BELIEVE IT, ACHIEVE IT

February 28, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Improved attitude, easier schedule rejuvenate Fitch hoops

AUSTINTOWN

When Brian Beany took over the Fitch High boys basketball program last spring, the former Falcon who played for Tom Fender said his goal was to get Fitch players “to believe in themselves and that they can win games.

“Once you start to win, a positive attitude starts and it becomes contagious.”

Beany replaced Jason Baker who guided the Falcons to a 5-16 record in their final season in the Federal League.

Now members of the All-American Conference American Division, the Falcons opened the 2011-12 season with three losses, but all were close games. Then the wins began to outnumber the defeats.

By the end of the season, the Falcons (11-9) celebrated like a family.

Following the season finale, a 67-37 victory over Boardman, sophomore Jessie Driver said how much senior Will Mahone, Dan Chepke, Nate Blair, Trevor Yacovone, Nick Williams and Pat Rovnak have meant to the younger players.

“These guys treated me the best,” Driver said. “I just loved these guys so I wanted to play well for them. We were all like crying in the locker room.”

Chepke, a 6-foot-5 senior who hasn’t decided on a college, said he’s looking forward to seeing how Beany’s program develops.

“For this program, it means so much how awesome this season was compared to the past few years,” Chepke said. “It’s because of the younger guys why the program succeeds so much.

“We’ve had great leadership from the seniors but [the underclassmen are who are] going to carry it on,” Chepke said. “I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing [them blossom].”

Fitch went 6-4 to finish fourth in its first season in the American Division, a league not nearly as strong as the Federal League. But competitive games brought fans out to support the players.

“We started off 0-3, but we got together and talked about it and made some adjustments,” Driver said. “And here we are now.”

Tonight at Alliance High, the eighth-seeded Falcons will open the Division tournament against fifth-seeded Green. The winner will face Lake in the sectional final.

“All these close games we’ve been playing, our kids have been in [tight spots],” Beany said of the team’s growth. “So [close games] don’t rattle this team. They just take a deep breath, calm down and then get after business.”

Mahone, who will play football for Notre Dame in the fall, anticipates the challenge of tournament underdog.

“I like to be nervous before a game,” Mahone said. “I feel like I play better.”

Asked if the 30-point win over the Spartans (3-17) made a definitive statement, Mahone said, “I guess so. We’re playing pretty good basketball right now. It’s really exciting — we’re playing as a team and winning games.

“I’m not scoring as much any more, but it’s a lot more fun getting everyone involved.”

Beany is happy for the chance to send his seniors back on to the court for at least one more game.

“They are the ones who have laid the foundation for things to come down the road for this program,” Beany said. “For all the close losses we’ve had, they’ve stuck in there, they kept their heads up, they kept battling and working hard to get better.

“We’ve been playing our best basketball toward the end of the season. We’re looking forward to the tournament. We are hoping to make some noise.”