“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

If we’re to believe the Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger, then this year’s Austintown Fitch football team is as lucky as they come.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to any that the Falcons are making their fourth postseason appearance in five years under the football philosopher, Phil Annarella.

They’ll host a first round playoff game in Division I, Region 1 for the second year in a row on Saturday, when they face Wadsworth at Fitch Falcon Stadium.

What may come as a surprise, at least to those outside the program, are the names the Falcons are winning without this season:

Darrin Hall — a four-star senior running back committed to the University of Pittsburgh — injured his knee in Week 5.

Joey Harrington — a 6-foot-1 wideout who runs a sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash — hasn’t been at full strength all season since a Week 3 ankle injury.

Any one of the 16 graduated starters off last season’s 12-1 team.

But as luck would have it, none of those factors have slowed down Fitch (7-2) this season.

“You restructure, that’s all,” Annarella said, following the loss of Hall. “You got to find other playmakers and be creative with what you do on offense.

“It is what it is. This is football.”

It’s been all about this year’s breakout quarterback, Antwan Harris, and the cast of characters around him.

Harris, a 5-foot-10 gifted athlete, has never had his name listed first on the marquee until the second half of this season. Most would agree he’s exceeded the billing.

He’s eighth in the area in rushing, with 1,196 yards, and is averaging nearly eight yards per carry. He’s been just as effective throwing the ball, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 918 yards.

His 10:1 touchdown to interception ratio leads the area. Combine those numbers with his 15 rushing touchdowns and Harris has a case for player of the year in the Valley.

At Hall’s college announcement in August, Harris quietly sat toward the back of a Buffalo Wild Wings patio, not wanting to get in the way of his teammate’s big day.

It was an intimate gathering of family and friends, which Harris would certainly be included in, but that’s not his personality.

While Hall had offers from Pitt, Michigan State and Kentucky, among others, Harris had yet to be offered by a Division I school at the start of the season.

His success this season can only be attributed to luck, I suppose.

Defensive punisher Tyler Hewlett has been tasked with shouldering the bulk of the carries at running back.

His angry running style — as opposed to Hall’s, which relied on quickness and agility — has left opponents on the unlucky side of many collisions. And he hasn’t missed a beat on defense during it all.

“Tyler, pound-for-pound, is as tough as they come,” Annarella said. “I haven’t coached many better true football players than him.”

Fitch is 2-1 in games decided by three points or less.

Perhaps the luckiest win of the season came at Massillon, a week after losing Hall for the season. The Tigers’ All-Ohio kicker missed a 40-yard field goal at the end of regulation to give the Falcons a 34-33 win.

Fitch erased a 14-point first-half deficit and a 10-point second-half deficit on the road.

“We’re blessed to come out of here with a win,” Annarella said after the game.

Blessed or lucky?

Kevin Connelly is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at kconnelly@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Connelly_Vindy.