mwynn05
12-18-2005, 01:55 PM
Published: December 17, 2005 10:28 pm
GOLDEN CIRCLE BASKETBALL: No. 15 Fairfield perfect in 2005
By Joel Weckerly
Daily Sun
Don’t fault Joey Worley for not being surprised. He sort of figured his Fairfield basketball team would have this kind of success.
With eight returning lettermen and five returning starters back on his squad, the sixth-year head coach had high hopes for a big season.
“We had a lot of expectations because of the number of kids that we returned from our team last year,” Worley said.
As if their 20-8 mark a year ago wasn’t impressive enough, the Eagles are already off to a 15-0 start in 2005. The unblemished record goes nicely with a No. 15 ranking in the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) poll.
But the Eagles’ success isn’t nearly as impressive as the way they’re earning it. Employing a run-and-gun style foreign to most 3A teams, Fairfield is literally chasing opponents out of the gym, averaging over 80 points a game and beating teams by 40- and even 50-point margins.
Their average margin of victory stood at 27.4 points through Thursday, as only Class 4A Mabank has kept it close with a six-point loss on Dec. 6. The 80 points a game is remarkable considering the Eagles averaged 66 a game in ’04-05.
But even though no one seems to be catching up with them on offense, Worley said the Eagles get the job done defensively as well.
“We take quite a bit of pride defensively, in terms of not wanting to give up a lot of points,” he said. “We’re really not interested in the Loyola offense of outscoring people. We just want to play 94 feet of defense and run as fast as we can offensively.”
Even with a full-court man-to-man defense and a furious pace on offense, this squad just doesn’t seem to tire. And even though the players all happen to be in tip-top shape, this restlessness comes from a wealth of depth.
In most games Worley distributes minutes fairly evenly between 10 players, all of whom can score. The most dangerous are the eight players back from last year — wing players Billy McMillian, Alfraid Manning, Jarrett Manning and Asa Douglas and posts Ben Sturtevant, Chase Gillian, Nolan Melontree and Malcolm Woodruff.
“We really have 10 kids who would start for us most years,” Worley said. “We generally play close to 10, which helps us a lot because we wear people down. It’s part of the reason we’ve been playing quite a bit faster and scoring quite a few points. With the number of kids we have that need to get on the floor, you need to make the game go pretty fast.”
And when they’re going fast, that’s when the Eagles are most dangerous.
“We’re in the best shape that any team can be in right now,” Douglas said. “If we’re running and going like we are, we feel like nobody can keep up with us.”
Generally a team with that kind of offensive caliber features one or two prolific scorers, but not Fairfield. These Eagles would rather have eight guys produce 11 points than have three score 29. Either way you’re likely to win, but the former is easier and therefore more effective.
Through 14 games, Alfraid Manning was the leading scorer with 12.6 points per game, followed by Melontree (11.8), Jarrett Manning (10.7) and Douglas (8.6).
“It’s been that way,” Worley said. “It’s not anything by design. We really don’t have that one 25 points-per-game player, but we’ve got eight who can go in double figures at any time. Our four posts, on any night different ones score. We have different shooters, and if one’s hot we try to give them the ball. It’s been a positive; you can’t just focus on one player.”
Douglas, who has been coming off the bench lately to provide valuable points, agreed.
“If a team can go to their number seven or eight player off the bench and still produce the numbers our teammates are producing, I think any coach would love to have that team,” he said. “Rather than maybe one or two guys averaging 20 a game — you can’t count on that every night.”
Strangely similar to the Indianapolis Colts’ 14-0 start to their season, Worley is trying to prevent the “undefeated” word from clouding his baby step philosophy to the season.
“We talked a lot about playing every Tuesday and Friday and just seeing how things go,” he said. “We won our first tournament at Whitney, and then we wanted to win our own tournament, and we did. That’s where we’re going, just one step at a time, and seeing where it leads us.”
Right now it seems to be leading them to an undefeated non-district mark — though they still must get by the Whataburger Tournament field Dec. 27-29 and a stout 1A program in Martin’s Mill Jan. 6.
After that it’s on to District 18-3A play, where Fairfield will open with bitter rival Mexia at home on Jan. 13. The Blackcats have won eight consecutive district titles, clinching it last year with two narrow wins over the Eagles.
In his fourth year on varsity, Douglas is fed up with losing to Mexia, and wants the streak to end in ’06.
“Right now I’ve got January 13 marked down on my calendar, and I have ever since football came to an end,” he said. “Our main goal for now is probably winning the district title because Mexia’s had if for a long time.”
If things keep rolling like they have been, Fairfield could pin up its first district banner since 1997. But don’t think the Eagles’ expectations are based solely on district play. That No. 15 TABC ranking simply won’t be satisfactory at the end of the season.
“In our eyes, the only poll that matters is at the end of the season,” Douglas said. “We’re hoping that poll is going to say ‘Fairfield — Number 1.’ That’s our goal.”
—————
Joel Weckerly may be contacted via e-mail at jweckerly@corsicanadailysun.com
Fairfield of Dreams
The Fairfield boys’ basketball team is 15-0 with almost half of its schedule behind it. The Eagles have been demolishing opponents with their run-and-gun style, as evidenced by this season’s results:
Date Result
11-15 Fairfield 90, McLennan County 37
11-18 Fairfield 84, Hillsboro 34
11-21 Fairfield 93, Palestine Westwood 62
11-22 Fairfield 81, Grapeland 60
11-29 Fairfield 89, Palestine 76
12-1 Fairfield 90, Aledo 48
12-2 Fairfield 71, China Spring 47
12-3 Fairfield 96, Whitney 55
12-6 Fairfield 71, Mabank 65
12-8 Fairfield 83, McLennan County 22
12-9 Fairfield 80, Athens 59
12-10 Fairfield 80, Crockett 57
12-10 Fairfield 52, Waco La Vega 38
12-12 Fairfield 72, Mart 58
12-16 Fairfield 68, Crockett 48
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/sports/local_story_351222846.html
One thing left out of the article when talking about the rest of the non-district sched. is when Fairifeld travels to TABC #1 Bullard on January 3.
GOLDEN CIRCLE BASKETBALL: No. 15 Fairfield perfect in 2005
By Joel Weckerly
Daily Sun
Don’t fault Joey Worley for not being surprised. He sort of figured his Fairfield basketball team would have this kind of success.
With eight returning lettermen and five returning starters back on his squad, the sixth-year head coach had high hopes for a big season.
“We had a lot of expectations because of the number of kids that we returned from our team last year,” Worley said.
As if their 20-8 mark a year ago wasn’t impressive enough, the Eagles are already off to a 15-0 start in 2005. The unblemished record goes nicely with a No. 15 ranking in the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) poll.
But the Eagles’ success isn’t nearly as impressive as the way they’re earning it. Employing a run-and-gun style foreign to most 3A teams, Fairfield is literally chasing opponents out of the gym, averaging over 80 points a game and beating teams by 40- and even 50-point margins.
Their average margin of victory stood at 27.4 points through Thursday, as only Class 4A Mabank has kept it close with a six-point loss on Dec. 6. The 80 points a game is remarkable considering the Eagles averaged 66 a game in ’04-05.
But even though no one seems to be catching up with them on offense, Worley said the Eagles get the job done defensively as well.
“We take quite a bit of pride defensively, in terms of not wanting to give up a lot of points,” he said. “We’re really not interested in the Loyola offense of outscoring people. We just want to play 94 feet of defense and run as fast as we can offensively.”
Even with a full-court man-to-man defense and a furious pace on offense, this squad just doesn’t seem to tire. And even though the players all happen to be in tip-top shape, this restlessness comes from a wealth of depth.
In most games Worley distributes minutes fairly evenly between 10 players, all of whom can score. The most dangerous are the eight players back from last year — wing players Billy McMillian, Alfraid Manning, Jarrett Manning and Asa Douglas and posts Ben Sturtevant, Chase Gillian, Nolan Melontree and Malcolm Woodruff.
“We really have 10 kids who would start for us most years,” Worley said. “We generally play close to 10, which helps us a lot because we wear people down. It’s part of the reason we’ve been playing quite a bit faster and scoring quite a few points. With the number of kids we have that need to get on the floor, you need to make the game go pretty fast.”
And when they’re going fast, that’s when the Eagles are most dangerous.
“We’re in the best shape that any team can be in right now,” Douglas said. “If we’re running and going like we are, we feel like nobody can keep up with us.”
Generally a team with that kind of offensive caliber features one or two prolific scorers, but not Fairfield. These Eagles would rather have eight guys produce 11 points than have three score 29. Either way you’re likely to win, but the former is easier and therefore more effective.
Through 14 games, Alfraid Manning was the leading scorer with 12.6 points per game, followed by Melontree (11.8), Jarrett Manning (10.7) and Douglas (8.6).
“It’s been that way,” Worley said. “It’s not anything by design. We really don’t have that one 25 points-per-game player, but we’ve got eight who can go in double figures at any time. Our four posts, on any night different ones score. We have different shooters, and if one’s hot we try to give them the ball. It’s been a positive; you can’t just focus on one player.”
Douglas, who has been coming off the bench lately to provide valuable points, agreed.
“If a team can go to their number seven or eight player off the bench and still produce the numbers our teammates are producing, I think any coach would love to have that team,” he said. “Rather than maybe one or two guys averaging 20 a game — you can’t count on that every night.”
Strangely similar to the Indianapolis Colts’ 14-0 start to their season, Worley is trying to prevent the “undefeated” word from clouding his baby step philosophy to the season.
“We talked a lot about playing every Tuesday and Friday and just seeing how things go,” he said. “We won our first tournament at Whitney, and then we wanted to win our own tournament, and we did. That’s where we’re going, just one step at a time, and seeing where it leads us.”
Right now it seems to be leading them to an undefeated non-district mark — though they still must get by the Whataburger Tournament field Dec. 27-29 and a stout 1A program in Martin’s Mill Jan. 6.
After that it’s on to District 18-3A play, where Fairfield will open with bitter rival Mexia at home on Jan. 13. The Blackcats have won eight consecutive district titles, clinching it last year with two narrow wins over the Eagles.
In his fourth year on varsity, Douglas is fed up with losing to Mexia, and wants the streak to end in ’06.
“Right now I’ve got January 13 marked down on my calendar, and I have ever since football came to an end,” he said. “Our main goal for now is probably winning the district title because Mexia’s had if for a long time.”
If things keep rolling like they have been, Fairfield could pin up its first district banner since 1997. But don’t think the Eagles’ expectations are based solely on district play. That No. 15 TABC ranking simply won’t be satisfactory at the end of the season.
“In our eyes, the only poll that matters is at the end of the season,” Douglas said. “We’re hoping that poll is going to say ‘Fairfield — Number 1.’ That’s our goal.”
—————
Joel Weckerly may be contacted via e-mail at jweckerly@corsicanadailysun.com
Fairfield of Dreams
The Fairfield boys’ basketball team is 15-0 with almost half of its schedule behind it. The Eagles have been demolishing opponents with their run-and-gun style, as evidenced by this season’s results:
Date Result
11-15 Fairfield 90, McLennan County 37
11-18 Fairfield 84, Hillsboro 34
11-21 Fairfield 93, Palestine Westwood 62
11-22 Fairfield 81, Grapeland 60
11-29 Fairfield 89, Palestine 76
12-1 Fairfield 90, Aledo 48
12-2 Fairfield 71, China Spring 47
12-3 Fairfield 96, Whitney 55
12-6 Fairfield 71, Mabank 65
12-8 Fairfield 83, McLennan County 22
12-9 Fairfield 80, Athens 59
12-10 Fairfield 80, Crockett 57
12-10 Fairfield 52, Waco La Vega 38
12-12 Fairfield 72, Mart 58
12-16 Fairfield 68, Crockett 48
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/sports/local_story_351222846.html
One thing left out of the article when talking about the rest of the non-district sched. is when Fairifeld travels to TABC #1 Bullard on January 3.