FEDERAL LEAGUE BASKETBALL With Mayes gone, Fitch looks to new go-to guy

Terrell Eargle will be relied upon heavily by the Falcons.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- Greg Mayes is gone.
Terrell Eargle is back.
And the Fitch High basketball team should be just fine.
"We'll still be good," said Eargle, a 6-foot, 3-inch senior point guard. "We have to hold up our reputation."
Fitch went 14-6 last season before losing to Massillon Washington in last year's Division I district semifinal.
The Falcons relied heavily on Mayes, a 6-foot, 7-inch center who now plays at Ashland, but his graduation doesn't necessarily spell doom for Fitch's first year in the Federal League.
"Everyone thinks that because we lost Greg, we won't do much this year," Eargle said. "We just have to come out and prove everybody wrong. We can do some damage in this league."
Eargle, who has started since his sophomore year, spent the offseason traveling with an AAU team while working on his outside shot -- his biggest weakness last year.
"We'd like to have his outside shot improve with the idea of consistency," Fitch coach Gary Conroy said. "He's really worked on that part of his game. We need him to be our go-to guy."
All-around talent
The rest of his game is solid. Eargle's size and large wingspan causes headaches for opposing guards, while his court sense and leadership should have a calming effect on the rest of the Falcons.
"He's definitely a leader," Conroy, who is 83-57 in seven seasons at Fitch, said. "He's a great kid, but he's also the type of guy that when things get tough, he's able to get in your face and say, 'Let's go.' "
His AAU experience should help his confidence grow even higher. Eargle traveled across the country playing against some of the top players in the nation.
He also shuns other sports -- "I didn't want to play football and end up breaking my leg or something," he said -- which allows him to develop his game year-round.
"He's very strong defensively," Conroy said. "He's got that long wingspan and he's a got a real knack for stepping into passing lanes and getting steals. That makes it very difficult for opposing point guards."
Getting help
Eargle and Aikens are the only returning letterwinners, but Fitch has some talented young players coming up.
Senior Michael Hardy (6-4) and sophomore James Wallace (6-4) will fortify the inside, while junior guards Tyran Eargle (6-1) and Michael Brown (6-1) and junior forward Stas Cherney (6-2) will help on the perimeter.
"I think the Federal League will be a lot better for us," Eargle said. "You play a lot of different guys and it's going to be a challenge for us every night. There's a lot more teams and better competition."
That competition will also help prepare Eargle for the next level. He's garnered interest from several Division I college teams, including Kent State, YSU and Eastern Michigan.
"We expect to him have a good year, which I think will help him get even more interest," Conroy said. "He's got good size and playing last summer in AAU really helped him quite a bit.
"Somebody is really going to miss the boat if they don't come after him."
scalzo@vindy.com