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Fairfield Mayor Kenneth Hughes declared Friday, March 6, Fairfield Lady Eagles Day in the city, commemorating the State Playoff unit.
Now that the Lady Eagles have made it to the stage of UIL States, they will have to climb one more mountain to earn the ultimate send-off for the veteran-laden roster.
Friday afternoon, Fairfield (33-4, 7-1 district) will be at the Alamodome in San Antonio, facing off with Dallas Lincoln (26-8, 9-1 district) in the Conference 4A State Semifinals at 1:30 p.m. If the Lady Eagles are victorious Friday, they will stay in the River City overnight, facing off with the winner of Argyle (32-6, 7-1 district) and Fredericksburg (28-7, 9-0 district) Saturday at 7 p.m.
Being a part of the State field for just the second time in program history, the Lady Eagles are still riding the momentum of five huge Regional playoff victories, including a 54-50 Regional Final triumph over Hardin-Jefferson.
“[Reaching State] seems out of reach a lot of times, and when it happens, it’s kind of surreal,” Lady Eagles head coach Sally Whitaker said. “But, it’s really been fun, and I’m just happy the girls are going to be able to experience it.”
In their first State playoff showdown since 2011, the Lady Eagles will be tested right away by Dallas Lincoln, who blitzed through 4A Region II District 12 competition in 2019-20. Lincoln has made the State field 17 times, winning titles in 1999, 2004 and 2008.
The Lady Tigers are a scoring machine, cracking the 80-point mark seven times since the calendar turned to 2020. This included a blowout 84-34 victory over Benbrook in their Area round matchup. In the playoffs thus far, the team went through Anna, Benbrook, Aubrey, Pleasant Grove, and finally Melissa in the Regional Final.
Attempting to give the Lady Eagles’ stout defense some issues will be a very young Lady Tigers core, with only one senior, Alexis Brown, receiving a heavy workload. Much like the Lady Eagles’ Jada Clark and Jarahle Daniels, Lincoln also features a bevy of quick guards, including 5’6” junior Honesty Johnson and 5’5” junior Nakia Brumley.
Brown and Brumley were the key figures during Regional Semifinal and Final action, with each scoring in double figures in the two victories. Brumley nailed the clinching free throw in a 60-57 win over Pleasant Grove in the Semifinals, part of her 15-point effort. Brown scored 12 in the victory.
In the Regional Final against Melissa, Johnson led the way for the Lady Tigers with 14 points followed by Brumley with 11 points and Brown with 10. Other contributors this season for Lincoln have included sophomore JaMya Maryland, sophomore Heaven Hayden and junior Zyma Cox.
The Lady Eagles’ defense has come into the contest as a relentless unit, pressuring the opposition into costly turnovers. Only six times this season has the team allowed an opponent to reach the 50-point mark, giving up an average of 40 points per game.
On the offensive end, the Lady Eagles will be met by a swarming press attack by the opponents.
“They’re going to be extremely aggressive and trap us all over the court,” Whitaker said. “They’re really scrappy, they all want the ball.”
Hoping to find mental toughness in the frantic pace, Whitaker puts her team through several drills to simulate the press, including throwing a sixth player in on defense against an offensive unit.
“We put them in those chaotic situations as much as we can, so that they’re prepared when they actually face it,” she said.
Part of keeping pace with opponents all season has been the Lady Eagles’ depth, able to rotate talent in and out of the game.
The team’s bench unit was key in the Regional Semifinal victory against Yates, particularly Emori Davis’ 13-point outburst in the second quarter.
“It helps us keep playing fast, and I have to get those kids in because I know at any moment, they can be the ones scoring,” Whitaker said. “We have to give them a chance to do what they can do…they’ve been big in the playoffs.”
If Friday night is a successful effort for Fairfield, they will move onto the program’s first State Title game, having lost a State Semifinal to Lovejoy on March 3, 2011.
There, they will meet either Argyle or Fredericksburg, with five-time defending state champion Argyle coming in as the favorites. The other Lady Eagles have been an absolute force in the conference, becoming a 4A dynasty with five consecutive titles from 2015-2019. The program also won a 4A championship in 2006.
Argyle is led by reigning State Championship Game MVP Rhyle McKinney, who scored 27 points on Lincoln in last year’s Semifinals, followed by a 25-point effort against Hardin-Jefferson in the Finals. McKinney is flanked by fellow senior Brooklyn Carl, junior guard Bailey Timmons, and a deep roster of talent.
Their opponent, Fredericksburg, will have to combat Argyle with their destructive defense, which has given up just 38.5 points per game.
Whether the road ends with a State appearance or a State title, the entire Fairfield community has been taken on a ride through the winter, as the 33-4 unit has given the town many lasting memories. Thursday morning brought another one, with a High School pep rally followed by a send-off ceremony at the Freestone County Courthouse.
“That’s my favorite part, and it’s the girls’ favorite part, too…it’s just special to see that from the community, and that’s a really big part of this whole situation,” Whitaker said.
That said, the goal is still to hoist the ultimate 4A trophy Saturday night.
“They’re ready and focused…they don’t want to just go down there and play, they want to go down and win.”