Golden Bears enjoying best start

By TOM WILLIAMS

williams@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

In Chris Fitzgerald’s first three varsity seasons, East posted records of 2-8, 1-9 and 1-9.

It’s no wonder a smile slowly spreads across Fitzgerald’s face when the lineman is asked how much he’s looking forward to a showdown against Division I Austintown Fitch.

“Friday night, I feel, is going to be a high-tempo game,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s going to [have] a lot of energy, [we’re] going against people we know.

“It’s going to be exciting.”

Quarterback Zane Cylar, a transfer from Warren Harding who missed last season with an injury, agrees.

“I’m excited ... because we get to show what we can do against a good team,” Cylar said.

East and Fitch are 3-1 as Week 5 arrives. One reason for Fitzgerald’s excitement is the chance to play against his cousin, Fitch wide receiver Ralph Fitzgerald.

The Golden Bears opened the season with a 26-6 loss at Boardman, then posted three consecutive wins (Ursuline, 34-7; Lakeside, 25-12; Niles, 27-12).

It’s East’s best start of the decade.

“It feels great, I feel confident,” Chris Fitzgerald said.

Head coach Brian Marrow is cautioning his players against getting too excited.

“This is what you want, you want to play good competition,” the Golden Bears’ second-year head coach said after Tuesday’s practice.

Marrow hasn’t withheld from his players that some critics have suggested the Golden Bears “haven’t beat anyone [good] yet. And it’s true — we haven’t beaten anyone with a winning record.

“So I’m telling our kids they have an opportunity to do something.”

Cylar said the lesson the Spartans game taught his team is “we have to keep our composure, no matter what the score is.”

In this week’s computer playoff ratings, the Golden Bears are eighth in Division II, Region 5. If the playoffs began this week, East, a team that has gone 4-26 the past three seasons, would be in.

“We feel happy — this has never happened for us,” Fitzgerald said. “We have all these good things happening so we’ve just got to stay humble — keep our confidence, but stay humble.”

By next week, East may no longer be in Division II. Before the season began, the Ohio High School Athletic Association informed East that since Chaney now has a junior varsity team, the two schools would be considered separate.

Players who live on the West Side who had been training with East had to either transfer to East or leave the team to attend Chaney. Marrow said seven players — all backups — left the Golden Bears.

No one is certain which division East will join. A ruling is expected soon.

In the last half of the season, East will play three unbeaten teams (Canfield, Hubbard and Poland).

“I feel we should just be focused on now,” Fitzgerald said.