Success breeds success at Fort Recovery

FORT RECOVERY - An old saying goes "Success breeds success."

The community of Fort Recovery could certainly give credence to the phrase.

The last calendar year has been marked by success in two programs that had been struggling over the past few years.

Last June, the Indian baseball team made their first trip to the state tournament in over 60 years. Six months later, the football team, which only had made the playoffs once and had winning records twice in the 20-year-plus history of the program, won the Division VII state title.

Now the baseball team is back in the state semifinal and hopes to follow in the football team's footsteps taken last fall and winter.

Both the baseball and football teams' successes came after some lean years. Before the successful 2014 football season, Fort Recovery had just one winning season, which came a year before the program began MAC play. Six years ago, the baseball team won just two games and struggled to field a varsity program.

Baseball coach Jerry Kaup believes the football team's success helps boost the baseball success.

"I sense a different atmosphere around those guys," Kaup said. "Even the guys who weren't on the football team, they went to every game. They sensed it and felt it. ... It is going to be helpful."

Like many smaller schools, Fort Recovery has several athletes who played for the football team and are on the baseball team.

"The baseball championship (run) really showed the football team what we can do with any kind of perseverance and hard work," said Kyle Schroer, a running back on the football team and starting left fielder for baseball. "Then the football (run) showed anything was possible. Obviously (the baseball team) wanted to come back again in baseball because it was an awesome experience. (The success) made us the kind of town in sports that we are today."

"It was a neat experience for (the baseball and football players) to help turn the programs around," said Ross Homan, a starting linebacker on the football team and an infielder and outfielder for baseball. "It's an accomplishment to go to state one time in their career and for Kyle and I (the lone seniors who played both football and baseball) to go three times is even more of a joy to have for the sport itself."

Schroer, who was the top rusher on the team during the regular season before suffering a broken foot in the postseason, feels that playing at the highest level in both sports has helped prepare this year's baseball team to focus on the goal of a state title.

"Last year we were just happy to be at Huntington Park playing in the semifinals," Schroer said. "This year, we're coming back wanting to win and knowing we can win. Those experiences showed us we can win and anything is possible."

Homan has a lot of praise for the baseball coaches for helping them get to state.

"Coach (Jerry) Kaup had expectations coming from the lean years," Homan said. "We just keep working every year on those expectations. The bar is really high now."

Indians football coach Brent Niekamp is also a believer in the teams' successes benefitting each other.

"Those kids have worked extremely hard to do what they're doing," Niekamp said. "For both sports, their commitment in the weight room and the strength and conditioning program is really important. Jerry has mentioned that to me. Even a few years ago when he came back, he said 'What are these kids doing?' regarding how they're built and running around. The amount of the work they're doing throughout the course of the year in the weight room to get stronger and faster is really incrediible and is showing up in a lot of areas right now, including track."

Indians' track coach Nick Kallas, who has athletes who played football competing at this week's state track meet, agrees.

"It helps because they understand what it feels like and how to accomplish that," Kallas said. "I think it carries over very well and you can see that throughout practice and meets."