Doubters fuel FRHS victory

FORT RECOVERY — A lot of factors play into winning football.

For the Indians on Friday night, there were a couple of long offensive plays to get a pair of touchdowns on the board.

There was an interception that resulted in another TD.

There was a defensive effort that, while allowing a touchdown, forced the visitors to burn off most of what was left on the clock.

Perhaps most all, there was the “nobody believes in us” attitude.

The 10th-ranked Fort Recovery High School football team didn’t ignore the projections and predictions. Rather, they used them as fuel that powered a 20-13 homecoming victory over the Division VII No. 4 New Bremen Cardinals.

“It was huge,” said FRHS junior Breaker Jutte. “Before the game, all over … it was everyone doubting us, saying New Bremen’s gonna kick our butts. We used that coming into this game.”

Though the Indians were 3-2 heading into Friday night, their wins had come against teams with a combined record of 1-14. So beating a 4-1 New Bremen squad that was ranked among the best in Ohio was a statement.

“It tells the rest of the MAC that we’re here,” said senior Anthony Roessner.

“We started that MAC schedule against Coldwater, against St. Henry,” added first-year FRHS coach Wes Wenning. “And we were right there — 14-7 at halftime with Coldwater, 6-6 halftime with St. Henry. These guys, their spirit was never broke throughout those games. … To see that pay off in a big-time manner, in a big-time fashion, in front of this homecoming crowd, against a program like New Bremen — state champion coaches and players and culture — it’s huge.”

Fort Recovery (4-2, 2-2 MAC) built a 20-7 lead, but left the door open for the Cardinals when they had to punt with 9 minutes, 17 seconds, left in the game. The visitors drove to pull themselves within a touchdown, but it wasn’t easy. The Indians forced three negative plays as the scoring drive took more than eight minutes off the clock.

    Fort Recovery junior Breaker Jutte stiff-arms Charles Nelson of New Bremen during the second half Friday. Jutte scored on a 2-yard TD run in the second quarter and helped lead a pass rush that put consistent pressure on Cardinal quarterback Gavin Dicke. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)

So even when New Bremen successfully executed an onside kick, it was in desperation mode. A sack on the opening play of the ensuing drive put them behind the 8-ball further, and then three consecutive incompletions allowed the Indians to go to victory formation.

“We made a furious rally there, but we didn’t play well enough throughout the course of the game,” said New Bremen coach Chris Schmidt, whose team rode running back Jacob Kelly to the tune of 36 carries for 157 yards. “And so then you’re trying to rely on making those types of plays at the end there. And we got a chance, an opportunity, but couldn't capitalize, didn’t execute.”

The Fort Recovery offense lived off of long plays.

The first looked broken, as Alex Gaerke sent a pitch right to Reece Wendel with a crowd of defenders waiting. But the senior running back reversed course, found a gap up the middle and exploded through and outran Cardinal cornerback Joel Lozier for a 40-yard TD run to put the first points on the board with 2:36 left in the opening quarter.

After New Bremen (4-2, 2-2 MAC) pulled even on a Jacob Kelly 33-yard run, the Indians struck through the air. Gaerke (8-of-10 for 127 yards) stepped back and pump-faked a short out route, causing Lozier to bite hard, and then launched a bomb to a wide open Colson Post. The 77-yard connection took the ball to the 5-yard line, with Breaker Jutte plowing into the end zone two plays later.

The FRHS lead was still 14-7 early in the third quarter when New Bremen faced a third-and-28. Schmidt called an out route, only to have Anthony Roessner step in front of it for an interception. 

“Watching film last night, I knew that guy, he lines up inside, and I knew he was coming back out,” said Roessner. “I read it and I just jumped it. I don’t know. It was just pure adrenaline.”

The ensuing four-play drive resulted in an 8-yard TD run by Wendel for a two-score lead that proved to be enough to hold off the Cardinals for the victory.

Up next is a date with Division VII No. 1 Marion Local, which rallied from two scores down Friday to eke out a 20-19 win over Versailles and extend its winning streak to 70 games.