Team Preview: Fairfield Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Fairfield Lions are rebuilding from a successful season last year as they reached the district finals, bringing in four new starters to this season's squad as they look to repeat or even surpass that feat once again.
The Lions have three players who saw playing time at the varsity level last season in seniors Austin Hildebrant, Cole Putnam and junior Quentin Williams.
"I wouldn't consider us to be a young year, but I wouldn't consider us to be an experienced team. I would consider us a learning team.”
One retiring starter in Williams played point guard last season.
"He'll be in that role again this year, and Austin and Cole played in the post for us at times last year. They are scrappy, and they will contribute in that role this year."
Seniors this year include Austin May, Hildebrant, Wesley Willey and Cole Putnam. Juniors include Williams, Moritz Hayler, Elijah Carmean and Bradley Clay. The sophomores are Blake Hildebrant, Gage Montgomery, Cody Bennett and Ryan Bates.
"The kids worked hard over the summer. We had good numbers to open gyms, conditioning and practices. They do things right the first time, have shown great leadership and work ethic," Carson said.
Last season the Lions had four starters who graduated and six total seniors who graduated. They have to replace a lot of scoring with those players who graduated.
"It's interesting … the talent that was lost, that was a very special group of players. What we've preached all summer is we aren't playing for the name on the back of the jersey, but playing for the name on the front of it," Carson said. "These kids have played fundamental team basketball and where most coaches would look at it as an obstacle to overcome (losing four starters), I've looked at it as a challenge, and they've responded.
"We are still going to stress defense and stress working hard. That's going to be our MO this year. Our work ethic is pretty good, but as a coach, you always want more."
Offensively, the Lions want to move the ball around.
"Teams won't be able to key in on one person. The ball will be spread around, but we're having to work for our shots, grind it out and work for the open man," Carson said. "We'll have to get each other open through screening and good cuts.”
What about their defense?
"Defensively I describe this team as opportunistic," Carson said. "I'm hoping we can create turnovers that will parlay into easy transition buckets. To be able to do that, we have to have our defense to be our offense sometimes.
"I don't think we'll be a very high-scoring team, but I think we can be an efficient team. If I had to choose one word to describe us, it would be ‘efficient.’"
The Lions will bring four seniors to the court this season, but Carson has been coaching them much longer.
"When I started coaching in junior high here six years ago, they were the group I had my second year. They are a hard-working, team-oriented, close-knit group and good men on and off the court," Carson said. "That's been a positive for us, and they will continue to lay the groundwork we need to move forward in the program.
"I'm interested to see them in the leadership role this year."
As always, with any team the Lions to want to make improvements before and during the season.
"We really would like to improve on the offensive side of the ball. We want to find ways to score, and we always want to improve on defense with rebounding," Carson said. "I would really just like to see us get better steadily as the year goes on.
"Our schedule will prepare us to be battle-tested, and we'll have to be prepared to play every night."
Getting to the success of last season in winning a sectional title and reaching a district final carson said it was a "program thing."
"The kids see it as something to work for. We've mentioned that a few times … on getting close to achieving a goal. More than anything, they see how much you have to work and even how hard you work you can come up short," Carson said. "Them seeing that last year, I feel will make them work even harder in practice in that if we want to achieve our goal of a district title, it will have to be consistent work, constant precision and constant perfection.
"We strive to be perfect here every day, even though we know we'll never be perfect. If we continue that I think it will parlay to us having a chance at having a shot at the district title in March. We just want to focus on team and that's what they'll tell you too. Hopefully people, when they come see us, will remember the Fairfield team played hard and were fun to watch."
Carson ended by speaking about Stephen "Peanut" Barcus who lost his life in a car accident this past summer. He would have been a senior this season for the Lions.
"We've talked about him as a team, but our hearts are heavy from this summer from the incident," Carson said. "We know all year an angel will be watching us as we play. If we can play with half the passion and intensity that he brought every day, then we are going to be fine.
"We want to play hard to honor his memory."[[In-content Ad]]
The Lions have three players who saw playing time at the varsity level last season in seniors Austin Hildebrant, Cole Putnam and junior Quentin Williams.
"I wouldn't consider us to be a young year, but I wouldn't consider us to be an experienced team. I would consider us a learning team.”
One retiring starter in Williams played point guard last season.
"He'll be in that role again this year, and Austin and Cole played in the post for us at times last year. They are scrappy, and they will contribute in that role this year."
Seniors this year include Austin May, Hildebrant, Wesley Willey and Cole Putnam. Juniors include Williams, Moritz Hayler, Elijah Carmean and Bradley Clay. The sophomores are Blake Hildebrant, Gage Montgomery, Cody Bennett and Ryan Bates.
"The kids worked hard over the summer. We had good numbers to open gyms, conditioning and practices. They do things right the first time, have shown great leadership and work ethic," Carson said.
Last season the Lions had four starters who graduated and six total seniors who graduated. They have to replace a lot of scoring with those players who graduated.
"It's interesting … the talent that was lost, that was a very special group of players. What we've preached all summer is we aren't playing for the name on the back of the jersey, but playing for the name on the front of it," Carson said. "These kids have played fundamental team basketball and where most coaches would look at it as an obstacle to overcome (losing four starters), I've looked at it as a challenge, and they've responded.
"We are still going to stress defense and stress working hard. That's going to be our MO this year. Our work ethic is pretty good, but as a coach, you always want more."
Offensively, the Lions want to move the ball around.
"Teams won't be able to key in on one person. The ball will be spread around, but we're having to work for our shots, grind it out and work for the open man," Carson said. "We'll have to get each other open through screening and good cuts.”
What about their defense?
"Defensively I describe this team as opportunistic," Carson said. "I'm hoping we can create turnovers that will parlay into easy transition buckets. To be able to do that, we have to have our defense to be our offense sometimes.
"I don't think we'll be a very high-scoring team, but I think we can be an efficient team. If I had to choose one word to describe us, it would be ‘efficient.’"
The Lions will bring four seniors to the court this season, but Carson has been coaching them much longer.
"When I started coaching in junior high here six years ago, they were the group I had my second year. They are a hard-working, team-oriented, close-knit group and good men on and off the court," Carson said. "That's been a positive for us, and they will continue to lay the groundwork we need to move forward in the program.
"I'm interested to see them in the leadership role this year."
As always, with any team the Lions to want to make improvements before and during the season.
"We really would like to improve on the offensive side of the ball. We want to find ways to score, and we always want to improve on defense with rebounding," Carson said. "I would really just like to see us get better steadily as the year goes on.
"Our schedule will prepare us to be battle-tested, and we'll have to be prepared to play every night."
Getting to the success of last season in winning a sectional title and reaching a district final carson said it was a "program thing."
"The kids see it as something to work for. We've mentioned that a few times … on getting close to achieving a goal. More than anything, they see how much you have to work and even how hard you work you can come up short," Carson said. "Them seeing that last year, I feel will make them work even harder in practice in that if we want to achieve our goal of a district title, it will have to be consistent work, constant precision and constant perfection.
"We strive to be perfect here every day, even though we know we'll never be perfect. If we continue that I think it will parlay to us having a chance at having a shot at the district title in March. We just want to focus on team and that's what they'll tell you too. Hopefully people, when they come see us, will remember the Fairfield team played hard and were fun to watch."
Carson ended by speaking about Stephen "Peanut" Barcus who lost his life in a car accident this past summer. He would have been a senior this season for the Lions.
"We've talked about him as a team, but our hearts are heavy from this summer from the incident," Carson said. "We know all year an angel will be watching us as we play. If we can play with half the passion and intensity that he brought every day, then we are going to be fine.
"We want to play hard to honor his memory."[[In-content Ad]]