team in preleague play.

And as hard as it is to believe, this year’s slate looks more difficult than last year’s.

The three toughest games in 2016 are against Chaminade, Newbury Park and Calabasas, all loaded with Division 1 prospects and commits.

The focus at Valencia, though, is Foothill League titles, and rough preleague outings generally turn into spotless league runs.

“There’s always pressure in Santa Clarita to keep ‘the (re) peat’ alive,” Thomas said. “...

I have faith in my team that we’ll keep the peat.”

NOTABLE

VALENCIA

RECORDS Rushing yards in a game: 420 - Steven Manfro (2010) Rushing yards in a season: 2,553 - Steven Manfro (2010) Rushing yards in a career: Manuel White (1996-99) 6,704 Touchdowns in a game: 7 - Manuel White (1999) Touchdowns in a season: 41 - Steven Manfro (2010) Touchdowns in a career: 75 - Steven Manfro (2009-10) Receptions in a game: 11 - Nick Hale (2007) Receiving yards in a game: 234 - Nick Jones (2013) Passing yards in a game: 477 - Sean Murphy (2012) Passing yards in a season: 4,069 - Michael Herrick (2004) Passing yards in a career: 11,022 - Michael Herrick (2003-05) Passing TDs in a season: 38 - Sean Murphy (2012)

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2016 Football Preview | 49

DIVIDING LINES CIF-Southern Section playoff division shake-up gives local teams different playoff paths.

The CIF-Southern Section now places high school football teams into playoff brackets based on power rankings that take into account a team’s regular season record, strength of schedule and performance in the playoffs over the previous two seasons.

Here’s a look at where each Santa Clarita Valley team landed, and the teams each could face in their division's 16-team postseason.

West Ranch

Valencia

DIVISION 9 (29 Schools)

DIVISION 2 (18 Schools) Notre Dame/ Sherman Oaks Chino Hills San Clemente Oaks Christian Norco

Redlands East Valley Westlake Citrus Hill St. Bonaventure La Habra Crespi

El Toro Camarillo Arroyo Grande Great Oak Heritage Murrieta Valley

Hart

DIVISION 3 (19 Schools) Palos Verdes Thousand Oaks Buena Park Edison Rancho Verde Los Alamitos

Newbury Park St. Francis Villa Park La Serna Oak Hills Cathedral

Serrano Santiago/Corona La Mirada San Juan Hills Paso Robles Atascadero

Canyon & Saugus DIVISION 6 (22 Schools) West Covina San Marino Yucaipa Bonita West Torrance Mira Costa Paramount

Summit Newport Harbor Palmdale Oxnard Los Altos Paraclete Elsinore

Crescenta Valley Lawndale Nipomo Wilson/Long Beach Simi Valley Pomona

Golden Valley DIVISION 7 (23 Schools) Cabrillo/Long Beach Huntington Beach Pacifica/Oxnard Diamond Ranch South Hills Royal Canyon/Anaheim San Gorgonio

El Segundo St. Margarets Episcopal Monrovia Ayala, Ruben Norte Vista Righetti Tustin Warren

50 | 2016 Football Preview

St. Paul Millikan North Torrance Claremont Fullerton Linfield Christian

Palm Desert Esperanza Silverado Woodbridge La Salle Antelope Valley Santa Barbara Notre Dame/Riverside Burroughs/Ridgecrest Eastside

Aliso Niguel Mayfair El Rancho Cypress Perris South Torrance Maranatha California Norwalk

Muir Hesperia Kennedy Valley Christian/Cerritos Lynwood Arrowhead Christian Diamond Bar Morningside Agoura

SCCS & Trinity DIVISION 13 (84 Schools) Rio Hondo Prep Rancho Christian Knight Ocean View Beverly Hills Cantwell-Sacred Heart Webb Rowland Glendale Godinez Temple City Cerritos Santa Ana Windward Bloomington Desert Mirage Indio Azusa El Monte La Puente Hueneme Mary Star of the Sea Malibu Western Christian McAuliffe, Christa Campbell Hall Anaheim Granite Hills Hoover

Ganesha Jurupa Valley Santiago/Garden Grove Costa Mesa Nogales Magnolia Glenn Lancaster Boron Alhambra South El Monte Laguna Beach Littlerock Wilson/Hacienda Heights Southlands Christian Excelsior Charter Santa Clara Indian Springs Gabrielino Yucca Valley Orange St. Bernard Garey Arroyo Valley Savanna Rialto Blair Nuview Bridge

La Quinta/Westminster Mountain View Loara Fairmont Prep Sierra Vista Century San Gabriel Hamilton Firebaugh Gladstone Mammoth Desert Christian/ Lancaster Duarte Don Bosco Tech California Military Bolsa Grande Mark Keppel Workman Marshall Riverside Prep California School/Deaf (CSDR) Santa Rosa Academy Sherman Indian Temecula Prep Upland Christian Acadent Carnegie

SAUGUS

Continued from page 14

is dealing in the now,” Bornn said. “Just because we were successful last year doesn’t mean anything for us this season. Every year is a new animal. Each year there is a different chemistry, a different skill set and a different identity.”

The Centurions’ identity last season was built around a stubborn defense and an opportunistic offense, a group that gained confidence as the season progressed behind the play of quarterback Louis Eusebi, who became the first Saugus athlete since Desi Rodriguez in 2008 to earn league Player of the Year.

Saugus’ defense remains a source of strength this season, with juniors Nathan Eldridge and Elijah Gragas presented with the challenge offensively of taking over at quarterback after Eusebi passed for 1,468 yards, rushed for 800 yards and accounted for 15 total touchdowns.

Eldridge appeared in eight varsity games last season, passing for 98 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Gragas competed at the junior varsity level.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence in both of them, and we’re comfortable with either one of them in the game,” Bornn said. “We’re excited about what they bring to our offense.”

Perhaps the biggest source of excitement for the Centurions’ coaching staff revolves around the receiving corps.

Despite Saugus graduating Jaime Whisler and Cameron Combs, who combined for 68 receptions and 767 yards last year, the Centurions have plenty of playmakers available, led by seniors Jared Pane,

Coleman Vanderhorst and Chase Seyforth.

Pane had 28 receptions for 304 yards and one touchdown last season, but should be a featured target in Saugus’ spread offense, which also includes seniors Gary Bojorquez at slot receiver and Daniel Gilmartin at tight end.

“Pane is one of the most dynamic players in the league and Seyforth and Vanderhorst are both very athletic receivers who give us a lot of depth,” Bornn said. “I’m happy with our skill guys and I’m happy with the flexibility of our guys because that gives us a lot of options.”

The picture isn’t as clear at running back for Saugus, especially trying to replace graduated talent David Aubrey, who was second to Eusebi last year with 546 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Bornn expects four or five players, including promising junior Quinn Sheaffer, to get carries in an attempt to keep athletes fresh with several Centurions competing on offense, defense and special teams.

Although the Centurions have to replace graduated all-league honoree Kerner Mark, depth on the offensive line will also be valuable for Saugus, led by seniors David Lemus and Jeff Lytle, juniors Christopher Christensen and Richard Meza, and sophomore center Nathan Tripp.

Although Blake Walkowiak’s status at tight end is uncertain as he awaits medical clearance as a result of concussion symptoms, the senior remains optimistic about the Centurions’ potential.

“Our offense is even better than the past year with more experienced linemen, a dualthreat quarterback and an experienced receiving corps,” Walkowiak said.

Walkowiak was also instrumental in Saugus’ defensive success last year with 48 tackles and seven sacks, but the all-league second-team selection is just one of many talented veterans for the Centurions.

Saugus graduated defensive backs Zach Preciado and Anthony Salinas, linebacker Austin Giraldo and league Defensive Player of the Year Michael Stanford, who anchored the line at nose tackle.

But the presence of Jaelin Kinney at defensive end, along with Tahjeem JohnsonRahmaan and Gilmartin at linebackers, contributes to a formidable front seven for the Centurions, who won five of their final six regular-season games last year before falling to Upland in the first round of the CIF-SS West Valley Division playoffs.

“This year’s identity for the defensive group is unique and it will be hard to replace the seniors that helped our defense do excellent things last season,” Kinney said. “Regardless, we still have great players who will step up and help the defense complete its goals.”

Kinney had 56 tackles and a team-leading 11 sacks, Johnson-Rahmaan produced 54 tackles and three sacks, with Gilmartin contributing 43 tackles and five sacks. Juniors Tyler Hamsten and Jimmy Stirwalt have the potential to be impact players at linebacker, with seniors Noah Turner and Bojorquez anchoring Saugus’ secondary.

“We want to rotate as many kids as possible on defense and get them as much game experience as we can to make sure they’re ready for league,” Bornn said. “It’s nice to have a number of guys coming back, but until you get on the field and start playing games,

everyone is untested and unproven. For us the (preleague games are) about improvement because our primary focus is always on winning a Foothill League championship.”

Although Eusebi handled the majority of the kicking responsibilities last year, converting seven field goals and six PATs, Saugus has experience on special teams with senior Logan Miller and junior Tanner Brown. Miller produced 20 PATs for the varsity and Brown kicked at the JV level last season.

“They are both very competent kickers who come from soccer backgrounds, and we’re confident in their abilities,” Bornn said. “We don’t treat special teams as an afterthought. We want to make sure our best athletes are on special teams because we know how valuable those situations can be in winning games.”

NOTABLE

SAUGUS

RECORDS Rushing yards in a game: 387 - Ryan Zirbel vs Golden Valley (2007) Rushing yards in a season: 2,281 - Ryan Zirbel (2007) Rushing yards in a career: 5,234 - Ryan Zirbel (2006-2009) Touchdown in a game: 6 - Desi Rodriguez (2008 vs.

West Ranch) Touchdowns in a season: 36 - Desi Rodriguez 2008 Receiving yards in a game: 256 - Nathan Steele (1999) Passing yards in a game: 380 - David Parker vs. Simi Valley (1999) Passing yards in a season: 3,234 - David Parker (1999) Passing yards in a career: 5,451 - David Parker Passing TDs in a season: 42 - David Parker (1999)

2016 Football Preview | 51

HART

NOTABLE

Continued from page 16

my expectations. (Our defense) has a lot of chemistry. We mesh more. We trust each other.”

The Indians graduated a lot of talent from 2015, headlined

by All-Santa Clarita Valley first-teamers Nelson James (804 yards rushing, 15 touchdowns) and Brock Williams (719 yards receiving, 42 receptions, six TDs), along with wide receivers Ethan Lazarek (566 yards, 37 receptions, four TDs) and Dominic Carrillo (509 yards in 45 receptions, two touchdowns).

The good news for the Indians is that Moore returns for his senior season, and he’s ready to build on a stellar 2015 that was cut short (1,856 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 420 yards rushing and six TDs).

“I was just thinking back to last year, and I can’t even really remember a lot of last year,” Moore said. “It’s not like I had a concussion or anything, but I didn’t play for the last three weeks. I missed a lot of football time, but I missed a lot of time with my buddies and just hanging out.

“I love just being back on the field, and I love throwing the football. I love reading defenses and just doing all that stuff. It’s just fun to be back out there.”

This year, Moore will be throwing to new receivers and handing off to a new running back.

Only senior wide receiver Grant Thuente returns as a starter. In his junior year, he tallied 146 yards on 16 receptions in nine games played.

He’ll be joined by seniors Daniel Madison and Jack Sheehe, along with newcomer Da’Von Jones, a junior.

Strong safety AJ Stanley is also expected to line up at

52 | 2016 Football Preview

HART

RECORDS Rushing yards in a game: 293 - Connor Wingenroth (2013) Rushing yards in a season: 2,249 - Delano Howell (2007) Rushing yards in a career: Delano Howell (2004-07) 4,537 Touchdowns in a season: 41 - Ted Iacenda (1994) Touchdowns in a career: 99 - Ted Iacenda (1993-95) Receiving yards in a game: 279 - Trent Irwin (2014) Receiving yards in a season: 1,812 - Trent Irwin (2014) Receiving yards in a career: 5,106 - Trent Irwin (2011-14) Hart High senior running back Chase Garcia (2) has big shoes to fill in the Indians backfield this season. Signal file photo.

wideout.

Senior running back Chase Garcia also has big shoes to fill.

As a junior, behind James, he rushed for 168 yards on 48 carries with two touchdowns.

“For a scrimmage and in a (preleague) game, we’re going to work on the running game to see where it stands,” Herrington said. “We’re not going to shy away from it. We want to see what we can do with that.”

Herrington and company aren’t shying away from the passing game, either.

He said the Indians are always going to throw a little more than they run.

“But we have to take advantage of what the defense is trying to take away from us and do the opposite,” Herrington said. “If they’re trying to stack the line and take away the run, we’re going to throw.

If they can play soft on us and take away the pass, (then we’ll run).”

The Hart defense, though, can take away both the pass and the run with one of the best defensive secondaries in the Foothill League.

Senior cornerback CJ Stokes is joined by returners Justice Provost and Thuente, along with Stanley and Jones at safety.

In 2015, the Hart defense

Passing yards in a game: 540 - Brady White (2014) Passing yards in a season: 4,841 - Kyle Boller (1998) Passing yards in a career: 10,504 - Brady White (2012-14) Passing TDs in a season: 59 - Kyle Boller (1998)

is an all-out player. I think with the right motivation and leadership, if we can get there, this defense is just going to flourish.”

" I see great potential in this defense.

We have athletes all across the board."

- AJ Stanley, Hart safety/wide receiver

tallied a league-best 19 interceptions, with Stokes (five picks) and Stanley (nine) leading the way.

“I see great potential in this defense. We have athletes all across the board,” Stanley said.

“There’s not one guy, across the board, that you can’t say is good. Everyone on our defense

And don’t forget the defensive front seven, led by Ike, a middle linebacker and All-SCV first-team defender.

In 2015, he finished second in the Foothill League with 131 tackles.

As he said earlier, he isn’t looking to finish second in anything this year.

NOTABLE

GOLDEN VALLEY

RECORDS Most points scored in a game: 48 vs. Hoover (2008) Passing yards in a season: 2,035 - Najee Coleman (2007) Passing touchdowns in a season: 19 - Najee Coleman (2007) Rushing yards in a season: 1,393 - Earl Johnson (2011) Rushing touchdowns in a season: 11 - Earl Johnson (2011) Receiving yards in a season: 845 - David Malinoski (2007) Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley and the Grizzlies broke through for their first-ever Foothill League win last season, a 35-6 win over Canyon after which Kelley received an ice bath, as seen here. Golden Valley won't catch anyone off-guard this season. Signal photo by Katharine Lotze.

GOLDEN VALLEY Continued from page 18

Gone is a majority of the major offensive threats that led the Grizzlies, like quarterback Victor Corona, running back Jesse Camacho (Foothill League leading rusher, 825 yards, and All-Santa Clarita Valley Football first-team offense) and wide receiver Julian Torres (second in receiving yards, 726 yards, AllSCV Football first-team offense).

And on a defense that only gave up 170 points in 10 games and racked up 31.5 sacks, the Grizzlies lost linebacker Bryan Barrera (91 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2015 All-SCV first-team all purpose), linebacker Trevor McKnight (80 total tackles, four sacks, 2015 All-SCV first-team defense) and defensive back Jake Gilliland (65 tackles, All-SCV second-team defense) to graduation.

But following up the most successful senior class is a new talented group of 23 seniors that Kelley is confident in turning the team over to.

“I’m (most excited about)

the senior class and the way they’ve grown throughout the years,” Kelley said. “They’ve pretty much been together since freshman year, and they’ve been successful. They were a good JV team, we had a good year last year. I think the tradition that we’ve set in the last couple of years is something they’re trying to keep going.”

Hoping to make some tradition of his own is senior Grizzly quarterback Josh Valano, who will get his first opportunity to start after backing up Corona during his junior year. The talented pocketpasser will get a lot of help from his experienced offensive line that returns three starters from last year’s squad.

Fernando Bajo, the Grizzlies’ emotional leader on the field, moved from center to right guard this season, while Joseph Ibrahim returns to the line at left guard and left tackle Mike Hawley will be joined by center Cameron Wills and right tackle CJ Ravenell.

They’ll block and try to create holes for senior running back KJ Maduke who tallied 277 yards on

50 carries and punched the ball into the endzone four times.

“He’s been doing really well at practice and I think it’s going to be his year,” Bajo said of Maduke.

“One of the things that’s really impressed me and the offensive line is his speed and how well he can hit the holes. I think he’s an amazing player.”

Junior wide receiver Jalin Lewis will try to fill Torres’ shoes after a successful junior varsity career.

“I think we’re going to be good or better at those positions with these guys,” Kelley said of Valano, Maduke and Lewis.

Despite losing a strong core of tacklers, the Golden Valley 4-2-5 defense will be fast.

Senior defensive end Tai Brown looks to follow up a strong junior campaign with a team-high eight sacks and 31 total tackles in 2015. And Lavelle Calvin lines at cornerback for the third year in a row after totaling 23 tackles as a junior.

Lewis will add to Golden Valley’s quickness at corner, along with free safety DJ McIntyre, strong safeties Devin Lewis and Kai Shelton and Sylmar High

Receiving touchdowns in a season: 10 - Isa Bey (2010) Passing yards in a game: 362 - Najee Coleman (2007) Passing touchdowns in a game: 5 - Najee Coleman (2007) Rushing yards in a game: 345 - Earl Johnson (2011) Longest play from scrimmage: 97 yards - Earl Johnson rush (2011)

transfer DJ Turner at defensive end.

“There’s definitely a confidence, but I wouldn’t say it’s from last season doing well,” Brown said.

“I think it’s just from seeing what we’ve done so far, working hard.

What the last team did, this isn’t the same team anymore. We have to make it happen for ourselves.

Not only do we have a lot of different players, but we have a different mindset.”

The mindset is to continue to compete in the Foothill League, and then some.

“My players want to win the league and we’ve proven last year that we can play in the league,” Kelley said. “Raising the bar and having that as one of our goals is reachable. But we have to play great football, especially in the big games. But, I think they’re all big games.”

2016 Football Preview | 53

CANYON

Continued from page 20

pens is you get to a point where you’re not coaching football, you’re coaching effort. It’s hard to prepare when you’re trying to coach effort.”

In the minds of the 2016 Cowboys, the upcoming season isn’t so much a rebuild, but a rebirth.

The goal isn’t a slow climb up the Foothill ladder from

goal.”

Overly optimistic?

Perhaps.

But talent wasn’t, and still isn’t, lacking in Canyon Country.

Fallin, now entering his senior season, returns for his third stint under center for the varsity squad, and he is still the same guy who exploded onto the Foothill League scene in 2014 to earn The Signal’s Newcomer of the Year award.

Canyon senior quarterback Miles Fallin is looking to cap his three-year varsity career with a season more like his sophomore year than 2015. Signal photo by Dan Watson.

fifth to competitive; it’s a season where the phoenix climbs out of the ashes of 2015 and flies off competing for a league title. “(The goal) is to bring Canyon football back to its tradition,” said wide receiver Jake Gavin. “A strong, hard-tobeat team.”

Quarterback Miles Fallin took it a step further.

“The goal is a Foothill League title. And it’s a realistic

54 | 2016 Football Preview

In that stellar debut season, Fallin threw for 2,808 yards and 18 touchdowns. Those numbers fell to 1,855 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

The offense, by Gutierrez’s own admission, went conservative last season, and Fallin’s numbers suffered due to the lack of experienced weapons around him.

But the team returns 17 of its 22 starters on offense and defense, and the addition of

experience and team leaders who learned as much about what not to do last season as anything, should help the Cowboys considerably.

The offensive line features returning All-Santa Clarita Valley lineman and senior Colton Costanza at left tackle, senior Tim Huss, who returns after missing time due to injury last season, at right tackle, senior Justin Hamalainen at center and sophomore Max Graham at right guard, with left guard still up for grabs.

The Cowboys expect the added experience at offensive line will give Fallin the time he needs to find an equally experienced group of wideouts.

“We have a lot of guys that have experience, especially at wide receiver and running back and the line,” Fallin said. “A lot of guys on both sides of the ball with experience so there’s a lot less question marks than last year.”

Leading Fallin’s receivers is Camden Apsay, who was first on the team last season with 397 yards and two touchdowns on 29 receptions and has been nearly lifelong teammates with the quarterback.

“Apsay’s a great receiver,” Fallin said. “I’ve played with him since I was 7 years old. He and I are on the same page.”

Seniors Jivanni McKoy, Jake Gavin and Brian Stuart will also be out wide, with fellow senior Andrew Quezada also receiving playing time this season.

McKoy (strong safety), Apsay (free safety) and Gavin (linebacker) will all work doubletime, starting on the defensive side of the ball, as well.

Brandon Wilson and Roland Hardson start at corner for a defense that is just as experienced as the offense.

Behind Fallin, the team will count on senior running back Brian Devereaux, who sat out

last season due to CIF-Southern Section transfer rules.

Devereaux spent last season on the sidelines, watching the team he couldn’t join.

“I wished I could play,” he said. “We needed to play hard and have some heart. There was a big lack of leadership and a give-up attitude.”

Now, the team feels like that’s a thing of the past.

And they’re ready to right the ship.

The last time Canyon won only two games in a season was 2009 — the Cowboys followed that up with a 10-2 campaign and reached the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division quarterfinals in 2010.

The 2016 squad expects a similar turnaround.

NOTABLE

CANYON

RECORDS Most rushing yards in a game: 333 - Jeff McKinley (1996) Most rushing yards in a season: 2,159 - J.J. DiLuigi (2006) Most career rushing yards: 4,037 - Ed Williams (1991-93) Most touchdowns in a game: 6 - J.J. DiLuigi (2005) Most touchdowns in a season: 43 - J.J. DiLuigi (2005) Most career touchdowns: 83 - J.J. DiLuigi (2004-06) Most receiving yards in a game: 301 - Chris Rivas (2008) Most receiving yards in a season: 1,628 - Drew Wolitarsky (2011) Most career receiving yards: 5,148 - Drew Wolitarsky (2009-12) Most passing yards in a game: 425 - Miles Fallin (2014) Most passing yards in a season: 3,448 - Nate Longshore (2003) Most career passing yards: 8,178 - Jonathan Jerozal (2009-11)

WEST RANCH

Continued from page 22

tied for third-most in the Foothill League. Fortner followed with 60 tackles and five sacks.

“I’ve always played with Jordan, and he’s always impressed me,” Georgio said.

“He’s a really good linebacker.

He’s always where he’s supposed to be, and I’m really confident in him. Especially from what he’s done last year and what he’s done at the beginning of this year.”

Mark McClafferty returns for his senior year at defensive end. He closed out last season with 44 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Senior Hunter Anderson will again roam the secondary after making 42 tackles and an interception as a junior.

Another player to watch is senior Wyatt Eget, who will serve as the starting quarterback.

Eget made his first varsity start last season against Hart High when then-starting quarterback Jackson Clark was out due to concussion

protocol. Eget saw action in nine games and passed for 351 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Wildcats are hoping he’ll build on a strong offseason.

“I have a lot of faith (in him),” Varner said. “He’s a great kid, he works hard, and hopefully we can kind of make the offense conducive to his strengths.”

With last season’s go-to running back Paul Riccio out for the season with a knee injury, West Ranch had to find a replacement. Koby Garcia may be at the top of the list.

With the lack of depth at the running back position, Garcia, a senior, is about to get a lot more experience on the field. Jesse Sepulveda, a senior tackle, and Nate Racina, a senior center, look to be the top returners on the offensive line.

Individual performance is important, but West Ranch’s whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Everyone is accountable in Varner’s culture.

“I don’t think it was as serious (in the past),” Georgio said. “Of course no one

wanted to lose. No one just said, ‘Hey, let’s go out there and lose,’ but we weren’t as serious about winning and it started in practice and it started in the preseason and offseason.”

Varner has simplified everyday practices. Individual sessions are comprised of technique drills and tackling drills.

The team is faced with rigidly scheduled and structured practices, a reflection of Varner’s attitude combined with his military background.

“A lot of things changed,” Sepulveda said. “Before we kind of did whatever and now we’re starting to be more energized and more focused and trying to get more serious about practicing.”

The Wildcats are hopeful those changes will be apparent when it’s time to take the field.

“We’ve always had the underdog attitude, but we’ve started to get this attitude of urgency and just making now the time,” Georgio said. “We can’t wait. We can’t put anything off. We have to get going and get into the season.”

NOTABLE

WEST

RANCH

RECORDS Rushing yards in a game: 213 - Jeff Coprich 2011 vs Nordhoff Rushing yards in a season: 1,246 - Jeff Coprich 2011 Rushing yards in a career: 1,939 - Garrit Mouw 2011-2012 Touchdown in a game: 3 -Ross Bacon rushing (2008)/ Adam Varga-Thompson receiving (2015)/Jordan Hunt receiving (2015) Touchdowns in a season: 24 - Jeff Coprich (2010) Receptions in a game: 12 - Zachary Heinz (2014) Receiving yards in a game: 222 - 265 - Adam VargaThompson (2015 vs. Pasadena) Passing yards in a game: 412 - Jackson Clark (2014 vs.

Knight) Passing yards in a season: 2,096 - Connor Eichten 2010 Passing yards in a career: 3,428 - Connor Eichten 20092011 Passing TDs in a season: 24 - Connor Eichten 2010

THE ALL-SCV FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Since 1977, The Signal has awarded the All-Santa Clarita Valley Football Player of the Year award to the area’s best player that season.

1977 – Chris Adams, Canyon

1987 – Darren Renfro, Hart

1997 – Manuel White, Valencia

2006 – J.J. DiLuigi, Canyon

1978 – Scott Hansen, Saugus

1988 – Brian Allen, Hart

1998 – Kyle Boller, Hart

2007 – Delano Howell, Hart

1979 – Joey Charles, Hart and Steve Shane, Canyon

1989 – Howard Blackwell, Hart

1999 – Manuel White, Valencia and Pat Norton, Hart

2008 – Desi Rodriguez, Saugus

1991 – Ryan Connors, Hart

2000 – Colin McNeil, Canyon and Kyle Matter, Hart

2010 – Steven Manfro, Valencia

1992 – Deriek Charles, Hart

2001 – Matt Moore, Hart

2011 – Ryan Gorman, Valencia

1983 – Rick Burton, Canyon

1993 – Sorren Halladay, Hart

2002 – Cody Kase, Hart

2012 – Sean Murphy, Valencia

1984 – David Sipes, Canyon

1994 – Ted Iacenda, Hart

2003 – Kevin Ciccone, Hart

2013 – Connor Wingenroth, Hart

1985 – Randy Austin, Canyon

1995 – Ted Iacenda, Hart

2004 – Michael Herrick, Valencia

2014 – Trent Irwin, Hart

1986 – Jim Bonds, Hart

1996 – Cody Joyce, Hart

2005 – J.J. DiLuigi, Canyon

2015 – Cole Parkinson, Valencia

1980 – Mike Lucas, Canyon 1981 – Dean Herrington, Hart 1982 – Tim Morrison, Canyon

1990 – Tim DeGroote, Hart

2009 – Steven Manfro, Valencia

2016 Football Preview | 55

SCCS

Continued from page 24

get to spring ball. The amount of work they put in with the coaches. “… This year has been different. They’ve been all in.

They’re closer.”

Last year, the Cardinals finished 7-3 overall and 3-2 in league, tied for second place. It was their highest finish in the San Joaquin standings since 2011, when there were only four total teams.

But not only has the team been all in when it comes to weight lifting and studying film, they’ve also been all in when it comes to versatility, and that could be the gamechanger for SCCS this season.

“We feel we have a lot of guys that can play in a lot of spots,” Moss said. “We are thin as far as numbers, but deep in talent and versatility.”

One spot that remains secure, however, is quarterback, which will once again be anchored by standout signal-caller Tristan Miller. Now a senior, the transfer from San Antonio set the San Joaquin League on fire last year with 3,476 yards and 41 touchdowns.

He’ll have senior All-CIF wide receiver Jacob Moss and senior Tyler Kalinske as his top targets.

Despite losing Caden Brenner and Ethan Schwesinger to knee injuries during the offseason, the Cardinals’ deep receiving talent is expected to keep their college-style spread offense – which often features four-wide sets – moving downfield.

With the combination of Seth Yu, whom Moss calls “the quickest back we’ve ever had,” and Texas transfer Isaiah Kammerdiener coming out of the backfield, Moss has added reason to be confident.

“They can change our world

56 | 2016 Football Preview

Santa Clarita Christian wide receivers Tyler Kalinske (18) and Jacob Moss will be a crucial part of the Cardinals' pass-heavy offense in 2016. Signal photo by Dan Watson.

offensively because teams will have to check the run,” he said.

SCCS’s success begins on the offensive line, where the team replaces three starters from last year’s squad. However, this year’s front five, led by Tommy Shields and Brandon Phillips, isn’t expected to miss a beat.

In fact, Moss said, “We feel we have more depth on the offensive line and can be really good.”

The 2016 season is the Cardinals’ third in offensive coordinator Chazz Anderson’s system.

And with greater experience and understanding, SCCS expects big things in terms of execution – especially in a fastpaced, no-huddle offense.

“It’s all-encompassing,” said Moss of the offense, “from the quarterback to the offensive line.”

Defensively, X-factors Michael Brooks and transfer Noah Nnabuo will complement Shields and Phillips on the line and could add extra athleticism that has new defensive coordinator Josh Kristoff champing at the bit.

“This 4-3 defense that Kristoff runs, there’s a lot you can do from it,” Moss said.

“Different looks and pressures.

It’s really exciting to watch.”

That’s the difference with this year’s SCCS defense.

Rather than trying to overpower opponents, Moss said this year’s schemes will focus on disruption.

Senior linebacker Logan Eagle will take over command of the defense, while a rotating core of Blaike Orth, Billy Latch, Valencia High transfer Aiden Espinosa, Kalinske and Jacob Moss will each play prominent roles in the second-

ary.

For Garrick Moss, the most telling signs that this year could be special came months ago.

“We’ve had some great groups over the years put in work in the weight room, but this is the biggest,” he said. “It’s crazy how much trust goes into a football team. You have to know your teammate has your back and has your best interests in mind.

When you see your teammates in the weight room, it develops a different level of trust.”

That trust will be tested beginning Aug. 26 at Horizon Christian Academy in San Diego.

And it will continue to be tested all the way until Nov. 4, when SCCS takes on defending San Joaquin League champion Saddleback Valley Christian.

The Cardinals wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We want to make some noise and win league,” said Moss.

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TRINITY

Continued from page 26

4.86. MIT, Columbia and the University of San Diego are all on his radar for the next level of education.

Robinson credits Trinity’s academic curriculum for the Knights’ success on the field.

On the first day of two-a-days, the team had already been introduced to 100 plays.

“They have no problem digesting it,” Robinson said.

“We’re small in size so we have to be more cerebral. We have to be smarter than the teams we play in order to defeat their purposes. We outthink them.”

“I’ve noticed a lot of our younger guys picking up things fast,” Kulp said. “The plays, the routes, the blocks and the defensive movements.

People on this team just pick up things fast, and I think that comes from our education at the school. We just learn well, and we’re able to put this to practice on the field.”

Smarts come naturally to the players, but developing a cutthroat attitude is something they struggle with.

“You got to grow horns and

tail and pitchfork on Friday,” Robinson said. “They’re good kids. And they’re kind and caring, and I say, ‘Guys, you’ve got to let that go on Friday night. You’ve got to find that other guy and let him breathe a little bit. Just for 48 minutes.’”

Someone who had that attitude was Ian Caddow, a tight end/linebacker lost to graduation. He was just about everything the team needed on either side of the ball. His attitude rubbed off on some players, particularly Kulp.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time and I’ve never coached a kid who had to make the tackle. He had to make the tackle,” Robinson said of Caddow.

“Caden Kulp is that kind of player,” he said. “Caden Kulp is what I call a silent storm.

He’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

When he puts these shells on and a helmet, he absolutely transforms into something else. He doesn’t make any noise, he’s quiet, he’s polite, he’s kind. But he’s deadly.”

Kulp has noticed the void in leadership since Caddow’s departure and is one of the

players stepping up to replace him on the team.

Particularly, he’s been helping out incoming freshmen who have little to no game experience.

“I want to be there for them and teach them because I’ve been through it,” Kulp said.

“I know what it feels like to come into it as a freshman and not know many of the guys and not know what I’m doing. (I want to) let them know that I’ve been through this before, and if you put in the hard work, you’ll get there in the end.”

One guy crucial to Trinity getting there is junior Tyler Lee, who is entering his second year as starting quarterback.

“We learned how to grow up and be men,” Lee said of last season. “Eight-man was a lot easier. We had easier competition. Everyone had to step it up. Play both ways.

It was actually fun playing both ways, but it was a lot of conditioning.”

Lee said despite Caddow’s departure, he still feels confident in the offense, handing off to Kulp or throwing to

wide receiver Ryan DeMarois, who missed the majority of last season because of a hip injury.

Sophomore Luke Masters and junior Hobbs Christopher will return on the line this year. Masters had 34 tackles, 21 of the solo variety, and two forced fumbles in his eight games as a freshman. Christopher registered 22 tackles and two sacks for a total loss of 12 yards in seven games.

Robinson expects a good first team on each side of the ball. Beyond that, the team will constantly be progressing.

They’ll be doing it in a league this year, too, after playing last year as a freelance team.

Trinity is in the Prep League with Firebaugh High of Lynwood, Polytechnic School of Pasadena and Rio Hondo Prep of Arcadia.

“We’ve just got a lot of young, good kids that we need to toughen up, and I think they’re going to be great,” Robinson said. “We see a lot of potential. It’s just a matter of being patient.

“It’s going to be an odyssey.”

THE SIGNAL VICTORY BELL The Signal Victory Bell symbolizes football supremacy in the Santa Clarita Valley. The Foothill League team with the most victories against other Foothill opponents wins possession of the bell for a year. If there is a two-way tie for best record, the bell will go to the winner of the head-to-head matchup. If there is a three-way tie, the top seed for the Northern Division playoffs from the Foothill League receives the bell.

1969 — Hart 1970 — Canyon 1971 — Hart 1972 — Hart 1973 — Canyon 1974 — Hart 1975 — Hart 1976 — Canyon 1977 — Hart 1978 — Saugus 1979 — Canyon 1980 — Saugus 1981 — Saugus 1982 — Hart 1983 — Canyon 1984 — Canyon

1985 — Canyon 1986 — Canyon 1987 — Hart 1988 — Hart 1989 — Hart 1990 — Canyon 1991 — Canyon 1992 — Hart 1993 — Hart 1994 — Hart 1995 — Hart 1996 — Hart 1997 — Hart 1998 — Hart 1999 — Hart 2000 — Hart

2001 — Hart 2002 — Hart 2003 — Hart 2004 — Valencia 2005 — Canyon 2006 — Canyon 2007 — Hart 2008 — Saugus 2009 — Valencia 2010 — Valencia 2011 — Valencia 2012 — Valencia 2013 — Valencia 2014 — Valencia 2015 — Valencia

2016 Football Preview | 57

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8/19/2016 4:33:10 PM