BENTON — The road through the state tournament usually includes some adversity.
Fairfield’s girls basketball team faced those moments last Saturday at the Class 3A Jimtown Regional.
kAm}6CG@FD?6DD 8C6H E96 8C62E6DE 2 76H >:?FE6D :?E@ E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C H96? E96 u2=4@?D EC2:=65 w:89=2?5[ a`\`c]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96:C D62D@? @? E96 =:?6[ u2:C7:6=5 5F8 566A @? @776?D6 2?5 5676?D6 2?5 C67FD65 E@ =6E :ED D62D@? 6?5] p D6G6?\A@:?E 567:4:E 😕 E96 D64@?5 92=7 EFC?65 :?E@ 2 c_\ba H:? 3J E96 u2=4@?D 2?5 2 D64@?5 DEC2:89E C68:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A] r@249 qC@5:6 v2C36C’D AC@8C2> H@? 2 r=2DD ap C68:@?2= 4C@H? =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 6I4:E65 E@ H:? E96 C68:@?2=[” D2:5 v2C36C] “~3G:@FD=J[ E96 82>6 :ED6=7 AC@G:565 2 =@E @7 6I4:E6>6?E E@@] p?J E:>6 J@F 42? H:? 2E E9:D =6G6= :E’D 2 8@@5 E9:?8]”k^Am
kAmu2:C7:6=5 62C?65 2 DA@E 😕 E96 D6>:\DE2E6 D6>:7:?2=D E9:D $2EFC52J H:E9 E92E 4@>6324< H:? 😕 E96 C68:@?2=] %96 ad\a u2=4@?D H:== 7246 aa\b %:AA642?@6 ‘2==6J 2E ` A]>] Wt$%X 2E {2!@CE6 w:89 $49@@=] %96 7:CDE D6>:7:?2= 2E “ 2]>] Wt$%X H:== 762EFC6 }@] h\C2?<65 %H:? {2<6D Waf\_X 282:?DE w2>:=E@? w6:89ED Wa_\dX] %96 D6>:7:?2= H:??6CD 25G2?46 E@ A=2J 7@C E96 D6>:\DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A 2E gib_ A]>] Wt$%X]k^Am
kAm“%:AA642?@6 ‘2==J 😀 3J 72C E96 566A6DE E62> E92E H6 H:== 7246 E9:D J62C[” v2C36C D2:5] “xE’D :>AC6DD:G6 E@ 92G6 ?:?6 E@ `_ 8:C=D 36 23=6 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 2E E96 G2CD:EJ =6G6=] %96J 42? 9FCE J@F :?D:56 2?5 @FED:56 2?5 H96? E96J’C6 D9@@E:?8 H6== 7C@> E96 @FED:56 E96J 2C6 92C5 E@ 362E]”k^Am
kAm%96 ‘:<:?8D 4=2:>65 E96:C 7:CDE C68:@?2= E:E=6 D:?46 a_`d 27E6C 362E:?8 |2C:2? ef\dc =2DE $2EFC52J 2E y:>E@H? w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAm%:AA642?@6 ‘2==6J[ H9:49 😀 2G6C28:?8 dc A@:?ED 2 82>6 2?5 2==@H:?8 bg A@:?ED 2 82>6[ 😀 =65 3J D6?:@C z2J56?46 |6==@EE] |6==@EE 😀 2G6C28:?8 `h]d A@:?ED[ d]c C63@F?5D 2?5 a]c DE62=D 2 82>6]k^Am
kAm~E96C :>A24E A=2J6CD 7@C E96 ‘:<:?8D 2C6 D6?:@C {:=J pF=E Wf]c AA8]X 2?5 4=2DD>2E6 |:==:6 $4@CD@?6 We]d AA8]X]k^Am
kAmu2:C7:6=5 😀 =65 3J :ED 5676?D6[ 2D E96 u2=4@?D 2C6 2==@H:?8 2 DE2E6\36DE ag A@:?ED\2\82>6] u2:C7:6=5 😀 D4@C:?8 dc A@:?ED 2 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 7@C E96 u2=4@?D 2E E96 D6>:\DE2E6 H:== 36 D6?:@CD qC62 v2C36C W`d AA8][ c]g CA8][ c]_ 2A8][ c]a DA8[[ `]b 3A8]X[ |@C82? v2HE9C@A W“]` AA8][ c]c CA8][ a]e DA8]X[ q2:=6J (:==2C5 Wh]h AA8][ a]g DA8]X 2?5 s6=2?2 v6:86C W`]e AA8][ c]` CA8][ `]g DA8]X[ 2=@?8 H:E9 ;F?:@C z2J=66 s:==@? Wf]h AA8][ b]a DA8]X]k^Am
kAmr@>:?8 @77 E96 36?49 H:== 36 7C6D9>2? tG2 w6C36CE We]a AA8][ a]` DA8]X[ 2=@?8 H:E9 ;F?:@CD }2E2=:6 (9:E2<6C Wc]g AA8]X 2?5 y2JD=J?? w2== W`]b AA8]X]k^Am
kAm%96 u2=4@?D 925 2 ?@C>2= H66<=J AC24E:46 D4965F=6[ H:E9 E96 @?=J 492?86 E9:D H66< 2 AC24E:46 >:5\H66< 2E {2!@CE6 w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ H66< 😀 2 492?46 E@ 86E 36EE6C[” D2:5 qC@5:6 v2C36C H96? 2D<65 :7 E96C6 H6C6 2C62D 9:D E62> ?66565 E@ :>AC@G6 FA@? 27E6C E96 C68:@?2=] “%JA:42==J[ H92E H6 5@ 😀 DA6?5 E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 H66< H@C<:?8 @? @FC 5676?D6 2?5 5676?D:G6 DEC2E68J] pD E96 H66< >@G6D @? H6’== H@C< @? @FC @776?D:G6 D496>6 2?5 E2<6 2 =@@< 2E H92E @FC @AA@?6?E 5@6D]”k^Am
kAmu2:C7:6=5 😀 C6=2E:G6=J 962=E9J 6?E6C:?8 E96 D6>:\DE2E6]k^Am
kAm“q6D:56 2 76H ?288:?8 :?;FC:6D 6G6CJ@?6 😀 962=E9J[” qC@5:6 v2C36C D2:5]k^Am
k9cmr=2DD `pk^9cm
kAmq6E92?J r9C:DE:2? 4=2:>65 :ED 7:CDE C68:@?2= E:E=6 =2DE $2EFC52J 27E6C FA6?5:?8 %C:\r@F?EJ[ bg\b_[ 2E r2DE@? w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAmp =@?8\5:DE2?46 EC:A E@ uC2?<7@CE w:89 $49@@= 😀 ?6IE 7@C E96 aa\b qCF:?D[ H9@ H:== 7246 a_\e (2D9:?8E@? %@H?D9:A] %96 82>6 H:== 86E F?56CH2J 2C@F?5 ?@@?] x? E96 7:CDE D6>:7:?2= 2E `_ 2]>][ %C: Wad\`X H:== A=2J %C:\r6?EC2= W`a\`bX] %96 D6>:\DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6 H:== 86E F?56CH2J 2E g A]>]k^Am
kAm%96 qCF:?D 2C6 =65 3J ;F?:@C +@6 (:==6>D[ H9@ D4@C65 `g A@:?ED 7@C q6E92?J r9C:DE:2? 2E E96 C68:@?2=] ~? E96 J62C[ (:==6>D 😀 2G6C28:?8 `f]a A@:?ED[ g]a C63@F?5D 2?5 b]f DE62=D 2 82>6] $FAA@CE:?8 (:==6>D 2C6 4=2DD>2E6 |2C:29 $E@=EK7FD W`_ AA8][ c]a 2A8][ c]d DA8]X 2?5 D6?:@C z:6CDE6? %@55 We]c AA8][ c CA8]X]k^Am
kAmq6E92?J 😀 2G6C28:?8 cd A@:?ED 2 82>6 2?5 8:G:?8 FA @?=J ba A@:?ED 2 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAmxE’D E96 7:CDE C68:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A D:?46 a__b 7@C (2D9:?8E@? %@H?D9:A[ H9:49 362E pC8@D[ dd\da 😕 @G6CE:>6[ 😕 2 C68:@?2= 4@?E6DE =2DE $2EFC52J 2E r2DE@? w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAm%96 $6?2E@CD[ H9@ 2C6 D4@C:?8 dd A@:?ED 2 82>6 2?5 2==@H:?8 c_ A@:?ED 2 82>6[ 2C6 =65 3J E96 EC:@ @7 D6?:@C p55:D@? vC27 2?5 D@A9@>@C6D r=2:C z=:?86C 2?5 vC24:6 {:EE=6] %96 E9C66 2C6 6249 2G6C28:?8 2C@F?5 `d A@:?ED 2 82>6]k^Am
