December 15, 2025

Written by Dave Smith

TEMECULA:  The King girls traveled to Temcula Valley to take on their Division 1 opponent.  The game started at a frentic pace with Temecula Valley pushing the attack forward. The Lady Wolves were able to withstand the early pressure and were able to create their own attack. After 35 scoreless minutes, Temecula Valley crossed a ball into the box which was quickly shot into the goal to make the score 1-0 TVHS.

At halftime the girls communicated how they could do a better job with adjusting to what the opponent was doing. In the 53^rd minute of the game, Senior Captain Jordan Akparanta found herself 25 yards from the goal near the sideline and lofted a shot that went over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and landed in the net to equal the score at 1-1. Both teams attacked relentlessly, with neither team conceding a goal. The final score was 1-1.

Senior Desiree Polanco said after the game that it was a game of “non-stop attacks, super intense and aggressive from start to finish. We were making tackles, blocking shots, legs burning, but that’s what it took to get the result. Holding the line no matter how hard they come at you, and I am incredibly proud of how the team played today.”

I was so proud on how hard the girls competed and came together as a team. After the game I told them that when they play with heart and passion and for one another, we can compete with any team and today we proved it.  We went over game film on Wednesday to see how we could execute better as a team and it showed in our game. We still have work to do regarding completing a higher percentage of passes and making the correct decisions with the ball under pressure, but we are coming together as a team.

Today’s game was about heart, and we showed that we have an abundance of it. We have a game today at Temescal Canyon and 6 games next week, including a rematch with Poly, so we will need to build on our game experience.

 King is now 5-1-1 on the season.