Storybook comeback

COLDWATER, Ohio - Even if the Indians turn their 2010 tournament journey into a storybook run, it's going to be difficult for them to top the first chapter.

The Fort Recovery team that won 16 its first 17 games and its first MAC title in more than a decade looked as if its season was dead, trailing by 14 with less than six minutes to play. But three seniors led the Division IV No. 8 Tribe in an unforgettable comeback.

Cody Fiely, Craig Tobe and Michael Gaerke combined to score 20 of the final 23 FRHS points as the team battled back to win a sectional championship Friday with a 60-56 triumph over the New Knoxville Rangers.

The three seniors rallied the Indians as all-time leading scorer Greg Kahlig, who was double-teamed all night, went scoreless in the fourth quarter and overtime.

"I think that says a lot about our team and our four seniors and their never-say-die attitude and battling back and being gritty and tough-nosed," said FRHS coach Brian Patch, whose team finished regulation play on a 15-1 run. "We took their best shot. That's for sure. We had many chances to fold. They did a great job on their end. We were just able to make enough plays in the second half."

Gaerke started the comeback with a couple of free throws and a second-chance hoop, and Tobe and Fiely each added 3-pointers as Fort Recovery (18-3) went on a 10-0 run in a span of just over two minutes to close the gap to 51-47. New Knoxville's only point in the final 5:30 of the game came when Ryan Vanderhorst (22 points) split a pair of free throws with 3:29 to go.

Freshman Wade Gelhaus scored on an assist from Gaerke to close the gap to three, and a Tobe 3-pointer tied the game with 49 seconds on the clock. New Knoxville held for the final shot, but Kahlig stripped the ball from Tyler Wright and the game headed to overtime.

Fiely gave the Indians their first lead of the game with a 3-pointer 38 seconds into the extra session, and they never trailed again.

"It was fun," said Fiely. "That's all I have to say. It was fun to come back.

"It felt good," he added of his big shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. "(The fans) were talking all night, telling me to shoot it and I wasn't shooting it. And then finally I hit some big shots."

The Indians advance to Tuesday's district semifinal game against Ottoville, which beat Crestview 43-38 Friday, at Wapakoneta at 6:15 p.m. New Bremen won the other sectional title game at Coldwater 47-37 over Marion Local and will play Fort Jennings in the second district semifinal game Tuesday.

All five Fort Recovery starters finished in double figures against New Knoxville, with Kahlig scoring all of his team-high 15 points in the first 21 minutes. Fiely (12 points), Gaerke (12) and Tobe (11) all had at least half of their points in the final 10 minutes, and Gelhaus added 10 points.

"We told the kids that ... if we were going to get beat tonight, Fort Recovery's other kids were going to have to step up and hit shots," said New Knoxville coach Kort Fledderjohann in reference to his defensive strategy against Kahlig. "And, you know, you have to give them credit, they did it tonight.

"We thought we came up with a good game plan, and I'm very proud of the kids for the way they executed it. We did exactly what we wanted to do. ...

"You've got to give Cody Fiely and Tobe a lot of credit. They stepped up and buried some big shots in the second half ..."

New Knoxville took control early, scoring the game's first six points and building a 12-4 advantage. It led by as many as 15 points (25-10) midway through the second quarter before the Indians pulled to within nine at halftime.

After giving up the first four points of the second half, Fort Recovery closed the gap to 38-35. But the Rangers surged again, scoring 11 consecutive points to got up 49-35 with 6:33 to play.

The teams traded hoops on their next possessions before the Tribe came roaring back.

The comeback was not a new situation for the Indians against New Knoxville, as they trailed by nine in the second half in their regular-season meeting before rallying for a 61-59 win.

"We knew we had been down at Knoxville. We knew we could come back if we just played our game," said Kahlig. "They shot really well in the first half.

"To be honest, none of us were really pressing too much. We knew we had to get after them and had to hit some shots to come back."

After building the 14-point lead, the free throw from Vanderhorst (22 points) was the only point the Rangers scored over the course of the next seven-and-a-half minutes. He hit two foul shots to close the gap to 56-54 with 2:30 on the clock in overtime, but Fort Recovery tallied the next four points, all on free throws, to put the game away.

"We tried to go a little run-and-jump," said Patch of his team's defense late in the game. "To be honest, that's not our strong suit. Quickness is definitely not something we're blessed with. But we're long and lanky and our kids know how to play. We were able to make some good reads, get some turnovers, rushed them a little bit. ... And then we were able to make the big shots."[[In-content Ad]]