The seventh-seeded Fayette boys ended the second year of a rebuilding season at the hands of second-seeded Glasgow (RV), 70-33, in the opening round of the Class 2 District 7 Tournament on Feb. 24.

Despite their proximity, the two teams hadn’t played one another since Nov. 30, 2023, when Glasgow defeated the Falcons 101-35 in the Glasgow Tournament.

The Yellowjackets went on to fall to Westran in overtime in Thursday’s semifinal, 69-65, to end their season 23-5 overall (Page 8).

The Falcons leave the floor with a 5-22 overall record in the second season under returning head coach Brandon Friebe, who is working to rebuild the program.

“We are headed in the right direction. I knew it was going to take three to five years to get this thing turned around. This is year two. And we will keep grinding at it. We will get it turned around. It’s painful. It’s not fun. Sometimes it’s not fun to watch. But we just have to stay the course,” Friebe said. “We did not meet some of the goals that we had set for ourselves this year. We felt like we left some games on the table early on. I don’t know that we progressed as well as we wanted to in some areas. But I’m proud that our culture is changing. One thing we never negotiated on was our values.”

While five wins isn’t a lot, considering the high quality of Mid-Missouri basketball, it is still two more wins than a year ago. Even still, Fayette competed with some of the area’s better teams, losing by only five points to longtime rival Westran and seven points to Christian Fellowship, both of which won their respective districts.

Friebe and the Falcons bid farewell to three seniors: Charles Alexander, Payton Oeth, and Jaron Cross.

Alexander averaged 11.2 points per game along with three assists and two steals. He also sank 28 3-pointers for the Falcons this season.

“I’m so proud of him,” Friebe said. “He’s grown into a leader. By the end of this year, he was the voice of our team and the heart of our team. He was absolutely determined not to leave anything in the tank. He was a steady, calm voice we could rely on, and we needed that.”

Payton Oeth surpassed 500 career rebounds this season, amid a short two-and-a-half-year career. He averaged 7.9 points and 6.4 rebounds a game as a senior, battling underneath the basket.

“He’s a better person than he is an athlete, and that’s saying something,” Friebe said about his starting forward. “What I’m most proud of is the comments we got from other coaches and referees who talked about his sportsmanship and how he carried himself and his character. It’s been an honor to watch him grow up. It’s kind of like losing another son to graduation. I’m super proud of him.”

Cross, who started a few games but played mostly off the bench, was one of the keys for Fayette’s defense this season. He had 17 steals this year while often drawing the defensive assignment against the opponents best players.

“Jaron was a spark plug for us this year,” Friebe explained. “He wanted to play a bigger role than he did at times this year, but I’m proud that he never quit. Resilience is the value I think he most displayed.”

Despite losing three seniors, the Falcons return a core of experienced players next season. Principal among them is starting point guard Colten Cross, who averaged a team-bests 13.2 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 steals a night.

“Colten is our third captain. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He was really frustrated that this year ended the way it did. I’m so proud of him,” Friebe said.

Also expected to make their marks next season are starters Parker LaValley, Blake Braden, and Thad Quint, along with bench contributors Morgen Campbell and Jackson Sutton.

“These guys, and the juniors who are coming back next year, are all really special to me. They were here at the ground level of this rebuild. I’m also excited about our sophomores. And we’ve got a really good eighth grade class who will be freshmen next year,” Friebe said.