Every Game Is a Big One for Valencia

Valencia’s game on Friday night against Canyon is for second place in the Foothill League, a big game for the Vikings in just their second year in the league.

But that’s nothing new this season.

“Every week seems like a big game,” Viking Coach Brian Stiman said. “It really hasn’t stopped.”

Entering league play with a 4-1 record for the second consecutive year, Stiman said the team wanted to prove it was better than last year’s 5-5 team.

The 35-28 victory over Saugus last week proved the Vikings were no longer the bottom rung on the Santa Clarita Valley ladder.

Top seed: Bethel Christian High of Lancaster, which completed an 8-0 regular season with a 60-6 victory over Victor Valley Christian last week, will open the Southern Section eight-man football playoffs as the No. 1-seeded team in the large schools division.

The Eagles, who outscored their opponents, 328-54, in seven games on the field this season, will play host to Viewpoint (6-2) on either Friday night or Saturday afternoon at a site to be determined.

Flip for it: Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin Rooney said Tuesday that he, Serra Athletic Director Charles Nash and St. Francis Athletic Director Terry Terrazone will meet either Thursday or Friday for a coin flip to possibly settle the Mission League football race.

The three schools are tied for first with 3-1 league records. Should St. Francis defeat Chaminade tonight and Notre Dame defeat Harvard-Westlake and Serra defeat Bishop Montgomery on Friday, then the coin flip results will be used to determine the league’s first, second and third seeded-teams for Southern Section Division III playoff participation.

Getting defensive: Despite a lack of offensive support and injuries, the Chaminade defense continues to shine. The Eagles rank 10th among area Southern Section teams, allowing an average of 212 yards per game. Chaminade, however, has been shut out twice and scored only three points in two other games.

Chaminade Coach Tim Johnson said the defense would be even better were it not forced to compensate for the Eagles’ offensive shortcomings.

“We’ve given up the big play on defense all year long,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we gamble too much but we have to because we’re trying to get something done.”

Rivas ineligible: San Fernando, with a region-high seven players with at least 100 yards rushing, will be without running back Justin Rivas, who is academically ineligible. Rivas, 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds, gained 201 yards and scored two touchdowns. The Tigers have been bolstered by the return of defensive lineman Julius Askew, who had been ineligible the first eight weeks of the season.