Fired up ready to take on their third district game of the postseason on Friday, March 28, The Warriors faced off against NB Canyon Cougars in an intense game at the Warrior Bowl. The stands, jam packed with students, teachers, and parents ready to cheer on The Warriors to victory empowering the girls to . 

“Going into this game we planned on sending balls central to try and get ahead to score early,” Lanier Harvey ‘25 said. “Every game when we score early the momentum gets up and we end up winning.” 

Starting the game off with a bang, the Warriors held possession off the ball as they quickly got into position, getting the ball to Mia Wiele ‘26. After passing around for a minute, Wiele made a cut in to regain control of the ball and drive for a far, high shot at the net, putting the first point on the board. 

“[A goal in a playoff game] obviously means a lot more,” Wiele said. This game is unlike any other game we play all season because if you lose you’re out, the steaks are high.”

Keeping their competitive fire, The Warriors held possession for most of the first half when, in the last 10 minutes, Wiele was given a corner kick, with that, the chance to raise the score and increase their lead by another point. After a quick touch by a few Warriors the ball landed in the perfect position for Kaleia Coughlin ‘26, finishing off the play by putting the ball in the back of the net, ending the half up 2-0.

“During halftime we talked about keeping the intensity up,” Coughlin said. “Even though we were up 2-0 we didn’t want to let ourselves get in our heads.” 

The Cougars, in their attempt to stay in the playoffs, brought  the energy coming out of halftime. With no major plays the Warriors and the Cougars handed off possession throughout the second half. But soon, the Warriors got the chance to rest after a tough first half and with only five minutes left after their rest, Payton Vopat ‘26 spotted a lane to run the ball downfield to drive, kicking a powerful shot into the net brought the final score 3-0. 

“I think we are all just really excited about this win,” Natalie Safarik ‘24 said. “I think this team is all in and full of excitement.” 

Ending their third round of playoff with a shutout and a final score of 3-0 The Warriors Prepared to face off again against the Vandegrift Vipers, where they unfortunately lost, ending their season deep into the playoffs.

Orange and white streamers line the Westwood bleachers as friends and family enthusiastically lift their homemade posters into the air, cheering on the varsity girls soccer team in their second University Interscholastic League (UIL) district game on Friday, March 21. The Warriors defeated the Dripping Springs Tigers 2-1. As the UIL playoffs are a knockout tournament, only the winning team could advance, so the stakes were extremely high. Since the regular district season is over, this win was very important for the team, especially for the seniors to ensure their spot in the next round of playoffs. 

“It means so much because for a lot of the seniors, if we lost today that would have been our last game together,” Bella Keene ‘25 said. “I think that’s what everyone was fighting for, is to go far for the school but also to have one more week playing together.

After kickoff, both teams came up with high energy to attempt to get the first goal lead. The Warriors repeatedly got close to shooting goals while focusing on offense. But, shifting the momentum toward the Warriors with nine minutes left in the first half, Mia Wiele ’26 crossed the ball to Kylie Denton ‘25 who scored the first goal of the game. Momentum was high and so just moments later, Kaheligh Coughlin ‘26 attempted a shot, barely missing the goal, keeping the Tigers on edge. Finishing the first half, both teams exerted their maximum effort as supporters jangled cowbells and the student section erupted in yells.

“We started off strong, and I think like it just from the whistle, we just started off really well and it just kept getting better from there,” Wiele said.

After an uneventful beginning to the half, Coughlin dribbled to the box and jammed in the second goal for the Warriors, setting them up with two unanswered points. With time running out, the Warriors were close to a shutout win, but with less than 10 minutes left in the game, Dripping Springs finally hit a free kick from a Warrior foul. The end of the game did not die down as the Tigers found a second wind in response to their first goal. While previously, the Warriors were more focused on offense, after the Tigers’ goal, the team shifted to defense to ensure their win and next playoff appearance.

“I think for the rest of the playoffs we just kind of need to come out like how we did today and keep giving it 100%, because we can do it and just take our chances,” Wiele said.

With their second playoff win, the Warriors moved to face off against Lee High School from San Antonio on Tuesday, March 25 earning themselves the title of area champions. With that win in the bag, the team is now moving on to the third round of UIL playoffs which will take place on Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m. for a home game at the Warrior Bowl.

In the Warriors final district game of the season, the JV Orange boy’s soccer team narrowly defeated the Vista Ridge Rangers with a score of 1-0 on Friday, March 14. In a very tight match, the Warriors nearly failed in carrying out their gameplan, but fortunately finished out their season on a high note.

“We just stuck with what we did in practice. [The] game plan was to not let them score and score more than them” Beck Brenneman ‘26 said.

In the beginning, both teams showed strong defenses, keeping the scoreboard unchanged for almost all of the first half with aggressive shifts and narrow margins for error for the enemy offense. This shutout defense forced the  Rangers to attempt several attacks but faced constant resistance from the Warrior defense.During the Warriors’ reign on defense, Joshua Wu ‘26 received a pass in Ranger territory and found his hole, jamming in the first and final goal of the game.

“It all happened really fast,” Wu said. “There wasn’t much thinking, it was just kind of putting myself in the right place and then there were all instincts.” The Warriors found opportunities on the open midfield spaces, allowing for perfect ball control.

As the second half began, both teams intensified their pressure on both sides of the ball, looking for weaknesses in the other team. Throughout the rest of the game, the Warriors successfully maintained their lead through midfield control and careful defensive play.

“Today was awesome. I really executed the plan that we came out here to do” Noah Cush ‘26 said. “We really just had fun as our last game, and I think it was a great way to end the season.”

With this victory, the Warriors concluded their season strong, demonstrating teamwork and tactical execution with a 9-2-2 record 

After a close game, the varsity boys soccer team beat the Vista Ridge Rangers in the Warrior Bowl on Friday, March 14. This game closed out the last home game of the season and threw them into the playoffs starting the following week.

“Both Vista and us have already made playoffs so [this game] will be great practice for both teams,” Noah Revelett ‘26 said.

The Warriors began on defense, but after a slow push from the Rangers, they took possession of the ball. After a few excellent passes between players, they nearly scored and the Defense barely edged out the Warriors’ strikers. The game continued with neither team holding onto the ball for long, causing a lot of back and forth gameplay on the field. Almost midway through the half, a penalty kick resulted in Vista’s first point of the night. Warrior goalkeeper Zach Shaddock ‘25 was kept busy with multiple attempted shots from the Rangers, soon leading to Vista’s second goal, ending the first half 2-0.

“The beginning of [the game] was a little rough, but once we got into it, we just kept going, and then we couldn’t be stopped,” Charles Walker ‘27 said. 

After its disappointing start, the Warriors came back in the second half ready to turn the game around, as a few minutes in, Aiden Shen ‘26 sunk in the Warriors’ first goal of the evening. However, Vista matched the Warriors’ energy, scoring their third point of the night right after. Pressure was back on for the Warriors to tie up the game, so they answered as Caleb Fagan ‘25 scored and was followed by Ishaan Saini ‘26, bringing the score 3-3. With a newfound tie, an excited energy took over the Warrior Bowl as both teams were in position to take the win. With ten minutes left in the game, Walker made the go-ahead goal that the team needed, bringing the score to 4-3 and securing the Warriors’ victory.

“We never gave up, we were always fighting for it, and it was just an amazing performance,” Walker said. “We followed the plan that we decided in practice and it worked well.”

The team is now headed to playoffs and will take on Lake Travis on Friday, March 21 at 5pm. 

In their 11th district game of the season, the JV orange boys soccer team defeated Stony Point High School 4-0 on Friday, March 7. The Warriors controlled the game from start to finish and tamed the Tigers with consistent pressure. 

“My performance was fine, but most importantly, the team won, so that’s all that matters,” Samuel Givens ‘27 said. “[We had] a better first half than last [time], [but the] same result, so that’s all that matters.”

From early on, the Warriors controlled the Tigers’ defense, taking hold of . Taking each chance for an attack, the Warriors pushed deep into Tiger territory. Though Stony Point’s defense gave some good resistance at the start, the Warriors’ pressure eventually let to the Warriors’ first points.

“We played really well,” Aaron Charcas ‘28 said. “[We put] pressure a little bit more. [We kept] the ball on their side.”

By halftime, the Warriors had a comfortable lead. However, this did not stop the Warriors as they maintained pressure and found more weaknesses in Stony Point’s defense after their halftime adjustments. With their smart ball control and pass focused gameplay, the Warriors were able to score more, putting the game at a 4-0 lead.

“They had some good long kicks, but they had really bad touches [that we took advantage of],” Charcas said.

As the game clock wound down, the Warriors, predictably, maintained their dominance and held the midfield to keep Stony Point from mounting any major comebacks. This midfield control opened another hole for the Warriors’ strikers to make space and score the final goal of the night, ending it 4-0.

“I think our team did better,” Dhruv Pandare ‘27 said. “We passed the ball more, we controlled it, and we had a better game plan coming into it.”

The Warriors ended their season up in wins and high in energy as each JV player looks to be promoted to the varsity team next year.

In the last home game of the regular season, the varsity women’s soccer team beat the Vandegrift Vipers 2-1 on Tuesday, March 11. This win continued their season-long victory streak and brought home their 15th win of the season.

Just within five minutes of kickoff, the Vipers found a break in the field and were able to score on the Warriors. Although this was an early setback, the goal solely motivated the Warriors to not let another goal in and to get themselves on the board. As soon as the opposite team got control of the ball, the Warriors’ entire team moved up the field to collectively pressure the Vipers and ensure that no other goals got past the defensive line. Not only their strategy in response to the goal, but also their reaction was a turning point for the rest of the game.

“At the beginning when we got scored on, I think we had a great response,” Lanier Harvey ‘25 said. “Instead of putting our heads down, we came back and scored two goals, and I think that effort is gonna prepare us for playoffs.” 

With a few minutes left in the first half, Mia Wiele ‘26 shot a corner kick which rebounded to the Warriors, allowing Carla Canfran to pop in a short range goal soon after. This shot tied the game 1-1 only a handful of moments after the initial whistle.

“We practice our corners a lot, so just getting rebounds off of corners worked really well during the game,” Harvey said. “We also won a lot more 50/50s, which is something we’ve really been trying to do.”

Payton Vopat ‘26 saw an opportunity when the ball was hit into the box but blocked by the goalie, following up on her teamate’s shot she headed it into the goal, cementing the 2-1 lead for the Warriors. The Vipers repeatedly attempted to advance across the field to shoot a goal in the intense game, but couldn’t push much farther than midfield to get through the defensive line.

“I think it was a really good game,” Nadia Giannetti ‘26 said. “We came up from being down one and then obviously we got the win tonight. I’m super proud of the team and it just shows that our determination is really strong and the connection we have on this team is gonna make us do really well in playoffs.” 

By defeating the Vista Ridge Rangers that Friday, March 14 in a score of 4-2, the Warriors earned a spot to compete in the first round of 6A playoffs which will take place on Friday, March 21 at the Warrior Bowl at 7:30 p.m. for their next game.

Celebrating Senior Night, the varsity boys soccer team honored their seniors with an overwhelming victory against the Stony Point Tigers on Friday, March 7. After a high scoring match, the game ended 7-0 with the Warriors far in the lead. Before the game began, each senior on the team was introduced to the crowd as they walked down the field through a line of their teammates, ending up next to their parents.

“Spirits are high [because] it’s senior night. It’s a nice celebration, and both my parents are here,” Jose Fernandez ‘25 said. “[The team has been working on] sticking more to our structure, trusting each other, being the one to make the unselfish decision, [and] less playing for yourself, more for the team, so I’m hoping for a good win tonight.”

Feeling good about their chances against the Tigers, the Warriors kicked off the game and immediately went on offensive. The energy from the crowd and the players themselves was tangible as just two minutes in, Rahul Kuthiala ‘25 scored the first point of the evening. As gameplay continued, Griffin Goss ‘25 stopped the Tigers from advancing down the field with excellent footwork, keeping the Warriors on offense. Twenty minutes into the second half, Kuthiala scored his second goal of the evening as Westwood continued to dominate the field and kept strong control of the ball. Soon, Rodrigo Garcia ‘26 scored the third shot of the game and followed it with another shot on goal. After months of being out of the game with a hand injury, Fernandez joined the gameplay, but not as his original position as goalie, resulting in electrifying cheers from the crowd. Not long after, Valentin Lobos ‘26 had a phenomenal interception, giving the Warriors possession and an opportunity to score. The half ended 3-0 with the Warriors in a confident lead. 

“I think the game went pretty good, it was a good team that we played against,” Kuthiala said. [The hat trick felt really good], it was nice to score, but the most important thing was that we won. [But] it was my first hat trick so it felt nice.”

The second half started uneventfully as the Tigers kicked off again and the Warriors sought to regain their earlier assertiveness. Not long after retaking control, Caleb Fagan ‘25 sunk in another shot for the Warriors. Soon, Kuthiala scored again to complete his hat trick that was met with an instant uproar of excitement from the crowd. With the Warriors’  solid lead, they couldn’t be stopped as Lobos and Noah Revelett ’26 scored the Warriors’ sixth and seventh point with less than 5 minutes left. These goals maked another feat for the Warriors as the stadium erupted in cheer to celebrate Revelett’s first varsity goal, exemplifying the Warriors sheer teamwork and determination towards a collective goal. The game ended in a crushing victory for the Warriors with a final score of 7-0.

“It felt really good scoring. As a defender, I haven’t scored very many goals,” Revelett said. “But it’s always just a surreal feeling when I do score one.”

The Warriors will next face the Vandegrift Vipers on Tuesday, March 11 at Vandegrift High school.

Fighting the bitter cold through their match against Cedar Ridge, the boys varsity soccer team dominated the Raiders on Tuesday, Feb. 18. At the end of a successful night, the Warriors came out on top with a score of 6-1. 

“We have been training hard and preparing ourselves for every game,” Santiago Peña ‘27 said. “We always have a winning mindset; we go there to play our game and it worked today.”

The first half started off in the rain as the temperatures dropped below 40. However, the Warrior’s spirits weren’t dampened, and within the first few minutes, Nico Hamelin ‘27 sped down the pitch and jammed in the first goal of the night. Following that high, Kaz Seyhoon ‘26, followed in step and made another goal not long after. Feeling confident with 2 points already on the board, the Warriors continued the half with excellent ball control and communication. Soon, as halftime neared, the Warriors sank in another two shots from Jack Cox ‘26 and Romir Jain ‘25 and solidified their assertive 4-0 lead.

The Warriors kicked off the second half ready to keep up their strong effort. After a few minutes however, they let in a shot from the Raiders who looked to make their second half comeback. But, now determined to not let it happen again, Zach Shaddock ‘25 saved the next few attempted shots by Cedar Ridge, as Seyhoon scored another point for the Warriors. Soon, the game picked up in intensity as both teams gave everything they had. Despite the big difference in the score, neither team let down their guard or gave up throughout the remaining minutes. Finally, a goal by Peña ended the game in an assured victory from the Warriors with a score of 6-1.

“[My highlight] was scoring the last goal of the game. It was my first goal and it was a nice moment,” Peña said. “The game went really well [because] the weather didn’t stop us and we all played like we knew.”

The Warriors’ next match will be on the road against the Manor Mustangs on Friday, Feb. 21. 

Rising to the challenge of a high-intensity game against the McNeil Mavericks on Friday, Feb. 14, the JV women’s soccer team came out on top 3-0. This win continues their season-long victory streak. But, in one of the Warriors’ toughest home games, the Mavericks put up a strong offensive and defensive front, pushing the Warriors to gain the upper hand through technique. 

“A big thing from the last time we played [McNeil] was that they conceded a lot of corners,” Goalkeeper, Elyse Osborn ‘27 said. “So we tried to improve our game on top of that.”

Right from the beginning, the Warriors attempted to fall into their regular rhythm of maintaining the ball in the opponent’s half. They made numerous shots on goal while in enemy territory, but as both teams began to showcase their aggression, the ball was repeatedly driving out of bounds to stop the Warriors. Realizing their former strategy of short, close attacks would not work against the Mavericks, the Warriors switched to weaving the ball up and down the field in long drives to maneuver around robust Maverick defense. This new strategy forced the Warriors to make more risky midfield plays, causing them to lose possession of the ball. However, utilizing their heightened communication on the field, the Warriors were able to secure their first goal of the game after reverting back to their short, quick attacks closer to Maverick defense. 

“Our communication [definitely] improved a lot since our last game against McNeil, [which helped in gaining the upper hand],” Defender Jordan Lott ‘27 said.

Skilled footwork and quick passeswere strong themes for the Warriors throughout the game as they alternated between midfield passes and  short attacks. While the Warriors swiftly powered through the majority of the Maverick half, they seemed pressured by positioned Maverick defense at the net, which often resulted in bad aims or fumbles which kept the game close. 

“It was a good game — I feel like we weren’t scoring as much as we usually do, but the other team definitely got much better than the first time we played them,” Osborn said.

While the Warriors faced trouble making any more goals due to pressure from the opposing team, their defense remained strong into the second half, preventing the Mavericks from retaining possession of the ball and encroaching in Warrior territory. This pressure from both sides kept each offense in check and the scores restricted. 

“One of our [biggest] strengths this game was our passing, and buildup to shooting,” Lott said

As both teams came head-to-head with matched aggression and power, the game stalled until the Warriors’ shots on goal came to a head as they earned their second goal. Now more comfortable with their two point buffer, the Warriors were less pressured to score goals and instead enjoyed weaving the ball away from the Mavericks to ensure their score remained at a zero. The Warriors polished off their ending score with another goal, setting the final score 3-0 from a corner kick only a few seconds before the end of the game. 

The JV women’s soccer team will return for their next home game against the Manor Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21.