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At some point in early 2026, Francisco Morales and his team began chasing history, not just wins and championships.
The girls’ soccer team at Coachella Valley High School, which Morales has coached since 2011, had never won a CIF Southern Section championship. They had never reached a championship game, either.
Not that Morales didn’t have some great teams. He had some exceptional ones over the years, and with some unforgettable players, nine league championships and deep playoff runs that included three semifinals appearances. But the program had not yet broken through to win a CIF-SS title.
The Arabs did eventually break through to become the valley’s only team in any sport boys or girls to win a CIF title during the 2025-26 school year, which made the Coachella Valley girls’ soccer team an obvious choice as The Desert Sun’s Girls' Team of the Year.
From the Coachella Valley, only Desert Mirage had previously won a CIF-SS championship in girls’ soccer, illustrating just how out of reach the feat may have felt for even the elite teams that have emerged from the desert over the years.
By the time the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs began, the Arabs had lost just once (12-1-2) in 2025-26 and were rising a 12-game unbeaten streak. Then, with a 5-2 first round win over Cerritos, a 1-0 win at Carpinteria and a 4-3 win over Grand Terrace in the quarterfinals, making history began to feel possible.
A 4-3 overtime win over Artesia felt magical, and a 3-2 win over Del Sol allowed the Arabs to capture the school’s first CIF-SS title in any sport since 2007.
But more history was on the way. Three more wins, against Ramona, Segerstrom and San Jacinto provided Coachella Valley with a CIF regional title and an appearance in a Division 5 CIF State title game.
The Arabs lost in the state title game to Marin Catholic of Kentfield, a community just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. But leading-scorer Jaylynn Hernandez recorded a school single-season record 34 goals in just 22 games in the process.
“The whole experience was amazing,” Hernandez said. “I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.”
Morales added that not only will the memory be unforgettable, it is now just sinking in for his group. To win a CIF-SS title, a regional title and play for a CIF State title is something he and his team never imagined at the start of the season.
“It was a year where the girls were able to create so many memories they’ll carry with them always,” Morales said.
We opened up it up to you to tell us who you though should be the named the top girls' team from the 2025-26 season and you sifted through nine options and chose the Desert Hot Springs girls' basketball team with 27% of the vote.
The Golden Eagles also made school history, making it all the way to the CIF-SS championship game, farther than any DHS girls' basketball team before. The Golden Eagles' girls' hoops team joined Coachella Valley girls' soccer as the only teams (boys or girls) to play for a CIF-SS title in the 2025-26 school year.
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and find him on Instagram at @desertwriter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley soccer is The Desert Sun's 2025-26 girls' team of the year
Continue reading...
The girls’ soccer team at Coachella Valley High School, which Morales has coached since 2011, had never won a CIF Southern Section championship. They had never reached a championship game, either.
Not that Morales didn’t have some great teams. He had some exceptional ones over the years, and with some unforgettable players, nine league championships and deep playoff runs that included three semifinals appearances. But the program had not yet broken through to win a CIF-SS title.
The Arabs did eventually break through to become the valley’s only team in any sport boys or girls to win a CIF title during the 2025-26 school year, which made the Coachella Valley girls’ soccer team an obvious choice as The Desert Sun’s Girls' Team of the Year.
From the Coachella Valley, only Desert Mirage had previously won a CIF-SS championship in girls’ soccer, illustrating just how out of reach the feat may have felt for even the elite teams that have emerged from the desert over the years.
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By the time the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs began, the Arabs had lost just once (12-1-2) in 2025-26 and were rising a 12-game unbeaten streak. Then, with a 5-2 first round win over Cerritos, a 1-0 win at Carpinteria and a 4-3 win over Grand Terrace in the quarterfinals, making history began to feel possible.
A 4-3 overtime win over Artesia felt magical, and a 3-2 win over Del Sol allowed the Arabs to capture the school’s first CIF-SS title in any sport since 2007.
But more history was on the way. Three more wins, against Ramona, Segerstrom and San Jacinto provided Coachella Valley with a CIF regional title and an appearance in a Division 5 CIF State title game.
The Arabs lost in the state title game to Marin Catholic of Kentfield, a community just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. But leading-scorer Jaylynn Hernandez recorded a school single-season record 34 goals in just 22 games in the process.
You must be registered for see images attach
“The whole experience was amazing,” Hernandez said. “I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.”
Morales added that not only will the memory be unforgettable, it is now just sinking in for his group. To win a CIF-SS title, a regional title and play for a CIF State title is something he and his team never imagined at the start of the season.
“It was a year where the girls were able to create so many memories they’ll carry with them always,” Morales said.
You voted and you chose ...
We opened up it up to you to tell us who you though should be the named the top girls' team from the 2025-26 season and you sifted through nine options and chose the Desert Hot Springs girls' basketball team with 27% of the vote.
The Golden Eagles also made school history, making it all the way to the CIF-SS championship game, farther than any DHS girls' basketball team before. The Golden Eagles' girls' hoops team joined Coachella Valley girls' soccer as the only teams (boys or girls) to play for a CIF-SS title in the 2025-26 school year.
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and find him on Instagram at @desertwriter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley soccer is The Desert Sun's 2025-26 girls' team of the year
Continue reading...
