Golden Valley
2017 Year in Review 2018
Considered the underdog for most sports in the Foothill League, Golden Valley High School has embraced the role and ran with it since the schools’ inception in 2004.
“You get kids from all walks of life at GV,” said Golden Valley softball head coach Daniel Soto. “The kids have this air about them that they are different than the rest of the league and they take a lot of pride in that. Being the underdog and being different.”
Accepting the role, Soto’s softball team surpassed all expectations by finishing the year second in the Foothill League behind undefeated Valencia with an overall record of 18-5.
“I think we already see it with the girls coming in,” Soto said. “They have these expectations to be good. They have this idea about GV football, but now this is a good place to play softball. The first year, I didn’t see the same perspective from girls coming in and now, they do.”
Having already established a reputable team after winning eight games a year ago, Golden Valley’s football team made history in the 2017-2018 season by making it all the way to the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 title game for the first time in program history.
“We knew we had a talented football team,” Grizzlies football head coach Dan Kelley. “It was kind of an up-and-down start for us but once we got situated to where we could be consistent, that’s when we were able to make the run we did.”
Jumping out to a 4-1 record to begin the season, the Grizzlies’ baseball team struggled
under first-year head coach Matt Sorensen, but managed to show some flashes of skill and vast signs of improvement as they return some key players.
Golden Valley’s track and field stars Jalen Davis (100-meter race), Yleana Lopez (400-meter race) and Joshua Ballard (long jump) headlined the Grizzlies team and were named to the All-League team. Shyann Franklin (shot put and discus) made it through to CIF state finals taking second place in the shot put.
Finishing the season 13-14, the Golden Valley girls basketball team finished the Foothill League season strong with a 73-59 win against West Ranch to earn their first league win and push them into the CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs where they fell to eventual champions, Beverly Hills.
In a building season, the boys basketball team showed up to every game with the same fight and will that they started the season with. Finishing Foothill League play with three wins, the Grizzlies beat a second-place Saugus team in January and pushed Valencia to the brink in a thrilling overtime game.
After an exciting year in various sports, the Grizzlies will look to improve on the goals and standards that they have set throughout the season, knowing that they can only grow and improve from here on out.
“The Foothill League is like the Pac-12,” Kelley said. “If you look around the San Fernando Valley and even Ventura County, it’s one of the toughest leagues and we take a lot of pride in that. Everyone is proud of their school and the accomplishments.
“I don’t want to say that (Golden Valley) works harder, but we try. That’s the goal, to stay ahead of them. But that’s the sense of pride and what we try to instill in our student-athletes, that we need to outwork everyone.”