Daily News Football Countdown: No. 7 West Ranch looks to make more program history
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As we head into the 2022 high school football season, the Los Angeles Daily News is publishing preseason coverage that includes team rankings and lists of the top players to watch by position.
The season begins the week of Aug. 18-20.
DAILY NEWS TOP 10 COUNTDOWN
No. 7 West Ranch
Coach: Chris Varner, 7th season
2021 W-L record: 8-3, 4-1 Foothill League
Top returners: Ryan Staub, QB, Sr.; Chaz Hilst, WR, Sr.; Maverick Diaz, WR, Sr.; William Sidel, DB/WR, Sr.; Sean Scott, DL/OL, Sr.; Max Johnson, OL/DL, Sr.; Griffen Nibargar, OL/DL, Sr.; Grayson Gill, DB, Sr.; Conner Reyes, LB, Sr.; Brady Van Bennekum, LB, Sr.
Key losses: Dylan Cotti, WR; Dylan Roof, RB; Tommy Wunsch, OL/DL.
Newcomers: Isaac Ellis, WR, Sr.; Jayden Martin, DB, Sr.; Tyler Jones, DB, Sr.; Luke Deperno, RB, So.; Tyler Scott, DB, Sr.
VARNER SAYS…
Team’s biggest strength: “Senior leadership and experience.”
Team’s biggest challenge: “Staying healthy and maintaining focus.”
TEAM OUTLOOK
If there’s one thing that gives a football team a chance to win every Friday night, it’s an elite quarterback. West Ranch has one in Ryan Staub, a Colorado commit who aided the Wildcats to their best Foothill League campaign in program history.
Staub threw for 2,414 yards and 21 touchdowns en route to a 4-1 league record and a program-best second-place finish behind two-time defending champion Saugus.
The team returns a bevy of seniors who will look to expand on last year’s success. On defense, the team is stout up front and athletic in the secondary. On offense, two of the team’s top three wideouts from last year return, but the biggest question mark will be the running game. The team’s top two rushers from 2021 graduated, leaving Staub as the team’s leading returning rusher (324 yards, six TDs in 2021).
If West Ranch can establish a respectable running game, Staub could have a Foothill League MVP year.
SCHEDULE
Aug. 19: vs St. Francis
Aug. 26: at Buena
Sept. 1: vs Antelope Valley
Sept. 9: at St. Paul
Sept. 16: vs Canyon
Sept. 23: vs Saugus
Sept. 30: vs Hart
Oct. 7: at Valencia
Oct. 14: vs Golden Valley
Oct. 21: vs Castaic
2022 W-L prediction: 6-4. Coach Chris Varner put together a very challenging nonleague schedule for his team, maybe the toughest the program has ever encountered. If the Wildcats can begin league play 2-2 and lock up an automatic playoff spot (at least third place), they’ll be battle tested and a tough out in the postseason.