The Friday night lights flash at seven p.m.. The players put their crimson and gold jerseys on, getting ready for their game. The crowd gathers in the stands wearing their team colors, cheering for the Lions. The marching band enthusiastically performs on the field. At last, the football players enter the field and into the lights. The football season is now over with a record of seven victories and six defeats. The team was led by Coach Shane Cox, who contributed to the team’s success. There were four wins and four losses for home games, three wins and two losses for away games, and two wins and three losses for league games. The Fairfax football team currently ranks 3,595 in the nation and 305 in the state.
In the last six games, the Lions have won four games and lost two. Dating all the way back to October 30, the Lions faced Venice and suffered a devastating loss of 49-33. However, the Lions were able to rebound with their victories in the next four games, blowing away the teams that came their way. The Lions won against University High with a score of 42-21, Palisades with 55-7, Bell with 27-0, and Roosevelt with 24-7.
After defeating Roosevelt High School, Fairfax moved on to the semi-finals against Hamilton High School. In a hard-fought match, the Fairfax Lions lost a game to Hamilton 35-55.
The players that stood out in this football season were Clyde Paschal Jr., Matt Bowen Jr., and Don Tyler Jr.. Paschal averaged 96.0 passing yards per game and 139.2 yards per game overall. Bowen had an average of 124.7 yards per game, averaging 9.7 points per game with 19 touchdowns.
As one of the top players in the team was Matt Bowen. “It feels good. I work hard everyday. Hopefully, we can win the championship. I also hope that we get selected by a Division One school and move on to the next level in college,” Bowen said.
Other notable players on the football team this season were Rasheed Omonibeke and Ronnel Pompey and Mark Russell. Omonibeke averaged 30.1 yards per game with a total of 331 yards and four touchdowns. Pompey had 71 receptions for the season with a total of 1,203 yards and 16 touchdowns Russell had 15 receptions and a total of 134 yards with one touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, leading the defensive side was Don Tyler Jr. who averaged 9.5 tackles per game with a total of 123 tackles throughout the season. Leading the team through the championship next on my side of the field is my main focus,” said Tyler.
The Lions have come very far this season. Now, the only thing left to do is to wait for the next season, when they hopefully will be even better.