Foothill League Football Season Preview

With the 2024-25 football season just days away, KHTS will dive into the upcoming season and unpack what happened during the previous season.

Many teams are entering the season with high hopes of improving over last year and continuing their long-term success.

Valencia:

The reigning defending Foothill League Champions are in a position to repeat their success from last season with a solid group of returners and others making their variety debut.

Brady Bretthauer has taken over for the graduated Jackson Askins at quarterback, marking a major change for the Vikings.

Last season, Bretthauer had his fair share of playing time, throwing 208 yards with four touchdowns and 203 rushing yards as the backup quarterback.

Coming into the season, head coach Larry Muir is confident in Brettauer’s ability to play and lead the team.

“He’s an outstanding leader and as a quarterback, I feel like there is a natural part of that, but I think he has done a great job of assuming that role as a quarterback but also as a leader,” said Muir.

One component that Muir champions Brettauer at is his ability to communicate with his teammates and coaches.

“The tone he uses with the people around him is really important, ” said Muir. “Sometimes he’s stern, but a lot of the time he talks to the guys in a way like hey I’m in it with you kind of deal, instead of talking down to somebody.”

While Brettauer contributed to last year’s success, he said he’s not worried about what happened last season. His focus is on creating a new legacy with this year’s team and making a statement.

To help create that legacy, the Vikings have returners Brian Bonner, Isaac Shin and Nick Seymour, who can be significant contributors to their success.

The path to creating a new legacy starts August 23 when the Vikings travel to take on Simi Valley at 7 p.m.

West Ranch:

After falling one game short of becoming the Foothill League Champions, the Wildcats are hungry to reclaim the throne for the second time in program history.

In the backfield, Luke DePerno will reassume the running back position coming off a dominant season that included 20 touchdowns and 1,148 rushing yards in nine games.

West Ranch’s 2023-24 quarterback, Liam McDaniel, transferred to Colony High School in Ontario, leaving the position open for the taking.

At the receiver position, there are big shoes to be filled with the loss of Jack Samuelson, Zach Wyre, Jett Hilst and Zehren Hilton.

Stepping up is Andrew Hamilton, who had 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns off of 15 touches. Hamilton will also have senior receivers Maddux Lomeli and Austin Velicsanyi returning to carry the workload.

The new West Ranch offense will be tested on August. 23 at 7 p.m. when they take on Pacifica at Valencia High School.

Hart:

Following last year’s campaign, it is likely that no other team has experienced more changes than Hart .

The Hawks not only adopted a new mascot but also lost head coach Rick Herrington after 38 years and the dynamic receiver quarterback duo of Shawn Irwin and Timmy Larkins.

Along with them, Hart lost a scoring machine in Chris Clauss, who totaled 12 touchdowns.

Filling those positions will be Jacob Paisano at the helm, beside him Nate Mata and out wide at receiver Parker Maxwell.

Along with the multiple players stepping up this season, the Hawks gained a mountain of a man on the offensive line in Wade Cobbs IV, who stands at  6-5 370 pounds. Overseeing the team is new head coach Jake Goossen-Brown, who is bringing some new ideas for the offense.

“I think the offense is going to be a little different from the normal Hart offenses that they’ve had in the past, but we’re doing mostly the same football things that have always been done,” said Goossen-Brown.

While Goossen-Brown intends to add some new plays to the offense, he still plans to continue the tradition that Rick and his brother Mike Herrington established over the past three decades.

As the Hawks enter a new era, they have a chance to prove they will play with the same amount of heart as previous teams when they host Quartz Hill on August 23. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Cougar Stadium.

Castaic:

Coming off of their best season in program history, the Coyotes are hungry to respect their success and improve in the area they struggled in last season.

Like many other teams, Castaic had multiple key players who graduated and were dominating a season ago, including Paul Lotz, Gage Gibson, Lucas Milan and Cyrus Grandoville.

Each of the previously mentioned players contributed on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, so there will be big shoes to fill this coming season.

Despite the loss, there is a large group of returning players, such as quarterback Tyler Lewis and two-way players Monty Coleman and Logan Mietzner.

The Coyotes are set to play their first game on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. against Adelanto.

Saugus:

Coming off of the worst season in program history, the Centurions have only one way to go and that’s up.

This year’s squad has one of the biggest returning groups in the Foothill League, with nearly 20 players. With many of the returning players being juniors it allows the program to continue to build for the future.

That’s not to dismiss the current group of seniors, who are expected to be big contributors to the team’s success and growth this season.

Following a 0-10 season, the Centurions have nothing to lose and everything to gain as they prepare for the first game of the season against the Bulldogs on Friday at Buena High School.

Golden Valley:

Over the past few seasons, the Grizzlies have been on a rollercoaster ride of success.

Under the leadership of head coach Dan Kelley, the Grizzlies have twice advanced to the championships and have had six winning seasons in ten years.

Between those winning seasons, Golden Valley struggled to keep the momentum and digressed.

In their most recent season, they fell into a downward spiral after finishing 3-7 after making it to the championship just a season prior.

The Grizzlies are steadfast in ensuring that this year is different and that they can turn the misfortune of last season into a championship run, as they have done in the past.

The road to success begins Friday at Canyon High School when the Grizzlies take on Westlake at 7 p.m.

Canyon:

Following last year’s disappointing 2–4 record in the Foothill League, the Cowboys are aiming for a more successful campaign this year.

In preseason play, Canyon was dominant , only allowing 36 points while scoring 165 of its own. Once they entered Foothill League play, however, their productivity dropped, and wins weren’t coming as easily.

A big factor in the Cowboys’ early success was their strong run game, which was shut down when facing league opponents.

If they want to carry their success from preseason into the Foothill League, they’ll need an offensively balanced team that can throw the ball when their running game is halted.

Canyon begins their season on the road Friday against Charter Oak with kickoff at 7 p.m.

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