WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN SCV FOOTBALL
Prep football: As camps get underway, SCV teams form identities and storylines
With the start of the prep football season a little over two weeks away, teams across the Santa Clarita Valley have plunged into camp and have started to shape their identities for the season to come.
Here are some of the top storylines so far from SCV football teams:
The undefeated season Valencia football enters this year as the reigning undefeated Foothill League champions. They’ve held the title of league champs for a decade now, completing what was dubbed the “10-peat” last season.
The Vikings enter this season confident in their abilities once again, but one team might stand in the way of an 11th league title.
Hart has a plethora of talented returners at multiple positions, including quarterback Zach Johnson, who is currently the only Division 1 commit in the league after choosing the University of California, Berkeley, earlier this summer.
The Indians want an undefeated season just as badly as the Vikings do, and the outcome of this year’s Hart/Valencia game could look a lot different than last season’s 34-7 win in the Vikings’ favor.
“In my opinion, (it’s the) No. 1 game,” said Hart running back Taden Littleford. “Beat the streak. We want to end that, and I feel ... this is the year. It’s everything we keep working hard to do. It’s going to be a good game this year and hopefully, we come out on top.”
New Cowboys coach
Although Canyon football has one of the most storied histories of all the Foothill League teams, it hasn’t had a winning season since 2013. New coach Joe Maiale wants to change that.
Maiale’s only connection to the Cowboys prior to this season was through his brother, George, who was the defensive coordinator last year.
“I think a strength is that I’m an outsider in many ways,” Maiale said. “My brother was the defensive coordinator here last year and will be this year, but we’re changing what we do defensively. It’s new terminology all over the place, changing the way we do things, the tempo.”
There is a renewed sense of urgency at Canyon’s practices and there are key returners on the roster, including quarterback Aydyn Litz, but the Cowboys will have to prove their new identity when the season starts on Aug. 23 against Crespi.
The Eget trilogy
West Ranch has had an Eget at quarterback every year since 2015. This year, the youngest of the trio, Walker, is up.
The oldest, Wyatt, is at the University of Tennessee, Martin; the middle brother, Weston, is at the New Mexico State; leaving Walker with the keys to the Wildcats’ offense.
Walker has yet to play a varsity snap, but his teammates say he plays very similar to his brothers. Standing at 6-foot-1, he has the tangibles and has developed his game by participating in multiple quarterback camps over the summer.
Hart’s offensive line
The offensive line at Hart has had inconsistent play over the past few seasons with its fair share of ups and downs.
If the line is going to hit its stride at any time, the ideal time to do it is this season. With a confident field general in Johnson, a handful of receivers who will do anything to make the catch, and an aggressive running back in Littleford, it’ll be important that the O-line does its job well.
“The running game could improve if the offensive line develops like we hope it will,” said Hart coach Mike Herrington.
The return of a healthy Tommy Adame, who plays both offensive and defensive line, could be the spark that the line needs to get going. Adame missed all of last season with an ACL injury, but is expected to be back for his senior year.
No SCCS varsity
While most SCV schools are going full speed ahead into football season, Santa Clarita Christian is pumping the breaks.
The program made the decision to field only an eightman JV team for the 2019 season earlier this week after a series of transfers made it impossible to field a full, competitive 11-man varsity team.
A large graduating class, four linemen moving out of the area and receiver Carson Schwesinger transferring to Oaks Christian caused the number of experienced players to drop to the point that 11-man just wasn’t possible.
The Cardinals’ decrease in participation isn’t a complete shock; numbers have been down across the state of California. Three of the six Foothill League schools saw a drop from the 2017 season to the 2018 season and Canyon dressed less than 30 players for the final game of the season.
SCCS is expected to start its JV season in September.