Fitch vs Poland

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Fitch vs Poland

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Austintown Fitch

Record	Div.	Conf.
6/4	Div. I	All-American Conference Gold Tier

By JON MOFFETT

jmoffett@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

There were a lot of aching muscles after Tuesday workouts for the Austintown Fitch football team this summer.

But the heart wasn’t one of them.

“This offseason, we put in a lot of hard work, and actually on Tuesdays we had this drill with our defensive coordinator, and it was one of the toughest drills yet,” said junior linebacker Will Mahone. “We had to do pushups, situps and use different weights. It’s just one of the hardest things I’ve done while in football.”

All the pain, sweat and hard work was dedicated to one thing: winning the Federal League.

It’s personal for the Falcons this year. The school made the decision to leave the conference following this season, leaving the football team in a state of limbo.

Other teams at Fitch will join the All-American Conference. But football will remain independent. And while the Falcons will play the Federal League teams next year, it will not count in the conference’s standings, and players will not be eligible for conference honors.

So while the summer workouts didn’t hurt Mahone’s heart, the news of leaving the Federal League nearly broke it.

“I think it’s a shame,” he said. “I think we should stay in it. I think it’s one of the best leagues in Ohio, and a lot of people think it is too. But we’re just trying to play football, so you’ve got to get over it.”

And the best way to get over it, he said, is for the Falcons to leave the conference the same way they entered: with a championship.

That’s why the summer practices in sweltering heat were so intense.

Coach Phil Annarella, who is in his 30th season of coaching and fourth at the helm of the Falcons, said it’s a level of competition unlike any other in the area.

“The big thing is that these kids know what the Federal League is all about,” he said. “They know it’s going to be a different level [of competition]. They know everybody else we’re playing is Div. I, for the most part. And they know they’re quality programs.

“They’ve played these teams since junior high, so they know what to expect,” he added. “It’s going to be tremendous competition.”

And while Annarella appreciates local teams on the schedule — he said it’s tough trying to fill a Div. I schedule without many such schools nearby — he lauds the conference opponents.

“The Federal League is the level of competition that is more tuned into us,” he said. “So we’ll see how we’re able to compete.”

But before the Falcons will have their final debut in the conference, they travel to Painsville Riverside tonight. While they won’t overlook the Beavers (0-2), there might be a little peeking.

“I personally am very excited for week four,” Mahone said. “It’s probably my favorite game to play all year.”

Week four is the showdown with Canton McKinley.

Quarterback Demitrious Davis said the team is ready to go.

“Week four,” he said with a big smile on his face. “That’s when the Federal League starts.”

And that’s when the fun begins.

Mahone is especially ready for not only the Federal League, but also for McKinley.

“I think they’re the best team in the Federal League this year,” Mahone said. “They’ve got a lot of good players. We beat them last year, and I know they want to come and beat us at home this year.”

That makes McKinley the perfect measuring stick.

Mahone said there isn’t a big difference in the gameplan for a Federal League team. But the intensity in practice sure picks up, he said.

The hard hits, long days and physicality are reminiscent of those summer practices.

Mahone was one of several Falcons who didn’t miss a single Tuesday workout during the summer. It’s more proof that the league crown is on their minds.

“I don’t think anybody is preaching just yet,” Mahone said. “But it will start soon. I know I’m going to.

“We want to win the Federal League the last year we’re able to win it. That would be great. And I think we’re ready to.”

It’d be a great way to say goodbye.