Cleveland's girls soccer team enters Portland Interscholastic League play at No. 15 in the OSAA 6A rankings, carrying a 5-3-1 preseason record and 21 combined goals from its top two scorers.
Senior forward Ella Cohen and sophomore Stella Ahlemeyer have driven the attack. Their 21-goal total sits just outside the top 10 among 6A scoring teams, according to the Cleveland Clarion. Cohen committed to Washington State University in April, with the announcement posted by Thorns FC Academy. She will join the Cougars in fall 2027.
The Warriors opened the season with a 6-0 loss to No. 1-ranked Jesuit on Aug. 31 at the Marshall Campus, where Cleveland is playing home games while its school building is reconstructed. The new Cleveland High School is expected to open in fall 2029, according to Portland Public Schools.
Cleveland recovered with wins over Glencoe, Wilsonville, Corvallis, Beaverton and Aloha, then earned a 1-1 draw against No. 4 Lincoln that pushed the Warriors into the top 15.
The Sept. 24 rout of Aloha showed the team's depth. Freshman forward Sophia Gonzalez recorded a hat trick. Senior Maggie Twyman added two goals and freshman Meyrl Gumke scored one, while Cohen contributed two assists.
Junior captain Val Vaughan, a midfielder in her third varsity season, has anchored the middle of the field. In the Clarion's Oct. 2 season preview, Vaughan described the program's young talent.
"The freshmen are all really talented and technical," she said.
Vaughan has also pushed for more student-section support at girls' games. In a Sept. 25 Clarion commentary piece about the attendance gap between boys' and girls' soccer, she said the energy from fans changes her play on the field.
Cleveland's first two PIL opponents look favorable on paper. Roosevelt sits at No. 38 in the OSAA 6A rankings, and Ida B. Wells comes in at No. 27. The Clarion called both matchups "very winnable" games that should keep the Warriors on a playoff track.
Grant and Lincoln, ranked No. 2 and No. 4, await later in league play. Both are PIL rivals.
