Trojans finally play

FAIRFIELD - It finally happened and it was a long time coming. Friday the Fairfield High School basketball teams finally played after virtual learning had kept them out of school and unable to practice together.

Always one to schedule tough opponents, Fairfield boys coach Mick Flattery took the Trojans to North Scott, ranked seventh in Class 4A, and lost 62-34 while the girls faced fellow Jefferson County school Pekin and eked out a win 42-38.

It was new girls coach Pat Pacha's first time at the helm and first win. 'I wasn't thinking about it because I was just happy the kids got to finally play,” Pacha said. 'I'm old, I'm just here to help out, so I really want it to be about the kids.”

Fairfield was able to practice together as teams starting Saturday, Dec. 12. The girls had a week of practice before school was suspended, but the boys did not.

Flattery said it was good to get a clunker out of the way for the Trojans first game. 'North Scott is really good and it showed we hadn't been practicing, but we did have a good second quarter, so we will build off that.” The Trojans won the frame 15-12.

Max Weaton had 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot for the Trojans. JJ Lane scored nine points on 3-of-9 3-pointers. Blake Holden made a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer while Miles McEntee was 2-of-3 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line for his six points. Ryan Higgins and Isaac Harris netted two points apiece.

The girls had 11 total practices - five the first week practice was allowed, then a month off before resuming, Pekin was playing its eighth game.

'It was a different kind of ballgame because the referees let it get physical,” Pekin head coach Davis Eidahl said. 'I thought our defense was good. Although I don't like a loss, playing a bigger school will only make us better.”

Eidahl was pleased with the play of Sarah Eubanks, who had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals, and Mackenzie Dahlstrom, who scored two points with a pair of rebounds. 'We usually have three main girls, but now we have other girls stepping up into the four and five positions, so that's good.” Kerrigan Pope had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophie Wittrock had six points, nine steals, three assists and two rebounds. Erika Coleman had five points, five rebounds, two steals with a lot of defense and hustle that doesn't get recorded in stats.

Pacha started the game with a full-court press which would not be an ideal situation with the Trojan' conditioning and game shape. His said his thinking was that they would be more nervous than usual with all the circumstances, so that would distract them.

Danielle Breen scored the first points of the season and the game with a steal from the press.

'My nerves were gone as soon as that happened,” Breen said. 'I know how to play aggressive and that's the way Coach wanted us to start and so it really worked.”

Fairfield would lead 24-20 at halftime, but trail in the fourth quarter. Breen had eight points in the first half. Fairfield trailed 38-37 with 1:25 remaining in the game but Breen scored the final five points of the game.

'It felt good to finally play,” Breen said. 'Watching other teams play while we couldn't even practice was very frustrating.”

Anna Dunlap had three steals she took the length of the court to convert layups into six points.

'She's fast,” Pacha said. 'There's nobody going to catch her.”

Breen's twin Delaney Breen and Hannah Simpson each had six points. Simpson cleared the boards for 11 rebounds. Mallory Lyon had five points and four rebound and Olivia Jones had five rebounds and four points. Brynley Allison had two points.

Both teams travel to Keokuk Tuesday night for a Southeast Conference games. In the Trojans first league games, Washington edged Fairfield's boys Saturday 67-62 and the Trojans shut down the Demon girls 53-22. Full stories on those games will be in Tuesday's Union.