After a dominant regular season, the WHS girls soccer team capped a historic post–season run by earning a spot in the inaugural CIF State Division II championship game. Qualifying for the state championship marked the furthest run by any WHS girls soccer team in program history.
Frank Marino’s squad leaned heavily on star senior forward KK Chowana ’26, who tallied 14 goals and 10 assists on the way to Marmonte League MVP honors. However, in the middle of their CIF run, the team was forced to adjust when San Diego State University commit was called up for international duty with the Thailand U–20 national team. In her absence, several players rose to the occasion, including Oregon State commit Grace Wetzel ’26 and Chowana’s younger sister, CC Chowana ’29, who helped carry the offensive load.
“KK was super important to the team, so it was definitely a huge loss,” said Wetzel. “We are a really connected team, so I think everyone stepped up and worked together to fill that position.”
The defense for the Warriors proved key in many tight games, showing great composure for a young starting back line that didn’t feature any seniors: underclassmen Declan Dritz ‘29, Hailley Johnson ‘29, Sydney Wise ‘28 and First Team All–Marmonte League selection Mia Pappas ‘27. This defense along with star goalkeeper Cierra Spencer ‘26 did not concede a goal from the start of the CIF Regional playoffs through regulation of the state championship match.
“Our back line was really important because they gave us a chance to win every game,” said CC Chowana. “Even though they were basically all underclassmen, they were all strong and worked really well together.”
On March 13, the Warriors competed in the state championship in Sacramento. The match became a defensive battle, with both teams holding strong and keeping the game scoreless through regulation, forcing extra time. After a heartbreaking defeat in overtime, the Warriors were still proud of their historic season.
“There were cameras everywhere, and it was really exciting,” said Pappas. “Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, it was an amazing experience to end our incredible season.”
The journey to Sacramento began in a very competitive Marmonte League play for the Warriors. Finding themselves in second place heading into the final match of the league season, WHS showed great composure and took down first–placed Oaks Christian High School in a 2–1 thriller to win the Marmonte League crown.
The first–place finish secured the top seed in the CIF–SS Division I playoffs for the Warriors. In the first round, the warriors were down 2–1 late to Fairmont Prep High School until the Chowana sisters stepped up and scored two late goals to win 3–2 in regulation.
“It was a scary game because we were down for most of the game,” said Spencer. “I was thinking it was going to be my last high school game. And then, of course, KK scored a banger in the last minutes to win it.”
In the second round, it was senior duo KK Chowana and Grace Wetzel who both scored in the first half to lead WHS to a 2–1 victory on the road over El Dorado High School. In the quarterfinals, the Warriors offense was rolling in a 4–0 route over Rosary Academy High School. The younger Chowana sister tallied two goals, and Wetzel and midfielder Sam Bateman ‘27 each scored to give the Warriors a spot in the semi–finals.
“Everything was flowing,” said Wetzel. “We were connecting super well, especially against a really tough team like Rosary. [The win] gave us a lot of confidence going into the rest of CIF.”
Although the Warriors suffered a nail–biter loss in the semis to Newport Harbor High School, they still qualified for the CIF regional playoffs. An extended season meant the Warriors got to play the first ever game held on the new WHS stadium turf that was finished only days before their first regional match.
“[The field] is really nice and soft,” said Spencer. “The colors are super bright. It was really amazing to play our last couple of games there.”
*During the first games held on the new WHS turf, CC Chowana filled the goalscoring role as she scored in back–to–back games that both finished by a score of 1–0, leading WHS to the CIF regional final. *LIL NO WHAT UP
“I’m so proud of CC,” said Pappas. “She’s an incredible player. She is following in her sister’s footsteps, and she worked really hard to put us ahead in a lot of big games.”
In the CIF Division II Southern California Regional Final hosted at the WHS stadium against Westview High School, the Warrior defense held strong yet again and forced the game into extra time after the match remained scoreless through regulation. WHS relied on Spencer’s heroics in goal–scoring to secure a dramatic win in penalty kicks and the Southern California regional crown. This victory punched their ticket to the state championship and cemented their place in program history.
“Once [Spencer] saved the first shot, I knew we were gonna win,” said Wetzel. “It was such a great win. Making history here at Westlake is something I’m gonna cherish for the rest of my life.”
