Four Lady Warriors are all-league in water polo

The Feb. 25 meeting of the Valley League's girls water polo coaches included the selection of four Fallbrook High School players for all-league recognition.

Anna Draves and Gabby Vazzana were part of the league's first team. Second-team distinction was bestowed upon Ella Hearn, and Naomi Wood was given honorable mention designation.

"It was great," Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond said of having four all-league players. "I didn't really have to say a whole lot because the other coaches were the ones that brought them up."

The other five Valley League coaches might not have known the players' names but were able to identify the Warriors who earned all-league honors.

"They knew them by cap number," Redmond said. "It's always good when the other coaches recognize who the opposing players are and appreciate their skill level."

Draves is a set player while Vazzana spent the season at the set deep position.

"Getting two on the first team is a tribute to them, but it's also a tribute to the whole team," said Redmond.

Fallbrook posted a 4-1 Valley League record for second place in the final standings behind Ramona. The Warriors' 13-12 overall mark includes an 8-2 loss to Clairemont in the first round of the CIF Division I playoffs.

Draves made the all-league first team as a sophomore and Vazzana is a junior.

"Especially a tenth and eleventh grader – I think it's great," said Redmond. "We are definitely a young team, so it bodes well in showing the kind of commitment our younger players have."

Vazzana led the team with 43 goals and Draves was second with 32 goals.

"I think the other coaches saw that it wasn't just scoring, but it was also what they did on defense," Redmond said.

Vazzana led the team with 130 steals. "That prevented a goal right there," Redmond said.

Draves, who was third on the team with 77 steals (Kaitlyn Callagher was second with 100), led the team with 66 assists and with 16 ejections drawn.

"Anna was a strong player and leader," Redmond said.

Even though she was a sophomore, Draves was a team captain. "Her maturity level grew this year with everything she was doing and what she did as a teammate," Redmond said.

Draves was on Fallbrook's 2016-17 varsity as a freshman. Last year's all-league players included Sarah Draves. The ability of younger siblings to leverage their knowledge of the game from watching their brother or sister play may have helped current Ramona senior Maddie Schwegler obtain the skills she utilized to earn league player of the year honors this year. Schwegler was on Ramona's varsity for all four of her high school years but was in fifth grade when her older sister began her Ramona water polo career as a freshman and in seventh grade when her brother started his Ramona aquatics career.

"We're seeing that with Paris Dowden," Redmond said.

Dowden, who made Fallbrook's varsity as a freshman, has three older sisters who played water polo for Fallbrook, including 2015-16 league player of the year Taylor Dowden. Schwegler was the first player not from Fallbrook to be voted as the league player of the year since Fallbrook joined the Valley League in 2014. Jordann Heimback was the 2014-15 Valley League player of the year and Caitlyn Batty received the 2016-17 honor.

Vazzana had 40 assists and drew 15 ejections. "Her quickness, her speed, her athleticism definitely helped set us up for a lot of the counters (counterattack goals) we had," Redmond said.

Hearn was third on the team with 11 ejections drawn.

"They were able to draw ejections," Redmond said. "That just came from trying to gain position and holding their position."

Four of the six Warriors who earned all-league recognition for 2016-17 were seniors. Hearn, who earned second-team recognition as a sophomore last year, is the only Fallbrook player who had a previous all-league honor.

Hearn, who is the only Fallbrook senior who received 2017-18 Valley League distinction, was a driver. She was on Fallbrook's varsity for three seasons.

Wood was Fallbrook's starting goalkeeper. She made 129 saves and had 40 steals. Although Wood is a sophomore she did not play water polo as a freshman and had not been a goalkeeper until the start of the 2017-18 season.