July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Indian seniors hope to continue run (02/20/04)

FRHS girls basketball
Indian seniors hope to continue run (02/20/04)
Indian seniors hope to continue run (02/20/04)

By By RAY [email protected]

FORT RECOVERY — Fort Recovery’s seniors gave teary-eyed speeches to their home fans after their final game at home Thursday. Their performance on the court this year has been nothing to cry about.

Joscie Kaup, Jenn Stahl and Olivia Post emotionally thanked their teammates, coaches, parents and fans after the Fort Recovery girls basketball team won its seventh straight contest with a 62-45 victory over the Coldwater Cavaliers.

“It’s been fun,” said Kaup, who finished with a game-high 26 points in her final foray at the Fort Site Fieldhouse. “It’s been a lot of learning.

“It’s had its good times and its bad times, but it’s worth it.”

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” agreed Stahl.

Added Post: “It hasn’t hit me yet.”

And the Indian seniors and the rest of the players and coaches hope it won’t have to hit them for a while. They want to be playing well into March.

Fort Recovery has lost just once since New Year’s Day, and could get a chance to avenge that defeat in the sectional championship game.

The Indians lost 50-45 to the Marion Local Flyers Jan. 15, but would earn a rematch with the eighth ranked team in Division IV if they can get past the St. Henry Redskins in the first round.

The Tribe will play St. Henry (6-13, 4-5 MAC) at New Bremen Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. It defeated the Redskins 76-60 during the regular season.

Since opening this year at 2-5 Fort Recovery has been one of the hottest teams in the state. It won 12 of its final 13 games to finish the season at 14-6 overall and 7-2 for a third-place finish in the Midwest Athletic Conference.

“I think its our team players, our practice players,” said Kaup of why the team has improved. “Our practices are so intense.”

“Each and every one of our players make us better,” said Stahl. “We want to be a great team. Right now we’re a good team.”

Fort Recovery coach Jeff Roessner said Kaup’s actions off the court even trump what she’s done on the court.

“I really think the key was Joscie,” he said of his senior leader, who he also touted as the MAC player of the year. “I can’t say enough about what she does in the locker room. You can’t underestimate the difference she’s made.”

Kaup didn’t walk off her home court for the last time without taking at least a share of one school record with her.

She was phenomenal in the first half at 7-of-7 from the field, including 3-for-3 from long distance, for 20 points. Her trio of 3-point shots gave her 39 for the season, tying the school mark set by Gale Post during the 1991-92 campaign.

Kaup missed her only try to break the record a few minutes into the second half, but will likely earn the mark at New Bremen Tuesday.

Her first-half effort — in which she scored 13 of her team’s 15 second-quarter points — pushed the Indians to a 32-21 lead at halftime.

The Indians quickly put Coldwater away in the second half as they went wild on the offensive glass. They opened with a 14-4 run, with eight of those points coming on second-chance scores.

Krystal Rammel had three of those offensive boards, scoring eight of her 14 points in the third quarter. She finished 6-of-7 from the field with seven rebounds, and was also a huge factor on the defensive end with three blocked shots.

The Cavaliers (3-17, 0-9 MAC) never came close again as Fort Recovery harassed them into 27 turnovers. They had just one player in double figures — Ashley Geier with 11 points — and shot 37 percent from the field.

“I think this is Krystal’s best game of the year,” said Roessner of Rammel. “She was huge on the boards on the offensive glass. She let our lead keep growing.”

Freshman Holly Stein followed Kaup and Rammel with nine points. She tied Sara Heitkamp for second on the Tribe’s all-time list for single-season 3-pointers as she hit a pair to lift her total to 33.

Kaup, Stahl, Stein, Ciera Rammel and Tiff Gaerke each grabbed three rebounds. Vicki Roessner finished with four assists, and Ciera Rammel added three.

Jeff Roessner said the contributions by freshmen Stein, Vicki Roessner and Gaerke and sophomore Ciera Rammel came about because of senior leadership.

“They were my crutch,” he said. “The truth is it’s difficult to bring all these new kids in. They made that possible.

“I depended on them for moral support and they were there to give it. I’m really, really proud of them.”

Junior varsity

The Fort Recovery junior varsity team rallied in the second half, but couldn’t complete the comeback in a 36-31 loss to Coldwater.

The Tribe trailed 15-9 at halftime and slipped behind by more in the third quarter before surging in the fourth. They pulled to within 33-31 on a Sara Fortkamp steal and lay-up with a minute to play, but couldn’t get any more shots to fall.

The Indians (13-7) finished at just 26 percent from the field, including 15 percent (3-of-20) in the first half. The Cavaliers shot 42 percent in the second half to hold on for the victory.

Sam Staugler paced the Indians with seven points. Jennalee Post, Kelsie Will, Renee Evers and Fortkamp each added four points.

Will grabbed a team-best seven rebounds and had three assists, and Staugler added five boards. Fortkamp finished with six steals and three assists.

Kendra Robbins had 12 points for Coldwater. Amber Heyne followed with six points and six rebounds, and Tasha Stucke had six points, six rebounds and three assists.

Jessica Bettinger also had six points.[[In-content Ad]]
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