Fort's first step: Flyers (02/23/07)

FORT RECOVERY - "We just want to go to state."

If the Indians are going to accomplish that goal, laid out by Tiff Gaerke before practice Thursday and shared by the rest of the team, there is no more logical first step than the one they will try to take Saturday.

Division IV No. 6 Fort Recovery will meet up with the team that has been the single sharpest thorn in its side over the last four seasons, the Marion Local Flyers, in the first of two girls basketball sectional championship games Saturday at New Bremen.

"Obviously we think that we have a chance to get into the regionals and to get past that district final game ... then it's whoever plays well gets a chance to go to the state tournament," said FRHS coach Jeff Roessner. "That was our goal at the beginning of the season ... We're about four or five possessions from being undefeated on the year. This is a very, very good team."

The Tribe (17-3) has a group of seniors, three of them four-year starters, which has put together a 65-22 record over the course of their careers, including 26-10 in the Midwest Athletic Conference. But the type of tournament success they so strongly desire has eluded them, and no team has been more responsible than Marion Local.

Since the start of the 2002-03 season, the two teams have met eight times. The Flyers, 5-15 this year, have won seven of those match-ups.

In the 2003 tournament they clobbered Fort Recovery 56-25 en route to a state title, then knocked them off again a year later, 62-56, in the sectional championship game. Minster took care of the job in the 2005 sectional finals, but when the Indians finally got past the sectional round a year ago Marion Local was awaiting them again in the district finale.

The result was defeat for Fort Recovery as Flyer senior point guard Maria Moeller dropped in 34 points to lead her team to a 53-46 win.

The Indians finally prevailed during this year's regular-season meet Jan. 25, 47-34, but Saturday's game, the ninth between the two teams in a span of five seasons, is the important one.

"It would mean everything," said senior Abby Niekamp, who scored a team-high 11 points in last season's tournament loss to the Flyers, "lots of pay-back, lots of satisfaction."

"We owe them a little bit," added fellow senior Vicki Roessner.

Fort Recovery brings a wealth of experience with four seniors - four-year starters Roessner, Gaerke and Holly Stein, and three-year starter Sara Fortkamp - all averaging more than seven points per game and all with at least 35 steals.

Gaerke and Stein lead the rebounding effort at 7.6 and 6.8 per game respectively, and Roessner has 73 assists on the season. Fellow senior and fifth starter Abby Niekamp adds another 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

The statistics aside, perhaps the biggest key for the Indians is their health.

Stein, who averages a team-high 13.5 points, has missed the last three games with a foot injury. Fortkamp and Roessner have both played through ankle problems all year.

But when asked about those issues Thursday the girls were all smiles, saying they fell as good as they have in a long time.

"It's nice having no one sitting out on the sidelines at practice because they're injured," said Gaerke.

"It's nice to go hard in practice again," added Niekamp, "at least a little bit."

Stein returned to practice Monday, and is expected to start against the Flyers.

"We were really beat up that first game," said Jeff Roessner of his team's regular-season win over Marion Local, which was close most of the way. "Both our guards struggled at times defensively, and I think from a shooting standpoint. ...

"I really think we're about 90 to 95 percent on both Sara and Vicki. I'm not sure you ever get 100 percent back after those kind of injuries. And Holly we don't know yet. Obviously she's been off a couple of weeks and it takes a while to get back into the flow."

Getting into the flow of their offense has been the biggest challenge for the Flyers this year as Moeller has moved on to Ohio State, where she averages 4.2 points, 3.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes (25-2). Finding players to fill the shoes of the 2003 state tournament MVP has been difficult for Marion Local, but they've improved as the year has gone on.

After a 1-12 start the Flyers have won four of their last seven games, including a 53-44 triumph over St. Henry Tuesday in the opening round of the New Bremen sectional.

"The biggest difference with Marion is they don't have that person who can control the game and handle the pressure out top," said Jeff Roessner. "That's really been their Achilles' Heel all year. They've gotten better at handling that pressure all year, and that's why they're a better team.

"They've played everybody tough down the stretch. They won their first tournament game ... I know one thing, they won't be afraid to play us."

Marion Local coach Treva Fortkamp, whose team has been the favorite, although a slight one, in its battles with Fort Recovery before this year, is taking a different approach as her team comes in as a decided underdog.

"I think it'll be a typical MAC game," Fortkamp said, whose team is lead by Megan Barhorst and Jodi Huelsman at eight points per game apiece. "I told the kids, 'We have nothing to lose.' We're in a position where hopefully we can pull of an upset. The pressure is on them to do well."

Jeff Roessner, like his players, acknowledges beating the Flyers Saturday would be a major step for his team. But, it's just the first one.

"It's huge," he said. "We've had our trouble playing them in the tournament. ... So to beat them in the tournament for me personally is important, and I think for the players too. But we have a bigger goal ... it's one in a series in what we hope is a run for us.

"It's time that we get this done. It really is."[[In-content Ad]]