Who says Woodland is only a baseball town?

After long and, at times, grueling seasons, both the Woodland High School boys and girls varsity soccer teams achieved their biggest goal of the season as they qualified for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs.

Girls team

Earlier this week, the Wolves girls team (4-6-6, 3-3-6) clinched third place in the Golden Empire League and an accompanying playoff berth after a 0-0 draw at El Camino High School Monday night. Joining the Wolves in the section playoffs are league rivals El Camino and league champions Dixon High School.

“I’m very proud of how far the group has come since the beginning of the season,” Wolves head coach Carlos Pimentel said. “The team went through a rough start, losing our first three games. As the season progressed, the team began to get into a rhythm and built some momentum to finish in third place. The last time the girls had made playoffs was during the 2021-22 season, so this is a big deal. “

Woodland needed at least one win following a 0-0 tie to El Camino back on Jan. 24. They got that victory during an emphatic 4-0 win over Natomas on Jan. 29. They ended their season one game ahead of Sutter thanks to a pair of 0-0 draws against the aforementioned El Camino Monday and against Casa Roble on Feb. 5.

“I’m very excited for the girls to be in this situation and to have the opportunity to experience going to the playoffs in high school,” Pimentel said. “From the beginning, I told the group that my goal as their coach was to get the girls varsity soccer program back into the playoffs.”

The Wolves earned the No. 14 seed in D4 and will travel to No. 3 seed Lincoln High School on Friday for the first round of the playoffs. If they win, they will play the winner of the No. 6 Galt and No. 11 Lindhurst matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

“I hope that the girls keep the same fighting spirit that has allowed the team to achieve a playoff birth,” Pimentel said. “I also hope that they all bring their experiences & talents together to display their best version during these playoffs. If we can do the little things right, I believe this team can go further than the first round of playoffs.”

Boys

Thanks to a fantastic season 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 last week, earning the No. 1 seed in the D4 bracket.

The Wolves (16-1-2, 12-1-1 GEL) ended the season with a 3-0 loss to Dixon in what many around the team felt would be more like an extended practice with a league title and No. 1 seed all wrapped up. The only thing missing so far was the undefeated season, but it could be better to get the loss out of the way before the playoffs begin.

As a No. 1 seed, the Wolves will enjoy a bye-week to kick off the postseason and play their first game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the Woodland Community & Senior Center against the winner of the No. 8 seed Lindhurst or No. 9 seed Center. If the Wolves make it past either of those teams, they will play in the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The final would be scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22, against the team to come out of the other side of the bracket. In a fun bit of fate, the D4 No. 2 seed is Dixon.