Harvard-Westlake's program has arrived

In his first two years as the Director of the Harvard-Westlake boys soccer program, Michael Erush had solid results. 18 wins over two seasons and a pair of third-place finishes in the Mission League is nothing to sneeze at.   However, this year, the program has taken off. The Wolverines are 20-0-1 and they are the top seed in the CIF Southern Section's Division IV playoffs. They are also ranked No. 12 in the State of California by PrepSoccer.   "It just puts a bigger target on our back, but we don't look at rankings," Erush said. "We have to play our game and focus on our team."   Before you scoff at a DIV team being ranked so highly in the State, be reminded that the Wolverines won the Mission League, which has perennial powerhouse Loyola (as well as others, like Chaminade) in it. The Wolverines drew with the Cubs, and then beat them to end the regular season. For perspective, Loyola earned the No. 2 seed in DII. Harvard-Westlake also only allowed two goals in league play, scoring 38. It only allowed four goals all season, against 62 scored.   The growth, in part, comes from a Director like Erush, who has emphasized the boys playing year round. When he first arrived, a very small percentage played high school and club, and now that number is about 80 percent. The kids are more dialed in because they want to play college soccer.   Erush, who coaches at Cal-State Los Angeles, can coach them like he would a college player and get them prepared.   The Wolverines open the CIF playoffs on Thursday with Buena, and here are five players to keep an eye on from that match, and going forward.   JT Federman, Junior, Central Defender   Federman is a captain and a three-year varsity starter. He has a strong understanding of the game. His soccer IQ is very high, he reads the game well, he organizes the defense well and is a very good leader on the pitch.   [player_tooltip player_id='143529' first='Theo' last='Ottosson'], Sophomore, Forward   Ottosson is scoring goals in bunches (22) in this, just his sophomore season. He is a player you need to watch when watching the Wolverines. He is a true goal-scorer. He's a tall, strong and fast player, he finishes well and is hard to stop in 1v1 situations.   Stephen Schaeffer, Senior, Forward   Schaeffer can play outside at either forward position. He's a senior that is looked to in the attack to create for himself and for others. He is a very speedy, athletic and technically sound player.   Charlie Seymour, Senior, Forward   Seymour plays at the No. 11 spot, and being left-footed that is a perfect spot for a player like him that is creative and athletic, making things happen when the ball is at his feet.   Will Sherwood, Senior, Keeper   Sherwood has waited patiently for his turn between the posts at Harvard-Westlake, and that time came this season. He performed well. He is a good vocal leader, a good shot stopper and closes angles well.

In his first two years as the Director of the Harvard-Westlake boys soccer program, Michael Erush had solid results. 18 wins over two seasons and a pair of third-place finishes in the Mission League is nothing to sneeze at.