Delphos St. John’s senior Ian Fairchild (left) was a force of positive energy for the Blue Jays all the way to their state championship Saturday at UD Arena. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Ian Fairchild played seldomly for the Division VII state champions, but he meant so much to the team and its fans in ways that can’t be measured.
Dayton, OH – Ian Fairchild is known for what he wants to be known for.
A great teammate.
He’s not a star player, not even a starter, and he embraces it. He puts the team first, serving his teammates in practice and on the bench with energy and an ever-present smile.
“I’m always positive,” he said. “I just want the best for everybody.”
During Delphos St. John’s final-four mission to win the Division VII state championship, Fairchild heard the appreciation often reserved for the stars. He heard it from his team’s fans, his head coach and his teammates. The kind of cheering that tells you he’s a fan favorite.
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He appreciates the attention, but it’s not why he’s on the team.
“I do it for my coach and my family, my friends,” he said. “I try my best to help the starters and bench guys get right so that we can continue winning. I work hard for them mostly.”
Fairchild’s teammates return the love.
The most revealing moment happened at UD Arena after his Blue Jays defeated Kalida in the final Saturday, 56-47, to cap a 29-0 season.
While head coach Aaron Elwer and his two best players, sons Cam and Andrew, sat at a podium and answered questions, Fairchild and the rest of the team sat on the floor in the back of the room.
Andrew Elwer is a junior and was asked which of the eight seniors he will miss the most next year.
“I’d say for sure Ian,” he said and smiled. His teammates affirmed that response.
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“Ian’s a good answer,” Aaron Elwer confirmed. “I told him, as I gave them multiple hugs, he’s the No. 1 one guy.”
Fairchild played junior varsity the past two years and got to dress with the varsity for tournament games. In the sectional final win two years ago against Lincolnview, he got in at the end of the game and made a 3-pointer. The crowd, no doubt, cheered loudly.
After receiving his his state championship medal, Ian Fairchild is congratulated by head coach Aaron Elwer, who says, “The easiest thing to love about him is that he lives his life with a smile on his face every single day.”
This year, every time he entered a game, the crowd roared for DSJ’s 5-foot-6 purveyor of energy.
“I guess it’s just the way people see me,” he said. “I’m shorter, but I can do a lot of things that maybe some people can’t. I just think they love me because I’m me.”
So who is Ian Fairchild, the teammate?
“He’s a complete teammate, he’s a great friend, he has a great personality, and you like to be around people who have a great personality, who live their life and have a lot of fun and always have a smile on their face,” Aaron Elwer said. “That’s why they love him.”
Fairchild’s most important on-court contribution is in practice. His job is to be one of bench guys who helps prepare the starters physically and emotionally. He embraces, more than anything, his ability to build up his teammates and raise the energy level.
Because sometimes, a team used to winning by wide margins, needs to be reminded to be joyful in their journey toward their expected state-title destination.
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“I usually run around most of the time, just hyping people up and making sure that they’re built up and energized so that we can have a good practice,” he said.
Elwer knew he could count on Fairchild for anything at any time: scout team, holding a notepad at practice or just being the extra body needed in the moment.
St. John’s most popular sub, Ian Fairchild, scored the game’s final basket in the district final victory over Botkins.
“He does everything we ask him to do, and he never wavers from it,” Elwer said. “He says, ‘Yes, Coach,’ and we know exactly what we’re going to get out of Ian Fairchild every day.”
But don’t think Fairchild takes the basketball part lightly and is only a hype man. He wanted to be on the team, to be a part of something special. And he wanted to be the best player he could for his team.
“It means everything,” he said of his role. “I put my sweat, heart and tears into it.”
Fairchild didn’t just show up for practice on time. His coach has seen him in the gym alone practicing his shot. Because you never know when you might get the opportunity on game day. And you want, no matter how small your game-day role is, to contribute.
“I’m not the smallest person or the biggest person, but I try to get my shot right,” he said. “I would say I’m a decent three-point shooter, so I try to get my shot right every time.”
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Fairchild’s moments come in the fourth quarter after the top seven players have secured an insurmountable lead. And when he enters the game, the Blue Jays’ large and loyal following cheers loudly.
They cheered when he entered Friday’s semifinal win over Malvern at the Nutter Center with 2:35 left. The St. John’s fans didn’t start packing up and heading for the exits. They watched, hoping Fairchild would get a chance to show that, on a team full of great three-point shooters, he can make one, too.
Ian Fairchild shoots for three in the state semifinal win over Malvern, bringing the crowd to its feet.
With 1:20 left, Fairchild was open on the right wing behind the three-point line.
He shoots, he scores.
And the St. John’s crowd did its best to rattle the roof, take it to another level as Elwer says. A louder roar was not heard that day.
“It felt great, and I’m grateful for every fan that cheered for me,” Fairchild said. “I know these people in this community have my back, and they always cheer for me really loud, and I appreciate that. I’m just glad I was able to hit a shot for them.”
Fairchild’s teammates on the bench jumped up and down for him and waved towels. They know what he means to them and they know how hard he worked to be able to make that shot in that moment in the state tournament.
And Coach Elwer pumped his fist.
“He embodies everything that you want in a young man,” Elwer said. “He knows he’s not going to get in typically till the end. But he never wavered. He’s never said coach, ‘Why? Why don’t I get minutes?’ When he gets out there, he plays really hard. And the best part about it – he smiles and he’s having a bunch of fun. The easiest thing to love about him is that he lives his life with a smile on his face every single day.”
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Fairchild graduates soon with a load of state tournament memories. He will tell the story of the shot he made, but he will talk more about his team.
“I’m very blessed to have them as my teammates and coach, and I really, I really love them, and I owe it to them for being by my side the whole time,” he said. “I’m so proud of them.”
The memories of the day the Blue Jays won state will never fade for Fairchild.
He will remember being on the floor for the final 16 seconds, the hug he got from Coach Elwer after he got his medal, the team photo with the trophy and Andrew Elwer’s shoutout in the postgame news conference.
Those things happened quickly. But the 90-minute bus ride home and the fans waiting to greet them? He couldn’t wait.
“Just being together with my guys and the fans cheering,” he said. “I’m gonna hear the J-A-Y-S all the way, and be very grateful to hear that.
“And to be with my guys.”
The OHSAA Division VII state champion Delphos St. John’s Blue Jays. Ian Fairchild (4) smiles with his teammates for the last time on a basketball court.