Basketball Feature: Fairfield Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
For five Fairfield seniors, this is their final shot to not only play the game of basketball as one unit, but to leave a lasting footprint on the program during their final year as a Lion.
The senior class, consisting of Ryan Bates, Cody Bennett, Blake Hildebrant, Gage Montgomery and Joey Wilson, know success in a variety of sporting fields, but they want to not only get back to the district final game, but surpass that feat of one season ago and see what happens from there.
The goal for the Lions to get back to the district final round is lofty, but with this group and their teammates, they are more than capable of repeating the feat.
"We don't want to lose any games," Wilson said. "The ultimate expectation is to beat what we did last year."
"Going further than last year … that's what we work for," Bates said.
Bennett echoed the statements of his fellow teammates.
"To go further than last year we have to play more as a team," he said. "We have to play unselfish. Even after basketball season, I still want us to be a family."
The expectations of this team aren't just on a whim. No, these five have played many sports together during their lifetime, but they began playing basketball in elementary school where there were two teams. In sixth grade, they all finally were able to be on the same squad.
"It's been cool to see how all of us have grown since then, especially around basketball," Bennett said.
"We've grown as a family by working together," Bates said.
"All of us have good chemistry because we have played basketball together for so long," Montgomery said. "We know what each others’ strengths and weaknesses are."
These five have basically had the same coach at the helm since they were in middle school in current head coach Everett Snyder, which the players said has made a difference in their play.
"We know what to expect from him, and he knows what we are able to do," Wilson said. "He knows how to push us, and we have a lot of respect for him."
"We know him, too," Hildebrant said. "We know what he's looking for in us and the same with us. It all really works out well."
But everything comes back to the postseason, and to get back to where they were last season, the seniors looked back at the experience of playing at the Convocation Center in the district round.
They are using those memories as motivation this year.
"We all remember the letdown," Bates said. "We remember letting our fans down and letting down the younger generation. We don't want to let them down anymore."
"I saw how the seniors felt last year and the look in their eyes after that game," Bennett said. "I don't want that this year."
Montgomery said the experience has been helpful and will continue to help them this season.
"It helped, but now we know what we have to do at the end of the year and throughout the year," Montgomery said. "We don't want the letdown."
One quality this group has is their humility. They know a spot back in the district finals won't be handed to them … rather, they know what has to be improved in their game to get to where they want to be.
"Defense … improving on our defense, that will be the biggest thing," Hildebrant said. "The scoring will come. We have five returning players who all scored last year.[[In-content Ad]]
"We have to make up the 20 or so points per game from losing Quentin (Williams) to graduation, but if we play defense as a team, the scoring will be there."
The first word spoken when asked about what it was like to play in the district round was "amazing."
"We never really experienced something like that before," Wilson said. "We don't get crowds like that for other sports, but to experience that last year was crazy."
"When you have other schools cheering for you … it was fun," Bennett said. "At high school games at your own place, you don't have that many people there, so that was fun."
Hildebrant continued to talk about that experience.
"It was nice to see the community make it down there, too. It seemed like the entire community of Leesburg was there."
Hildebrant was a part of a pressure-packed situation at the free-throw line during the district round as he was fouled with 12.5 seconds left in the game. He made both shots, sealing the victory against No. 1 seeded Eastern Pike by a 55-52 score in the district semifinals.
"I just rolled my ankle, and it was tough shooting those shots," he said. "It was a pretty amazing feeling … after making them, we pretty much knew we had won the game."
Bennett spoke about watching the free throws glide through the air and through the hoop.
"I was just praying to God those two free throws went in," he said.
Moments like those don't go unnoticed by this group, as they have learned to respect and cherish the moments.
"We all play our best in the bigger games, so when those moments arrive, we all rise to the occasion," Montgomery said.
"When the pressure is there, we all come together," Wilson said.
Again with this group, the high expectations they've set for the entire team drives them.
"We all want to have the best season possible, and we know if we all work together, then we can accomplish our goals," Montgomery said.
"We all know what we want," Wilson said. "We pick each other up in practice, because we don't want any weak practices. Every practice is hard."
Then the conversation switched over to their practices and about all the work that goes into them.
"When we were making our tournament run, we were really having some quality practices," Hildebrant said. "We realized if we would have practiced like that all year, we would have been so much better, so that's what we've been focusing on all year.
"The harder we work, the closer we will be able to achieve our goals."
The senior class, consisting of Ryan Bates, Cody Bennett, Blake Hildebrant, Gage Montgomery and Joey Wilson, know success in a variety of sporting fields, but they want to not only get back to the district final game, but surpass that feat of one season ago and see what happens from there.
The goal for the Lions to get back to the district final round is lofty, but with this group and their teammates, they are more than capable of repeating the feat.
"We don't want to lose any games," Wilson said. "The ultimate expectation is to beat what we did last year."
"Going further than last year … that's what we work for," Bates said.
Bennett echoed the statements of his fellow teammates.
"To go further than last year we have to play more as a team," he said. "We have to play unselfish. Even after basketball season, I still want us to be a family."
The expectations of this team aren't just on a whim. No, these five have played many sports together during their lifetime, but they began playing basketball in elementary school where there were two teams. In sixth grade, they all finally were able to be on the same squad.
"It's been cool to see how all of us have grown since then, especially around basketball," Bennett said.
"We've grown as a family by working together," Bates said.
"All of us have good chemistry because we have played basketball together for so long," Montgomery said. "We know what each others’ strengths and weaknesses are."
These five have basically had the same coach at the helm since they were in middle school in current head coach Everett Snyder, which the players said has made a difference in their play.
"We know what to expect from him, and he knows what we are able to do," Wilson said. "He knows how to push us, and we have a lot of respect for him."
"We know him, too," Hildebrant said. "We know what he's looking for in us and the same with us. It all really works out well."
But everything comes back to the postseason, and to get back to where they were last season, the seniors looked back at the experience of playing at the Convocation Center in the district round.
They are using those memories as motivation this year.
"We all remember the letdown," Bates said. "We remember letting our fans down and letting down the younger generation. We don't want to let them down anymore."
"I saw how the seniors felt last year and the look in their eyes after that game," Bennett said. "I don't want that this year."
Montgomery said the experience has been helpful and will continue to help them this season.
"It helped, but now we know what we have to do at the end of the year and throughout the year," Montgomery said. "We don't want the letdown."
One quality this group has is their humility. They know a spot back in the district finals won't be handed to them … rather, they know what has to be improved in their game to get to where they want to be.
"Defense … improving on our defense, that will be the biggest thing," Hildebrant said. "The scoring will come. We have five returning players who all scored last year.[[In-content Ad]]
"We have to make up the 20 or so points per game from losing Quentin (Williams) to graduation, but if we play defense as a team, the scoring will be there."
The first word spoken when asked about what it was like to play in the district round was "amazing."
"We never really experienced something like that before," Wilson said. "We don't get crowds like that for other sports, but to experience that last year was crazy."
"When you have other schools cheering for you … it was fun," Bennett said. "At high school games at your own place, you don't have that many people there, so that was fun."
Hildebrant continued to talk about that experience.
"It was nice to see the community make it down there, too. It seemed like the entire community of Leesburg was there."
Hildebrant was a part of a pressure-packed situation at the free-throw line during the district round as he was fouled with 12.5 seconds left in the game. He made both shots, sealing the victory against No. 1 seeded Eastern Pike by a 55-52 score in the district semifinals.
"I just rolled my ankle, and it was tough shooting those shots," he said. "It was a pretty amazing feeling … after making them, we pretty much knew we had won the game."
Bennett spoke about watching the free throws glide through the air and through the hoop.
"I was just praying to God those two free throws went in," he said.
Moments like those don't go unnoticed by this group, as they have learned to respect and cherish the moments.
"We all play our best in the bigger games, so when those moments arrive, we all rise to the occasion," Montgomery said.
"When the pressure is there, we all come together," Wilson said.
Again with this group, the high expectations they've set for the entire team drives them.
"We all want to have the best season possible, and we know if we all work together, then we can accomplish our goals," Montgomery said.
"We all know what we want," Wilson said. "We pick each other up in practice, because we don't want any weak practices. Every practice is hard."
Then the conversation switched over to their practices and about all the work that goes into them.
"When we were making our tournament run, we were really having some quality practices," Hildebrant said. "We realized if we would have practiced like that all year, we would have been so much better, so that's what we've been focusing on all year.
"The harder we work, the closer we will be able to achieve our goals."