POLAND Fender family relives dream

The father of Eric and Chad was the point guard on Poland's last state basketball team.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
POLAND -- Tom Fender stood inside the squeaky clean Poland High training room on Monday afternoon, trying to remember a trip he took to Columbus 30 years ago.
"I don't know if I can remember, to tell you the truth," Fender said. "I was almost in shock."
Fender was a point guard on the first -- and until this week, the last -- Poland boys basketball team to make it to the state tournament.
Twenty years later, Fender was the varsity boys basketball coach at Austintown Fitch with two little boys, Eric and Chad, following him around, serving as ballboys, dreaming of the day when they would follow in their father's footsteps.
Dreaming about this week.
"It's been a dream season," Eric, a junior said. "So few get here."
Eric and Chad are standouts on a Bulldog team trying to pull the biggest upset in school history. Awaiting them in the Division II semifinal is two-time defending Div. III state champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary -- along with some guy named LeBron James.
"We've been going down since I was 6, but to walk out on the court for the first time in front of 20,000 people, that's unbelievable," Eric said.
Added Chad, "It hasn't really hit me yet."
Fitch: Tom Fender left Fitch five years ago to join the Poland staff as an assistant coach. He coached at Fitch -- where he still teaches -- for 12 years, never getting past the district final.
"I wanted to watch my two sons play," said Tom, whose wife, Holly, is an elementary teacher in Canfield. "I'm enjoying it more now. It's nice to be an assistant and not a head coach."
Tom, of course, has been watching his sons play for much longer.
Eric is two years older than Chad, "but we've always been about the same height," Eric, 6-foot-1, said. They would go at each other in practice and on the driveway.
"We've had some punching matches," Eric said with a laugh. "My dad's had to break up a few scuffles."
Tom preached fundamentals to his sons, coaching them in youth leagues and pushing them harder than other kids. He never pushed basketball on them, but he made it clear that he expected their best.
"He gets on our case," Chad said with a smile. "He made us have a good work ethic."
"It's good to see them keep getting better," added Tom. "But they still can't beat me."
Not true. He started losing to them two years ago.
"That told me that it's time to quit," he said with a laugh.
Senior leadership: Poland's road to Columbus really started last year, when the Bulldogs lost to Chaney in the district final, but returned three seniors -- Jamie Dunn, David McGarry and Lou DaVanzo.
Dunn made it clear from the first day of practice that both Fenders would be instrumental to the team's success.
"He made them feel like part of the team," Tom said.
Eric -- "the unselfish Bulldog" -- comes off the bench to supply rebounding, defense, scoring, whatever Poland needs. Chad, a starter, is a scorer, a shooter and a slasher.
The Bulldogs are just seven deep, making both Fenders indispensable.
"It's so much different than middle school," Chad said. "It's harder and it's better. We sort of expected to have this success and it's been so much fun."
Tom doesn't remember much about his first trip to state -- the Bulldogs lost in the state semifinal -- but he remembers Poland's fan support.
"I was really amazed by the number of people," Tom said. "I didn't know what I was getting into."
Fan support: Little has changed in 30 years. Poland's fan base stacks up with just about any school in the state -- both in size and sound. Chad and Eric's grandmother, Shirley Fender, goes to every game -- just like she did for Tom 30 years ago.
In 1972, Poland played in front of 13,500 people. On Thursday, the Bulldogs will play before 20,000 -- the game sold out early Monday.
"I've played on ESPN2 [for little league baseball] and I've played before big crowds before, but nothing like this," Eric said. "We're nervous."
But not too nervous. After all, the Fenders have each other to lean on.
"It's a great experience and you'll never forget it," Tom said. "Win or lose, you never forget it."
scalzo@vindy.com