July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Tall task awaits Tribe (03/01/07)
FRHS boys basketball
Tall task awaits Tribe (03/01/07)
By By RAY COONEY-
FORT RECOVERY - No one is giving them a chance to win.
The mantra for the Fort Recovery Indians is the same this week as it was a year ago. And for good reason.
In the 2006 sectional championship at Coldwater, the Indians were a heavy underdog to the Midwest Athletic Conference champion. Friday night they will be ... a heavy underdog to the MAC champ.
The only real difference this year is that their opponent, the New Knoxville Rangers, not only won the league title, but enter the game undefeated at 21-0 and ranked as the top boys basketball team in Division IV.
Coach Brian Patch is hoping his players can use last season's experience, against New Bremen, to get mentally ready for this year's game. And this time, finish the job.
"I think that's something they can relate to personally," said Patch, whose squad seemed headed toward an upset win a year ago before fading late to a 45-36 defeat. "We were actually leading by two with 1:32 to go against a team that was undefeated in the MAC and two weeks earlier beat us by 30. We return all but two kids from that team.
"Those are experiences they can grow on, knowing that at tournament time everyone has got to lift their game a little bit. The pressure is on (the Rangers) ... no one is expecting us to win except us."
New Knoxville, led by MAC Player of the Year candidate Ross Steinecker, cruised through their regular season with 15 of its 20 wins coming by double digits. Tuesday night it slaughtered the only non-MAC team in the Coldwater field, sending Waynesfield-Goshen home with a 62-17 defeat.
The Rangers sport two players who score in double figures with MAC leader Ross Steinecker at 19.6 points per game and Josh Niemeyer adding 13.6. Steinecker shoots just under 70 percent from the field, hits 85 percent from the free-throw line and averages 6.1 rebounds per game.
Tony Meyer and Niemeyer are each among the top players in the conference in assists per game with 5.4 and 3.1 respectively. Meyer, Niemeyer and Macus Henschen all hit for better than 40 percent from 3-point range.
"Defensively obviously you've got to keep the ball away from Steinecker," said Patch, whose team was within three points of New Knoxville at halftime of the regular-season meeting before being outscored 27-15 after the break. "And you've got to get back in transition."
Fort Recovery (12-8) also has two players scoring in double figures, but brings more of a balanced attack as six average at least 7.5 points.
Clint Tobe leads the way with 14.3 points per game, and freshman Greg Kahlig is at 10 even. They are followed by Aaron Kahlig (9.5), Bobby Rammel (8.6) and Tony Diller and Toby Metzger (7.6 apiece).
Metzger, a sophomore point guard, is tops on the squad in assists (89), rebounds (5.7 per game) and steals (55). Tobe, Rammel and Greg Kahlig have combined for 97 3-pointers this year, although only Rammel (41-of-101) shoots better than 35 percent.
"We obviously have a lot of threats outside, but if you really look at it the games we've played well we've had good shot selection. And we've gotten to the free-throw line," said Patch. "I think that's a sign of us not settling for the outside shot.
"From an offensive standpoint, you've got to be able to handle the ball without turning it over. (The Rangers) are a great team in terms of team defense ... they do everything they're supposed to do and do it really well.
Patch said one of the Indians' goals will be to try to spread out the New Knoxville defense and force them to go one-on-one.
The Indians should have plenty of energy to execute their game plan as they will be well-rested and healthy when the game tips off Friday at 6:15 p.m. Fort Recovery won its final three games of the regular season, the last coming Feb. 17 at Spencerville.
"We probably are the most well-prepared team anyone has seen," said Patch of the 12 days off between games. "We've had two weeks where we've had nothing else to think about but them. ... Our (seniors) know that this is their last shot. They've got to believe and I think they do believe that they can come out and win.
"The kids are dying to play."[[In-content Ad]]
The mantra for the Fort Recovery Indians is the same this week as it was a year ago. And for good reason.
In the 2006 sectional championship at Coldwater, the Indians were a heavy underdog to the Midwest Athletic Conference champion. Friday night they will be ... a heavy underdog to the MAC champ.
The only real difference this year is that their opponent, the New Knoxville Rangers, not only won the league title, but enter the game undefeated at 21-0 and ranked as the top boys basketball team in Division IV.
Coach Brian Patch is hoping his players can use last season's experience, against New Bremen, to get mentally ready for this year's game. And this time, finish the job.
"I think that's something they can relate to personally," said Patch, whose squad seemed headed toward an upset win a year ago before fading late to a 45-36 defeat. "We were actually leading by two with 1:32 to go against a team that was undefeated in the MAC and two weeks earlier beat us by 30. We return all but two kids from that team.
"Those are experiences they can grow on, knowing that at tournament time everyone has got to lift their game a little bit. The pressure is on (the Rangers) ... no one is expecting us to win except us."
New Knoxville, led by MAC Player of the Year candidate Ross Steinecker, cruised through their regular season with 15 of its 20 wins coming by double digits. Tuesday night it slaughtered the only non-MAC team in the Coldwater field, sending Waynesfield-Goshen home with a 62-17 defeat.
The Rangers sport two players who score in double figures with MAC leader Ross Steinecker at 19.6 points per game and Josh Niemeyer adding 13.6. Steinecker shoots just under 70 percent from the field, hits 85 percent from the free-throw line and averages 6.1 rebounds per game.
Tony Meyer and Niemeyer are each among the top players in the conference in assists per game with 5.4 and 3.1 respectively. Meyer, Niemeyer and Macus Henschen all hit for better than 40 percent from 3-point range.
"Defensively obviously you've got to keep the ball away from Steinecker," said Patch, whose team was within three points of New Knoxville at halftime of the regular-season meeting before being outscored 27-15 after the break. "And you've got to get back in transition."
Fort Recovery (12-8) also has two players scoring in double figures, but brings more of a balanced attack as six average at least 7.5 points.
Clint Tobe leads the way with 14.3 points per game, and freshman Greg Kahlig is at 10 even. They are followed by Aaron Kahlig (9.5), Bobby Rammel (8.6) and Tony Diller and Toby Metzger (7.6 apiece).
Metzger, a sophomore point guard, is tops on the squad in assists (89), rebounds (5.7 per game) and steals (55). Tobe, Rammel and Greg Kahlig have combined for 97 3-pointers this year, although only Rammel (41-of-101) shoots better than 35 percent.
"We obviously have a lot of threats outside, but if you really look at it the games we've played well we've had good shot selection. And we've gotten to the free-throw line," said Patch. "I think that's a sign of us not settling for the outside shot.
"From an offensive standpoint, you've got to be able to handle the ball without turning it over. (The Rangers) are a great team in terms of team defense ... they do everything they're supposed to do and do it really well.
Patch said one of the Indians' goals will be to try to spread out the New Knoxville defense and force them to go one-on-one.
The Indians should have plenty of energy to execute their game plan as they will be well-rested and healthy when the game tips off Friday at 6:15 p.m. Fort Recovery won its final three games of the regular season, the last coming Feb. 17 at Spencerville.
"We probably are the most well-prepared team anyone has seen," said Patch of the 12 days off between games. "We've had two weeks where we've had nothing else to think about but them. ... Our (seniors) know that this is their last shot. They've got to believe and I think they do believe that they can come out and win.
"The kids are dying to play."[[In-content Ad]]
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