VALENCIA — Valencia vs. Hart.
It’s a rivalry that’s come to define the last decade of football in the Santa Clarita Valley, with the two schools finishing near the top of the Foothill League on a regular basis.
Friday’s matchup at Valencia High had some immediate stakes attached, as Valencia would clinch the Foothill League title with a victory while Hart would secure a playoff berth with a win.
Valencia came out on top in the crucial contest, riding a standout defensive effort and a methodical offense to a 37-7 victory.
Hart held a 7-3 lead after quarterback Timmy Larkins found receiver Scott Morris for an 11-yard touchdown, but Valencia’s smothering defense took center stage the rest of the night.
Valencia linebacker Luke Cruz collected the first of his two interceptions to give his team the ball at the Hart 27-yard-line midway through the second quarter.
Quarterback Jackson Askins delivered a pinpoint pass down the right seam to junior receiver Nick Seymour for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Vikings a 10-7 lead with 4:29 left in the second quarter.
Valencia senior cornerback/wide receiver Jayboe Wilson was injured shortly thereafter, being stretchered off and transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital after sustaining what appeared to be a neck injury when he made a tackle with 2:57 left.
It was the second serious injury this season for Wilson, who was making his return to the field after injuring his spine in Valencia’s season opener.
No immediate update on Wilson’s status was provided postgame.
Valencia extended its lead with two touchdowns in less than one minute when play resumed, the first coming on a 37-yard run by Askins on a quarterback draw and the second coming when he threw a 50-yard touchdown pass down the left side of the field to senior receiver DeAndre Kermah, points set up by Cruz’s second interception.
Valencia head coach Larry Muir was quick to compliment his team’s defense – a unit that has allowed less than 14 points per game this season.
“It’s a special, special defense up front. … We’ve been battling injuries and all kinds of stuff but it’s a next-man-up mentality. But they’re special. They play for each other and it is a tough group up front there that’s done special things for us,” he said.
Valencia added two more touchdowns in the second half to complete a dominant win, and Askins, who finished 13-for-18 with 275 yards through the air and just under 100 yards on the ground, was pleased with the offensive performance.
“It felt good,” he said. “… We knew we wanted to put a lot of points on them early and we felt good this week. Offensively, I can’t be happier for all these guys.”
When the dust settled, Valencia had defeated its rival for the first time since 2020, and the “Victory Bell” awarded to the winner of the annual game will head back to Valencia campus after a three-year drought.
And as far as Askins is concerned, that bell is where it’s supposed to be.
“I knew that the whole team and it’s not just the team now, but the alumni, I knew we had to do it for all of them,” Askins said. “We had to bring back the bell because it belongs here. It does.”