Conventional wisdom says returning production is the key to success on the soccer field.
Fairfield seems not to have gotten the memo.
After graduating over 90% of its roster from a season ago, Fairfield
boys soccer is defying the odds. The Indians, now 7-2-1, are off to their best start since the team won a Greater Miami Conference championship in 2017.
"Losing 18 seniors, nobody really expected us to do good," senior Mekhi Waters said. "We're always talking about 2017, the last time that we won the GMC, and we just really want to win that."
Head coach Manny Adjei, now in his third season, had his own preseason questions about what the season would look like. What he never doubted was his team's resilience.
Fairfield holds on to defeat Mason
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"I really didn't know exactly what our style was going to look like," Adjei said. "I had three transfers that came in; I start three freshmen. People asked me what the secret was, but it's just hard work. I love these boys. They work really hard and they believe in the same goals."
Win No. 7 came in euphoric 2-1 fashion as Fairfield knocked off two-time defending GMC champion Mason. The Indians hadn't beaten the Comets in nine years, and the ensuing celebration was too much for even the Fairfield victory bell to withstand.
The match didn't get off to a favorable start. Things began heading in the visitors' direction right before halftime as the Comets scored a breakaway goal with mere seconds left on the clock. Fairfield's players, rather than being disheartened, remained confident as ever. After a comeback 4-3 win against Hamilton earlier in the week, the boys knew they could do it again.
Of course, it also helps to have a star scorer in Mekhi Waters.
The GMC's leading scorer took control of the game in the second half. Waters drew a penalty inside the box for an easy goal to level the score, then sprang high into the air for a header that found the back of the net to take the lead.
Waters, who's scored 10 goals already this season, is trying to make up for lost time as he dominates opposing defenses. He was only able to play half of last season after transferring from La Salle, finishing with three goals and off the regional radar.
"I decided that I really want to pursue soccer," Waters said, "and I felt that I needed to work really hard to get these goals. Nothing can stop you from your dreams."
Fairfield was able to withstand a Mason counterattack, escaping two dangerous shots in the final minutes, and the celebration was on. As the team wheeled out the victory bell against Mason for the first time in nine years, Waters pulled on the bell so hard it broke. The elation of the historic start wasn't dampened by the damage to the bell.
"To be honest, it's really surreal," junior Louis Ellis said. "We're in the clouds right now."
Relationships leading the way at Fairfield
Adjei said the players deserve an equal share of the credit for turning the program around. The head coach hasn't just delivered the winning culture; players also have set the tone in their day-to-day routines. The boys sit together at lunch. They push each other on the pitch, and they have been vocal about their ambition to create something special at Fairfield.
Even Adjei's relationship with his players has been improving off the pitch. He began working at Fairfield High School this year, which he credits with helping him grow closer to his players.
"I roam the hallways and when I see the guys, it's all love. Every time they have issues, they're able to come to me and talk about it. They feel very comfortable, and they give me everything they've got."
His players aren't shy about expressing admiration for their coach. Even as Adjei was delivering post-game remarks, players ran over to celebrate with him or congratulate him.
"He's a superior coach," junior Liam Dulgeroff said. "His coaching is the best I've ever seen and better than any private coach. You go out there and training is hard and you're going to get better every single day."
While Dulgeroff has been with Adjei since the start of his Fairfield tenure, it isn't just long-term players who have taken note of the culture the coach has developed. Louis Ellis, a junior who transferred from Middletown this summer, said he noted the intensity of Fairfield's program in years past and could already see how Adjei wanted the most from each player.
Mason's Garrett Szabo, already a two-time conference coach of the year in just his third season, had nothing but kind words for the resurgent Fairfield program.
"Fairfield is a fantastic team, and led by a really, really good coach that I rate very highly," Szabo said.
Fairfield is still firmly in the hunt for a GMC title, trailing Sycamore by 1.5 games with five conference matches to play. Whether the Indians can win the league for the first time in nine years remains to be seen, but the culture they've built is already defying the odds.
"We all love each other," Dulgeroff said. "We're a family."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fairfield boys soccer overcoming roster turnover in historic start
