Defending champs CHS Storm prep for big season

RIO RANCHO — The defending state champion Cleveland High School girls soccer team participated in a pre-season camp Aug. 5-8 in preparation for the upcoming season, which may prove to be as exciting as it will be challenging.

“I am really excited,” said senior defensive midfielder Taylor Williamson. "We have a lot of new girls out here, and this is a lot more than we usually have. We just really want to repeat what we did and have the same result as last year.”

Williamson recently committed to play collegiately at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

The girls could be seen in the Cleveland grass fields next to the tennis courts playing hard rounds of possession. Every player was communicating, moving fast and making hard tackles.

Last season, the CHS girls soccer team had a near-perfect season at 22-1 and capped it off by taking both the district and state titles.

They also had five first-team All-State players. The Storm also posted 12 shutout victories (six straight to end the season), and had the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year, Ella Lent-Koop.

“Well, we lost more than just a couple of key starters. We lost six of 10 field players,” said head coach Gregory Rusk. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunity, and that doesn’t mean we don’t have ability. We have three strong seniors, and a nice junior core, and some really up-and-coming sophomores and freshmen.”

The three returning seniors on the team are Arissa C’de Baca, Taylor Williamson and Kiran Ahluwalia.

“I definitely think we have a great chance this year to be successful. We have a lot of great leaders on this team, and we have a lot of great upcoming players; both eighth graders and freshmen,” said midfielder/forward and four-year varsity letterman Kiran Ahluwalia. “I think we are going to do good.”

Rusk says he uses the summer workouts to build strength and dial in tactics, but he also uses them to bolster the leadership abilities of his senior players.

“I don’t run summer workouts. I let the senior class, and the leaders of the senior class, run the workouts so they can develop their leadership abilities and their organizational abilities,” Rusk said. “For me, I believe the seniors should take the reins on the team and ride that horse.”

Senior forward — and Observer “Player to Watch” — Arissa C’de Baca, said she is anxious for the season to get going after all the hard work of the summer months.

“We’ve been working hard; we have this training camp preparing us for the season and then we have tryouts next week,” C’de Baca said.

C’de Baca scored 20 goals and was first-team All-State in 2023.

The Storm girls soccer team kicks off the season at Organ Mountain Aug. 20 with the home opener happening Aug. 24 against St. Pius.

“Hopefully, we will be able to give the others in the district a run for their money and qualify for state,” said Rusk. “In state, anything can happen.”