The Fairfield High School Esports program is headed to the state playoffs after a decisive 2-0 substate victory over Clear Lake on Tuesday, November 11th, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate action.
The Trojans, seeded 10th, pulled off a major upset against 7th-seeded Clear Lake, winning back-to-back matches in the best-of-three substate series to earn a trip to Marshalltown on November 21st for the state competition.
Fairfield claimed Game 1 by a score of 12-9 and Game 2 by a score of 13-9, advancing with strong teamwork and consistent play across their roster.
Match Statistics
Game 1
- Aaron Carlson: 3 Knockouts, 2 Falls
- Tristen Garretson: 3 Knockouts, 0 Falls
- Kani Haddon: 3 Knockouts, 1 Fall
- Gabe Strong: 1 Knockout, 3 Falls
- Ledger Dodson: 2 Knockouts, 3 Falls
Game 2
- Aaron Carlson: 2 Knockouts, 3 Falls
- Tristen Garretson: 2 Knockouts, 3 Falls
- Kani Haddon: 3 Knockouts, 1 Fall
- Gabe Strong: 3 Knockouts, 1 Fall
- Ledger Dodson: 3 Knockouts, 1 Fall
Reserves who contributed throughout the season but did not play in the substate match include Christian Frantzen-Engel, Alex Creer, and Simon Glass.
Head Coach Tyler Weseman praised his players for their growth and determination, noting that the success of the program has been years in the making.
“I am very proud of what our Smash teams have done this season, as we have taken the program to a place I would have had trouble envisioning when we began all the way back in 2018 or 2019,” Weseman said. The program has grown to 16 players across Varsity, junior Varsity, and what Weseman jokingly calls “Junior Junior Varsity” squads. Both Varsity and JV made their respective playoffs this season. He added, “Having both the Varsity and JV grow and improve enough to make their respective playoffs was a very fun ride.”
Fairfield finished the regular season 4-3, but Weseman emphasized the team’s strength of schedule.
“We ‘only’ went 4-3 during the regular season this year, but the opponents who beat us had a combined record of 23-1,” he explained. “It just goes to show how tough our division was.”
The Trojan roster features a strong mix of upperclassmen leadership and developing younger talent.
“This team is a great group, with heavy junior and senior representation at the Varsity level and some really strong up-and-coming freshmen and sophomores,” Weseman said. “We also have more girls playing than ever before, and it’s been fun to get them in the mix.”
He included that much of the team’s improvement has come from within, with players helping each other refine their skills and strategies.
“I’m probably better as a general fighting game coach than as a Smash Ultimate specialist,” Weseman said. “So having some of my players take charge and help their teammates visibly improve has been very gratifying. It’s all about iteration in fighting games — you can’t learn everything all at once, and the failures are what show us where improvement needs to happen. It’s a process, and I’m just trying to blend my knowledge of the game with the experience of the players.”
Looking ahead to the state tournament in Marshalltown, Weseman said the Trojans are determined to build on their substate momentum.
“We have a good shot to make moves at State, as we just shocked a 6-1 Clear Lake team in the substate round,” Weseman said. “However, the three teams who beat us will also be there, and we’re going to have to take things up a notch in order to beat them in the bracket. That’s what happened last time out in 2023, when we beat a couple of higher seeds while missing our number one player, so I believe that we can go all the way with some focus — and maybe some help elsewhere in the bracket.”
Fairfield’s victory marks another milestone in the growing success of its Esports program, which continues to expand its roster, performance level, and community support each year. Their first match will be against a familiar opponent in Washington, who previously beat Fairfield back in week five of the season with scores of 13-9 and 14-8.
