Trojan boys tame Bloodhounds

FAIRFIELD — Don’t look now, but a once struggling Fairfield Trojan boys basketball team has put together three impressive performances in a row.

“The kids just keep getting better,” said Fairfield head coach Mick Flattery. “They're focused in on everything.”

Fairfield’s Tate Allen flies in for a layup attempt on Thursday night against Fort Madison. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

The Trojans followed up a couple of huge wins over Burlington and Iowa City High with a dominant performance over Fort Madison on Thursday night. Fairfield knocked off the Bloodhounds 76-56.

The Trojans didn’t lose a quarter. Fairfield used a fast-paced attack to outrun the Bloodhounds all night long, leading 25-16 after one quarter, 41-32 at halftime and 57-41 after three periods.

The offense was led all night long by Fairfield’s Top-2 scorers on the year. Max Weaton erupted for 32 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots, and JJ Lane scored 24 points.

Fairfield’s JJ Lane glides in for a layup in the second half of the Trojans’ win over Fort Madison on Thursday night. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

“We’re pretty dangerous when we’re out in transition,” said Weaton. “When JJ gets going, it's fun to watch, and when I get to go and crash boards for him, it's pretty easy.”

Ryan Higgins flirted with a double-double, going for eight points, eight rebounds and three steals. Tate Allen finished with six points. Myles McEntee scored four. Cooper Polonsky added two.

Fairfield’s Max Weaton takes the ball down the court on Thursday night. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

The win came on the heels of a week that saw controversy erupt from Fairfield’s win over Iowa City High on Monday. The game, which ended in a punch being thrown by a City High player and was followed with accusations from City High of racially-charged language from an unnamed official, was well out of the Trojans’ mind by game-time, so says Coach Flattery.

“We put closure on that game, and just told our guys about how proud we were of their behavior,” Flattery said. “They handled it. They didn't escalate it at all. They didn't instigate it at all. So I was really proud, not only of our guys, but our staff, our administration and our community.”

Fairfield is now 7-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The Trojans play at Albia on Monday night.