Warrior netters third in final league standings

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

A 6-4 record in Valley League matches placed Fallbrook High School’s girls tennis team third in the final six-team standings, and the Warriors had an overall record of 11-5 during the regular season.

“I enjoyed it. We had a good season with good kids, good attitudes,” Fallbrook coach Bill Lenaway said.

The Warriors’ 2022 season began with three home victories; an 11-7 triumph Aug. 23, against Oceanside High School; a 17-1 win Aug. 25, over Orange Glen High School, and a 15-3 match Aug. 30, against El Camino High School.

A high school tennis match consists of each of a school’s three singles players contesting sets against each of the other school’s singles players and each of a school’s three doubles teams facing each of the other school’s doubles tandems. One team point is given for each set won. If each team wins nine sets, the tie-breaking criteria of games won is used to determine the match winner. In Fallbrook’s Sept. 1 match at Rancho Buena Vista High School, each team won nine sets, and the Warriors had an 81-71 games advantage to improve their record to 4-0.

Mount Carmel High School traveled to Fallbrook for a Sept. 6 match and returned home with a 16-2 victory to give the Warriors their first loss of the season. Fallbrook hosted Vista High School Sept. 8, and won that 14-4 match.

Ramona High School home matches are played at the Riviera Oaks Racquet Club, and a Sept. 13 match there was the Valley League opener for both Fallbrook and Ramona. Although Fallbrook won both 2021 matches between the two teams the first 2022 match ended as a 14-4 Ramona victory. The Bulldogs obtained all nine doubles points and five of the nine singles points.

Fallbrook’s first league home match was Sept. 15 against Escondido High School. The Warriors won that 13-5 competition. Angie Palmerin won two 6-0 singles sets before Lenaway gave match experience to some of Fallbrook’s substitutes. Frida Isabella Hernandez won both of her sets, including one by a 6-0 margin. Kady Manion had a loss but two 6-1 victories. Sam Hanlon and Tracy Lopez had 6-4 and 6-0 triumphs, and after Lenaway made a substitution Hanlon and Natalie Guadalupe won a 6-2 set. Erin Rowan and Lily Middleton partnered for victories in the two sets they played together. Grace Ahrend and Olivia Searle had Fallbrook’s other doubles point.

Valley Center High School home matches are played at Adams Community Park, and the Warriors took a 10-8 victory there Sept. 20, in the match with the Jaguars. The Warriors followed that with a 13-5 home loss Sept. 22, against Mission Hills High School. The first round of league play ended Sept. 27, and for Fallbrook that was an 11-7 home triumph over San Pasqual High School.

The second round of league play began Sept. 29, and the match in Fallbrook was a 14-4 Ramona win. Fallbrook won the Oct. 4 match at Escondido by a 12-6 margin. The Oct. 6 home match against Valley Center had a 14-4 result in the Warriors’ favor.

The match at Mission Hills was rescheduled from Oct. 11-12 due to rain. The Grizzlies’ 14-4 victory over the Warriors set up a match between Ramona and Mission Hills the following day for the league championship.

Fallbrook’s regular season concluded Oct. 13, at San Pasqual. The Warriors obtained seven singles points and four doubles points for an 11-7 victory. Palmerin won a 6-0 set and two 6-1 sets. Hernandez prevailed in two 6-0 sets and also had a 7-5 win. Manion obtained Fallbrook’s other singles point. Hanlon and Rowan won two doubles sets. Ahrend and Lopez had a doubles victory. Middleton and Searle obtained a doubles point.

Mission Hills defeated Ramona in the Oct. 13 match to give both teams 9-1 league records and Valley League co-championships.

“Mission Hills and Ramona were deeper than we were,” Lenaway said. “The other teams, we had some close matches but we seemed to get through.”

Those wins gave Fallbrook third in the standings.

“It’s better than fourth,” Lenaway said. “I’d rather have first.”

Hanlon, Hernandez, Lopez, Rowan and Cynthia Flor are seniors. Palmerin is a junior. Ahrend, Manion, Middleton and Searle are sophomores.