Sisters stand together

Family ties run deep within the Fort Recovery High School girls basketball team.
Senior Olivia Thien is the team’s No. 3 scorer, while her younger sister Grace serves as a manager.
Olivia Schwieterman, a junior, plays a key role off the bench for the Indians, and her sister Janelle is a member of the junior varsity and scout teams. Chelsea Pottkotter, another JV player, is the daughter of FRHS freshman coach Lori Pottkotter.
Chris Summers coaches the junior varsity squad, and his father Al is Doug Bihn’s varsity assistant.
And no family is more involved with the Tribe than the Brunswicks. Three-quarters of the Brunswick quadruplets — players Kendra and Holly, and manager Marissa — are part of the squad, and their younger sister Chloe also serves as a manager.
“It’s neat,” said Fort Recovery coach Doug Bihn. “I come from a big family, and I know how important family is. To the Brunswicks, it’s very important; it’s crucial.
“They care a heck of a lot about each other. That’s the neat thing about those girls. They worry more about each other than they do themselves.”
Kendra was the team’s leading scorer throughout the season, averaging 13 points per game. She also led the team with 71 assists.
And with her 3-pointer in the regional semifinal victory over No. 2 Lake, she broke Fort Recovery’s single-season school record of 44 set by Holly Stein in 2006. Her 46th 3-pointer of the season in the closing minutes of Saturday’s regional championship game against Africentric Early College put the Indians ahead for good.
Even with those notable offensive numbers, her sister has been most impressed with her sister on the other end of the floor.
“She hustles her tail off on defense,” said Holly. “She’s always been an offensive threat, but her defense every year has gotten stronger and stronger. … We all knew she was a good shooter from the beginning, but she’s had so many defensive standouts. She’s a very well-rounded basketball player.”
Since finishing the regular-season as the Indians’ No. 2 scoring threat — 11.5 points per game — Holly has become the team’s closer.
She was the scoring leader in each of its four victories in the district and regional tournaments. Her run started with 19 points against Tinora, and then she scored 15 of her game-high 17 in the final six minutes of the district championship win over Evergreen.
Holly had 14 points in the regional semifinal versus No. 2 Lake, and then hit all of her four 3-point attempts Saturday against the sixth-ranked Nubians to share the team high of 16 points with fellow senior Olivia Thien.
“I think she’s a great leader on the team,” said Kendra. “She makes things happen for us. … If we’re doing something wrong, she’ll pick us up. … I love, love, love playing with her.”
While Kendra and Holly are excelling on the court, Marissa and Chloe work on the sidelines with their fellow managers.
They take care of whatever the team needs — filling water bottles, passing out towels, getting bags of ice for injuries and, most importantly, cheering on their sisters and the team.
Marissa said she decided to join the team as a manager this year after Holly and Kendra asked her to take on the role.
“It’s been awesome,” she said. “I love watching them play. I love watching them get excited about the game. I’m really glad that I chose to help them this year, because it’s been a really cool experience.”
The Brunswicks’ mom, Shelly, said she’s seen any competitiveness that had once existed between Holly and Kendra disappear this year. Neither cares who scores more points or hits the game-winning shot, only that the result is a victory.
“It’s been unbelievable,” said Shelly. “They’ve all gotten so close. They always were close, but this year it just seems like its hit home to them this is the last time we’re all going to be together doing something like this.”
The experience has also been great for Chloe, a third grader, who helps manage the team alongside Marissa. Shelly said the youngest of her eight children has really broken out of her shell during her year with the team, and especially during the tournament run.
“This has been probably the best team for her,” she said, noting that Chloe is already thinking about how much she’s going to miss her sisters after they graduate and head off to college. “She was very shy, introverted. This brought her out. She loves it.”
To have four sisters involved in a sport together is special enough. That the team has accomplished so much, advancing to the state final four, has taken the experience to a different level.
And it could get even better, if the Indians are able to bring home a state title this weekend.
“I thought it was awesome just watching them win these past games,” said Marissa. “I can’t even imagine. It would be unreal. It would be very, very cool to see. I think they can do it too.”
Added Shelly: “It would be a dream come true.”[[In-content Ad]]