Friday, February 10th, 2012

Flyers capture MAC title

By Randy Bruns
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Marion Local's Megan Seitz, 34, pressures Fort Recovery's Melissa Lochtefeld, with ball, during their Midwest Athletic Conference matchup at Fort Site Fieldhouse on Thursday.

FORT RECOVERY - The Marion Local Flyers overcame a litany of first-half miscues on Thursday night to wrap up their second outright Midwest Athletic Conference championship in the past three years.
The Flyers committed 13 turnovers and allowed the Fort Recovery Indians to snare 10 offensive rebounds in the first two quarters, but a stout defensive effort by the Flyers keyed a 55-41 victory at the Fort Site Fieldhouse.
Marion moves its season mark to 15-3 and its 8-0 MAC ledger has the Flyers two games ahead of the rest of the league foes with one game to play. That means the Flyers will win the conference crown no matter what happens in next week's league finale. Fort Recovery drops to 14-4 on the year and 6-2 in conference play.
This one was not an aesthetic thing of beauty by any means, but when these two teams get together it's typically an all-out brawl. The first half had six ties and seven lead changes as neither team could forge ahead by more than four points. A late stickback by Margaret Wuebker broke the last tie and put the Flyers ahead 27-25 heading into halftime.
Marion put together a seven-point run to begin the third quarter, and though Ericka Lennartz scored two quick buckets to keep Fort Recovery close, those four points were all the hosts would muster in the period. The Flyers put together another mini-run to end the frame and they held a 13-point bulge entering the fourth quarter.
The Flyers' advantage ballooned to 18 points early in the fourth but the Indians did not go down without a fight. Kylie Kahlig scored on a stickback and tossed in a three-pointer before Chelsea Pottkotter followed with a trey of her own to get the visitors within 10 points with just under three minutes remaining in the game, but it proved to be too little, too late. After making just 11 of their first 21 free throws, the Flyers nailed their final six to put the game away.
Marion's coach Treva Fortkamp, who with the win tallied her fourth career outright MAC title, pointed to her squad's defensive intensity as the key to the win.
"It was a very good halfcourt defensive effort," said Fortkamp. "It was sheer desire on the girls' part and they showed a lot of heart. Winning the MAC is always a goal of ours, but I didn't think (an outright title) was realistic because this league's too good. We just beat the crap out of each other every Thursday."
Fort Recovery's coach Doug Bihn saw his squad suffer through its worst shooting effort of the year as they were just 16-of-55 from the field.
"When you shoot 26 percent you aren't going to win many ball games," said Bihn. "We just couldn't make a shot. We were 2-for-19 from the three-point line (11 percent) and we've been shooting 30 percent from there during the season. If we make a couple of them it's a different ball game but it didn't happen tonight. (Marion is) a good team and a big team. They've got size and that's something you can't coach."
The Flyers put three players in double figures, with Wuebker leading the way with 15 points to go with 10 rebounds.
"I told Margaret at halftime that if she gets the ball in the low post she has one option," said Fortkamp, who told her senior leader to go to the hole. "I told her she needed to take over this game because we had them in a mismatch and in the third quarter she did."
Chelsea Winner added 12 points and Allie Thobe chipped in with 11. Kahlig paced the Indians with a game-high 18 points.
Marion will finish the regular season next week when it travels to St. Marys on Tuesday before hosting Coldwater on Thursday. Fort Recovery will entertain Celina on Tuesday and finish the regular season against St. John's on Thursday.
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Marion Local's Allie Thobe, 12, goes up for a layup against Fort Recovery on Thursday night. Thobe scored 11 points in the Flyers' 55-41 victory over the Indians.

Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Marion Local's Darian Bergman, 24, passes the ball to a teammate with Fort Recovery's Ericka Lennartz, 11, looking on during Thursday's MAC battle at Fort Site Fieldhouse.

Additional online story on this date
Events generate tourism revenue for the two county area
GRAND LAKE - The state is using accurate information as bait to lure fishing tournaments back to Ohio's largest inland lake.
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Manager Brian Miller sent letters asking tournaments to return to the lake and he's soliciting new ones as well. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - Two top officials of an insurance company formerly used by the city and Omni Manufacturing of St. Marys have been indicted on a slew of charges, including money laundering and theft.
MINSTER - Local officials would like to attract new businesses, but the community doesn't have acreage or the existing buildings prospective clients want.
Fort Recovery would be eligible for funds if the legislation is passed
FORT RECOVERY - U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has introduced a bill that would provide $1.8 billion to communities looking to replace outdated combined sewage overflow systems.
CELINA - County officials are moving forward to financially help an athletic equipment and apparel store open this summer at the vacant Walmart site.
The Celina Police Department is awaiting word on whether the death of a local man will be ruled a traffic fatality.
Lester L. Johnson, 76, died Wednesday night at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima, four days after a traffic accident along Hierholzer Street near Fairlawn Drive.
COLDWATER - Although both teams were hampered by turnovers all evening long, the host Cavaliers played well in the second half and kept the Redskins at bay as Coldwater earned a 62-49 win over St. Henry on Thursday at The Palace.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Celina built a 42-21 lead through the first three quarters of play while rolling to a 57-38 win over Kenton in Western Buckeye League girls' basketball action on Thursday night at the Fieldhouse.
MINSTER - Following two straight losses to begin the Midwest Athletic Conference portion of their schedule, Nann Stechschulte's Minster Wildcats notched five straight conference victories heading into their meeting last night at home against the New Knoxville Rangers.