Temecula Soccer Family Graduates 6th Player At Temecula Valley HS

TEMECULA, CA —Morgan Witz, a senior at Temecula Valley High School, helped her girls' soccer team win its fourth consecutive Southwestern League title in a row Thursday. With a 2-0 victory over Great Oak High School, the ladies wrapped up the regular season in 2021.

Witz helped win the game, taking one of many corner kicks in the 69th minute, placing the ball just right to earn an assist.

Now, both Morgan and her team are gearing up for a California Interscholastic Federation playoff run in the most unlikely season ever played.

One week ago, Morgan and her teammates played their last regular-season home high school game of the tumultuous 2021 season. After a year of coronavirus shutdown, taking her senior courses from home via Zoom meetings, she was grateful for a chance to play soccer with her teammates — four of whom were with her when the team won the CIF championship under varsity high school coach Jennifer Guinn.

Morgan's parents, Laura Witz — junior varsity coach at TVHS — and her husband, Greg, raised their children on the playing fields of Temecula. All six of their children lettered in sports at TVHS. Morgan, their youngest, is graduating from Temecula Valley High School in 2021. She has committed to play at California Baptist University, as did her sisters before her.

For mom Laura Witz, who has watched five other children graduate from TVHS, this journey has been a long time coming and is bittersweet.

As for Morgan, she's ready to take her experience and push the team — along with her fellow captains — into another CIF postseason.

She told Patch being a senior on the field in her last home game. "The last time we played Chaparral, we didn't have the opportunity to show them what we were all about," she said after the resounding 6-0 win.

The last time these crosstown rivals met the score was 0-0. "Taking the home field for the last time, regular season as a senior, was big for us," she said. "I think this team was super excited to come out and give it our all."

She was also thrilled to have her whole family cheering the victory.

Laura Witz said it was "surreal" watching her youngest child play her last home game in the stadium that they all love. Morgan watched her brother play baseball at TVHS when she was as small as some of the Witz grandkids, who were present at the game.

"It was surreal realizing that this was the last time I would see any of my girls out on the TVHS soccer field," Laura Witz said.

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As a coach, Laura Witz got to sit on the bench and watch her daughter play all four years. She did the same with all of her children.

"Tonight, I looked up at the stands and saw all of Morgan's siblings there (along with her young nieces and nephews) all cheering her on, just like she did for them all of those years ago," Laura said. "It was a moment I'll never forget."

The Witz kids are a bit of a legend at Temecula Valley High School.

Like her sisters, Morgan wears a #2 on her jersey.

Jaquelyn graduated class of 2007 and went on to play soccer at Cal Baptist University, as did her sister, Bernadette, class of 2010. Lindsey, class of 2009, played soccer at Texas A&M, and Rachel, class of 2014, played soccer at Point Loma University. Their lone brother, Justin Witz, played baseball at TVHS in the class of 2006 and graduated from Cal Berkely, Laura Witz said.

At halftime, the Witz girls and their children walked onto the field, practiced some shots and had some fun.

During the game, Morgan's cheering section— her family —gathered at the home-field stadium.

Morgan commented on her family coming to watch her play. "All of my family was here. It can be quite a crowd when we're all together," she said with a laugh.

At the final home game, Morgan's siblings got to see her score, watched her make crosses and take corner kicks, and even have a few goals called back.

Getting to watch Morgan play at all in 2021 was both a joy and relief. During the pandemic, coaches and parents fought to get players into real game situations. The blessing of watching Morgan play in the middle of a pandemic was not lost on parents Laura and Greg Witz.

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They supported the "Let Them Play" movement, lobbying for youth sports to return amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, they have watched their daughter and her fellow players fight hard and win the city title for a fourth time in a row, with that hard work done.

"I'm just so proud of all of them," Laura Witz said of Morgan and all of her children. "I feel so blessed to be their mom and to have been a part of each of their journeys. Now the end of a very long book has come. But I'm looking forward to part two!"

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