Tribe suffers loss to Cavs

COLDWATER, Ohio — Fort Recovery has never beaten Coldwater on the gridiron.

It has come close, including a 28-26 loss in the 2020 playoffs to the eventual Division VI state champions.

But the last four years have been dismal, with the Indians outscored by a combined 174-21.

They provided plenty of hope Friday night for good things to come in 2025.

It ended up on the wrong end of a 28-14 final against the Division VI No. 2 Cavaliers, but the Fort Recovery High School football team struck first against one of the Midwest Athletic Conference powerhouses and was deadlocked deep into the third quarter.

The Indians (2-1, 0-1 MAC), who beat Ponitz Tech and Allen East in their opening two games, evened the score midway through the third quarter when Alex Gaerke reached the end zone on a 1-yard run and then converted the extra-point kick. It was a stark difference from last season, when they were down 41-0 at the half before finally getting on the board in the third.

But beating the eight-time state champions is never going to be easy. Coldwater (2-1, 1-0 MAC) reclaimed the lead with 2:13 left on the clock in the third quarter when Braxton Taylor (19 carries, 119 yards) ran for a 17-yard touchdown.

Fort Recovery turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, and the home team responded with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a Karsyn Homan 34-yard TD pass to Cadin Obringer. The Cavaliers stopped the Tribe on downs again and then proceeded to burn the final 3:36 off the clock.

Homan and Taylor provided a one-two punch on the ground, with the former racking up 139 yards on 22 carries. He also completed 8-of-10 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, with four passes going to Caleb Schroer.

The Indians’ early lead came on a 3-yard run by Breaker Jutte. They held the advantage for more than nine minutes before Homan found Schroer for a 10-yard score midway through the second quarter.

Gaerke handled the bulk of the offensive load for FRHS, tossing for 109 yards on 5-of-11 passing and running for 76 on 16 attempts. Jutte caught two passes for 62 yards and Reece Wendel chipped in 46 yards on the ground.

Thirteen tackles and a pass break-up from Josh Evers led the defensive effort for the Indians. Brodie Hart added 12 stops and a sack, Jutte had 10 tackles, Wendel added nine and Isaac Roessner recorded eight.

Fort Recovery will have another difficult assignment next week when it hosts Division VII No. 4 St. Henry (2-1, 0-1 MAC), which led four-time defending state champion Division VII No. 1 Marion Local in the second half Friday before succumbing to a 21-14 defeat.