While the attention is focused on the Fall Wildcat sports, other squads are working behind the scenes gearing up for championship runs.

Football may grab all the headlines, but both of Uni’s soccer programs are returning loaded experienced Varsity teams with championship aspirations, while a younger Cross Country squad looks to turn some heads.

The Varsity boys return the most amount of players from any team in Coach Gabriel Orozco’s tenure with sixteen returning including Senior Captain Luis Mijangos and key underclassmen Cheyenne Santiago and Mario Guerrero.

“We’re loaded,” said Orozco. “We expect to be more competitive, win our conference and get some home playoff games.”

The LadyCats will look to bounce back from a roller coaster season and return to championship form. With returning seniors Maritza Perez, Charlotte Toates, and Sammy Mortimer along with sophomore Captain Nitzy Salgado, the LadyCats have enough offensive weapons to power way their opponents.

Both soccer programs held tryouts at the beginning of the school year, but girls Coach German Estrada will hold additional tryouts before the season to stockpile extra talent.

The Cross Country squad lost many talented veterans from last year’s team, but Coach Kelly Aguda is still optimistic about the team’s prospects.

Seniors Claudius Shropshire and Edwin Cardoza lead a fast Varsity boys’ team while sophomore Diana Cruz and Vanessa Mendez should stand out on a girls’ squad that consists of all but one sophomore. “We have people that are as fast as, if not faster than runners we’ve had,” said Aguda.