Wilsonville girls soccer has had a firm grip over the competition in the 5A division for the past few years, winning back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022. This year was no different, with the Cats taking home their third straight title and, with it, making a strong statement to encourage a move up to 6A division play.
Girls soccer came into the season atop the rankings after coming off a major win in Hillsboro at the 2022 State Championship, defeating Crescent Valley 2-1 and bringing the state title home with them. The Wildcats started the season off with a streak winning eight of their first ten games, with one of those coming against 6A powerhouse West Linn.
Senior Kenley Whittaker, a midfielder for the Cats, found huge success early on. “We always told ourselves we haven’t peaked yet. We need to continue to build off the last game and our mentality that we’re always gonna get better and better as the season goes on.”
Building off that point, Whittaker added, “A big topic for us this season was, how can we have a tone on the field that’s constructive but also positive towards each other.”
During the regular season, the Cats were matched up with a plethora of 6A Powerhouse with the two most notable being wins against West Linn and Tualatin. The Wildcats did not back down, however, coming out on top over West Linn, where we saw the Cats put up three goals while holding a high-powered Lions offense to only two.
For the sixth match-up of the year, the Wildcats would face off against another strong 6A opponent, the Tualatin Timberwolves. This time around, the Cats’ defense was on point, allowing zero goals through all 80 minutes of play. Another high level of play from the forwards resulted in 3 total goals ending Tualitan’s momentum into the season.
Tegan Waters, a Junior midfielder, was a key part in the Cats offense this season. Waters was a huge piece in the team’s assist category showing valiant selflessness. “This past season, we created a family, spending almost every day together,” stated Waters, “Our main idea during the season was to have each other’s backs, and I think we really executed that perfectly.”
Wilsonville girls soccer has dominated in the past few years, but the moral of the story for them is the community that was built along the way. They have left an everlasting legacy on Wilsonville High School and memories that they will never forget.