Tribe starts to roll

The Indians know that they are bound to get a strong score from Reece LeFevre that often contends for the low of the match.

As the only other returner with varsity experience, Caleb Smith has posted a top-four score through the first three matches and that didn’t change in the fourth.

While the top of the lineup has been reliable, it’s been the back half consistently putting up the numbers for the Tribe to start the 2025 campaign undefeated.

Luke Fortkamp and Garrett Diller both posted scores in the 40s to help the Fort Recovery High School boys golf team to a 172-177 victory over the Marion Local Flyers at Portland Golf Club on Monday.

“I think the scores are getting better,” said FRHS coach Dean Sanders. “It’s nice (to pick up the second MAC win). It’s always important to get off to a good start, but we’ve still got a majority of our matches and a lot of tough teams ahead of us.”

LeFevre earned match medalist honors by posting a 1-over-par 36. He got off to a slow start, shooting 3-over-par on the first two holes, but followed it up with four pars, a birdie on the 354-yard, par-4 16th hole and an eagle on the 520-yard, par-5 14th.

Marion Local’s top score came from Grant Kremer with a 40. The other three scores came from Marcus Schwieterman (46), Ryan Schwieterman (46) and Carter Kuess (48). Dylan Dirksen’s round of 47 had to get thrown out after a scorecard error, but it didn’t affect the outcome as the Indians (3-0, 2-0 MAC) would have still won by four strokes.

Following LeFevre was Smith with the third-best round of the day at 44 strokes. The FRHS senior made par three times, while supplementing it with five bogeys.

While LeFevre has consistently shot in the 30s and Smith has carded three scores in the 40s on the year, the Indians have had different players step up to fill out the final two scores in the 40s. On Tuesday, it was Fortkamp and Diller.

“It’s been a different person each and every time, but we have had consistency in the 40s,” Sanders said. “It’s nice to see that somebody can come through if somebody is struggling that day. They’ve done a really good job of that. … We’re really developing a group of guys that are starting to see more consistency and it’s vital that we have everybody in the 40s  at minimum.”

Fortkamp stepped up for the Tribe. After not scoring in the first two matches and being swapped out for the win over New Bremen, he posted the third-best score for FRHS with a round of 45.

Photo Gallery

Fort Recovery boys golf vs. Marion Local (8/11/2025)

He put together a solid round with only a blip on his scorecard when he struggled to chip onto the 11th green. Outside of the double-par on No. 11, he scored two pars and six bogeys. After the tough 11th hole, he bounced right back to finish his round with a par on the 498-yard, par-5 12th hole. His drive got pushed off to the right about 300 yards from the green, but his second shot hit a tree 50 yards ahead of him and bounced further right. He saved the hole by striping his third shot to the center of the fairway 100 yards out from the green. From there, he chipped on and made a 12-foot putt for par.

“It feels really good to come out with that,” Fortkamp said. “I’ve not been playing very good and this round was really good for me. It helps the team a lot because being the five, I’m not supposed to score, but when I do it’s good insurance.”

Fortkamp wasn’t the only Indian to follow up a double-par with a par. Diller struggled to putt on the 13th green, leading to a six on the par-3. His drive on the 14th hole started to make up for it as he sat just off the right edge of the fairway 240 yards out from the green. His second shot put him to the left of the green and chipped to get on in regulation.

He had to putt from 7 ½ feet away, but left it one foot short, setting up a light tap to make par.

“I just feel more confident with the higher clubs and utility stuff in my hands,” Diller said. “It just feels so much better off the club and I know where it’s going all the time. … It’s way easier to play those straighter and long (holes).”

Diller kept things rolling, shooting par on the following two holes en route to a career-best 47 that rounded out the team score.

Andrew Rehmert and Hudson McAbee were also on the links for Fort Recovery, but their rounds of 50 didn’t impact the final outcome.