# Canyon High School (Santa Clarita, California)

Canyon High School is a high school in the William S. Hart Union High School District in Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California.

## History

The school opened in September 1968 in three phases at a cost of $3.6 million. It started with five buildings and a library, with administrative offices in portable buildings. C.T. Haan was both the first principal and superintendent of the Hart School District.

## Academics

Canyon High School has an academic program with emphasis on preparation for higher education. All preparatory courses required by the University of California and other institutions of higher learning are offered.
Honors and AP courses are offered in science, mathematics, social studies, foreign languages, and fine arts. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program encourages students from non-academic backgrounds to undertake the college preparatory curriculum and provides them with resources to increase their chance of success in strong academic programs.
Canyon High School supports a Career Paths program which prepares students for careers in theater arts, health science, video production, engineering, and industrial technology. Students engaged in the Career path programs attend tailored classes and are afford internship opportunities in their chosen fields. The Career Paths programs ties into the William S. Hart district's Regional Occupational Program (ROP) which offers real-world experiences for students in 30 career fields ranging from forensics to floristry.

## Performing arts

Canyon High has a fine arts department with choral music, marching band, and theater programs. The Theatre program at Canyon received its own performing arts center in March 2016.

### Marching Band

Canyon High School's marching band has six divisions ranging from 1A to 6A.

## Athletics

Canyon High School is governed by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section as a member of the Foothill League. Its athletic mascot is the Cowboy and its colors are hunter green and gold. Canyon's main rival is William S. Hart High School in Newhall, dating back to 1968. Canyon High School competes in the Foothill League, which also includes Castaic, Golden Valley, Hart, Saugus, West Ranch, and Valencia High Schools.
League Championships:
* Football: 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2005, 2006
* Boys Cross Country: 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
* Girls Cross Country: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
* Girls Volleyball: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997
* Boys Basketball: 1978, 1986, 1987, 2001, 2006, 2012
* Girls Basketball: 1973, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018
* Boys Soccer: 1991, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010
* Girls Soccer: 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009
* Boys Track and Field: 1979, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
* Girls Track and Field: 1985, 1987, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012
* Boys Volleyball: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000
* Baseball: 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 2002, 2013
* Softball: 1974, 1987, 1993
* Boys Tennis: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
* Boys Golf: 1992
CIF Championships:
* Football: 1983, 1984, 1985, 2005, 2006
* Girls Cross Country: 1995
* Boys Cross Country: 2000, 2001
California State Championships:
* Football: 2006
* Boys Cross Country: 2001
* Girls Cross Country: 1995

## Student demographics

As of the 2021-22 school year, 1,959 students were enrolled at Canyon High School, the smallest enrollment among Hart District high schools. Of those, 62.3% were Hispanic, 22.9% were non-Hispanic white, 6.1% were Asian American, and 4.1% were African American. As of 2020-21, 956 students (48.1%) were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

## Notable alumni

* Vanessa Atler - former elite gymnast
* Printz Board - Grammy-winning musician, most notably with The Black Eyed Peas
* Zach Britton - Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees
* Crystl Bustos - twice Olympic gold medalist on the USA softball team and three times gold medalist at the Pan-American Games.
* Fred Cornwell - National Football League tight end (Dallas Cowboys, 1984–85)
* Lauren Fleshman - professional track and field athlete and U.S. 5000m champion.
* Jonathan Hatami - American lawyer, best known for his appearance in the Netflix documentary The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.
* Erik Hiljus - Major League Baseball pitcher
* Nate Longshore - college football quarterback, for the California Golden Bears.
* Jesse McClure- television personality Storage Hunters, Storage Hunters UK, and British Treasure, American Gold
* Kevan Miller - National Hockey League defenseman for the Boston Bruins
* Alysia Montaño - US Olympic middle-distance runner
* Chuck Osborne - DT NFL 1996-2001. Played at University of Arizona, 1992-96.
* Kelly Packard - American actress and television personality
* Mohammed Roknipour - professional soccer player for the Los Angeles Blues
* Chris Seddon - Major League Baseball pitcher
* Keith Smith - former Major League Baseball Shortstop
* Cory Snyder - former Major League Baseball utility player
* Daryn Tufts - director, writer, and actor. Wrote and directed My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010 film) and Inside (2012 American film).
* Jane Wells - television personality
* Drew Wolitarsky - Canadian Football League wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers