West Ranch hasn't had much luck against Valencia recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The West Ranch Wildcats will challenge the Valencia Vikings at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
West Ranch took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They managed a 27-21 victory over Canyon.
West Ranch found their leader in sophomore Blake Johnson, who threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground.
West Ranch's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Max Piccolino was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up 3.5 sackshimself. He is becoming a predictor of West Ranch's success: when he posts at least one sack the team is 2-1 (and 2-4 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, Valencia entered their tilt with Castaic on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They strolled past the Coyotes with points to spare, taking the game 52-33. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 138th, while the Coyotes are ranked 371st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Brian Bonner, who rushed for 114 yards and four touchdowns. Nico Funez also helped out with an impressive 122 receiving yards.
West Ranch's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Valencia, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Luke Deperno and Bonner. Deperno has put up some stellar numbers this year, and currently owns excellent season averages of 133 rushing yards per game this season. For his part, Bonner has averaged 131.8 rushing yards per game this season.
West Ranch was dealt a bruising 42-14 defeat at the hands of Valencia in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. Can West Ranch avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
