SWW Sports Report 9/25–10/8: Walls Impresses as Playoffs Near

Ethan Pair (‘26) tracks the ball after the Jackson-Reed defender’s contest / Credits: Rami Noursi

It wouldn’t be two weeks at Walls without the SWW Sports Report. Fall sports continued in these exciting weeks, followed and reported by the best Sports Information Club in the city. Let’s get into it.

Girls soccer walked over the Bell Griffins and Coolidge Colts. In the two games, the Penguins combined for 20 goals and allowed none. Nadia Lytle (‘25) led the charge against the Colts, adding a hattrick to the myriad of other goals.

The squad demonstrated similar dominance in a 3-0 statement win against DCI, but found themselves in a much tighter game against the GDS Hoppers. Walls trailed 2-3 in the final minutes, before DCIAA scoring leader Kylie Emanuel (‘25) tied the game with a majestic free kick from near half field.

It was a similar script against Bullis. The Penguins dropped the Bulldogs 3-2 behind 2 goals from Emanuel, who has carried Walls’ scoring weight in her dominant sophomore campaign.

The girls won 4 games and scored 29 goals in their most impressive stretch yet. The team is heading towards the playoffs with a head of steam and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

The boys soccer team had mixed results against the toughest segment of their schedule. The Penguins started with a 0-0 tie against Bell. They failed to find the back of the net, but seven saves from goalie Van Harllee (‘24) kept them in the game.

The Penguins came up scoreless again against Roosevelt. An early strike was called back due to a technicality, and the Penguins couldn’t convert again. The refs also missed what captain Kazim Hall (‘23) described as a “blatant foul in the box” which likely would have led to a Walls goal. Despite another elite performance from Harllee, the Rough Riders were able to score once, handing the Penguins their second DCIAA loss of the season.

Walls bounced back with a 1-0 win against the Cardozo Clerks. Lucas Campbell (‘26) scored the boys’ only goal of the last two weeks in the win. The strong performance was dampened by an injury to Harllee, who dislocated his shoulder while making an impressive save.

The Penguins find themselves in a similar situation to last year, when an injury to starting goalie Mark Martinez gave Harllee his first opportunity to shine. This year, it is backup Skyler Elsner (‘23) with the chance to step up. “As much as it hurts to watch from the sideline, I have unconditional faith that Skyler and the boys will make me proud,” said Harllee about the injury. The team continues to get stronger as playoffs draw nearer.

Girls volleyball continued their dominance against DCIAA opponents. The Penguins took down Roosevelt and HD Woodson in straight sets. Although the girls have cruised past public school opponents, private schools have given them trouble: volleyball lost recent matches to Georgetown Visitation and Maret. According to captain Lourdes Rodriguez (‘23), “the team is working on attacking more.” Hopefully this adjustment will keep tougher opponents on their toes.

Cross country was strong in their recent meet. The girls finished first in DCIAA and the boys took second. Ryanne Barstow (‘23) placed second and Tess Buckley (‘23) came in third, finishing just five seconds behind Barstow. Elijah Lott (‘25) led the guys’ squad to an impressive finish. The running Penguins look to bring home gold in the upcoming championship meet.

2022 has proved to be an exciting year for Walls athletics. Playoffs for fall sports are approaching, and the Penguins need your support more than ever. Show your Penguin pride and come out to support our athletes. If you can’t make it, score updates, player features, and other Walls content is posted on @swwpenguins on Instagram.