Girls’ and boys’ middle school soccer programs won not one but two Delphic League championships for the Wolverines. From the team’s dedication to the leadership present on and off the field shown by the returning Class of 2028, passing their knowledge and skill onto the incoming Class of 2029 has led to the success of both teams in the 2023-2024 season. Leadership in an environment like the Delphic League is necessary for a team’s success. The way the league is set up there is little room for error, with the standings remaining tightly knit throughout the season, where one single bad performance could lead to not qualifying for the playoffs. Responsibility and leadership roles filled by student-athletes in the Class of 2028 were catalysts for the team’s growth on and off the field.
“The sense of leadership, and responsibility throughout the team was a key factor in the team’s success because If one person would show up ready to play to the best of their ability it set the tone for the rest of the team,” Sophie Ro ’28 said.
This mindset along with well-planned tactics, as the girls played in a 4-3-3 formation, prided themselves on possession, and were not afraid to attack; scoring 53 goals throughout the year.
The leading goal scorer Sabrina Puathasnanon ’28 contributed a substantial amount of goals, as the starting forward for the team throughout the year her attacking based play style along with her skill, and ability to lose her defenders allowed her to put the ball in the back of the net several times a game. Puathasnanon’s staggering number of goals, along with the whole team’s devotion to the program led to a perfect 10-0, along with the Delphic League title this season.
The boys’ team had a very similar approach and outlook to their season. They also played in a 4-3-3 formation, maintaining dominance in the midfield.
“Playing a 4-3-3 allowed us to keep possession and score a lot of goals,” JT Chen ’28 said.
Leadership in the boys’ team was also a common theme. Chen talked about how being an 8th grader and the oldest on the team allowed him to set an example for the others. This team displayed tremendous chemistry throughout with each teammate playing their own role and supporting each other.
These teams shared super similar play styles, which proved successful as the boys also went undefeated throughout the season. They were able to always stay positive and collected in moments of pressure which led to their success in their championship seasons.
As these student-athletes move on to their freshman year at HW, they all hope to have impactful roles on the JV and varsity teams, who have set high standards in both making CIF D1 playoffs and for the boys the CIF state tournament, due to the leadership of the Class of 2024 who have shown dedication to the program and have stuck to the core values of Wolverine athletics.
