Basketball Feature: Fairfield Lady Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Fairfield Lady Lions had to grow up quickly and on the go last year as they were all freshmen or sophomores as they entered the season. This season, the starting five of the Lady Lions have more experience and much to prove to not only their community, but to themselves as they want to continue what they started one year ago.
This year, the starting five for the Lady Lions will consist of All-Southern Hills League selection and honorable mention All-District player, junior Heather Cox; and four sophomores that include Justice Hattan, Haley Bobb, Kaitlin Evans and Lydia Sowders.
The group of five want to not only win more games than last season, but they want to continue to build to what is their ultimate goal of their team winning an SHL championship, something no Lady Lion team has accomplished.
[[In-content Ad]]Getting to that point didn't start this offseason or last year, no, the beginning of that goal began in the early years of these five ladies as they learned the basics of basketball at a young age.
Cox, Sowders and Bobb each began their love of the game at a YMCA court, Hattan started in the fourth grade and Evans later followed in the seventh grade at the urging of her friends.
The players spoke about how they love the sport. Cox said she tried all other sports, but she enjoys the competition of basketball the most, so she plays it year-round. Hattan likes the pace of the game, while Sowders likes playing as a team with her friends. Bobb said she enjoys the challenge of winning, and Evans said everything about the game makes it fun.
No matter how each player began their basketball life or their reasons for playing the game, they all have been brought together to play as one unit this season and for future seasons, but all five ladies said they learned from going through the good times and the bad of one season ago.
"Last year, we gained experience, and I learned how to work through all the hard things of the game, which makes all of us better players and a better team," Cox said.
"I agree with Heather because last season did give us more experience," Hattan said.
Sowders also spoke about last year as she spoke about playing varsity as a freshman, even when others said they weren't going to win.
"I was nervous at the beginning, and it was nerve-racking for me because our opponents were a lot bigger, and I'd never played against any of them before," Sowders said. "The experience was nice, but it was nerve-racking, especially with everybody telling me we weren't going to win. Then you go out there, and you try, and then you don't, it can push you down, and you think maybe you can't win.
"No matter what our record was, we did really well for our first year as varsity players."
Bobb spoke about how the challenge of being young at the varsity level made her a better player.
"The challenge last year of playing older players and to know how experienced they were, allowed us to gain more from playing them," Bobb said.
Evans said last year helped make her a better player.
"It was definitely scary at the beginning last year, but seeing how good the other players were made me want to get better and play like them."
FHS showed what type of team they could be in the very first game of the season last year as they proved many naysayers wrong and won the first time they took the court by defeating East Clinton 49-45 at Grandle Gymnasium in their season opener.
"For me, it was a big rush to get that first win," Cox said. "I was the only one who had played the year before, so I was trying to get everyone through it. Of course, I was getting dogged because I was the oldest, but we ended up winning that game with a young team, so it was exciting."
"It was exciting because it was my first varsity game, and we won against a team that everybody thought we were going to lose against," Hattan said.
"It was really exciting that we won, especially since everyone was telling us we were going to lose," Sowders said. "That game gave us more confidence for the rest of the year."
Her teammates agreed.
"It was a confidence booster, for sure," Bobb said. "It gave us something to look forward to the rest of the year."
"That win was awesome because it made us want to win the rest of our games to prove people wrong," Evans said.
Though the Lady Lions won just five times last year, they did gain a couple late season wins, including a postseason victory proving they were an improved team. They want to continue that trend of winning this upcoming year.
"We ended with a high note and with momentum, so we we're going to bring that momentum back," Cox said. "We've all worked really hard though the summer, through practices and conditioning, so we just have to bring it to the games."
"We have to work hard, harder than we did last year," Hattan said. "We need to bring it, to go hard or go home."
Sowders spoke about gaining more wins as one of their goals this season.
"I'm looking forward to winning, to get that feeling again," Sowders said. "We did work hard this summer, and we have more girls this year, so hopefully we can win more."
"The most exciting thing will be proving to everyone we can win games, not lose like they all expect us to do," Bobb said.
"Like Heather said, we need to use that momentum from last year to help us this year," Evans said. "I'm just ready for the season to start."
This year, the starting five for the Lady Lions will consist of All-Southern Hills League selection and honorable mention All-District player, junior Heather Cox; and four sophomores that include Justice Hattan, Haley Bobb, Kaitlin Evans and Lydia Sowders.
The group of five want to not only win more games than last season, but they want to continue to build to what is their ultimate goal of their team winning an SHL championship, something no Lady Lion team has accomplished.
[[In-content Ad]]Getting to that point didn't start this offseason or last year, no, the beginning of that goal began in the early years of these five ladies as they learned the basics of basketball at a young age.
Cox, Sowders and Bobb each began their love of the game at a YMCA court, Hattan started in the fourth grade and Evans later followed in the seventh grade at the urging of her friends.
The players spoke about how they love the sport. Cox said she tried all other sports, but she enjoys the competition of basketball the most, so she plays it year-round. Hattan likes the pace of the game, while Sowders likes playing as a team with her friends. Bobb said she enjoys the challenge of winning, and Evans said everything about the game makes it fun.
No matter how each player began their basketball life or their reasons for playing the game, they all have been brought together to play as one unit this season and for future seasons, but all five ladies said they learned from going through the good times and the bad of one season ago.
"Last year, we gained experience, and I learned how to work through all the hard things of the game, which makes all of us better players and a better team," Cox said.
"I agree with Heather because last season did give us more experience," Hattan said.
Sowders also spoke about last year as she spoke about playing varsity as a freshman, even when others said they weren't going to win.
"I was nervous at the beginning, and it was nerve-racking for me because our opponents were a lot bigger, and I'd never played against any of them before," Sowders said. "The experience was nice, but it was nerve-racking, especially with everybody telling me we weren't going to win. Then you go out there, and you try, and then you don't, it can push you down, and you think maybe you can't win.
"No matter what our record was, we did really well for our first year as varsity players."
Bobb spoke about how the challenge of being young at the varsity level made her a better player.
"The challenge last year of playing older players and to know how experienced they were, allowed us to gain more from playing them," Bobb said.
Evans said last year helped make her a better player.
"It was definitely scary at the beginning last year, but seeing how good the other players were made me want to get better and play like them."
FHS showed what type of team they could be in the very first game of the season last year as they proved many naysayers wrong and won the first time they took the court by defeating East Clinton 49-45 at Grandle Gymnasium in their season opener.
"For me, it was a big rush to get that first win," Cox said. "I was the only one who had played the year before, so I was trying to get everyone through it. Of course, I was getting dogged because I was the oldest, but we ended up winning that game with a young team, so it was exciting."
"It was exciting because it was my first varsity game, and we won against a team that everybody thought we were going to lose against," Hattan said.
"It was really exciting that we won, especially since everyone was telling us we were going to lose," Sowders said. "That game gave us more confidence for the rest of the year."
Her teammates agreed.
"It was a confidence booster, for sure," Bobb said. "It gave us something to look forward to the rest of the year."
"That win was awesome because it made us want to win the rest of our games to prove people wrong," Evans said.
Though the Lady Lions won just five times last year, they did gain a couple late season wins, including a postseason victory proving they were an improved team. They want to continue that trend of winning this upcoming year.
"We ended with a high note and with momentum, so we we're going to bring that momentum back," Cox said. "We've all worked really hard though the summer, through practices and conditioning, so we just have to bring it to the games."
"We have to work hard, harder than we did last year," Hattan said. "We need to bring it, to go hard or go home."
Sowders spoke about gaining more wins as one of their goals this season.
"I'm looking forward to winning, to get that feeling again," Sowders said. "We did work hard this summer, and we have more girls this year, so hopefully we can win more."
"The most exciting thing will be proving to everyone we can win games, not lose like they all expect us to do," Bobb said.
"Like Heather said, we need to use that momentum from last year to help us this year," Evans said. "I'm just ready for the season to start."