Warriors go 6-1 during March in boys' lacrosse games

The Fallbrook High School boys’ lacrosse team posted a 6-1 record for the month of March.

“I'm impressed with how we've been playing as a team,” Fallbrook coach Brian Kimmell said. “We’ve been playing real well.”

The Warriors began the 2018 season with a 19-6 home win, March 3, against Murrieta Valley High School and followed that triumph with a 14-2 victory, March 6, at home against Serra High School and a 19-0 win, March 9, in Fallbrook against Mater Dei High School.

The Warriors’ only loss in the month occurred March 13, on the road when they were defeated 10-9 by San Dieguito Academy.

“They did everything they needed to do to win, and we didn’t,” Kimmell said.

Fallbrook recovered from that loss with a 13-3 victory, March 16, at Olympian High School; a 15-1 triumph, March 20, at Army-Navy Academy and a 6-2 win, March 22, at Hilltop High School.

Kimmell said that the team practices focus on specific strategies.

“We really got the results we wanted,” he said.

Kimmell added that such success raises the players’ confidence.

The Warriors lost their 2017 goalkeeper, so sophomore Dillon Dunham has taken over that role.

“He’s made some really clutch saves,” Kimmell said of Dunham. “We’ve been getting great goaltending.”

Kimmell added that Dunham has also been able to deter opponents from shooting.

Fallbrook also lost at least one starter in the defensive, midfield and attack areas, but the team has been able to compensate for those graduations.

“We’re really just night and day defense from last year,” Kimmell said. “They’ve been doing a better job communicating on the field.”

Kimmell said that the communication between the defenders and the midfielders allows for a better ability to clear balls.

The team returned two offensive starters from last year, senior Nathan Chalut and junior Hunter Stites.

“They’re also doing a great job this year working with our new guys at the attack position, and that’s been really helpful,” Kimmell said.

Valley League play for Fallbrook begins April 16 with a match at Valley Center.

“We’re really looking forward to that,” Kimmell said. “We’re looking forward to making a playoff run.”

Last year, the Warriors had an 8-8 overall season record and were seeded 13th among Division II teams. The 12 top-seeded Division II teams compete in the CIF playoffs. Fallbrook had a 4-4 record in March 2017, and all of those losses were by at least five goals.

“I’d do these guys a disservice if I wasn’t constantly bragging about their composure,” Kimmell said of his 2018 team. “It’s really neat to see that.”