MaxPreps Student SectionIn 1972, the California Delegate Conference met and approved the founding of a Lutheran high school in southern California. By 1977,
California Lutheran (Wildomar, Calif.) High School (CLHS) opened for its first year in Garden Grove, just south of Anaheim. It only included an enrollment of ten ninth grade students. CLHS then moved to a public elementary school site in Tustin, California two years later. By 1982, the enrollment increased to 78, and had graduated its first senior class. The school then moved to Rancho California in 1985 after purchasing a 54-acre lot. The high school finally moved to Riverside county, acquiring their current spot in Wildomar, California. In 2002, a beautiful new school building was completed as 700 people attended the dedication. The enrollment surpassed 100 for its first time. CLHS celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007.
Courtesy of Dean Capelotti
The school moved to different locations several times in less than twenty years. This meant that their sports teams were forced to adjust to different facilities in new cities after just a few years. The C-Hawks participated in sports such as football and basketball. The C-Hawks have been successful in many sports since arriving in Wildomar. Cal Lutheran now offers a multitude of sports including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, and track.
CLHS is very proud of their football program. They play 8-man football, which is good for smaller schools that do not have as many players in their football program as many larger schools. 8 man usually is higher scoring and the athletes play every down on offense, defense, and special teams. CLHS has been the home of several championship squads and many great football players. The current head coach Dave Peter, who led a 2010 team that went 12-1. The only loss they had was coming in the CIF Division II 8-man football championship game. Cal Lutheran won three CIF Southern Section Championships in 1992, 1998, and 2000. The C-Hawks have won 12 football league championships, dating back to 1984.
The C-Hawk volleyball program has also had some very talented players and teams, highlighted most recently by a 2007 team that won the Division 5AA Southern Section Championship, finishing the season with a 27-5 record. The volleyball program is always a threat to win their league and make a playoff run. The volleyball program collected league championships in 1984, 1994, and 1996.
The C-Hawks basketball programs (both boys and girls) are very much on the rise. The interest in basketball from the student body has increased over the years. Many good things are to come on the hardwood in the winter seasons to come. The boys' basketball team won league championships in 1989 and 2001. The ladies' basketball program has collected a whopping 17 league championships dating back to 1982.
The spring sports at Cal Lutheran have become more successful as well. The baseball and softball programs have brought excitement to all sports fans in the local area. The baseball team has five league championships, including two straight league titles in 2009 and 2010. The baseball team is poised to win their third straight Arrowhead League title this month with a handful of wins to end the season. The softball program has grown in popularity. They have won four league titles, most recently in 2008.
California Lutheran is proud of their established programs along with the ones on the rise. Football and girls' basketball have been dominant over the last two decades to say the least. The rest of the C-Hawk sports are very competitive as well, meaning fans and parents will have exciting, meaningful games to watch every season of every school year. Cal Lutheran will most definitely continue to be successful with their athletic program built on a strong foundation of solid coaching and talented, well-rounded student athletes.
