Senior-laden boys lacrosse team deprived of playoff hopes

The 2020 Fallbrook High School boys' lacrosse team had 25 players on the Warriors' varsity roster and 14 of those were seniors.

"I was looking forward to the season. I thought we had a solid team," Fallbrook coach Mike Zinniger said.

The Warriors played three games before the remainder of the CIF spring sports seasons were canceled.

"I felt it was going well even though our record was only one and two. We kind of upgraded our schedule a little bit," Zinniger said.

The two teams who defeated Fallbrook, Murrieta Mesa and Patrick Henry high schools, are both Division I programs.

"We didn't get blown out. I felt we were very competitive," Zinniger said.

Murrieta Mesa prevailed by an 8-5 score March 3 in Fallbrook. The March 10 game at Patrick Henry was an 8-3 Patriots victory.

Fallbrook's win was a 16-0 shutout, March 6, at home against Rancho Buena Vista High School.

"That was a fun game," Zinniger said.

Five of the seniors spent four years with the Fallbrook lacrosse program. Dru Calloway, a midfielder, was on the varsity for all four years and his participation in Fallbrook lacrosse began with the feeder program when he was in fifth grade. Emmitt Mattechek also began his Fallbrook lacrosse experience as a fifth grader; the attacker played one year on the high school junior varsity team and three years on the varsity. Jared McDonald, a defender who was on the junior varsity in 2017 and on the varsity for his final three years, joined the feeder program in sixth grade.

The Warriors' goalkeeper, Dillon Dunham, had been with the program since seventh grade and his high school years included three on the varsity as well as one on the junior varsity. Although attacker Zach Miller did not join the program until ninth grade, he was on the junior varsity as a freshman and on the varsity for his final three high school years.

Six seniors were in the program for three years: midfielders Christian Bellamy and Jose Manzo both spent two years on the varsity and one season on the junior varsity, while midfielders Titus Jimenez and Ramiro Montillo and defenders Alex Romero and Joey Tipane were on the junior varsity for two years before making their varsity debuts in 2020. Croix Piluk, a defender, began with the program this year as did midfielders Francisco Gutierrez and Carlos Solana.

"I'm just devastated for them. I feel just horrible," Zinniger said. "I just feel awful. It's just heartbreaking."

Zinniger will look to the 11 returning players along with members of this year's junior varsity team to replace the 2020 seniors.

"There are going to be some big holes next year," he said. "Next year will be promising, but it's obviously disappointing about the season."

Three of the four team captains – Calloway, Dunham and Manzo – are seniors; junior Ryan Farish was also a captain this year.

"The kids look up to them," Zinniger said.

The shortening of the season also deprived the underclassmen of that senior leadership.

"It's just a large hole," Zinniger said. "We've got some juniors who I think can step up, but it's just hard to replace."

Zinniger doubts that the truncation of the 2020 season will cost seniors an opportunity to play in college.

"Dru and Jared are the only two who are talking about playing," Zinniger said.

McDonald has been accepted to the University of Utah and will try to make the Utes' lacrosse team as a walk-on. Calloway is currently considering both San Diego State University and California State University San Marcos.

"A lot of the kids are just going to go to Palomar," Zinniger said.

Palomar College does not have a lacrosse team.

The varsity players will receive letters.

"That wasn't their fault," Zinniger said of the shortened season.

Although Zinniger and the players would have preferred an entire season including CIF playoffs, Zinniger is grateful to have had the players who took the field in 2020.

"As short as the time that we had, I really enjoyed coaching the kids, and I hope they got something out of it," he said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].