Fairfax Now Streaking Toward Respectability

At this time last season, Fairfax High football players and coaches were concerned that they might be putting the school in position to break the state record for the longest losing streak.

Fairfax lost 43 consecutive games, including their first nine in 1999, before finishing the season with a victory over Hamilton. The state record for consecutive losses is 46, set by Moorpark from 1977-82.

The victory over Hamilton appears to have been a turning point for a program that is gaining respect throughout the City Section.

Fairfax is 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the Western League going into Friday’s league game against Venice.

Fairfax defeated Jordan in its opener, lost to Franklin and Locke, then beat University, 31-6, last Friday.

“We’re right about where we thought we would be,” second-year Fairfax Coach Shane Cox said. “We could have won the Franklin game. Against Locke, we laid a major egg, but that helped us because we came out and practiced hard last week, and it paid off.”

Linebackers Kevin Williams and Dana Garrison have been standouts on defense for Fairfax. Quarterback Richard Post and receiver/defensive back Anthony Mimms also have played well.

Philip Francis, who rushed for 170 yards against Jordan and missed the last two games because of a shoulder injury suffered against Franklin, will be in the lineup against Venice.

Fairfax will need all of its players to be physically sound during a four-week stretch that includes games against Western League powers Venice (3-1), Westchester (3-1) and Palisades (3-1) and a nonleague contest against Irvine (4-0).

“For me, last year seems like a long time ago,” Cox said. “People are excited around here.

“We’ve got some tough games coming up, but we’ve proven we can play with just about anybody.”

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A funeral service for Dominick Batiste, a Carson football player who was shot to death last Saturday, will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Peace Apostolic Church in Carson. The church is located at 21224 S. Figueroa St.