District Semifinal Preview: Fairfield to face Manchester for 3rd time this season

LEESBURG — Everything is on the line in the win-or-go-home Division IV SE District Semifinal game taking place this Saturday, as the No. 2 seeded Fairfield Lions (20-3) and the No. 7 seeded Manchester Greyhounds (15-8) are scheduled face each other for the third time this season.

No meeting will be as important as the game being played at the Ohio University Convocation Center, located on the campus of Ohio University in Athens on March 2 with a scheduled tipoff of 7 p.m. 

This season, the Lions and Greyhounds met twice in the regular season as members of Division II of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference, with Fairfield winning both games. The Lions were champions of the SHAC Division II for a second consecutive year with a conference record of 11-2. Manchester was tied for second place in the SHAC Div. II standings at 7-6 (Fayetteville was also 7-6).

Fairfield won their season opener on Friday, Dec. 1 at Manchester, 52-44, and they followed that with a second win against the Greyhounds on Friday, Jan. 12 at Grandle Gymnasium in Leesburg by a 70-35 score. 

Since those conference showdowns, the Greyhounds have won six consecutive games going into the district semifinal, while the Lions have won their past three games. FHS has overcome a stretch where after winning 39 consecutive regular-season games, they lost three of four games played just before the current three-game winning streak going into the district semifinal. 

Going into this game, the Fairfield Lions have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring and one player who is almost averaging a double-double. The player with close to a double-double is FHS senior Larkin Friend. In 23 games this season, Friend is averaging 14.8 points per game with 9.6 rebounds per game. The 6-1 senior guard is also averaging 7.6 assists per game, 2.5 steals per game and 1.4 blocks per game. 

In games against Manchester this season, Friend has had games of 13 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists (Dec. 1), then nine points plus 20 rebounds and 13 assists (Jan. 12).

Also against Manchester this season, senior Trey House on Dec. 1 scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, then on Jan. 12 he had 16 points, plus three rebounds. FHS junior Chase Newman in the first game at Manchester totaled 10 points (three rebounds). In the Jan. 12 game, Fairfield had a 16-point, nine-rebound game from junior Logan McIntosh, and senior Gabe Fouch led all scorers in the second meeting vs. Manchester with a game that consisted of 18 points and three rebounds.

For the season, totals for some Fairfield players include McIntosh (12.1 ppg/4.9 rpg), House (11.2 ppg/4.0 rpg), Fouch (8.5 ppg/3.6 rpg) and Cade Miller (6.0 ppg/3.3 rpg).

Manchester players have had success in the two games as well, including the Dec. 1 game where senior Drew Kennedy scored 16 points and had five rebounds, while that same game, teammate sophomore Elijah Crabtree scored 10 points with eight rebounds.

The second game between the two teams saw senior Connor Darnell score 12 points for the Greyhounds and sophomore Parker Hayslip put 11 points on the scoreboard. MHS junior Leland Horner had seven rebounds in the second game against Fairfield. 

Manchester season totals for their top players include Darnell (13.0 ppg/4.5 rpg), Hayslip (11.1 ppg/2.7 rpg), Kennedy (10.6 ppg/6.0 rpg) and junior Braylan Roberts (8.0 ppg/4.3 rpg). 

In their current three-game winning streak, the Lions have bounced back with wins at Whiteoak (58-28), at Ripley (72-38) and vs. Whiteoak (63-27). Manchester’s current six-game winning streak includes the following wins: vs. Ripley (62-24), at Fayetteville (53-51), vs. Whiteoak (58-40), East Clinton (62-40), vs. West Union (81-48) and vs. South Gallia (59-41). 

Manchester scored no less than 10 points each quarter in their sectional final win last Saturday against South Gallia. The Greyhounds were led in scoring by Kennedy with 18 points, followed by Hayslip with 17 points, plus Darnell and Crabtree each added six points. 

The Lions’ sectional final win on Saturday against Whiteoak included Friend with 17 points and McIntosh scoring 15 points to lead the FHS scorers. 

Tickets for the game are being sold online only at https://www.ohsaa.org/tickets. Ohio University is a cashless venue; concessions and parking ($5) are by credit card only.

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