FAIRBORN — Fairborn got to experience in 2023 the thrills that it missed out on in 2020 by competing in the playoffs for the first time.
Now its a new season. And it comes with many more new things.
The most notable is the opening up the new Skyhawk Stadium located at Fairborn’s new high school. The facility is located within an athletic complex where multiple practice, baseball, and softball fields, as well as a new weight room facility, are housed together. Head coach Larry Cox for more than a year has said he believes it may be the finest facility in Southwest Ohio and it certainly looks the part.
A host of new Skyhawk players will be the first to play there. Fairborn will have quite a roster turnover this season with most of its notable players having graduated or are not with the team anymore.
That leaves many opportunities for new players to step up in new roles.
“They’ve really taken to new instruction,” Cox said. “I think it’s to that point of the season that we’ve just got to get to the season. We’ve just got to get to that point and play the game and all that stuff. The kids have done well and we’ve had good practices.”
There are still holdovers that Fairborn will rely on to get off to a good start. Zyaire Cavitt will be joined in the backfield by Jackson Fifield, along with Cameron Faircloth and Andrew Wilson, to lead what appears to be a new Wing-T alignment being used on offense based on scrimmages. Never one to turn down a good tight end, Isaiah White and Keyshawn Carter are the leaders for that spot.
Up front will be Noah Lawrie and Ashton White on either side of the ball. Almari Byrd is the team’s leading returner on defense.
“We’re going to be just as we were last year,” Cox said. “We were run priority first, and that’s sort of where we’re always going to be. If you look at it, the team that leads the league in rushing typically wins the league, the team that stops the rush typically is right there too. So, you know, we’re going to focus on that. … Everybody can run in our offense, so you’re not going to sit on one and leave the others alone.”
One thing Cox said that he feels will carry over with the new group is a similar brand of discipline and toughness. It’s been a focus during summer camps an he believes his team has gained an understanding that there are many things it can’t accomplishment if cannot maintain discipline.
The team will have to wait until week three to officially open its schedule on the new field with a home game against West Carrollton. A trip to Tecumseh starts the season with a road game at Tippecanoe in-between. Several of Fairborn’s toughest Miami Valley League games will be on the road as well with contests at Troy and Xenia.
The Skyhawks won four conference games last year, its most in a single season since 1995. It will be difficult to replicate this season in an improving league but won’t be an impossible task.
Cox said the first step to repeating their success will be to stay healthy as a group. That also will allow each of them to get to run out into Skyhawk Stadium for the first time together too.
During that run-up to the game, he said he hope the team gains an understanding of what it could become so it grows in confidence each time out.
“I don’t think they understand where their ceiling is right now,” Cox said. “Their ceiling is pretty high, but I don’t know if they believe that yet. Gotta have some success and then all of a sudden it will be, okay, now I’m getting it.”
SEASON OUTLOOK
Fairborn Skyhawks
Coach: Larry Cox (3rd year, 6-15)
2023 record: 4-7 (MVL Valley t-2nd, first round D-II playoffs); Points Per Game: 15.6 (Off.) 31.5 (Def.)
What to expect: “They can expect discipline and toughness, and if we don’t do that, then we won’t be as successful if we don’t and it starts with discipline.” – Larry Cox, head coach
Key Players: Almari Byrd, Jr, LB (74 tkls, 47 solo, 4 TFL, 2 FR); Zyaire Cavitt, Sr, RB (116 att, 494 yds, 3 TD, 7 rec, 100 yds, 1 TD); Jackson Fifield, Jr, DB (39 tkls, 28 solo, 1TFL, 2 PD); Noah Lawrie, Jr, DL (28 tkls, 1 sack); Cayden Osbourne, Sr, QB (5 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD, 11 tkls, 1 TFL); Ashton White, So, DL (17 tkls, 8 solo, 1 PD)
Captains: Voted on after the season
Schedule (all games 7 p.m.)
(Home games in ALL CAPS)
Aug. 23 — at Tecumseh
Aug. 30 — at Tippecanoe
Sept. 6 — WEST CARROLLTON
Sept. 13 — SIDNEY
Sept. 20 — at Stebbins
Sept. 27 — at Xenia
Oct. 4 — BUTLER
Oct. 11 — GREENVILLE
Oct. 18 — at Troy
Oct. 25 — PIQUA
Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.
