Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Signal
Four local teams remain following the first round of the Southern Section playoffs as three will host their respective quarterfinals matchups this weekend with a shot at the semifinals on the line. Here’s a look at this week’s matchups: Calabasas vs. Saugus The Centurions advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division 7 playoffs following a come-from-behind win over the Schurr Spartans. The Centurions have another home game at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium. This week, the Calabasas Coyotes come into town in what will be a favorable matchup for Saugus as the Centurions ride a five-game winning streak, all at home. The Coyotes, who are 6-5 overall, won 31-24 over El Segundo in the first round with quarterback Dominik Hardy throwing three touchdowns in the performance. If the Centurions want to come out on top on, they’ll need their record-breaking quarterback in Jake Nuttall to have a repeat performance as the senior threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Nuttall will have a good opportunity to do so and lead his offense to another explosive day as the Coyotes’ defense gave up 399 total yards to El Segundo in the first round. Friday’s game between the Centurions and the Coyotes kicks off at 7 p.m. at College of the Canyons. Hart at Palm Springs The Hawks secured their first playoff win since 2019 and did so with a big offensive performance in the first round of the Division 7 playoffs. Quarterback Jacob Paisano and running back Matix Frithsmith ran for a combined 308 yards and tallied four touchdowns between them in the win on 27 carries. All year long, the Hawks’ offensive identity has been utilizing the ground game with Frithsmith as he led the Foothill League in rushing and receiving yards. And if the Hawks are going to win on Friday, they’ll need Frithsmith and the offense to have another big game. The Palm Springs Indians carry a 10-1 overall record and opened the first round with a home win over Claremont. But what makes the matchup difficult for the Hawks is the Indians’ defense, as they held Claremont to seven points and recorded 66 total tackles. This week’s matchup will be tough for the Hawks as the team will need to travel from Santa Clarita to Palm Springs, a trip that in itself is physically demanding. Friday’s game between the Hawks and Indians is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Palm Springs High School. Pioneer vs. Trinity History was made for Trinity Classical Academy as last weekend the Knights earned their first 11-man playoff win in the program’s history. And it was a historic performance on a historic night to open the Division 14 playoffs. Quarterback Andrew Carlson and running back Hudson Sweitzer combined for 625 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The Knights will look to carry that offensive production into the quarterfinals against last season’s Division 14 champions, the Pioneer Titans. The Titans finished the regular season with a 4-6 overall record and opened the first round with a 42-21 win over Godinez Fundamental. The Knights will have a favorable matchup as the game will be a designated home game for Trinity. Friday’s game between the Knights and Pioneer is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Hart High School. Cate vs. SCCS After securing an at-large berth into the eight-man Division 2 CIF-SS playoffs, the Santa Clarita Christian School Cardinals’ season remains alive following a win over the Public Safety Academy Phoenix on Saturday. This week, the Cardinals host the Cate Rams, who went 3-7 overall and recorded a blowout win over United Christian Academy in the first round. And for the Cardinals, the 77-22 win over the Phoenix was the largest margin of victory for teams participating in the Division 2 bracket in what would be must-needed momentum for the Cardinals after being outscored by their opponents in the regular season. The Cardinals will have a favorable matchup to pick up another win as the Rams have also been outscored all season. Saturday’s game between the Cardinals and Cate is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at Hart High School.
