Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Although Fallbrook High School's football team finished the
regular season with a 2-7 record, the Warriors still received an
invitation to the CIF Division I playoffs.
Fallbrook will continue its season tomorrow at Mira Mesa, which
ended the regular season with a 6-3 record. The winner of that
game will play at Otay Ranch on November 23.
The seeding and selection committee considers strength of
schedule as well as won-loss records in determining the teams for
the playoffs. "We played some of the higher-ranked teams," said
Fallbrook offensive coordinator Tony Morrow, who was with the
program the last time the Warriors reached the CIF playoffs in
2005. "Us playing eight playoff-caliber teams had something to
do with it."
The Warriors' only opponent during the season who did not earn a
playoff berth was Temecula Valley. Poway and Carlsbad, who
earned the top two Division I seeds, were both Warrior opponents
during the season. Fallbrook closed the regular season with a
41-27 loss to Carlsbad.
Four other Division I playoff teams - Rancho Buena Vista,
El Camino, Rancho Bernardo, and Vista - faced the Warriors during
the regular season. Point Loma and Santa Fe Christian are in
their divisions' post-season.
All six Avocado League teams earned playoff berths. Oceanside,
whose league match against Fallbrook was cancelled due to the
fires, earned the top Division II seed.
"We feel like we definitely deserve to be there. We don't
consider ourselves a 2-7 team," Morrow said. "We feel like we
were in those games and able to compete."
Morrow joined the Fallbrook football program with the freshman
team in 2002, a year the Warriors reached the CIF semifinals.
Fallbrook lost to Torrey Pines in the 2003 CIF finals but
finished with a 1-9 record in 2004 and did not receive a playoff
invitation.
The Warriors' last playoff appearance was a first-round loss at
Eastlake in 2005. The Warriors were winless in 2006, which was
also Morrow's first year at the varsity level. None of the
current Fallbrook players have post-season experience.
Twelve teams were invited to the CIF Division I playoffs, and
Fallbrook earned the unofficial twelfth seed. The top four teams
are officially seeded and receive first-round byes, and the rest
of the seeds may be juggled to prevent league opponents from
meeting in the first round. Mira Mesa is the unofficial fifth
seed and Eastlake, which finished its regular season with a 6-3
record, earned the fourth seed.
"We actually kind of like the fact that some teams are going to
overlook us," Morrow said.
Only five of Fallbrook's 22 starters are seniors. "We're
maturing a little bit every week," Morrow said. "We think we can
match up well with some of the teams that are in the playoffs."
Morrow noted that the Warriors have played up to the level of
their competition during the year, and he expects that to be the
case at Mira Mesa. "We'd definitely like to see as many folks
from Fallbrook come out and support us," he said.
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