Thanks to a pair of goals and assists from prolific junior Johan Olmedo, the Woodland High School boys varsity soccer team became Golden Empire League champions once again after an emphatic 4-0 statement win over Casa Roble.

The Wolves (16-0-2, 12-0-1 GEL) came into Wednesday night’s game at the Woodland Community and Senior Center in great shape atop the GEL standings by two games in the loss column over second-placed Dixon. With the win, the Wolves saved themselves from a potentially dramatic season finale against Dixon set for Friday.

Key victories this season included non-league triumphs over crosstown rivals Pioneer High School and Yolo County Rivals Winters and Esparto by the scores of 1-0, 5-1, and 11-3, respectively. Key league wins included a 3-0 victory over second-placed Dixon, a 3-1 win over third-placed Rio Linda, a 6-0 and 2-1 win over fourth-placed Natomas, and a 5-1 and 7-2 win over fifth-placed Sutter. The only non-win on the season was a 0-0 home draw to Rio Linda on Jan. 20.

“I knew at the start of the season a lot of players were concerned because we lost our core group of seniors,” Wolves head coach Admin Araiza said. “But we knew we had plenty of talent, so I told them to make sure we work hard and go one game at a time. I knew we could go far, and as of now, we are undefeated. But the job is not done yet. We have the playoffs fully in mind.”

If clinching a league title wasn’t a special enough memory in itself, the Wolves also celebrated Senior Night by honoring their 11 upperclassmen before the game. The seniors on the Wolves squad include Damian Renteria, Isaac Gonon, Jorge Gutierrez, Enrique Palacios, Ricardo Gonzalez, Jesus Bravo, Alexander Gonzalez, Christian Gutierrez, Oswaldo Ramos, Diego Rubio, and Leo Garcia.

“The seniors mean a lot to the team,” Araiza said. “I have seen them go through the program since they were freshman. It’s always sad, but we are happy at the same time. I always encourage them to come back and mentor the younger players because they can really make an impact on the program. They always have a home here at Woodland High.”

The Wolves have had their fair share of outstanding performers this season, but Olmedo leads the way with a Lionel Messi-escue 35 goals and 25 assists in 17 games. His goal tally as of Thursday morning was fifth best in California, while his assist numbers place him solely in first place.

“I think my mentality has really improved this year,” Olmedo said. “I got frustrated a lot last year, and if things were going well, I’d shut down.”

On the receiving end of most of his assists are sophomore Marin Navarro and junior Giovanni Munoz with 8 goals each and Leo Garcia with 6. Helping Olmedo with the assist load has been sophomore Mateo Araiza with 7, Leo Garcia with 5 and Isaac Aguirre with 4.

“He has improved so much from last year,” Araiza said. “As a player, he is one of our key guys, and he has shown it. He led us statistically last year, and now he’s doing it again. He has been working really hard all year for us and is a leader. You can tell when he is playing and when he is not. If he’s playing hard and doing what he is doing, everyone else follows. Moving forward, we need him to keep doing that.”

The Wolves raced out to a great start early on, taking the lead on a Ricardo Gonzalez goal from Olmedo’s assist. They then made it 2-0 after Olmedo drew a penalty and then nailed the kick into the back of the net. Osvaldo Ramos would then find Olmedo for another goal to make it 3-0 going into halftime.

In the second half, the Wolves had nearly all of the possession as they looked to pour in the goals. They’d get close early on after a corner kick made its way to the head of defender Alfonso Leon. Fortunately for Casa Roble, their goalkeeper came ready to play and made one of his many great saves.

Midway through the half, a push to the face of Olmedo and dissent towards the referee cost Casa Roble two players as both situations warranted red cards. Despite the man advantage, the Wolves still found it challenging to find the back of the net.

Fortunately, Olmedo found the final key to the Rams’ depleted defense once again when he picked out a streaking Giovanni Munoz for the 4-0 lead and game-sealing goal.

As league champions, the Wolves will have a more relaxed home finale against Dixon this Friday at 6 p.m. But with an 11-0-1 record, an undefeated season is within reach.

“I want to be undefeated, and the players want to make history as an undefeated team, as we haven’t done that in a while,” Araiza admits. “I know Dixon will come to play hard with their starters and wants to win, but I’m still debating on who plays and how much they do. It will come down to the day of the game.”

Afterward, they will regroup for a few practice sessions before discovering their fate and seed for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D4 Playoffs.

“We need to make sure we are consistent,” Araiza said. “Consistent with our attack and defending. When we work collectively as a team, we do really well.”

“The main goal is sections,” Olmedo said. “We will probably get a first-round bye, but we want to get that ring on our finger.”