Four Warriors make boys basketball all-league teams

A 6-4 record in Valley League play gave Fallbrook High School's boys basketball team third place in the six-team standings. After the season the Valley League coaches gave four Fallbrook players all-league honors.

Kurtis Pilbin was selected for all-league first team distinction. The second team included Jack Jones. Honorable mention accolades were conferred upon Austin Berryman and Taylor Padilla.

"Proud of those guys. The reason they were selected is because they played well, and that's why we won 17 games. Those guys put in the work," said Fallbrook coach John Kroeger.

The Warriors' 17-11 overall record includes a loss to Mount Carmel in the first round of the CIF Division II playoffs.

Last year, Pilbin made the Avocado West League second team. The only other Warrior to earn all-league honors last year was 2013-14 senior Ben Huff, who was recognized at the honorable mention level. Pilbin was a guard last year; during the 2014-15 season he played small forward and wing.

"He's a complete basketball player. He sacrificed points for the good of the team," Kroeger said.

Pilbin still scored at least 25 points in a game on six different occasions, including 37 points in the Warriors' Jan. 30 game in Ramona and 31 points in one of Fallbrook's matches against Orange Glen. Pilbin was a three-year varsity starter and was a team captain both as a junior and in his senior season. "One of the smartest kids I've ever coached," Kroeger said.

Jones is a point guard. "He had to guard the best player from the other team every game," Kroeger said.

Jones asked for that assignment. "It's refreshing when your captain and point guard steps up to do that," Kroeger said.

Berryman is a shooting guard. Pilbin, Jones, and Berryman were all in the Fallbrook program for four years and on the varsity team for three years. "That's why they were as good as they were," Kroeger said.

Padilla, a shooting guard, is a junior who has been in the program three years and completed his second varsity season.