What Is It About Fairfield?

[Grizzoola]

Fairfield is a perennial contender for a state championship in Class B football & basketball. I don't know about the other sports. This goes back 50 years ago, when my Western MT Class B team had to defeat Fairfield in a state championship basketball game. I returned to MT 11 years ago, & it seems to me that Fairfield is always in the state Class B playoffs. What produces such teams, year after year? Is it the community? Is it the coaches? School spirit? Athletic talent? What?

Ok, I don't know of any Fairfield football or basketball player shining for the Griz or the Cats, etc., but I've got to believe Fairfield has a very successful athletic program, year after year. But, Fairfield seems always to be the groomsman, but never the groom. Just a thought.

 

[grizpack]

I grew up there, so I will take a shot at it.

Fairfield has been blessed with very good coaches. From Gamradt, Schmidt and now Schenk in basketball, to Bryce, Eustance and now Meyer in football. That is where it starts.

Next is the community support. It is unbelievable. The town lives and breathes with its athletic teams (as do most eastern Montana small communitites). It is an excellent school academically, and that actually draws people from the surrounding area. There are quite a few people that choose to live there and commute to Great Falls for work. Also 3 Rivers has become huge (Eastern Montana's answer to Blackfoot Communications). Having a large, stable employer that pays relatively well keeps people there.

Finally, you have a fairly good core of athletic families there. If you go back over the last 50 years, you will see some of the same names popping up with each generation.

As for not quite getting over the hump lately, I believe it is a numbers issue. For years, Fairfield has been one of, if not the smallest Class B school in the state. In fact, I believe there were a few years where their numbers would have allowed them to go Class C if they chose. It is very common for them to face schools that are over double the size that Fairfield is. They lost a lot of excellent athletes off of last year's team. I was quite surprised that they made it to the State Championship. Kudos to Coach Meyer, his staff and the players. Proud of all of them!!

It is going to get interesting in a couple of years though. I can't remember which class it is, but one of the upcoming classes (Frosh maybe?) has VERY few guys in it. They will have to fill in with kids from other classes.

And BTW - you may want to include girls basketball in this. From what I hear, there is a group that starts with about the Sophomore level, and goes down into the grade school that is going to be outstanding.

 

[griz8791]

I was at Fairfield's hard-fought semi-final game against Townsend last weekend. While that was going on, Huntley was up in Glasgow putting up more than 50 unanswered points.

Fairfield and Townsend were effectively fighting over which team would get the chance to put its face into the Huntley buzz saw.

 

[Grizzoola]

I was at Fairfield's hard-fought semi-final game against Townsend last weekend. While that was going on, Huntley was up in Glasgow putting up more than 50 unanswered points. Fairfield and Townsend were effectively fighting over which team would get the chance to put its face into the Huntley buzz saw.

Be that as it may, Fairfield, once again, appears in a state championship game, and I believe Fairfield will once again be in the playoffs in basketball. I'd venture to say that Fairfield has been in more Class B playoffs than any other Class B team, not only in football & basketball, but possibly other sports, as well. I don't know how many state championships they've achieved, but I believe there are some. It's remarkable that such a small school has continually challenged bigger schools over the years, and I imagine the athletic program is a reflection of the academic program, as grizpack has pointed out.

 

[grizpack]

They have either 1 or 2 in football (1 I think); several in basketball (5?); 2 in girls basketball. They have quite a few 2nds in each sport too.

I think it was the year before last, they were actually fairly high in the Tribune's competition of all schools in the state, regardless of size.

And 8791 is pretty correct. They were playing for the right to be HP's fodder. But there weren't any other teams in the state that got that far either. Hope they get over the hump again soon.

 

[grizatwork]

Sports is life in Fairfield. The gym is never closed. They also recruit better than any other team in the region with the exception of maybe CMR.

 

[BelierPeaux]

If they are runner's up to anyone, it usually seems to be Cut Bank. I watched Fairfield beat Forsyth for the State B Basketball Championship a few years back. They did that all without starting a senior. Forsyth had a slow start that doomed them, came back from about 20 points down but didn't get closer than 3 points in the final minutes. I watched the championship game the next year, too, when fairfield dominated Class B ball until the final game against Cut Bank, whom they had beat all year until that game. I don't feel sorry for Fairfield. They are in contention almost every single year with the likes of Cut Bank, Loyola, Columbus, HP, etc. There are plenty of B schools that haven't been relevant in decades that would love to be in their place. I think the differences in why some schools are always there and others aren't have been covered well by grizpack. Kudos.

 

[grizpack]

Heard an interesting fact today. Fairfield's enrollment is 118 this year. HP's is 360. Over 3x the size in the championship game. Nice Job Eagles.

Unfortunately, it sounds like they only have about 18 boys out for basketball.