Carson's vision for Lions comes to life
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
"I want to bring that pride from the '90s back here … I want to see the kids achieve success on and off the basketball court."
Check.
"The community … and getting them excited about the school is something I want to bring back to Fairfield."
Check.
"I will go above and beyond to put my players in a successful position. I will work hard. I know my age is a factor in some people's minds, but I will work hard to be successful."
Check.
Those were the words Fairfield boys basketball head coach Matt Carson told me in a feature interview in 2007, before he even coached a scrimmage for the Fairfield Lions varsity program.
He was 20 years old. Some questioned his age ... those questions are gone now.
Fast forward four years later, and well, Carson has led the Lions to over 40 wins, his teams have played on three different occasions at the Convocation Center in the district tournament, winning three sectional championships, and this Saturday, he will coach his Lions in a district final game, a game the Lions haven't played for 14 years.
Not to mention, his teams have won at least one tournament game in each of his four seasons at the helm of the Lions.
Those are good stats for a coach four years into his varsity coaching career.
Remember when Coach Carson took over the Lions' program? The season before it had one win.
The Lions pack Grandle Gymnasium every home game nowadays. (Trust me, I know from all the long walks by parking near the baseball field. Once, I parked by the bus garage because the parking lot was so full for the varsity basketball game.)
The question the community is asking now is: Will the Lions win the district championship this Saturday?
Coach Carson in the above comments said he wanted to bring the pride of the '90s back to FHS.
Here is what the Lions did in the '90s: five sectional titles and two district titles.
In the past four years, the Lions have won three sectional championships, played in three district games, winning one, and they still are alive in the tournament with an opportunity for a district championship.
Not too bad.
Coach Carson won't take any or all of the credit. He'll credit the players and coaching staff.
I became a sports editor the same year he became head coach for the Lions, and in four years of post-game interviews I can tell you this … he cares about this program, the players, the coaching staff and the community. All coaches takes losses in different ways. They take wins in different ways, too, but you can tell after each game that it means something to him.
Fairfield and the community of Leesburg are lucky to have a coach who not only wants to win games, but he wants his players to learn something other than basketball along the way, so they are productive away from the court. I know some of his former players are productive members of the community today.
Now, as far as the game of basketball this season, the Lions have been up and down.
This season, the Lions have battled though a lot of adversity. First, they lost All-Ohio player and senior Chris Cox for the first four games with an injury, plus they started the season at 0-6, so the start of the season was looking bleak for the Lions. They gained their first win against Fayetteville, then defeated North Adams for a record of 2-6. Later in the season, they defeated co-South Central Ohio League champion Miami Trace and also gained wins against Lynchburg-Clay, Adena, Fayetteville for a second time, West Union and Manchester. FHS defeated Whiteoak this year as well.
But it is a good thing the regular season is 20 games and not six, right? Though some fans' blood pressure was at the breaking point during the opening stretch of games (Admit it, you know it was. When people yell during games, it is easier to hear), the Lions knew they could do something special, it would just take time.
Well, what is the saying … time heals all … or everything? You get my point. As the season has progressed, so have the Lions.
In their last 14 games of the regular season, the Lions went 9-5, ending the 2010-11 slate of regular-season games at 9-11. Add in their two tournament wins, and the Lions are 11-5 in their last 16 games, one win away from their first district title since Bill Clinton was starting his second term as president in 1996.
FHS had a tough battle in both of their tournament games this season, not to mention a tough schedule at the end of the season where they played four games in seven days in makeup games due to the weather.
The Lions will have to take on an old tournament foe in the South Webster Jeeps this Saturday.
This year, the Jeeps are 17-4, winning 11 of their last 12 games, with their lone loss to Oak Hill during that time frame. It was the Jeeps who knocked out the Lions last season in the sectional finals at Valley High School.
Getting to this point took a lot of patience from Coach Carson and his staff, not to mention his players, as this team has shown a no-quit attitude … no matter how much they were ahead or how much they trailed in defeat.
In the tournament, this team hasn't let itself get rattled, no matter the intensity of the game.
Coach Carson said this following their first tournament win against the Clay Panthers: "The kids stepped up big tonight, made shots when we needed to. It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it."
He credited the players.
This season though, Carson was positive in victory and in defeat. He credited his coaching staff, his players, the fans, pretty much anyone involved with Fairfield boys basketball.
That is what a leader does. Coach Carson is a leader.
Before the start of this season, the FHS head coach said this pertaining to his team's expectations as the season was nearing: "I have high expectations. But we can easily get caught up in the hype. It is flattering, but my job is to keep the kids level-headed and hungry. From here on out, it is about great effort and who wants to get better."
Even after his first-ever varsity coaching win in November 2007 against the Paint Valley Bearcats, a 58-48 victory by the Lions, the then-20-year-old coach took zero credit for the win.
"I just want to thank the kids. This is important to them (starting with a win). It's good to see the kids smiling and having the bench cheer on the team during the game. It's just good to see."
Coach Carson knows high school sports are about the players. The games aren't about the media, the fans, the coaches or the officials. But this once, I think it is time to credit a coach and coaching staff, along with all the players the past four seasons who have helped pave the way to this weekend's game.
This Saturday's game has been four years in the making. There have been a lot of blood, sweat and tears, not only this season, but in Coach Carson's tenure. Remember when Cameron Rolark had the eye gash against Whiteoak; or currently, Quentin Williams playing with a broken nose.
Coach Carson and his staff knew rebuilding a program from the ground up would take time, and it has.
The vision he had four seasons ago has come to life and will continue this Saturday.
See you bright and early at the district championship game.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor for The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Check.
"The community … and getting them excited about the school is something I want to bring back to Fairfield."
Check.
"I will go above and beyond to put my players in a successful position. I will work hard. I know my age is a factor in some people's minds, but I will work hard to be successful."
Check.
Those were the words Fairfield boys basketball head coach Matt Carson told me in a feature interview in 2007, before he even coached a scrimmage for the Fairfield Lions varsity program.
He was 20 years old. Some questioned his age ... those questions are gone now.
Fast forward four years later, and well, Carson has led the Lions to over 40 wins, his teams have played on three different occasions at the Convocation Center in the district tournament, winning three sectional championships, and this Saturday, he will coach his Lions in a district final game, a game the Lions haven't played for 14 years.
Not to mention, his teams have won at least one tournament game in each of his four seasons at the helm of the Lions.
Those are good stats for a coach four years into his varsity coaching career.
Remember when Coach Carson took over the Lions' program? The season before it had one win.
The Lions pack Grandle Gymnasium every home game nowadays. (Trust me, I know from all the long walks by parking near the baseball field. Once, I parked by the bus garage because the parking lot was so full for the varsity basketball game.)
The question the community is asking now is: Will the Lions win the district championship this Saturday?
Coach Carson in the above comments said he wanted to bring the pride of the '90s back to FHS.
Here is what the Lions did in the '90s: five sectional titles and two district titles.
In the past four years, the Lions have won three sectional championships, played in three district games, winning one, and they still are alive in the tournament with an opportunity for a district championship.
Not too bad.
Coach Carson won't take any or all of the credit. He'll credit the players and coaching staff.
I became a sports editor the same year he became head coach for the Lions, and in four years of post-game interviews I can tell you this … he cares about this program, the players, the coaching staff and the community. All coaches takes losses in different ways. They take wins in different ways, too, but you can tell after each game that it means something to him.
Fairfield and the community of Leesburg are lucky to have a coach who not only wants to win games, but he wants his players to learn something other than basketball along the way, so they are productive away from the court. I know some of his former players are productive members of the community today.
Now, as far as the game of basketball this season, the Lions have been up and down.
This season, the Lions have battled though a lot of adversity. First, they lost All-Ohio player and senior Chris Cox for the first four games with an injury, plus they started the season at 0-6, so the start of the season was looking bleak for the Lions. They gained their first win against Fayetteville, then defeated North Adams for a record of 2-6. Later in the season, they defeated co-South Central Ohio League champion Miami Trace and also gained wins against Lynchburg-Clay, Adena, Fayetteville for a second time, West Union and Manchester. FHS defeated Whiteoak this year as well.
But it is a good thing the regular season is 20 games and not six, right? Though some fans' blood pressure was at the breaking point during the opening stretch of games (Admit it, you know it was. When people yell during games, it is easier to hear), the Lions knew they could do something special, it would just take time.
Well, what is the saying … time heals all … or everything? You get my point. As the season has progressed, so have the Lions.
In their last 14 games of the regular season, the Lions went 9-5, ending the 2010-11 slate of regular-season games at 9-11. Add in their two tournament wins, and the Lions are 11-5 in their last 16 games, one win away from their first district title since Bill Clinton was starting his second term as president in 1996.
FHS had a tough battle in both of their tournament games this season, not to mention a tough schedule at the end of the season where they played four games in seven days in makeup games due to the weather.
The Lions will have to take on an old tournament foe in the South Webster Jeeps this Saturday.
This year, the Jeeps are 17-4, winning 11 of their last 12 games, with their lone loss to Oak Hill during that time frame. It was the Jeeps who knocked out the Lions last season in the sectional finals at Valley High School.
Getting to this point took a lot of patience from Coach Carson and his staff, not to mention his players, as this team has shown a no-quit attitude … no matter how much they were ahead or how much they trailed in defeat.
In the tournament, this team hasn't let itself get rattled, no matter the intensity of the game.
Coach Carson said this following their first tournament win against the Clay Panthers: "The kids stepped up big tonight, made shots when we needed to. It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it."
He credited the players.
This season though, Carson was positive in victory and in defeat. He credited his coaching staff, his players, the fans, pretty much anyone involved with Fairfield boys basketball.
That is what a leader does. Coach Carson is a leader.
Before the start of this season, the FHS head coach said this pertaining to his team's expectations as the season was nearing: "I have high expectations. But we can easily get caught up in the hype. It is flattering, but my job is to keep the kids level-headed and hungry. From here on out, it is about great effort and who wants to get better."
Even after his first-ever varsity coaching win in November 2007 against the Paint Valley Bearcats, a 58-48 victory by the Lions, the then-20-year-old coach took zero credit for the win.
"I just want to thank the kids. This is important to them (starting with a win). It's good to see the kids smiling and having the bench cheer on the team during the game. It's just good to see."
Coach Carson knows high school sports are about the players. The games aren't about the media, the fans, the coaches or the officials. But this once, I think it is time to credit a coach and coaching staff, along with all the players the past four seasons who have helped pave the way to this weekend's game.
This Saturday's game has been four years in the making. There have been a lot of blood, sweat and tears, not only this season, but in Coach Carson's tenure. Remember when Cameron Rolark had the eye gash against Whiteoak; or currently, Quentin Williams playing with a broken nose.
Coach Carson and his staff knew rebuilding a program from the ground up would take time, and it has.
The vision he had four seasons ago has come to life and will continue this Saturday.
See you bright and early at the district championship game.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor for The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]