Alumni win water polo game

Sixteen former Fallbrook High School water polo players returned to the Fallbrook High School pool Aug. 10 for the annual varsity-alumni game, and the alumni took a 21-9 victory over the varsity.

"It's full-grown men against sophomore boys," said Fallbrook varsity coach Bill Richardson. "It's a combination of talented alumni and our squad right now."

The varsity-alumni game took place two days before the start of school, so not all of Fallbrook's potential water polo players had begun practice. Five seniors are on the team this year, and three of them were unable to play. The team was predominantly sophomores; three freshmen also faced the alumni.

"We don't have a single junior playing water polo yet," Richardson said.

The first week of practice occured without players who have not yet returned from travel, and some players who desire to be on the team have not yet received medical or other clearance. "It takes us a while to get going," Richardson said.

During the first week of practice 28 players participated, but even if more players arrive, Richardson will not make any cuts. "There's plenty of room on the JV and novice team. If anyone wants to come out and try we're willing to take them and give them a chance," he said.

The varsity has won the varsity-alumni game once – in 2014 when the Warriors also won the CIF Division II championship. The varsity is limited to those in their four years of high school while the alumni roster consists of players from more graduating years and is thus larger than the varsity squad. "They had a few more," Richardson said.

This year the alumni team's most recent graduate was a 2018-19 senior while 1993 graduate David Drazil was the oldest.

The varsity will begin actual CIF play Aug. 22-24 with the Rancho Bernardo Invitational tournament and one of the benefits of the varsity-alumni game is that for many varsity players the contest is their first competition. "It's a good place to start evaluating," Richardson said. "It's a good place to start and it's really more of a fun event."

The varsity-alumni game also serves as a fundraiser for the Fallbrook program; proceeds will be used for junior varsity and novice expenses as well as for the varsity team. The game also allows the former players to connect with the current team and allows the current players to learn about the heritage of the program.

The spectators included parents of alumni players who had one additional opportunity to see their son in the pool. "It's a fun event," Richardson said.