Dowden, Kendall named all-league

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Palomar League girls water polo coaches conferred all-league honors upon Fallbrook High School players Ava Dowden and Kela Kendall.

Dowden was named to the Palomar League first team. Kendall was placed on the all-league second team.

“I was excited,” Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond said of having two all-league players.

Only two of the Palomar League girls water polo coaches are also swim coaches. Redmond is one of those and missed the all-league selection meeting due to a swim practice that evening, so he was not able to provide backing information for his players. “That came from the other coaches. They recognized their contributions, not just to our team but also how they played against their teams,” Redmond said. “I was excited that it was the other coaches who recognized that.”

During the season including non-league games, Dowden had 66 goals, 25 assists, 70 steals, seven field blocks, and 33 ejections drawn. “Her playing ability and drive was right up there with the rest of the first team,” Redmond said. “She was kind of our spark plug.”

Kendall scored 46 goals, contributed 22 assists, recorded 22 steals, had eight field blocks, and drew 15 ejections. “She was one of our leaders overall on the team,” Redmond said. “A lot of times Kela played against some of the better players because that’s where we needed her.”

The assist figures of Dowden and Kendall ranked first and second on the team. “They kind of fed off of each other,” Redmond said.

Dowden and Kendall are both utility players who can play multiple positions.

Last year, Fallbrook was in the Palomar League. Dowden and Kendall were both on the all-league first team.

Dowden and Kendall are both sophomores. “We’ve had a pretty young team, and the future’s looking pretty good for them,” Redmond said.

The 2021-22 Warriors included six sophomores and five juniors. All six Palomar League teams reached the CIF playoffs. Three of those reached the CIF Division I quarterfinals and Valley Center reached the Division II quarterfinals where the Jaguars lost to Mission Bay by one goal.

“Playing against some of the best teams in the county was a big benefit for them,” Redmond said of his young players.

Fallbrook lost in the first round of the CIF Division I playoffs. Including that loss, Fallbrook’s overall season record was 6-15. The Warriors were 1-4 in Palomar League play.