PHOTOS: West Orange High girls water polo tops Dr. Phillips in district finals

Sports
High Schools

The West Orange Warriors' girls water polo team topped the Dr. Phillips Panthers in the Class 1A, District 5 championship game on April 5 at the Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center, 7-5.

Led by its sophomore goalie Lindsay Gato's sensational performance in front of the net and top goal-scorer Surraya Fadloullah, the Warriors (21-5) were able to hold off a late surge from the Panthers (16-8).

For Dr. Phillips, despite giving up seven goals, goalie Maran Harris was a bright spot in this game, saving a plethora of shots and even scoring a goal herself off a long-distance shot.

This win marks West Orange's second over their district foe, previously beating Dr. Phillips 11-8 in March.

There's a possibility that the two might once again meet in the regional playoffs, but the FHSAA State Championship brackets have yet to be released.

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Sam Albuquerque

A native of João Pessoa, Brazil, Sam Albuquerque moved in 1997 to Central Florida as a kid. After earning a communications degree in 2016 from the University of Central Florida, he started his career covering sports as a producer for a local radio station, ESPN 580 Orlando. He went on to earn a master’s degree in editorial journalism from Northwestern University, before moving to South Carolina to cover local sports for the USA Today Network’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his lovely wife, Sarah, newborn son, Noah, and dog named Skulí.