Wildcats tennis earns respect

Call it vindication, call it a victory. The West Ranch girls tennis team, which finished second in the Foothill League but landed in the CIF-Southern Section Division III wild card bracket, proved it deserves respect as the team won its first-ever post season match with a Tuesday victory against Paso Robles. The Wildcats defeated the Bearcats 14-4 at home. When West Ranch head coach Eric Speicker saw the draw and that his team had been ...

The quiz before the test

In its first-ever playoff home match, the West Ranch girls volleyball team was triumphant. The Wildcats defeated Calvary Chapel, the Orange Coast's No. 3 finisher, in the first round of CIF-Southern Section Division I-A playoffs 26-24,25-21,25-19. "We knew what we had to do and we just wanted to have fun." said West Ranch outside hitter Allison Summers. "This is the best we have played in a long time." Summers finished the contest with a team ...

Up and down playoffs start

By Signal Staff The Saugus girls volleyball team exited the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A playoffs.

Valencia brings hammer down

There's a new Hammerin' Hank in town. Katie Hank blasted her way to 13 kills Tuesday, helping Valencia vanquish San Luis Obispo in three sets at home in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A Girls Volleyball Playoffs. The Vikings advanced by winning 25-13, 25-15, 27-25. Hank hammered four kills in the first game and six in the second as the Vikings (20-9) won their fourth match in a row. "We could've shut ...

The growth of Shane Vereen

When do you know when you've truly become a man? There's no experience, like reaching the top of a mountain, that tells you. It's not when hair grows on your chest for the first time. It's a process. And this valley has watched much of Shane Vereen's process. It started when he burst onto the scene as a sophomore running back at Valencia High. One can now see the process on television or in person ...

Served, set and spiked

While the Valencia boys vollleyball squad have grabbed the headlines with several CIF victories over the past few seasons, the girls side has not been as successful.

Local girls golf roundup

Dos Pueblos 204, Valencia 246 At Glen Annie par 35.Sue Chung and Holly Hind led the Vikings by shooting a 47 and 48, respectively. Hart 206, Quartz Hill 215 Brenna Carlson led Hart by shooting an even-par 36 over nine holes. Hart is now 2-0 on the season. Nikki Prichard and Amanda Corr both shot a score of 40. Molli Cayson and Kendall Dusenberry both shot a 45.

A new pinnacle

In comparison to many of the other sports played in the Foothill League, girls golf is still in its early stages. Much of its 10-year history comes from individual success - names like Alexis Arnold, Melanie DeLeon, Stevy Loy and Jasnin Samson, girls who fulfilled their promise in high school and gained college scholarships.

Valencia tennis gets the respect, others don’t

It came as no surprise to Valencia girls tennis head coach Annie Kellogg that her Vikings team was highly positioned in the CIF-Southern Section Division III brackets - released Monday. The team sat near the top of the CIF polls all season and currently holds the No. 2 spot.

The difficult road ahead

Behind a powerful three-headed monster in the form of quarterback Steven Borden, receiver Colin Mayhugh and running back Collin Keoshian, Santa Clarita Christian School's football team is a proven force in 8-man competition. The Cardinals, currently ranked No. 5 in the CIF-Southern Section Division I 8-Man Football, will kick off the first round of playoffs hosting West Shores of Salton City Saturday at a time to be determined.

Tennis girls raise a racquet

It will probably be the same old story in girls tennis in 2008, with perennial Foothill League champions Valencia once again edging Hart for the title.

They’ve been served

The brackets for the CIF-Southern Section postseason were released Sunday with one big local surprise. It was expected that Valencia, West Ranch and Saugus would all be postseason bound, but Hart secured a surprising at-large bid.

Cardinals show off spirit of 76

While Santa Clarita Christian School was able to end their season on a high note, they are now forced to play the waiting game.

Finally!

The Valencia High public address announcer gave it his best. Every free chance he stumbled onto, from the first quarter through the fourth, he reminded the crowd to stay off the field for the conclusion of Friday's showdown between Valencia and Saugus. He had to know it wasn't going to work. The Centurion fans never had an opportunity to celebrate a Foothill League championship before. There was no keeping them from exploding, blue-and-white colored streamers ...

Hart avoids being ‘the one’

Oh, what could have been. Or what should have been. Had it not been for two plays and a couple of costly penalties, West Ranch might have won its first game against one of the Santa Clarita Valley's Big Four. Instead, arguably the preeminent program in this valley's history squeaked by the fledgling Wildcats 18-13 Friday night at Cougar Stadium. "When the final tick went off, I let off a big exhale," said Hart quarterback ...

Saugus volleyball ends Valencia's 112 match Foothill winning streak

Hart swim storms out of gate, Valencia sweeps Golden Valley

The Hart Indians swim team didn't waste much time flexing its muscle in opening up the Foothill League season.

West Ranch baseball picks up first Foothill League win of 2013

Regardless of how West Ranch Wildcats baseball got the win, the important thing is it got the win. The Wildcats are now on the board in Foothill League play after a 10-1 win over the Golden Valley Grizzlies on Wednesday at Golden Valley High. "It's a win and we needed to have one," said West Ranch head coach Casey Burrill. "If we want to find ourselves at the end of the season competing for a ...

Bats carry Canyon High baseball over Saugus

The Canyon Cowboys baseball team stuck to its script on Wednesday afternoon. Once again, Canyon's bats got hot early and the Cowboys jumped out to an early lead en route to a 9-4 victory over the Saugus Centurions at Canyon High School. Canyon (7-3 overall, 2-1 Foothill League) was aggressive from the start, scoring four first-inning runs to put Saugus in an early hole. Canyon starting pitcher Max Weinstein held up his end as well, ...

Valencia baseball puts it all together

There's a reason why many people thought going into Foothill League baseball play that the Valencia Vikings were the team to beat.

West Ranch's Kevin Harris chooses UCSD

West Ranch senior guard and 2013 Foothill League Boys Basketball Player of the Year Kevin Harris committed this week to play basketball for the University of California, San Diego. Harris averaged 19 points per game in Foothill League play leading the Wildcats to their first-ever outright league title. He was also an All-Foothill League and The Signal All-Santa Clarita Valley first-teamer as a junior. Harris, a 4.08 GPA student, had other interest, according to West ...

Canyon track and field's Devin Baldwin: Endless tenacity

Foothill League girls track and field preview: Turnover effects

Foothill league boys tennis teams play openers

The Valencia Vikings picked up right where they left off last season, defeating the Saugus Centurions 15-3 in Tuesday's Foothill League opener at Valencia High School.

Foothill League boys track and field preview: Separation time

Five girls receive All CIF-SS honors from Foothill and Omega leagues

Led by Hart High's Sophie Cortes and Valencia's Taylor Venegas, five athletes from the Santa Clarita Valley earned All CIF-Southern Section honors when the teams were announced on Monday.

Valencia's David Myers and Cameron Braun: Side change

A year ago, the Valencia Vikings boys tennis pairing of Cameron Braun and David Myers walked all over the Foothill League when they went undefeated in league play before capturing a first place trophy at the year-end Foothill League tournament.

2013 Foothill League boys tennis preview: Chasing the same favorite

In recent years, the Valencia Vikings boys tennis team enters the Foothill League season as the clear favorites to capture a title, and all but once in the past 10 seasons have they failed to live up to that billing.

West Ranch's Tanner Skabelund: Only one way

Tanner Skabelund grew up in an environment that demanded a lot.

Foothill League 2013 boys volleyball preview: Teams have a lot to live up to

It's hard to figure out which team has more pressure on it.