David Clovesko-Wharton had just returned from a 50-day post-retirement vacation to the Grand Tetons and parts beyond when he sat down to discuss his upcoming first season as coach of the Patagonia High School soccer team.
It was eight days before the Lobos’ first practice and, fortunately for the program, Clovesko-Wharton is not one of those people who is wary of surprises.
“[The school] did a presurvey [of returning students] at the end of last year, and it showed significant interests for soccer and girls volleyball,” he said. “However, so far, no athlete has turned in all the paperwork needed to play. It could be a notorious problem, because we practice right away, and you have to have ten practices to be eligible to compete.”
Coach C-W, as he’s commonly known, says this with a smile. He’s been around Patagonia long enough to know these things tend to work themselves out. He taught for 11 years at Patagonia Elementary School before retiring in the spring, he formerly coached the middle school soccer team, and he’s been the high school tennis coach for the past seven seasons—a role he will continue at in addition to coaching soccer.
The tennis program is coming off an uplifting season—qualifying a doubles team for the state tournament for the first time in six years. That success, and the time freed up by retiring from teaching, nudged Clovesko-Wharton toward applying for the soccer opening.
“Part of it was to ride the momentum of the tennis team going to state,” he said. “This is the top tier of our sports world. [Soccer] is far more of a team sport than tennis, you have 11 kids on the field. I’m excited.”
Adding to the excitement is the addition of Aaron Mrotek, manager of the Nature Conservancy Preserve, as an assistant coach. Mrotek played competitive soccer in high school and college and is currently playing in an adult league in Tucson.
“I wasn’t going to do it without him,” Clovesko-Wharton said. “He has a competitive edge, but in such a friendly way. He’s a natural teacher, he knows how to connect with young people, and he leads with tremendous example.”
The Lobos had a 3-10 record last year and graduated five seniors. Jaxon Yslava, part of the doubles team that qualified for the state tennis tournament, was the starting goaltender as a sophomore, and Clovesko-Wharton is hoping to build a strong defense around him, but he also wants to play aggressively.
“We have to have a strong defense,” he said. “At midfield we’re going to be a lot more flexible; a good flow between our midfielders and forwards. I’m not a traditionalist. I’m going to have a few trick plays up my sleeve. I would rather have an exciting way of playing and lose than just go out there trying not to let them run up the score on us.”
Clovesko-Wharton understands the sizable challenge of fielding a competitive team at a school with an enrollment as small as PUHS. Of the 28 teams playing soccer in the fall season, only Patagonia and Grand Canyon have fewer than 100 students. Each of the Lobos’ opponents have an enrollment twice or three times as large.
“I’m going to be big on recruitment,” Clovesko-Wharton said. “I’m going to make myself visible on campus. And I do offer free snacks at every practice.”
He said his recruiting efforts will include trying to attract female athletes. And he’s counting on good old-fashioned school pride to bolster the roster.
“You know, once a Lobo, always a Lobo,” he said. “There’s a crossover—’I’ll play soccer if you play basketball’ and so on. There’s a loyalty among the Lobo pack, a pack mentality. We are going to protect our den at all cost, with a sense of purpose and pride.”
Lobos’ Soccer 2024 Schedule
| Aug. 20 | Bisbee (H) | 4 p.m. |
| Roadrunner Invitational Aug. 23 Aug. 24 | Rumsey Park, Payson Round Valley Pima Winslow Basis Flagstaff | 10:40 a.m. 6:40 p.m. 1:20 p.m. 5:20 p.m. |
| Aug. 26 | at St. Augustine | 5 p.m. |
| Sept. 3 | at Pima | 6 p.m. |
| Sept. 13 | at Highland Prep West | 6 p.m. |
| Sept. 24 | at St. Augustine | 4 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | Benson (H) | 6 p.m. |
| Oct. 3 | at Bisbee | 4 p.m. |
| Oct. 11 | The Gregory School (H) | 6 p.m. |
| Oct. 17 | Pima (H) | 6 p.m. |
| Oct. 18 | Highland Prep West (H) | 4 p.m. |
| Oct. 22 | Willcox (H) | 6 p.m. |