After a season to remember, the boys basketball program won’t sneak up on anyone after making the semi-state a year ago.
Wawasee mounted a fourth quarter rally, but Fairfield held on in Tuesday’s season debut, 46-43.
Fairfield held a 10-point fourth quarter lead in coach Brodie Garber’s boys basketball head coaching debut, but Wawasee’s Nolan Holzwart scored nine of his 15 in the final frame to tighten the reins. Cole Knight scored 25 points, but only one of those was in the fourth as the Falcons limped in hitting just 2-10 free throws in the fourth and 3-12 overall. Parker Smith and Matthew Holsopple each added six points for the Falcons.
Mason Worrell provided six key points in the fourth quarter as Wawasee rallied past Fairfield, 33-29, in the night’s JV contest. The Falcons had Koltyn Frye lead the way with 10 points and Talen Carthans added six points.
Levi Sawatzky scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half as Goshen upended host Fairfield, 55-43, Saturday night in greater Benton. Grady Garber led Fairfield with 13 points and Smith had 12 points.
Brady Park scored a career-high 15 points, but it wasn’t enough as Fairfield fell to Goshen, 37-31, in the night’s opening JV contest.
Boys wrestling’s varsity season opened up Tuesday night in hosting Northridge. The Raiders came away with six pins, a tech fall, and three forfeits en route to a 59-20 win.
Fairfield found success in its middle weights, led by a third period pin from Matthew Senn and a pair of major decisions from Dirk Rumfelt and Aldahir Ortiz. The Falcons also got a forfeit in favor of Grant Gill to round out its scoring.
Fairfield continued with the Northern Lakes Conference theme Saturday with entry at the Wawasee November Duals. Fairfield fell to both Wawasee, 41-36, and Warsaw, 41-41 (fall criteria), as well as North Miami, 60-19, but picked up wins against Fort Wayne South Side, 45-33, and South Bend Washington, 59-9. Highlighting the action for Fairfield included 5-0 days from Gill, Senn and Breckan Maran.
Fairfield girls wrestling took part in the two-day Columbia City Invite, boasting of a pair of placers in Jacinda Brown, fourth place at 170, going 5-2 for the tourney, and Addison Schrock, fifth place at 190, going 3-2 for the tourney.
Girls hoops had just a Saturday showdown with Concord, coming away with a 41-32 road win.
Madison Jones led the team with 14 points and Eva Herbert added 10 assists in the victory. Fairfield won the rebounding battle, 29-17, and shot 50 percent (17-34) from the floor.
The Fairfield JV held Concord scoreless in the fourth quarter of a 31-16 win. Maddie Treat led the way with 12 points and both Jenna Fought and Hayden Minder finished with six points.