Fort gets MAC win

ROCKFORD, Ohio — The Indians finally have their first league win.

It pulled them up to the .500 mark.

After dropping its first five Midwest Athletic Conference games this season, the Fort Recovery High School boys basketball team ended its drought Friday night with a 59-56 victory over the host Parkway Panthers.

The Indians (8-8, 1-5 MAC) needed a comeback in order to avoid a third straight loss after falling last weekend to Marion Local and Fort Loramie. They trailed by five after the opening quarter, and after pulling even at the half they fell behind again 47-43 heading into the final eight minutes.

With the game on the line, senior Ryan Braun and junior Payton Jutte came up big.

Both scored five points in the final period while getting some help from Cade Wendel and Grant Knapke for a road victory.

Jutte’s strong final period came after he poured in 11 points in the third quarter as part of a 27-point effort.

He buried five 3-pointers, including three in the third quarter.

Braun followed with 16 points, with Noah Lennartz contributing six and Wendel scoring five.

Caleb Kinney paced Parkway (7-9, 0-5 MAC) with 18 points in the losing effort. Mason Baxter matched Jutte with five 3-pointers as he followed with 17 points.

Fort Recovery, which visits Mississinawa Valley tonight, had opened its conference schedule with consecutive losses to St. Johns, St. Henry, New Bremen, Versailles and Marion Local.