April 30, 2025
The San Diego Growlers are celebrating their 10 year anniversary in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) with their 2025 Home Opener on Saturday, May 3 at Mission Bay HS. Since their inaugural 2015 season, the Growlers have qualified for the playoffs four times (2018-2022) and advanced to Championship Weekend twice (2019 and 2021). With a renewed sense of purpose after an improved 2024 campaign and a roster brimming with talent, the Growlers are poised to make another playoff run this year.
In the offseason, the UFA underwent a divisional realignment which shifted the Growlers, and their SoCal rival, the Los Angeles Aviators, to the South Division. The Growlers will play the Aviators four times this year, and start the 2025 season with a home and away double-header vs LA on May 3 & 4. San Diego's other South Division opponents include the Atlanta Hustle, Austin Sol, Carolina Flyers, Houston Havoc, all quality teams with great rosters. The Growlers will also play cross-divisional games with the West Division, against the newly added expansion Vegas Bighorns, and familiar NorCal rivals, the Oakland Spiders. In their first ever meeting on May 9, San Diego will host an extremely motivated Atlanta Hustle, who have consistently been one of the best teams in the league, but have suffered through four heartbreaking losses from 2021-2024 that have denied their Championship Weekend dreams. On Memorial Day weekend, the Growlers face a difficult road test against the consistently talented Carolina Flyers (2021 Champions and 2024 Finalist), and the Atlanta Hustle again on May 24, which is the UFA Game of the Week. Another pivotal game will occur on June 7, when the Austin Sol travel to San Diego for their only matchup of the regular season, with both teams likely to be fighting for a playoff berth. The Growlers full schedule can be seen here.
Under the guidance of Coaches Kevin Stuart, Kaela Helton, and Goose Helton, the Growlers have cultivated a staff renowned for its game planning, strategic acumen and player development. This continuity in leadership is expected to pay dividends as the team adapts to the challenges of facing new opponents in the realigned South Division. Kyle Rubin will remain as a Team Captain for this third consecutive year, and veteran Casey Wu and second year player Casey Shugarman will also be Captains in 2025. The synergy between the coaches, captains, and players, plus a renewed team focus on training, fitness, and conditioning will be big difference makers this season.
The San Diego Growlers have retained many of their core players from the last several years, but have also bolstered their lineup with several notable additions. Khalif El-Salaam brings his elite dual-threat athleticism and competitiveness back to San Diego (played with the team in 2021) after helping lead the Seattle Cascades to a Championship Weekend appearance in 2024. Jesse Cohen is back with the Growlers after a couple seasons away and brings a wealth of experience and versatility. Will Turner and Marcel Osborne, who started their pro careers with San Diego, return to make impacts after spending time with the Aviators. Daniel Brunker was a key fixture for Colorado and Los Angeles from 2022-2024, and will be yet another offensive weapon. Kobi McCracken, Isamu Kawaguchi, and Tomas Fong were rookies for LA last season, but this Irvine based crew will help strengthen the Growlers' depth with their youthful athleticism, primarily on defense.
Ten-year veteran Travis Dunn, who is the team’s MVP and an All-UFA selection every season since 2018, will once again be a dominant offensive force. During the 2024 regular season, Travis was 2nd in the UFA with 53 assists, 3rd in Total Yards with 6,430, and 3rd in Receiving Yards with 3,645. Matt Miller, who finished 5th in the UFA with 4,156 Throwing Yards and 5,962 Total Yards, will drive the disc downfield and is a nightmare to cover. KJ Koo, who only appeared in 3 games last year, is a dynamic handler/cutter hybrid and will have a huge offensive impact by playing a full season. With all the added talent on offense, veterans like Michael Tran and Stefan Samu can focus more on anchoring the defensive line, alongside Bryce Lozinski, Reggie Sung, Max Hume, and Max Gibson. The Growlers will need to generate more blocks, opposition turnovers, and convert their break score opportunities at a higher rate to increase their win total this season.
The San Diego Growlers have several reasons to be optimistic and excited about 2025, and their road to Championship Weekend in Madison, WI officially begins this weekend. Tickets to San Diego home games are on sale now and fans can catch all the UFA action on WatchUFA.tv for $11.99 a month or $89.99 a year. With a few upsets and compelling games already in the books, the 2025 UFA season is shaping up to be the most competitive and thrilling year yet.
