Paris Dowden named Valley League girls water polo player of the year

All seven starters on the 2020-21 Fallbrook High School girls water polo team were given all-league honors by the Valley League coaches, and Fallbrook senior Paris Dowden was named the league's player of the year.

"I was shocked. I was really happy about it," Dowden said.

"I was excited about Paris getting player of the year, and it was definitely well deserved for her," said Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond. "Just an overall player who can go anywhere in the field, which fits our offense very well."

Dowden was joined on the first team by freshmen Ava Dowden and Kela Kendall. Grace Goode, who was a junior, was chosen for the all-league second team. Honorable mention recognition was given to seniors Emma Goode and Karli Schreiber and to junior Erin Burnett.

"Getting seven on there was fantastic," Redmond said.

"It showed the talent and depth we had this year," Redmond said. "It just shows the total team effort."

The Warriors were 5-0 in Valley League play and won their sixth league championship in seven Valley League seasons. "It couldn't have been done by individuals," Redmond said.

Fallbrook's overall record of 13-3 includes a first-round win and a quarterfinal loss in the CIF Division I playoffs.

"Our offense revolved around a lot of player movement and ball movement," Redmond said.

"I'm just grateful for having a great team to play with," Dowden said. "I had a really good experience my last year of water polo for high school."

Dowden was on the all-league first team for 2019-20 as were three of last year's Fallbrook seniors including league player of the year Sophia Wallace. Dowden was on the Valley League first team for 2018-19, when Fallbrook's Gabby Vazzana was the league's player of the year. Dowden was a second-team selection as a freshman in 2017-18.

Fallbrook joined the Valley League for the 2014-15 seasons. During seven girls water polo seasons the Warriors compiled a 34-1 record against league opposition with a 2018 loss to Ramona giving the Bulldogs that year's championship as well as the only league victory against Fallbrook during the Warriors' time in the league. Ramona's Maddie Schwegler, who now plays collegiate water polo for Cal Baptist, was the 2017-18 Valley League player of the year. Schwegler followed her older sister and older brother as a Ramona water polo player; Paris Dowden followed three older sisters who had played water polo for Fallbrook including 2015-16 league player of the year Taylor Dowden.

"When I was little just watching her really inspired me, and she taught me so much," Paris Dowden said.

Fallbrook's other two Valley League player of the year recipients were Caitlyn Batty for 2016-17 and Jordann Heimback in 2014-15.

The North County Conference is moving Fallbrook to the Palomar League for girls water polo. "Being in the Palomar League is definitely going to be a change and hopefully one that the girls can rise to," Redmond said.

Since only three of Fallbrook's all-league players were seniors, the other four are expected to return for the 2021-22 season and that includes the two ninth-graders who made the all-league first team. "For both Ava and Kela to do it as freshmen speaks a lot about the type of players they are and bodes very well for the future of Fallbrook High School," Redmond said.