Athlete of the Week: McDowell stingy for Estancia
Estancia High sophomore Lexina McDowell has the distinction of being not only the old child in her family, but also the only grandchild.
That means that December can be a pretty lucrative month for the 15-year-old.
“I’m pretty spoiled, especially around the holidays,” said McDowell, the only child of Tim and Heidi McDowell.
While playing defense for the Estancia girls’ soccer team, though, McDowell is not in a similarly giving mood.
The Eagles (5-2-2) have been stingy early in the season, recording four shutouts in their first nine matches. The play of McDowell at outside back has been a big reason why the team has been enjoying success under first-year Coach Josh Juarez.
“She’s got a lot of speed and a lot of strength, and that’s something that you can’t really coach,” Juarez said. “She’s got those two tools going for her. She’s a skilled player, but she’s just a very bright player on the field. It’s almost like at times she’s thinking one or two steps ahead of the forward she’s facing.”
This would not be surprising to those who know McDowell, whose grade-point average at Estancia is above 4.0. The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, McDowell has helped Estancia into the semifinals of the Best in the West Tournament. Estancia, ranked No. 6 in CIF Southern Section Division 5, plays St. Joseph in an “EFGH” Division semifinal on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Long Beach City College. The division championship game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Paramount High.
The Eagles are off to a strong start which McDowell said has surprised her a bit. Estancia, which has not won a tournament since the 2008-09 season, is two games away. The team lost in the finals of the Best in the West Tournament a year ago, but that could have been more expected.
Change hit the program over the summer. Jessica Perry, the Eagles’ coach for seven years, resigned in July after Estancia did not offer her a teaching position for the upcoming school year. McDowell said that two top incoming seniors, Samantha Falasco and Olivia Khoury, quit the team in protest.
Falasco was a team captain and Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection a year ago, and is committed to the University of Maryland. Khoury is headed to Concordia. With their departure, the Estancia incoming senior class was pared in half to just two players, forward Emily Rodriguez and defender Brandi White. Both are co-captains this year, along with junior midfielder Katarina Freiberger.
With so much change and after losing top graduates like Dream Team Player of the Year Alba Barrios, it would have been easy to think that Estancia could have a down year this season. Technically Estancia is coming off its best season in years, after going 19-4-3 a year ago and winning a share of the Orange Coast League title. McDowell played a key role in last year’s first-place showing in league, scoring a big goal in a win at Calvary Chapel that Estancia had to have to stay in contention.
But McDowell, who spent time at defense, midfield and forward last year, wasn’t sure what to expect coming back as a sophomore.
“We were very worried,” McDowell said. “I couldn’t come to tryouts and stuff, because I played volleyball [in the fall on the junior varsity team]. I didn’t know if we could make up for [losing Falasco and Khoury]. Even the first game, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. But then I saw us play and I was like, ‘OK, we can do this.’ My team kind of surprised me. Sam and Olivia had strong voices on the field, but I think since they’re gone, new people have been able to step up and do that now.
“It’s just different. It’s hard to deal with change. We all miss Jessica, but we’ll be OK.”
McDowell, who plays club soccer for Slammers FC, has proven invaluable on defense. The Eagles also rely on juniors Samantha Haynes and Elizabeth Esquivel back there, especially with White currently out with a minor ankle injury, while Freiberger also helps out. And sophomore Annalysa Cowie, who would be playing center back, has instead been playing goalie since starting keeper Monique Mendoza (ankle) also has missed time.
“It’s a stressful situation, you think you’re going to play on the field and then you’re thrown in goal,” said the thoughtful McDowell. “Especially since it’s [Cowie’s] first year on varsity, it’s probably hard.”
McDowell, who is feisty and has earned two yellow cards so far this season, knows about challenge. A former competitive gymnast, she does a front flip before making throw-ins for Estancia. The technique helps her launch the ball impressive distances, but also contributes to some back pain at times.
She plays through it.
In terms of healthy bodies, McDowell knows that the Eagles are not spoiled at this point of the season.
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Lexina McDowell
Born: Oct. 16, 2000
Hometown: Costa Mesa
Height: 5-foot-6
Sport: Soccer
Year: Sophomore
Coach: Josh Juarez
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: “Divergent”
Favorite athletic moment: Winning both Battle for the Bell games against rival Costa Mesa last year.
Week in review: McDowell’s stellar play at outside fullback helped Estancia go 3-0-1 on the week and advance to the “EFGH” Division semifinals of the Best in the West tournament.
