Due to the Veteran’s Day holiday the Foothill League will be in action tonight to conclude the football regular season, and depending on how things turn out, a “milestone” could occur with respect to the Hart Indians.
I witnessed an important milestone in October of 2004 when the Valencia Vikings defeated the Hart Indians for the first time in the school’s history. For Hart it marked the first time that they had lost a league game in over a decade (in a classic act of anti-climax they would lose to a resurgent Canyon one week later) and I began to predict the demise of Hart as the dominant Foothill League and CIF team.
What has happened in the last six years? Hart has continuously had its student body hollowed out by the opening of West Ranch and Golden Valley, and its coaching staff of Herrington brothers hollowed out by other coaching opportunities and tonight, if Hart loses to West Ranch they will NOT make the CIF playoffs for the first time in 22 YEARS. Even a win tonight puts them in a three way tie for third place, in which they must rely on a coin toss and the unlikely taking of an at-large team from the Foothill League into the CIF to make the playoffs.
But those triumphalists at Canyon and Valencia should hold their water of celebration. Eventually an unnecessary Castaic High School will hollow out Valencia and the entire Foothill League can suck.
Updated
Hart is defeated by West Ranch 37-21 and will finish FIFTH in the Foothill League. If I understand the tie-breaker correctly West Ranch and Saugus will flip a coin for the third place slot in the CIF, with the loser filling a potential at large spot.
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the news of Hart’s demise is, unfortunately or fortunately, premature. Though they are struggling this year at the Varsity level, their JV team is solid and their Freshman team is dominant. Additionally, based on Youth Football demographics (I know…sad, get a life…blah, blah) Hart’s incoming freshman class looks to be at the top of the pile with only Valencia having similar hopes.
Perhaps, but against the Marmonte league teams they are all going to get a butt whipping.
Ever since the Hart District ripped the “Foothill League” name from its rightful owners of Burbank and Burroughs, a plague has been upon them.
Ha ha! I agree! I still have a Soph Foothill League Championship patch from my first year at Burbank High. (I know, kinda sad)
Castaic High will dominate!
If by “dominate,” you mean they will be 1-9 for their first ten years with their 1,100 students mutated by breathing the methane under the Romero Canyon site.
You haven’t heard of the power of mutated methane breathers?
Far superior to that of the gas breathers of Golden Valley, the “rarefied” air breathers of West Ranch, the dust breathers from poor old Hart, the “smogus” breathers of Saugus and … well whatever they breathe at Canyon.
Castaic for the win!
You may have something there. The ability to breathe through one’s skin could be an advantage!
I just realized the best outcome for Hart tonight is to win and for Valencia to lose on purpose to Saugus. Then Saugus would win third place outright without a coin flip and IF the CIF went four teams deep in the Foothill League Hart would beat out West Ranch on the head to head tie breaker.
If Saugus loses and they win they need the following to happen:
1. Win the coin toss or;
2. Saugus win the coin toss AND the CIF takes four teams from the Foothill League.
Casino analysis anyone? Their are twelve potential variable root scenarios and if they are all equally weighted (they would not be, by the way) Hart has an 8% chance of going to the playoffs.
Poor Tim, so obsessed with Hart football. Hart sports in general continue to do well fielding great swim teams, tennis teams, golf teams amongst others. The freshman football team dominated this year suggesting in a few yrs Hart will once again dominate in football disproving Tim’s “theories”.
More importantly Hart continues to offer great programs outside of sports, including show choir and band programs which are amongst the best.
Most importantly Hart continues to offer a stellar academic program for kids who are ready for it. In the last few years Hart has sent kids to Harvard, Stanford (more than a few), Princeton, Cornell along with UCLA, Berkeley and other top notch schools.
We’re very proud and happy to be long time Hart parents. Unlike Tim, we don’t view the school as a football academy. We view it as a well rounded educational institution which serves all comers and provides excellent outlets for a wide variety of kids’ talents and academic interests.
Uh, not quite. West Ranch didn’t have to go to a coin flip with Saugus. West Ranch took third outright by going 3-2 in league while Hart and Saugus went 2-3. WTG West Ranch — a history-making breakout season!
Tim, I’m familiar with your theory about Hart’s “demise,” but the biggest factor this year for Hart is that it had a very young team — lots of juniors. Look for Hart to do better next season.
Oh, and a pat on the back to Golden Valley, which entered league with a winning preseason record for the first time!
I think Hart went 1-4.
2-3
Do you not go to the games or read about them or watch them on TV?
Sorry Tim, you’re right, I take it back. I was on the damned field; you’d think I would know that. I’m an idiot. (But you knew that.)