Warriors win on Senior Night

Kate Calhoun

Writer Intern

Both varsity boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams for Fallbrook High School left the field, May 3, with a victory in honor of senior night. The Lady Warriors beat Santana High School 15-14, and the boys won 17-4 over Murrieta Valley High School.

“The seniors I’ve been coaching for 5-plus years. The finale was great to see,” boys’ head Coach Mike Zinniger said.

The boys held Murrieta Valley to only three goals for the first two quarters, resulting in a halftime score of 9-3. The Warriors continued to gain momentum in the second half of the game, allowing Murrieta Valley only one additional goal while they brought their score up to 17.

“We adjust well at halftime,” senior captain Ethan Martin said. “We are definitely a second half team.”

Brandon Rodriguez and Dru Calloway were the leading scorers of the game, each accomplishing a hat-trick by scoring five goals. Hat-tricks occur when a player scores three or more goals in a game. Ethan Martin and Jovani Moreno each scored two goals, while Danny Cedillo, Josh Zinniger and Hunter Stites each contributed one goal.

The low scoring pattern for Fallbrook’s opponents can be partially accredited to the hard work of Warriors’ goalie Dillon Dunham, who recently broke the record for most goals saved in a game in California. Dunham saved 29 goals in their game against Valley Center High School, beating the previous record of 24.

The boys’ Valley Center game was played April 30 for the Valley League Championship. Valley Center overcame the Warriors to become league champs, leaving the Warriors as runners-up. This loss only drove the boys to work harder in their next games.

“I’m disappointed that we aren’t League Champs, but Valley Center is a strong team,” Martin said.

The boys team is currently ranked third in San Diego for Division II and will face off against Hilltop High School at home May 8, for their first round of CIF playoffs.

“We are a brotherhood and family, and that’s going to be a great attribute going into the playoffs,” senior captain Hunter Stites said. “If we continue to play how we did this season we’ll go pretty far.”

With an overall record of 15-3, the team is hoping to carry their success into playoffs. Team chemistry has been a major factor in the Warriors’ success throughout the season, their coach said.

“We are a tight team. There are no superstars and no egos, and they are all friends off the field. They really come together as a team when they play,” Zinniger said.

The boys will say goodbye to 13 seniors this season, and two team members intend to play in college. Stites, Fallbrook’s only four-year varsity player, will be playing for the University of Wyoming. Martin will continue his lacrosse career for the University of Kansas. The seniors said they are hoping to transfer their sense of family and commitment to the younger boys in the program.

“The game doesn’t work unless your brothers are with you,” captain Caleb Battle said. “The younger generation Warriors better continue the legacy next season.”