ELK GROVE. CA )- When the Franklin High School Boys Soccer team set out for the 2024-25 season, they had one lofty mission in mind: win a California Interscholastic Federation Section Championship.

Well, mission accomplished. Saturday, March 1. 

“We as a program historically have done pretty well, getting into the playoffs, but running into good teams,” third-year head coach Jacob Schanning said. “But this year, we have a very special group and the group from the very beginning was able to come together and gel, and we were able to ask the players to commit and give everything that they had.”

The win was just another feather in the cap during what has become a historic season for the Wildcats. The boys entered the section playoffs after finishing first place in the Delta League with a 11-1 record, which earned them the No. 1 seed in the Division 1 playoffs.

The Wildcats soundly defeated their first-round opponents, the Mountain House Mustangs, 6-0 on Feb. 19. They then edged out the Pleasant Grove Eagles in a 2-0 victory on Feb. 21 before defeating the Turlock Bulldogs 5-2 in double overtime.

The wins set the stage for their matchup against the No. 2-seed Davis Senior High School Devils, a former league opponent, on Saturday. No matter the outcome, the Wildcats were heading to the NorCal Regional Championship tournament but were adamant not to head into that next stage of the postseason on a loss.

Schanning noted that a lot of the players were returns from the 2023-24 season that ended with a 3-1 loss in the first round of the playoffs against Central Valley High School, which left a lasting impression on the players heading into the current season.

“My message to them coming into the playoffs was that none of you have ever won a playoff game,” Schanning said. “Let’s just start with one playoff game and see what you can do and what can happen from there.”

Senior midfielder and co-team captain Mason Reyes scored the defining goal, sinking a set piece with 14:35 left in the first half to score what ultimately would become the game-winning goal.

Schanning didn’t understate the importance of the kick, noting that the team has struggled with set pieces throughout the season, but Reyes was able to come through when it mattered the most for the Wildcats.

Reyes chalked up the pivotal kick to a season of hard work. He called the team “special,” while touting the team’s chemistry throughout the season.

“All of this hard work has been leading up to this one day,” Reyes said. “We finally capitalized on it and made history.”

The tides seemingly changed in the second half. Davis was able to keep staunch pressure on the Wildcats, with a heavy attack keeping Franklin on the defensive.

Wildcats goalkeeper Alejandro Flores didn’t get as much action as sophomore Lucas Waelbrock, who was called in for the second half to protect the goal, making two pivotal saves to keep the Wildcats up by a score at the 17-minute mark. 

Schanning credited Flores for his performance in the first half, as well as several “big saves” throughout the season, before turning his attention to Waelbrock for his steadfast defense in the second half.

“When we had our hands on the fire, and we had to kind of see that through, he made the saves that we needed,” Schanning said. “Every championship game, every final, the winning goalie is going to have to make some big-time saves, especially when the time winds down and the pressure mounts, and he stepped up to the challenge.”

The stops earned Waelbrock the distinction of “Man of the Match” from Schanning to a round of applause from his teammates.

“It means everything,” Waelbrock said. “A lot of people dream about this moment and it just feels great to be able to come here and to come up big.”

On Sunday, March 2 the Wildcats were awarded the number No. 2 seed in the NorCal Regional Soccer Championships. They played against Bellarmine College Prep, the No. 7 seed, after press time. Franklin is also the first Elk Grove boys soccer team to qualify for NorCal Regionals.

Despite the team following through with the goal they set for themselves at the start of the season, Schanning said the team can’t “fall into the trap” of becoming complacent as the regional tournament begins.

“Regionals is great; I am looking forward to the opportunity, but for us, we set out trying to win the section and we achieved that tonight and that is something that these players will be able to take with them for the rest of their lives.”