It is Feb. 27, 2024, and central mid- fielder Cole Grossman ’25 is standing on the Torrey Pines High School soccer field after a 4-2 loss to the Falcons. That game ended their season in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Regional Tournament. Grossman did what he could against the Torrey Pines defense, scoring both of the team’s goals, but it was not enough to get the win. The Wolverines ended the season with an overall record of 18-6-1 and back-to-back Mission League titles for the first time in school history but failed to win the Regional Championship. Grossman said he felt mixed emotions as he walked off the field but the loss taught the team a lesson.
“I was happy with my own performance but it was super sad for the season to come to an end,” Grossman said. “It was devastating to know I would never get to play with that group of guys again. It motivated me for this year though because it just showed us that we can’t blink for even a second on the field and we have to go into every game with a strong mindset and keep going for the whole 80 minutes. Being unfocused for just a little bit could lead to everything going wrong.”
This year, the season did not start off well despite what the team learned from last year’s loss. They began 0-2 and did not get their first win until their fourth game. They entered league play with a losing record and the team was below a .500 winning percentage until their 11th game against St. Francis on Jan. 20th. After that win they finished the season with a 13-1-0 run, winning the CIF Division 3 Regional Championship and CIF Southern Section — the team’s first CIF championship since 1990, won by Harvard School for Boys before the merger with Westlake School for Girls. Center back Marty Minikes ’26 said the early season struggles motivated them to work harder, and that the seniors stepped into a leadership role which lead them to embrace a nothing to lose mentality.
“The program had so much success over the last two years and when we had a losing record going into league play, it was a bit disappointing,” Minikes said. “That motivated us even more though, to work hard and earn those trophies as well as make school history. It really came down to the seniors on the team this year. Because of our past success, we knew we had something special, but it unfortunately wasn’t showing. They led by example and we took a one game-at-a-time approach to the rest of the season. We kept grinding and I think knowing we had nothing to lose just really motivated us to keep winning games.”
Striker Dhara Jobrani ’26 said one thing that helped this year was the seniors and more team bonding.
“The seniors’ leadership was really key,” Jobrani said. “They led us all in team bonding exercises, a lot more than before and that all really helped us on the field. Sometimes it’s the stuff off the field that helps more than any training or practice.”
Grossman said the team’s success this year came from strong team unity.
“The most important thing for this year’s success was the togetherness that we had as a team,” Grossman said. “Every player was bought in and truly believed that we would be our best when playing together and not as individuals and I think that was reflected in our play.”
Last year’s team had just six seniors, as compared to 11 this year. Grossman said it was that senior presence and group cohesion that contributed to the team’s turnaround.
“It definitely helped us bounce back after a rough start,” Grossman said. “We were able to lean on each other and move through the adversity together because of how well bonded we were as a team. All of the seniors had known each other for so long and been best friends off the field.”
The Wolverines’ defense allowed just five goals over their final nine games and only nine goals over their 13-1 stretch. Minikes said that on the field, it was the Wolverines’ defense that stood out as a defining factor in their success.
“The key to that defense was just focusing on the defensive basics,” Minikes said. “Clearances, second balls, one-on-one defending and tracking runners. We were organized as a unit towards the end of the season, especially with [Jack Letterman ‘25] and [Sam Reiner ‘25]. Our defense was just able to contain teams and earn clean sheets by playing smart and being clinical with every clearance and tackle.”
In an interview after the Wolverines’ win over Jurupa Hills in the CIF-SS Division. 2 Championship on March 1, Head Coach Michael Erush named the team’s senior-led defense as most important factor for their success.
“The defense really was the key,” said Erush. “We’ve only given up one goal in the last six games and two goals in the last ten games. Those seniors, [Jack Letterman ‘25], [Kevin Chen ‘25], [Dominic Landes ‘25], and [Sam Reiner ‘25] in the back, and whoever else we needed to fill in. We cramp, we go down, but we always adjust and pivot on the fly and make it work.”
After this season ends, 11 of the 29 players from this year’s team will graduate. Minikes said that although the team will be very different next year, he is still confident the 2026 season will be a success.
“For the younger guys we knew that this was the last year with the seniors and next year it would be our team,” Minikes said. “It’s unfortunate to lose them but then again I’m really excited for next year, I think we have a lot of great pieces and the talent to make something next year. As a group we really just want to build our culture and continue on the success of last year in whatever way we can. Overall though, I think all the guys are excited for next year and to see what our group can achieve because I think we definitely have the group for it.”
