District Final Preview 2022: Fairfield Lady Lions looking to gain upset against undefeated Wheelersburg
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEESBURG — This Friday night is the moment the Fairfield Lady Lions have been building toward for the past four seasons, as four of the five starters on the current Fairfield lineup were freshmen playing together at the varsity level.
Each season since, the No. 4 seeded Lady Lions (20-3) showed improvement, battled a COVID-19 pandemic season in 2020-21, took their bumps and bruises playing against players a few grades older than them in the early seasons, and even won a Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II co-championship last season.
All of that grind of playing high-level varsity basketball against state-ranked teams — and they themselves were ranked in that state at times this regular season — has built up to playing their highest-ranked opponent to date … the No. 1 seeded Wheelersburg Lady Pirates (22-0), who finished the regular season undefeated and as the No. 1 ranked team in the state for Division III.
The moment this Fairfield squad has built to commences Friday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Waverly Downtown Gym, as that is the moment where the past 91 varsity games of the careers of the seniors all come down to one chance to do what only one other Fairfield Lady Lions basketball team has done … win a district championship.
Fairfield — who is coached by Jeremy McGraw, in his first year with the program — has four seniors in their starting lineup, being Madison Bronner, Emma Fouch, Braylynn Haines and Ella Newkirk, along with junior Peyton Magee, as they all have played in 22 of 23 games together this season. Two players off the bench who are difference makers are sophomores Faith Donley and Caitlyn Quickle.
The roster also includes senior Shaleigh Duncan and freshmen Kelsey Clark, McKinley Cox, Hannah Hamilton, Jobey Hattan, Kassi Miller and Ginny Trent.
McGraw spoke about how his team is preparing for the game on Friday night.
“As far as preparing (for the game) we are just staying in the moment,” McGraw told The Highland County Press. “We aren’t changing much. The girls are working hard, watching film and working on the scouting report.”
The senior class in their four seasons at the varsity level have seen their overall records go from 10-13 to 13-10 to 17-5 to now 20-3 after 23 games this season. In four seasons, the Fairfield seniors have an overall record of 60-31 (with only eight losses the past two seasons combined), with a SHAC mark of 43-18.
Fouch — the second all-time leading scorer in Fairfield girls program history, currently with 1,273 career points — leads the team in points per game this season at 15.8, while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game.
Magee is the team leader in apg (5.0) and spg (3.0) this season, and she’s averaging 8.2 ppg, and 4.8 rpg. She is also the all-time assists leader for Fairfield.
Bronner is the team leader in all three rebound categories this season with 4.3 defensive rebounds per game, 3.2 offensive rebounds per game and 7.5 rpg. For her career, she’s grabbed over 500 rebounds.
Also for Fairfield, Newkirk is averaging 7.3 ppg, with 2.2 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.0 spg. Haines is averaging 8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1,2 apg and 1.0 spg. Donley this season is averaging 5.9 ppg 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 1.6 spg.
In 23 games this season, the Lady Lions are shooting 42-percent from the field, scoring 1,339 points and averaging 58.2 ppg.
Fairfield was last in a district final game back in the 2007-08 season, where they defeated three teams in the tournament with wins over Portsmouth Notre Dame (51-27), Whiteoak (66-52) and Beaver Eastern (32-28) en route to their district final game where they lost to Waterford (67-47). That team finished with a 7-6 record in the SHAC.
As for the only district champion in Fairfield girls basketball history, they were described as a “Cinderella Team” in ’94 as they had an overall regular-season record below .500 at 11-14, but when the tournament began, the glass slipper fit so to speak, as they went on a four-game winning streak to make the Sweet 16.
The ’93-94 team — who were coached by Kevin Fouch — won sectional games against Portsmouth East (65-19) and Western Latham (42-41) and district round games against Green (38-30) and Crooksville (42-41) to win the district championship. The ’93-94 Lady Lions lost in the regional semifinals to Buckeye Trail, 81-36. In the regular season, the SHAC (then named the Southern Hills League) didn’t have divisions and had 12 teams.
The 2021-22 Lady Lions have just three losses this season, as they’ve built a 20-3 overall record, where they finished in second place in Division I of the SHAC (10-3), plus they won a sectional championship and in all three games this current postseason. Their lone losses this season were against state-ranked Eastern (twice) and a game to Peebles.
Fast-forward 28 seasons from the ’94 team, and 13 years from the ’09 squad, and the Lady Lions are back in the district finals, where the opponent standing in their way, though undefeated, is coming off a two-point win over North Adams, a team the Lady Lions defeated twice this season.
The Lady Lions are coming off tournament wins over Westfall (49-18), Oak Hill (51-38) and Adena (50-38). This postseason, Fairfield is averaging 50 ppg in three games, while allowing an average of 32.3 ppg.
Wheelersburg this season (including two tournament games) scored 1,173 points, averaging 53.3 ppg. This postseason, they have defeated Ironton (53-32) and North Adams (42-40). Fairfield this season defeated North Adams twice by scores of 62-53 and 41-39.
Wheelersburg — who are coached by Dusty Spradlin — has allowed an average of 37.6 ppg in 22 games played this season. In two tournament games, the Lady Pirates have allowed an average of 36 ppg and scored an average of 47.5 ppg, as they are described as a good defensive team whose post play has improved from last season.
Individually for Wheelersburg, senior Alaina Keeney is a 3-pointer shooter who is 5-10 and the top player for Wheelersburg. She’s an All-Ohio candidate and described as an all-around player. Keeney is averaging 15.6 ppg, with 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.4 spg. She has shot 46.7 percent from the field, 42.3 percent in her 3-point attempts and 70.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Also in the starting lineup for Wheelersburg are Makenna Walker, a 5-6 junior who drives and scores by attacking the basket, averaging 13.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 2.1 spg. From the field, she’s shootng 44.2 percent, along with 35.5 percent from 3-point attempts and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Lexie Rucker is a 5-9 junior post player, as she’s averaging 9.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.4 spg. She’s averaging 47.1 percent from the field, with 24.7 percent in her 3-point attempts and 61.8 from the free-throw line.
Wheelersburg also has Madison Whittaker, a 5-5 junior who is a 3-point shooter, and Macee Eaton is a 5-7 junior who is known for her rebounding and post presence.
McGraw gave his thoughts entering the game against Wheelersburg on Friday night.
“We are very excited to be in the position to play for a district championship. The girls deserve all the credit,” McGraw said. “They have worked extremely hard to be here and deserve it. We understand what’s at task with Wheelersburg. On paper we are the underdogs, but we know who we are.”
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Each season since, the No. 4 seeded Lady Lions (20-3) showed improvement, battled a COVID-19 pandemic season in 2020-21, took their bumps and bruises playing against players a few grades older than them in the early seasons, and even won a Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II co-championship last season.
All of that grind of playing high-level varsity basketball against state-ranked teams — and they themselves were ranked in that state at times this regular season — has built up to playing their highest-ranked opponent to date … the No. 1 seeded Wheelersburg Lady Pirates (22-0), who finished the regular season undefeated and as the No. 1 ranked team in the state for Division III.
The moment this Fairfield squad has built to commences Friday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Waverly Downtown Gym, as that is the moment where the past 91 varsity games of the careers of the seniors all come down to one chance to do what only one other Fairfield Lady Lions basketball team has done … win a district championship.
Fairfield — who is coached by Jeremy McGraw, in his first year with the program — has four seniors in their starting lineup, being Madison Bronner, Emma Fouch, Braylynn Haines and Ella Newkirk, along with junior Peyton Magee, as they all have played in 22 of 23 games together this season. Two players off the bench who are difference makers are sophomores Faith Donley and Caitlyn Quickle.
The roster also includes senior Shaleigh Duncan and freshmen Kelsey Clark, McKinley Cox, Hannah Hamilton, Jobey Hattan, Kassi Miller and Ginny Trent.
McGraw spoke about how his team is preparing for the game on Friday night.
“As far as preparing (for the game) we are just staying in the moment,” McGraw told The Highland County Press. “We aren’t changing much. The girls are working hard, watching film and working on the scouting report.”
The senior class in their four seasons at the varsity level have seen their overall records go from 10-13 to 13-10 to 17-5 to now 20-3 after 23 games this season. In four seasons, the Fairfield seniors have an overall record of 60-31 (with only eight losses the past two seasons combined), with a SHAC mark of 43-18.
Fouch — the second all-time leading scorer in Fairfield girls program history, currently with 1,273 career points — leads the team in points per game this season at 15.8, while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game.
Magee is the team leader in apg (5.0) and spg (3.0) this season, and she’s averaging 8.2 ppg, and 4.8 rpg. She is also the all-time assists leader for Fairfield.
Bronner is the team leader in all three rebound categories this season with 4.3 defensive rebounds per game, 3.2 offensive rebounds per game and 7.5 rpg. For her career, she’s grabbed over 500 rebounds.
Also for Fairfield, Newkirk is averaging 7.3 ppg, with 2.2 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.0 spg. Haines is averaging 8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1,2 apg and 1.0 spg. Donley this season is averaging 5.9 ppg 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 1.6 spg.
In 23 games this season, the Lady Lions are shooting 42-percent from the field, scoring 1,339 points and averaging 58.2 ppg.
Fairfield was last in a district final game back in the 2007-08 season, where they defeated three teams in the tournament with wins over Portsmouth Notre Dame (51-27), Whiteoak (66-52) and Beaver Eastern (32-28) en route to their district final game where they lost to Waterford (67-47). That team finished with a 7-6 record in the SHAC.
As for the only district champion in Fairfield girls basketball history, they were described as a “Cinderella Team” in ’94 as they had an overall regular-season record below .500 at 11-14, but when the tournament began, the glass slipper fit so to speak, as they went on a four-game winning streak to make the Sweet 16.
The ’93-94 team — who were coached by Kevin Fouch — won sectional games against Portsmouth East (65-19) and Western Latham (42-41) and district round games against Green (38-30) and Crooksville (42-41) to win the district championship. The ’93-94 Lady Lions lost in the regional semifinals to Buckeye Trail, 81-36. In the regular season, the SHAC (then named the Southern Hills League) didn’t have divisions and had 12 teams.
The 2021-22 Lady Lions have just three losses this season, as they’ve built a 20-3 overall record, where they finished in second place in Division I of the SHAC (10-3), plus they won a sectional championship and in all three games this current postseason. Their lone losses this season were against state-ranked Eastern (twice) and a game to Peebles.
Fast-forward 28 seasons from the ’94 team, and 13 years from the ’09 squad, and the Lady Lions are back in the district finals, where the opponent standing in their way, though undefeated, is coming off a two-point win over North Adams, a team the Lady Lions defeated twice this season.
The Lady Lions are coming off tournament wins over Westfall (49-18), Oak Hill (51-38) and Adena (50-38). This postseason, Fairfield is averaging 50 ppg in three games, while allowing an average of 32.3 ppg.
Wheelersburg this season (including two tournament games) scored 1,173 points, averaging 53.3 ppg. This postseason, they have defeated Ironton (53-32) and North Adams (42-40). Fairfield this season defeated North Adams twice by scores of 62-53 and 41-39.
Wheelersburg — who are coached by Dusty Spradlin — has allowed an average of 37.6 ppg in 22 games played this season. In two tournament games, the Lady Pirates have allowed an average of 36 ppg and scored an average of 47.5 ppg, as they are described as a good defensive team whose post play has improved from last season.
Individually for Wheelersburg, senior Alaina Keeney is a 3-pointer shooter who is 5-10 and the top player for Wheelersburg. She’s an All-Ohio candidate and described as an all-around player. Keeney is averaging 15.6 ppg, with 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.4 spg. She has shot 46.7 percent from the field, 42.3 percent in her 3-point attempts and 70.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Also in the starting lineup for Wheelersburg are Makenna Walker, a 5-6 junior who drives and scores by attacking the basket, averaging 13.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 2.1 spg. From the field, she’s shootng 44.2 percent, along with 35.5 percent from 3-point attempts and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Lexie Rucker is a 5-9 junior post player, as she’s averaging 9.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.4 spg. She’s averaging 47.1 percent from the field, with 24.7 percent in her 3-point attempts and 61.8 from the free-throw line.
Wheelersburg also has Madison Whittaker, a 5-5 junior who is a 3-point shooter, and Macee Eaton is a 5-7 junior who is known for her rebounding and post presence.
McGraw gave his thoughts entering the game against Wheelersburg on Friday night.
“We are very excited to be in the position to play for a district championship. The girls deserve all the credit,” McGraw said. “They have worked extremely hard to be here and deserve it. We understand what’s at task with Wheelersburg. On paper we are the underdogs, but we know who we are.”
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