Yadaa.at<\/a> Kal\u00e9 Crimson Bears senior Peyton Wheeler signed a letter of intent Monday in the JDHS commons to attend Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington, and play soccer for the Pirates.<\/p>\n\u201cCoach Matt (JDHS head coach Matt Dusenberry) has had players who have been there before,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cAnd they are just a really good school, too, with sports and academics. I was influenced by that. Matt has helped me a lot and encouraged me a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peninsula plays in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC), the largest community college conference in the United States. The Pirates have been nationally ranked for 10 straight years, won 14 consecutive division championships and six NWAC titles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I bring competitiveness,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cI am a team player. I work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wheeler has 68 career goals and 36 assists for JDHS, and has three season games and state tournament play remaining. She is \u201cblessed\u201d to be able to bend a corner kick into the net for a scoring goal, or place a corner where she wants. This gives the Crimson Bears a better sense as to where to go when she has the CK, instead of trying to judge the flight of her kicks. She has shown proficiency as a right wing as well, which fits into the Peninsula style of play. Typically the Pirates have three strikers out front who have speed and can hit the ball with power. Wheeler can strike for power with both legs.<\/p>\n
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Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kal\u00e9 Crimson Bears senior Peyton Wheeler poses with family, friends and teammates after signing a letter of intent Monday, May 18, 2026, in the JDHS commons to attend Peninsula College, in Port Angeles, Washington, and play soccer for the Pirates. (Klas Stolpe \/ Juneau Independent)<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes a forward that can score that many goals thinks that is their job,\u201d Dusenberry said. \u201cBut Peyton certainly does work pretty hard on the other side of the ball, meaning that she will help harass backline or even come pick the pocket of a midfielder. We have video of her doing that\u2026she does it and goes and scores a goal. That is something to look for, someone who won\u2019t quit a play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peninsula ranks high nationally for early childhood education and education majors, neuroscience and health sciences, among others, and scores in the top 50% across multiple research topics. Near Olympic National Park, Peninsula is known for its stunning natural setting, which serves as a massive outdoor classroom, something Wheeler will feel at home with.<\/p>\n
\u201cI plan to major in kinesiology,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cI want to be a physical therapist when I am older. So this is a start there and eventually I will go to a bigger college, and learn more about physical therapy and related topics. I got interested in this from taking human anatomy here at JD. It was just really interesting to me, and it just built up by going to job shadows and things like that I really took an interest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pirates head coach Kenyon Anderson is the winningest coach in NWAC women\u2019s soccer history and has been named NWAC coach of the year five times.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am impressed with Peyton’s combination of speed, grit and skill,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cShe has been thoughtful and sincere in our interactions. I expect her to make an immediate impact and to compete for a starting role either on the wing or as a striker. The speed of the game is the hardest adjustment physically. Mentally it can be difficult being surrounded by other, equally talented players, but that is also the best way to grow. Peyton will likely need to improve the quickness of her decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wheeler said she will train through the summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to be outside and get my conditioning,\u201d she said. \u201cJust work really hard. I know we (Peninsula) will be going on preseason trips. It is a really competitive school so I have to be ready to just get right into it, and just work really hard, really fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her youth career has included trips through the United States and abroad with Alaska\u2019s Olympic Development Program (ODP), but started at what local players call \u201cthe downtown turf,\u201d a 40-yard, fenced in section between JDHS and Harbor View Elementary School.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first memory of her is at the little turf over here,\u201d mother Tessa Wheeler said. \u201cShe was doing the Smart Start, maybe three or four years old, and had her little T-shirt that went down to her ankles\u2026 It is pretty special to kind of see it come full circle for her. Her dad was a big soccer player, too, so I think he is proud to have a daughter follow in his footsteps a little bit. It is pretty neat to see her just come this far and to get to go pursue something that she loves to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Father Phillip Wheeler played high school soccer with Dusenberry at JDHS, both graduating in 1991, a year before the soccer program became official.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is great,\u201d Phillip Wheeler said, growing emotional. \u201cI am really proud of her. I love soccer. I get to go see her play in Washington. I have watched her play since she was a tiny, little kid\u2026It was wonderful. Being all around Juneau for soccer and then traveling to Portugal, Spain and England, and all over the United States playing for different teams. We took her on those trips just because of her enthusiasm for soccer. Just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
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JDHS senior Peyton Wheeler face-timed good friend Milina Mazon after signing a letter of intent Monday, May 18, 2026, in the JDHS commons to attend Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington, and play soccer for the Pirates. From left are Heidi Mazon, Milina Mazon (on phone), Peyton Wheeler and Sam Mazon. (Klas Stolpe \/ Juneau Independent)<\/p>\n
Peyton Wheeler remembers her first times on the pitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like three,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was like a little soccer camp and we were on the turf out front here. It was really fun. Parks and Rec and then Holiday Cup were the first organized play I had. The first Holiday Cup I was in, I know we won. My dad was coaching and I was with Milina (2025 JDHS graduate Milina Mazon, now playing at Edmonds College). I think we were the \u2018Striking Elves\u2019 or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of playing on ODP, Wheeler said, \u201cThe experience of getting to play teams and see how they develop players across the world was really cool. And just getting to see so many beautiful places over there.\u201d<\/p>\n
JDHS graduates Aubrey Briscoe (2011), Solana Ashe (2012), Mailia Miller (2019) and Blake Plummer (2022) have all played at Peninsula College.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love recruiting Matt’s players,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cHe is an incredibly kind and talented coach. Every Juneau-Douglas player we have had at PC has been great\u2026Our goal is to be the best junior college program in the country without sacrificing the basic values of kindness and selflessness.\u201d<\/p>\n
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