Get there early…Delphos St. John’s at Fort Recovery
By Tim langevin
Welcome to Fort Recovery. Fort Recovery is a quaint, historic village of some 1,332 people located in West Central Ohio on the banks of the Wabash River.
The Village is built on the site of General St. Clair’s defeat in 1791 and….We interrupt this history lesson for a special announcement: Tonight, don’t miss the MAC showdown for sole possession of first place between the Fort Recovery Indians and the Delphos St. John’s Blue Jays at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
This game is big. How big? Fort Recovery High School Principal Jeff Hobbs sums it best, “If you wanna rob the town bank, Friday night is it, because everybody will be at the game. We expect about 2,500 people. Our gym holds 2,200 people.”
Since joining the conference in 1977, the Indians have won just two MAC championships–1993 and 1999. So it is no wonder that all the buzz around town is about the boys basketball team. And for good reason because Fort Recovery is ranked 6th in the JJ Huddle Power Poll and 5th in the AP State Poll.
Not since the 60s when Rick Derringer (born August 5, 1947 in Fort Recovery) and his group called “Rick and the Raiders” has there been so much excitement.
The Indians have assembled a 16-1 record and head the MAC at 7-0. The only loss was to Coldwater 40-39 on December 30 at the Mercer Health Holiday Classic. Since then, the Indians have rattled off 11 straight wins, including a 56-51 overtime thriller against Coldwater January 15 in conference play.
Delphos St. John’s enters the contest with a 13-3 mark and 6-0 in the league. The BlueJays started the season 3-3, but since then, have won 10 games in a row. It took time to transform football muscles into basketball lungs after advancing to the state football finals December 5.
Delphos is led by a trio of seniors in Justin Backus, Scott Recker, and Nate Webb. Webb and Recker pose the outside threat and Backus is a big factor down low in the paint.
And then there is Fort Recovery’s Greg Kahlig. The 6′ 5″ senior does it all. He scores 25.7 ppg, hauls down 11.1 rpg, has dished out 75 assists, 33 blocks, 27 steals, shoots 83 per cent from the line and 50 per cent from the field. If only he wore grey, sloppy socks and black, low-cut Converse, he’d be “Pistol” Pete Maravich re-incarnated.
Fort Recovery coach Brian Patch claimed, “Greg Kahlig is Mr. Everything. He sets the table for our team. He is our leader and the rest of the team follows. Aside from his offensive production, he is an above average defender.”
The second option on offense according to coach Patch is senior Craig Tobe. He averages 10 ppg and can shoot from long range. The 6′ 3″ forward averages 5.5 rpg.
Another senior, Cody Fiely, averages 8.9 ppg with 6.3 rpg and shoots 48 per cent from the field. “What impresses me about Fiely is his court awareness,” Patch said. “He can play the point or the #2 guard position and doesn’t hurt the team with mistakes.”
Michael Gaerke is second on the team in steals and assists with 20 and 29, respectively. The senior guard shoots 47 per cent from the floor.
Freshman Wade Gelhaus rounds out the starting five. He averages 6 ppg and owns 16 blocks on the year. The 6′ 3″ forward shoots well from the floor at 47 per cent. Patch said, “Gelhaus is our inside presence. He gets us offensive rebounds and can really jump. In fact, he can get both his elbows above the rim.”
Another youngster, sophomore Jason Pottkotter has earned valuable playing time. Usually the sixth man, Pottkotter has started four games recently. The 5′ 8″ guard is a 70 per cent foul shooter. Patch said, “He is a great athlete. A great defensive player who can also knock down the open three.” Pottkotter is 7-of-15 from three-point-land.
The Indians average 58 points a game and shoot 45 per cent from the field as a team. The defense allows 45 points a game.
“This has been my best team,” the seven-year coach said. “These kids play with confidence. Very loose. Their demeanor doesn’t change whether it’s a close game or blowout. The kids play well together and really enjoy each other.”
He added, “I feel good about this team. I feel good about our chances this year when the tournament rolls around.”
Coach Patch feels the keys to Friday night’s game are to defend the three-point-line, handle their screens, and handle their half-court defensive pressure.”
Rick Derringer rocked this town during the 60s and come this Friday night, the boys of Fort Recovery hope to do the same. One thing is certain. It will be a rock concert atmosphere.
| 
