Tradition returning to the Fort (02/28/05)

It’s a wonderful thing to set goals and then see them come true.

Prior to the season the Fort Recovery boys basketball team talked about bringing tradition back to the program. They discussed getting back to the level of the 1998-99 team.

The Indians still have several steps to go if they want to match the state runner-up effort of the squad, but they are headed in the right direction.

With Friday’s 73-62 victory over the New Bremen Cardinals, Fort Recovery won the sectional championship for the first time since 1999. Its record, 13-8, is the best for a Tribe team since that season, and is eight wins better than 2003-04.

The Tribe now heads for its first district appearance in six years as it prepares to take on the Ada Bulldogs Tuesday at Wapakoneta at 8 p.m.

If the Indians were to get past the Bulldogs, they would face the winner of Tuesday’s first district semifinal game between Minster and Dola Hardin Northern in Friday’s championship round.

Fort Recovery’s first loss of the season came against the Wildcats, who were 13th in the Division IV voting in the final Associated Press poll of the season, by a 56-49 score.

Second-year coach Brian Patch said his team isn’t looking beyond Ada, but “if the opportunity [to play Minster] presented itself our kids I think would be looking forward to it. I think we’ve improved since the beginning of the season when they beat us.”

Patch said the key to his team’s decisive victory over the Cardinals was its offensive execution.

The Indians, who had a few games of shooting around 30 percent from the field during the season, have been much improved on the offensive end since switching to a four-corners look. They shot 68 percent in the first half of the sectional championship game, rolling out to a 26-6 advantage. They finished the game at 66 percent, with almost all of their shots coming from within five feet of the basket.

Each of Fort Recovery’s three players who average double-digits for the year, junior Travis VanSkyock and seniors Dusty Tobe and Sean Kahlig, reach double figures in the victory. They were aided by a 5-of-5, 14-point effort from senior point guard Greg Faller, and seven points from freshman starter Clint Tobe.

“For us, offensively, we’ve just got to continue to make sure to do what we’ve been doing,” said Patch. “(We need to) make good decisions with the ball.”

Ada (10-11) was the top seed in the Waynesfield-Goshen sectional and earned a district berth by squeaking out a 58-56 victory over Upper Scioto Valley.

Patch called the Bulldogs a very athletic team, with quick guards and post players who can get to the glass.

They are led by guards Andy Suzo and Andy Fetter.

Suzo, a senior, is the team’s best player and its leading scorer. He has the ability to shoot from the outside, and can beat you off the dribble as well. Fetter, a junior, is the No. 2 scorer.

Chris Singleton, another junior, averages about 10 points per game, but scored 19 in the sectional title game. He is also an excellent shot blocker.

Ada also starts Clint Craig and freshman Zach Dysert.

Patch said even though it’s been a long time since Fort Recovery has made it to the district tournament, his players have greater aspirations.

“Obviously the kids are happy with the (sectional) win, but not satisfied,” he said. “We don’t want to be happy just showing up at the district. We feel like we’re capable of beating anybody in the area. They kids want to win the district at Wapakoneta and go to Dayton.”[[In-content Ad]]