BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Fitch's Terrell Eargle was Mr. Dependable

His career was defined by a performance in the tournament win over Hoover.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- Take a trip back. Two months ago. Canton Civic Center. Division I district semifinal. Opening minutes of the game.
The Fitch High boys basketball team had just taken an early lead, forcing unbeaten North Canton to call an early timeout. Fitch senior Terrell Eargle walked into the huddle, looked at his team and yelled, "Who's going to step up and play with me tonight?"
"I was just pumped up with emotion," Eargle recalled, laughing. "It just came out."
Guess so. Over the next hour, Eargle played the best game of his high school career, scoring 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as the Falcons upset the state's top-ranked team, 57-52.
"To go in there and beat them was the best moment of my high school career," he said. "It was amazing."
Earns top honors
Eargle, The Vindicator's boys basketball player of the year, averaged 20.6 points per game this season, earning first team all-district and third team all-Ohio honors.
But there's more to his story than basketball.
The summer before his junior year, Eargle's mother, Shunita, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The oldest of four brothers, Eargle knew he had to set a strong example on the outside.
But inside, he was hurting.
"When it first happened, it really affected me," he said. "I tried to deal with it the best I could, but it was tough. It was very hard to focus on my grades."
Basketball became an escape, a way of helping Eargle deal with his pain. He spent his junior season in the shadow of post player Greg Mayes, but his size (6-foot-3), his long wingspan and his athleticism caught the eye of Division I scouts. He spent the off-season playing AAU tournaments and working on his outside shot.
"He evolved into a better player," said Fitch coach Gary Conroy. "He became a leader vocally and by example. It's pretty clich & eacute; to say that he made the people around him better, but it's true."
Falcons finished 14-6
Eargle combined with senior guard Mark Aikens to score 38 of Fitch's 60 points per game this season as the Falcons went 14-6, including 5-2 in the rugged Federal League, and advanced to the district final.
"He was an extension of me," said Conroy. "He got the ball where it needed to go. He could shoot. He ran the offense. He played great defense. You could count on him to do the right thing."
Heading to Akron
Eargle will attend the University of Akron as a Proposition 48 student next season, sitting out the season while bringing up his grades. He said he wanted to stay close to the area so he could visit his mother, who is doing well.
"The cancer recently spread to her arm, but right now she's doing good," he said. "Everything is fine right now. Hopefully, it will stay that way."
Keith Dambrot, who formerly coached LeBron James at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, took over as Akron's coach this off-season, replacing Dan Hipsher. Eargle said the program is headed in the right direction.
"It was the perfect place for me," he said. "In a couple of years, they're going to be good."
And while Fitch will be hard pressed to replace him, the cupboard isn't completely bare. Eargle's three younger brothers all play basketball. His youngest brother, Damian, can already dunk and he's only in eighth grade.
"Watch out for him," Eargle said. "He's going to be really good."
scalzo@vindy.com