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Fairfield drops opener
Trojan girls basketball done in by Chariton in Game 1
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FAIRFIELD — Game one of the Fairfield girls basketball season has come and gone, and unfortunately for Trojan fans, it was the away team that walked away victorious on Friday night.
Fairfield was knocked off 60-34 by visiting Chariton in a non-conference matchup to open the 2025-26 hoops season.
Fairfield led the game early on, but after a back-and-forth first period, Chariton led 9-6. The Chargers were up 25-17 at halftime, in what was still a very competitive contest.
After halftime, though, the Trojans began to falter. Shots stopped falling for hosting Fairfield, and Chariton ran away with a 21-6 third and a dominant lead, going up 46-23 with eight minutes to go.
“It was their depth, and the way they moved the ball,” said Fairfield head coach Brian Witzenberg. “They did a good job with that.”
Fairfield matched their game high with 11 more points in the fourth quarter, but Chariton continued to put in buckets, and the game was out of reach.
Faith Jones led the Trojans with 13 points in the loss. Elyse Setterstrom scored eight points. Lauren Martin had four points and six rebounds. Emma Metcalf scored four points.
Vanessa Kessel added two points, and led the team with four steals. Lenora Felt scored two points of her own, and Aubrey Ryan put up one point.
Witzenberg is back at the helm, coaching a Trojan team that brings a lot back from a one-win squad last season. He says he’s ready to see his team improve as the year moves along.
“It’s not the start, but it’s the end journey that we are looking at,” said Witzenberg. “It’s how we progress as we move along, and we’ll look better each game.”
Fairfield, now 0-1, plays at Knoxville on Tuesday night.
