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Warriors 1-1 in girls water polo playoffs

Fallbrook High School's girls water polo program reached the quarterfinals of the CIF Division I playoffs.

The Warriors defeated West Hills in the first-round game June 8 at Rancho Bernardo High School before losing the June 12 quarterfinal at Granite Hills to Helix. The playoff results finalized Fallbrook's season record at 13-3 including a 5-0 performance in Valley League competition.

"I was pleased how they did and how they performed and never gave up," said Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond.

Fallbrook had the eighth seed in the Division I playoffs and West Hills was seeded ninth. "That one was a hard-fought game," Redmond said.

The Wolf Pack scored the game's first two goals. "We fought our way back," Redmond said.

The score was 2-2 at the end of the first period, although West Hills held a 4-3 halftime lead. Each team scored once in the third quarter.

Fallbrook had three of the first four goals in the fourth period to take a 7-6 lead. "They scored with eight seconds left," Redmond said.

The Warriors were unable to score after the Wolf Pack tied the game. Two mandatory overtime periods were played with the Warriors scoring three times in the fifth quarter and twice in the sixth quarter. "We shut them down," Redmond said.

The 12-7 victory included five goals and three assists for senior Paris Dowden, three goals by freshman Ava Dowden, two goals apiece and one assist apiece for senior Grace Goode and freshman Kela Kendall, and one goal and two assists from junior Emma Goode.

Paris Dowden and Grace Goode each recorded six steals. Emma Goode had four steals. Three steals apiece were obtained by freshman Marissa Pearce and senior Karli Schreiber. Kendall added one steal. Schreiber was Fallbrook's goalkeeper, and she made seven saves against the Wolf Pack.

Ava Dowden drew three 20-second ejection penalties. Paris Dowden drew two ejections. Grace Goode and Schreiber drew one ejection apiece. The Warriors only committed five ejection fouls.

Top-seeded Helix had a 4-3 lead after the first quarter and a 12-4 advantage at halftime. "The girls never quit," Redmond said.

Fallbrook scored two of the three goals in the fourth period. "We actually shut them down," Redmond said.

The final score was 16-8. "The girls gave it their all," Redmond said. "I was pleased overall with the game and how the girls performed."

Paris Dowden closed out her high school career with three goals, two steals, a field block, and an ejection drawn. Schreiber had four saves and three steals in her final high school game. Grace Goode had one assist.

Ava Dowden scored three goals. Kendall and Pearce each had one goal. Pearce led the team with four steals. Emma Goode, Kendall, and junior Erin Burnett recorded three steals apiece. Ava Dowden, sophomore Alexis Fieri, and sophomore Arden Baur had a steal apiece.

Only three of the 2020-21 Warriors were seniors, and Fallbrook will also be losing a military dependent who was a junior. The playoff roster included six freshmen. "The freshmen really learned a lot this year," Redmond said.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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