Valparaiso senior linebacker Ben Fedorchak takes pride in what he calls his “smashmouth” style.
It’s the only way the 6-foot, 210-pound Fedorchak, who also wrestles, knows how to compete.
Just like his older brother, Josh, a 2020 Valparaiso graduate and former defensive back who won the Mental Attitude Award with the 2019 Class 5A state runner-up.
Just like his father, Josh, a 1993 Merrillville graduate and former linebacker/defensive end who played in a semistate as a senior.
“We all play very aggressively,” Fedorchak said. “Me, my brother and my dad all were very aggressive. We’re a very big defensive family, and we’re not afraid to get hit or hit to stop some people.
“I was blessed growing up with those two. Getting raised by my dad and being by the side of my brother, they made me into the toughest player I can be.”
A third-year starter for the Vikings, Fedorchak has forged his own path. He had 66 tackles with an interception return for a touchdown as a sophomore and had 85 tackles with two fumble recoveries last season.
Fedorchak seems poised for his best season yet.
“I’ve gained a lot more confidence,” he said. “I’ve always been confident, but that first Friday night lights, it’s a little jittery. I feel like I’ve gotten more confident in my own game and become a better player because of that.
“I’ve always had attributes, but sometimes they don’t mesh with your game. So it’s just getting more confident in your game, and that’s what I got harped on by both my wrestling and football coaches.”
Fedorchak has also earned the confidence of his teammates. He was selected as a team captain, along with senior quarterback Kellan Hosek, senior offensive lineman Caleb Hazlett and junior linebacker Brody Wheeler.
“Ben and Kellan are the two returners who have the most varsity experience,” Valparaiso coach Bill Marshall said. “Ben is the leader you want in the locker room because he’s going to have those tough conversations, even with his best friends. He’s going to sit there and say, ‘How come you’re not practicing?’ Or ‘How come you’re not getting the job done?’ He’s going to have those types of conversations when necessary. He works at it.
“Out of all of them, Ben is the vocal leader. He’s the one who will be the rallying point of the defense. It’s a talented defense, and they know they have a seasoned veteran in him.”
Senior running back Gage Finlay knows he can rely on Fedorchak, although they recall the early stages of their relationship were somewhat rocky after Finlay moved from New Jersey in fourth grade.
Both vividly described getting into a fight playing football at recess, with Fedorchak pushing Finlay and Finlay throwing the ball at Fedorchak.
“We actually hated each other back then,” Fedorchak said with a laugh. “But now we’re as close as can be.
“We’re both very competitive. We butted heads a lot over how competitive we were. But then we started playing together in Pop Warner, and it was like, ‘I can feed off of you and you can feed off of me.’ And that’s how it’s been ever since. We became best friends, and that’s that.”
Finlay quipped that he “couldn’t believe I was sitting in the office, about to get suspended for throwing a football at someone,” before he turned more serious.
“He’s a great leader on and off the field,” Finlay said of Fedorchak. “Outside of playing football, in the classroom, he’s helping people. I was struggling with math, and he helped me. He’s a really, really nice guy. He’s always going out of his way to help anybody.
“He holds people accountable. If somebody in practice is slacking, he’s going to be the first one to say, ‘Let’s focus. Lock in.’ He’s really football smart. I was playing a little DB, and he was helping me with the zones. He’s a linebacker, and he knows every position on the defense. Overall, just a great player, great teammate, great guy.”
Fedorchak is also a successful wrestler. Last season, he reached a semistate quarterfinal at 190 pounds but fell short of the state meet.
“Losing in the ‘blood round’ to go to state, that’s a hard loss,” he said. “But that’s what it’s about. You come back stronger. I have a great family around me — my mom (Stephanie), my sister (Audrey), my brother and my dad. They’ve all been there to pick me up when I’m down.
“The past is the past. You just have to learn from everything that happened.”
As a freshman in 2022, Fedorchak gained state-level experience in football when Valparaiso won the 5A title. He received a late-season call-up and was thrust into a backup role when teammates suffered injuries during the postseason.
Fedorchak sees parallels with this group. Under Marshall, the Vikings have won seven straight sectional titles, four regionals, two semistates and that state championship. They’ve lost to Merrillville in regionals in each of the past two seasons.
“We could go and win another state championship for Valparaiso,” Fedorchak said. “We’ve worked our butts off all offseason, and I’m 100% confident we all have the same goal, and that’s to come out with a ring at the end of the year.
“Freshmen to seniors, everybody has the same goal, and that’s to work for that person next to them and themselves and win a game. One game at a time, we’re going to make it there.”
Fedorchak made a strong first impression during Valparaiso’s scrimmage against Mishawaka last week.
“He was all over the field,” Marshall said. “Mishawaka runs that triple-option, and to have a linebacker in the middle be able to go ahead and move through blocks and get downhill and tackle at times the fullback and tackle at times the quarterback, that’s a great thing for our team when he can do those types of things.
“I know he has goals and aspirations to play big-time college football, and he’s put himself in position through the offseason, the years of experience he has, and being picked by his peers as a captain. He’s well on his way to being able to do those things.”
