Dusty Fairfield made tiny Ravenna a state football powerhouse during his 17 years as the Bulldogs’ head coach. Fairfield took over a dormant Ravenna program in the late 1980s and wasted no time putting it on the football map, advancing to the 1988 Class C state finals at the Pontiac Silverdome. That was merely a foreshadowing of what was to come. During a memorable 10-year stretch from 1994 to 2003, Fairfield’s Ravenna program was arguably the finest in the state of Michigan. The Bulldogs won four state titles during that stretch (1994, 1996, 1997 and 2003), fueled by Fairfield’s trademark power-I rushing attack and relentless aggressive defense.

He resigned as coach in 2004 for family reasons, but returned for a second tour of duty in 2007 and led the Bulldogs to three-straight playoff appearances, including two more playoff runs to the state semifinals. Athe the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time in area coaching victories, sporting a gaudy 164-55 record in 20 years as head coach. Fairfield, a standout prep athlete at Reeths-Puffer, also coached at Muskegon High School and in Texas before settling in at Ravenna.