July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Indians excited about coming season (12/04/2008)
FRHS boys basketball
By By RAY COONEY-
Greg Kahlig averaged 17 points per game last season.
He also led Fort Recovery in rebounding (6.5 per game) and free-throw shooting (81 percent).
He is the top returning Indian in blocks (31) and 3-pointers (22), and had 40 assists in 2007-08.
And all of that happened in his sophomore season.
Mark that was one of the reasons FRHS boys basketball coach Brian Patch is excited about the upcoming season.
"I really like this team," said Patch, whose team opens Saturday at Wapakoneta before hosting Jay County Dec. 12. "I think we have a lot of versatility. We have a lot of match-up problems for people."
Kahlig alone is a match-up problem. At 6-feet, 5-inches he has the ability to score inside. But he also boasts a good pull-up jumper and shot a solid 34 percent from 3-point range last season.
And he gets to the foul line, having shot 131 times last season. That was twice as many as anyone else on the team.
"He has the ability to score in a number of different ways," said Patch. "He can score having the ball in his hands, he can score without the ball. ... He can scores inside, he can score outside. He has a great all-around game that makes him hard to defend."
And the junior has plenty of help around him as the Tribe lineup includes returning starters Frank Thien, Toby Metzger and Brent Faller. Craig Tobe, who played in 16 games last season, will fill the fifth starting position, and Wes Kahlig, Cody Fiely and Brady Kahlig will come off the bench.
Thien is the team's steadying force, a leader who can keep the team headed in the right direction. He will play the point guard position, a role he stepped into last season after Metzger went down with a knee injury.
He totaled 53 assists last season to go along with 41 steals.
Patch said the senior would be a key to what he believes will be a very good defense.
"I think having Frank Thien back as a senior will be a start for that," he said. "I think we have some length that can cause problems. I think (Thien's) tenacity and toughness will definitely help us out."
Metzger was a starter the moment he stepped into the FRHS hallways, but missed the final 14 games in 2007-08 after tearing knee ligaments. He is still not completely back to being his old self on the basketball floor, but he'll also be filling a different role.
After running the point for nearly three seasons, Metzger will move to the post.
He averaged 7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 49 percent from the field in the nine games he played last season, and Patch said his point guard skills will help him in his new position.
"He's crafty and smart, probably one of the best kids I've ever seen at understanding the game," he said. "He's a great passer from the post."
"When we give scouting reports, he's a guy you can show one thing, one time and he knows exactly what everyone is supposed to be doing on the other team."
The team graduated Clint Tobe (12.7 points per game) and Bobby Rammel (10.5 ppg). And Greg Kahlig and Metzger are the only players who averaged more than 4 points per game last season.
But Patch said he believes offense is still a strength and he has players who are capable of backing up Greg Kahlig's powerful scoring punch as the Indians look to play up-tempo.
They'll try to force the issue on the other end as well with a pressure defense.
The coach said one of his team's biggest challenges will be rebounding, and playing defense in the post, a job that will fall on Metzger, Greg Kahlig and Brent Faller.
The Indians are hoping their mix will be enough to make a run at a conference championship. That's a mantle currently owned by New Knoxville, which has put together back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and won the 2008 Division IV state title at 27-0.
"These guys want to get by Knoxville," said Patch, while also naming St. Henry as a top contender for the Midwest Athletic Conference title. "We want to compete for a MAC championship, win a sectional championship. We haven't won two (sectionals) in a row here in a long time."
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He also led Fort Recovery in rebounding (6.5 per game) and free-throw shooting (81 percent).
He is the top returning Indian in blocks (31) and 3-pointers (22), and had 40 assists in 2007-08.
And all of that happened in his sophomore season.
Mark that was one of the reasons FRHS boys basketball coach Brian Patch is excited about the upcoming season.
"I really like this team," said Patch, whose team opens Saturday at Wapakoneta before hosting Jay County Dec. 12. "I think we have a lot of versatility. We have a lot of match-up problems for people."
Kahlig alone is a match-up problem. At 6-feet, 5-inches he has the ability to score inside. But he also boasts a good pull-up jumper and shot a solid 34 percent from 3-point range last season.
And he gets to the foul line, having shot 131 times last season. That was twice as many as anyone else on the team.
"He has the ability to score in a number of different ways," said Patch. "He can score having the ball in his hands, he can score without the ball. ... He can scores inside, he can score outside. He has a great all-around game that makes him hard to defend."
And the junior has plenty of help around him as the Tribe lineup includes returning starters Frank Thien, Toby Metzger and Brent Faller. Craig Tobe, who played in 16 games last season, will fill the fifth starting position, and Wes Kahlig, Cody Fiely and Brady Kahlig will come off the bench.
Thien is the team's steadying force, a leader who can keep the team headed in the right direction. He will play the point guard position, a role he stepped into last season after Metzger went down with a knee injury.
He totaled 53 assists last season to go along with 41 steals.
Patch said the senior would be a key to what he believes will be a very good defense.
"I think having Frank Thien back as a senior will be a start for that," he said. "I think we have some length that can cause problems. I think (Thien's) tenacity and toughness will definitely help us out."
Metzger was a starter the moment he stepped into the FRHS hallways, but missed the final 14 games in 2007-08 after tearing knee ligaments. He is still not completely back to being his old self on the basketball floor, but he'll also be filling a different role.
After running the point for nearly three seasons, Metzger will move to the post.
He averaged 7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 49 percent from the field in the nine games he played last season, and Patch said his point guard skills will help him in his new position.
"He's crafty and smart, probably one of the best kids I've ever seen at understanding the game," he said. "He's a great passer from the post."
"When we give scouting reports, he's a guy you can show one thing, one time and he knows exactly what everyone is supposed to be doing on the other team."
The team graduated Clint Tobe (12.7 points per game) and Bobby Rammel (10.5 ppg). And Greg Kahlig and Metzger are the only players who averaged more than 4 points per game last season.
But Patch said he believes offense is still a strength and he has players who are capable of backing up Greg Kahlig's powerful scoring punch as the Indians look to play up-tempo.
They'll try to force the issue on the other end as well with a pressure defense.
The coach said one of his team's biggest challenges will be rebounding, and playing defense in the post, a job that will fall on Metzger, Greg Kahlig and Brent Faller.
The Indians are hoping their mix will be enough to make a run at a conference championship. That's a mantle currently owned by New Knoxville, which has put together back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and won the 2008 Division IV state title at 27-0.
"These guys want to get by Knoxville," said Patch, while also naming St. Henry as a top contender for the Midwest Athletic Conference title. "We want to compete for a MAC championship, win a sectional championship. We haven't won two (sectionals) in a row here in a long time."
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