Alumni return for water polo match

A varsity-alumni game does not count toward a high school's maximum permissible number of scrimmages, nor does it count in the season standings, but for the 14 Fallbrook High School boys seeking berths on the Warriors' varsity water polo team the match, Aug. 11, was the team's first competition of 2018.

"We had about 10 or 12 alumni show up," said Fallbrook coach Bill Richardson. "They played our varsity tryout team and beat us pretty bad."

The alumni players, whose Fallbrook High School playing careers range from the early 1990s to the 2017 season, included several with college experience.

Fallbrook's 10 2017 seniors included five all-league players as well as all seven of last year's starters. "We graduated a large number of kids last year," Richardson said.

The Warriors have four returning varsity players from last year, and that includes junior Cameron Batty, who is out indefinitely due to recovery from shoulder and knee injuries.

"We're starting over for the most part," Richardson said.

One of the returning varsity players was unable to be present for the alumni game, so only two current Warriors with varsity experience faced the alumni.

"It was a mismatch," Richardson said. "That's all right. We had fun."

A varsity-alumni game allows the current players to connect with the program heritage. "I think that helps," Richardson said.

The alumni game was also during the current team's first week of practice, which began Aug. 6.

A multi-team scrimmage Aug. 18 at Rancho Bernardo will allow Richardson to determine which of the 14 players who tried out for the varsity will begin the season on the varsity roster. (Because tournaments tend to involve five matches over two days some junior varsity players join the varsity for tournaments, and since Fallbrook's regular season begins with the Aug. 23-25 Rancho Bernardo Invite tournament, some junior varsity players may be part of the varsity for the first week of play.) A total of 30 players are seeking berths on Fallbrook's varsity, junior varsity, and novice squads. If that number remains unchanged Richardson will have seven seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores, and 10 freshmen.

"I think we have a really talented group of freshmen," Richardson said. "Last year we had very few."

Valley League play does not begin until Oct. 11, when Fallbrook hosts Classical Academy. Seven of the Warriors' pre-league dual meets are on the road with the exception being the Sept. 13 contest against El Camino, and the Warriors' preparation for league competition will also include the Sept. 6-8 Helix Tournament.