As the ash from the Los Angeles fires cleared from the air and the smell of smoke began to fade, Archer’s varsity soccer team stepped onto the bright green field after a four week hiatus due to winter break and a temporary campus closure.
The 2024-25 season was full of surprises for varsity soccer. The team was eager to return to school Tuesday, Jan. 7, after the break. However, after wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, the Hollywood Hills and more locations, Archer temporarily closed its campus for two weeks, reopening its doors Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The team was greeted by two coaches, Monica Corea and Fish — who requested to just be referred to as Fish, as opposed to a first and last name — both of whom are in their first year of coaching soccer at Archer. In addition to new coaches, Archer entered a more challenging league, the Goldcoast League. So far, the team has amassed three wins and six losses.
Junior Evan Weingarten has played soccer since she was 5 years old and participated in Archer soccer since freshman year. Throughout the years, she said the team has been endlessly supportive. Whether the team is winning or losing, she said every game is filled with encouragement for one another.
“We definitely have a lot of fun and it’s a very uplifting community we’ve built. If someone doesn’t completely understand a drill, we’ll explain it. Or If someone isn’t passing directly, [we ask] ‘Why can’t you pass?’ ‘Oh, maybe try opening your foot a little wider,’” Weingarten said. “It is very kind and very fun.”
Fish echoed Weingarten’s feelings of support and community, saying that she was amazed by the team’s maturity, professionalism and “incredible culture.”
“From game one, the bench was just as loud during all minutes of the game and throughout the whole season. It wasn’t just excitement in the beginning, they have showed up for their teammates. And just the camaraderie after every practice, they want to circle up without the coaches and just have their time to bond,” Fish said. “They cheer each other on, no matter where they’re at in their own development of the game.”
The closure of campus also halted all after school activities. The team didn’t meet, practice or compete due to air quality and safety concerns. Fish said the return was challenging, with many players being out of practice and impacted by the fires.
“It’s already a hard sport because you have the holiday break. We were so excited to get back together and then you have the fires, which created a really heavy weight,” Fish said. “All that we wanted to do and I’m sure all the players wanted to do was to be with their team and play. It really simplifies what’s important.”
Team captain Anika Rodriguez (‘25) has played soccer for eleven years, four of which she spent on Archer’s soccer team. She said the team’s supportive nature has been helpful; however, the extended break from soccer has left them disadvantaged against their competitors, many of whom were less impacted by the fires and did not lose practice time.
“It’s hard [coming back]. Because we had a game yesterday and before that, we didn’t have practice, obviously,” Rodriguez said on Jan. 22. “It was nice to come back and just play with the team and distract ourselves but it was really hard because we’re all out of shape and just not used to it.”
Fish said the team’s relentless support and perseverance shone through the challenging return to campus.
“This team from the start has had an incredible culture. I’ve been amazed at just the way that they bring each other together. We had a lot of freshmen this year and some returners, so to bridge that gap can be challenging for different personalities,” Fish said. “But the captains on this team have led well, the sophomores have stepped up and the freshman came in open and willing. So I think that shows their incredible support for each other. I know they were planning a sleepover the Friday before the fires happened. I know all this adversity is not going to stop them from showing up for each other.”
The season ends Feb. 3, with a senior night game against Crossroads. If the team advances to CIF playoffs, they will compete Feb. 12 and 14. Quarter finals will be Feb. 18, semifinals will be Feb. 22 and finals will last from Feb. 28 to March 1. Rodriguez said that despite the season’s challenges, she has found joy in being able to spend time with her teammates and compete in her last soccer games of senior year.
“[I have learned] to stay positive because it sucks that our season is cut short,” Rodriguez said. “But stay positive, look at every game. It’s an opportunity to be together and play together.”