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Warriors split first two girls water polo games of 2022

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Fallbrook High School’s girls water polo team was supposed to play three games during the first week of 2022, although Torrey Pines postponed if not outright cancelled the scheduled Jan. 6 match. The two games Fallbrook did play ended as an 18-10 loss Jan. 5 at Westview and a 15-10 home win Jan. 7 against Oceanside.

The Jan. 5 contest was the Warriors’ first since Dec. 16. The two weeks between games included practice for those who were able to attend. “During break we had some kids that got sick. I don’t know whether it was Covid or not, but it made it hard to practice when kids couldn’t be there,” said Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond.

The Warriors had four practices each week during the break. The team had Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 off. “We always try to make sure the kids get some family time,” Redmond said.

The practices were during the morning, so the players were done around 9:30 or 10 a.m.

The originally scheduled date of the game at Westview was Jan. 4, but the Wolverines requested a one-day postponement. The Wolverines did not practice between Christmas and New Year’s due to coronavirus precautions and requested the extra day. Redmond found that to be advantageous. “It allowed us an extra day of having everybody back,” he said.

Had Torrey Pines not postponed the Falcons’ game due to coronavirus precautions, the Warriors would have played games on three consecutive days.

Games on three consecutive days would have had advantages. “In a way it kind of prepares us for when we do the San Diego Open. We’re going to have five games in three days,” Redmond said.

The San Diego Open tournament will take place Jan. 27-29.

The match against Westview was also the Palomar League opener for both teams. “They definitely were the better team, and it took us I think 2 1/2 quarters to finally get going,” Redmond said.

Westview scored seven times in the first quarter. One of the Wolverines had five of the goals. “We just couldn’t figure out how to stop her,” Redmond said.

The score was 11-2 at halftime and 17-4 after three periods before Fallbrook scored six of the seven goals in the fourth quarter. “There was no give up at all. They fought through it,” Redmond said. “They did come alive in that fourth quarter.”

Westview’s seniors include some who were sophomores on the 2019-20 varsity which won the CIF Division I championship. “They have a lot of experience,” Redmond said. “We had four sophomores out there, so it’s a young team.”

Fallbrook started one senior, one junior field player, one junior goalkeeper, and four sophomores. “When I look how that fourth quarter went it’s kind of promising,” Redmond said.

In 2014, Fallbrook was moved to the Valley League. The Warriors won six league championships in their seven Valley League seasons and 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.

In 2020, the North County Conference planned to realign leagues in all sports based on competitive balance although the coronavirus restrictions delayed that for some sports. The North County Conference has moved Fallbrook to the Palomar League for girls water polo, so the Warriors will have tougher league opposition this season.

“They’re going to get their lumps and bruises,” Redmond said.

Redmond notes that tougher league opposition will improve the Warriors’ skills. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best,” he said. “I kind of welcome the tougher league.”

Oceanside is not a league opponent. The win over the Pirates gave Fallbrook a 3-4 season record. “That went well,” Redmond said.

The halftime score was 7-4 in Fallbrook’s favor. Ava Dowden scored nine of the Warriors’ goals. “There were times that they did double team her, but she was able to get it out and get it into the cage,” Redmond said.

The reliance on a single player can be a vulnerability. “We just need others to start stepping up,” Redmond said. “I’m glad to see we had three other players that did score.”

Kela Kendall had four goals while Alexis Fieri and Grace Goode each placed one shot into the net.

The Warriors had two assists apiece from Dowden, Kayla Herbert, Kacey Sanchez, and Taylor Sanchez. Goode, Arden Baur, Ava Papoulias, and Katya Young each provided one assist. Young recorded two steals while Fieri and Taylor Sanchez had a steal apiece. Papoulias, Kacey Sanchez, and Taylor Sanchez each had a field block.

Baur and Herbert are Fallbrook’s two goalkeepers. Baur played the first and third quarters when Fallbrook defended the deep end. Herbert was in the nets for the second and fourth period when the Warriors were defending the shallow end. Baur made two saves and Herbert saved eight shots.

“They scored seven of their 10 goals in the shallow end. It’s a little hard to defend that big cage,” Redmond said.

 

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