Despite the 28-0 loss against Marina Oct. 17, senior running back Andrew Valencia (pictured) ran for a career high 21 yards on a total of six carries.

The Indians played their Homecoming game on Oct. 25 against Sunny Hills on Oct. 25 which ended in a 14-6 loss. 

Center junior Brandon Fan (pictured) attempting to score a goal against Laguna Hills during the 16-9 win on Oct. 16. 

The fullerton boys water polo team played against Laguna Hills winning 16-9 on Oct. 16, guaranteeing the Indians a spot in CIF. Their past games have been just as successful with the Tribes 20-7 win against Los Altos and a 13-4 win against Valencia.

The Indians got to use the new pool during their game against the Lancers. “It’s nice with a bigger pool because you have more room to work the ball around. It keeps more distance between yourself and your defender,” Verity said. 

The Fullerton boys water polo team ended their senior night with a victory against Laguna Hills, with a final score of 16-9, securing a spot in CIF.

Their final league match against Buena Park on Oct. 23 was tight up until the third quarter, when team morale was uplifted and the tone of the game shifted. The team ended their league season with a strong victory against the Coyotes with a final score of 17-8. Senior Owen Coloumbe, senior Justin Pearson, and junior Brandon Fan took the lead in scoring throughout the game. The Indians advanced to CIF thanks to their undefeated season.

Captain Senior Ryan Verity is very proud of what they have accomplished, excited to lead the team into CIF. He hopes that the team will continue to work hard and keep their winning streak. 

“We’re undefeated in the league right now. A lot of that has to do with our chemistry. We all played the same level together all four years and then to add onto that, all the starters on the team are all really good friends and have been for years,” Verity said.

The Indians had the first round of CIF on Oct. 29 against Carpinteria that ended in a close 14-11 loss.

Sophomore Olivia Wilder during the Clovis Invitational on Oct. 12. 

 The girls cross country team has the potential to become league champions for the first time in Fullerton High School history on Nov. 11 in the Empire League Finals. 

The Indians traveled to Central Park on Oct. 9 for the second Empire League Cluster meet. Both the boys and girls cross country team pulled off first place, setting them up well for League Finals. 

 Sophomore Azumi Fuertes led off the girls in fourth with a time of 19:18. Following Fuertes was freshman Arizona Fuentes in seventh (19:29), sophomore Jana Saade in ninth (19:34), sophomore Keely Gallagher in 11th (19:47), and sophomore Ella Casto in 13th (19:53). 

Leading off the boys was senior Jack Golla with a first place finish with a time of 15:31. After Golla was sophomore Yousef Awad in fourth (15:52), junior Brody McMackin in eighth (16:03), sophomore Dexter Meza in ninth (16:03), and sophomore Bo Sanderson in tenth (16:04). 

Fuertes says this was made possible by the dedication during summer practices.  

“Everyone was very good in showing up to both morning and afternoon practices. I think running all those extra miles really helped us improve for this season,” Fuertes said. 

The girls volleyball team celebrates senior night (pictured) during League Finals on Oct. 15, where they defeated Segerstrom 3-0 making them league champions for the first time in 20 years.

After a win of 0-3 against Westminster on Oct. 3, the Indians gained the confidence they needed to play against Segerstrom. Segerstrom lost to Westminster on Oct. 8, and junior Ivy Logan mentions this loss boosted Fullerton’s confidence going into the game.

“We have never beaten Segerstrom before. But, they had gotten crushed by a team that we’d beat all three times.” Logan adds, “I think that because they had lost to Westminster, it gave us a lot of hope that we could do what we wanted, and that we wanted it more than they did.” 

 The Tribe faced Segerstrom twice before the finals, both games ending in losses. Despite the newfound confidence gained from Segerstroms loss to Westminster, junior Cora Sailhammer said these losses gave them insight on what to expect for the final, and what they needed to work on in practice. 

“This game we knew that we couldn’t let the ball die and we had to fight the entire game.” Sailhammer says. “We couldn’t give up because they’re a very strong team and they didn’t give up on the ball so we couldn’t give up on the ball either.” 

The girls volleyball team played against Segerstorm and swept the floor winning 3-0, and making them league champions.

The tribe traveled to Sultana to play their first CIF game and lost 2-3 on Oct. 23. 

Sophomore Mahlia Jordan (pictured) during the 26-31 loss against Segerstrom on Oct. 28.

Girls Flag Football is a newly introduced sport to FUHS, however, it has gained much attraction and support from the community. The team has most recently defeated West Ranch at home and gained their first CIF win. They placed 3rd place in their league, and have qualified for division 4, second seed in CIF playoffs. 

The team has been doing especially well because Flag Football is a first year sport. Many of the athletes are excited to be playing something new, and have lots of determination to set the first records.

A main attribute to the success of the season is the embracing atmosphere. The Varsity and Junior Varsity teams practice together, as well as having team bonding experiences. It has been a triumphant season so far, and the girls are proud of being a part of the inaugural team. 

Senior Sarah Gudmundsen is honored to have laid the foundation for athletes to come.

“A lot of our players have never played flag football before, which is kind of crazy. I think it shows just how much athleticism and talent that we already have” Gudmundsen said.”And how awesome it is to have built a foundation for the future years of the girls who will be playing flag football at Fullerton.”

The Girls Flag Football team is hosting their second CIF game against GAHR on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 12 am. They hope to take home a CIF win for their inaugural season.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Girls Tennis is now in the Golden Empire league. Against new competition, the girls have led a successful season, with their only losses being to Valencia High School. However, for the rest of their games, the team has been able to beat every new team with fairly wide margins. The team’s strength can be owed to their team chemistry. 

Sophomore Hailey Kwok feels that the team is defined by their relationships. 

“Because the majority of the team has been on varsity together for the past couple years, we all know exactly how to support and cheer for each other,” Kwok said. 

The Indians were host to their most recent game against Laguna Hills, with their final score being 16-2. For their next game, they play host to Garden Grove on Oct. 22. Sophomore Ella Kim believes that for the most part, their challenges are not from the actual games. 

“It can get really stressful trying to balance both sports and academics. Especially given that the schools we play now are 30-40 minute drives, and with traffic the drive can sometimes get to be two hours,” Kim said. 

Senior Abigail Kelly got first in the Empire League Finals on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30. Kelly along with senior Becca Balarie and senior Nicole White will advance to CIF southern section Individual tournament.

The girls golf team ended their season placing second overall in league standings, only losing two games to Valencia throughout the season.

Senior Pamela Bustamante, captain of the girls team, junior Emily Kim, junior Josephine Lee, sophomore Olivia Woo, and freshman Rachel Lee qualified for League Finals.

Woo finished third in League and qualified for CIF Playoffs along with Kim. They traveled to Los Serranos Golf Club for CIF on Oct. 30. Woo placed 80th and Kim placed 83rd.