Braves beat JCHS

Coming off of back-to-back shutout victories, the Patriots needed a late score Thursday to avoid a shutout defeat.

Jay County High School's boys soccer team got its only goal with just six minutes remaining in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Bellmont Braves.

"We had too many mental breakdowns," said JCHS coach Alan Bailey, noting that he feels his team did not played up to its potential Thursday or in a 4-1 loss to Blackford a week earlier. "We didn't have it from front to back. We couldn't finish when we had opportunities to finish, the defense was getting burnt on the back side. We were getting out-hustled. That's all there is too it, we just plain got out-hustled the whole game."

Both teams had opportunities in the first half - including Bellmont goalie Corey Marbach making a great sliding save to stop Brad Horn and another Patriot shot glancing off the crossbar - but nearly finished the first 40 minutes scoreless.

Bellmont finally broke through with just 2:17 remaining when Holland Herman got past Garrett Krieg on the left side. He sent a pass to Rodney Dennis, who maneuvered around Brandon Poore and shot inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.

The rest of the Braves' scoring came from sophomore forward Dan Worth.

With 11 minutes elapsed in the second half he broke through the left side of the defense and sent a toe shot inside the right post. He scored again midway through the second half when he worked around Colton Bartlett to get off an shot from 18 yards out.

"Worth is a big, strong sophomore," said Bellmont coach Bill Meyer. "Him and Hammond on top, between the two of them, and Holland Herman ... created a lot of offense for us."

Jay County (7-3) finally got going in the final 10 minutes, scoring its only goal with 5:59 on the clock. The goal came as Patrick Johnson sent a roller up the middle and Horn beat Marbach to the ball and redirected it into the net.

"We played with some urgency for a little bit, and then we were done," said Bailey. "We're still a good team, they've just got to figure it out. ... We're got the athletes to do it, we've just got to put it together."

Bellmont (4-5-2) followed the lone Patriot goal with their fourth five minutes later. Worth again got the score, finishing off a play with a tap-in goal on an assist from freshman Andy Hess.

Horn finished with five shots on goal, and Johnson added three to go along with his assist. Adam Daniels had five saves.

Bailey was complimentary of Bartlett's work on the defensive end of the field, but said his team needs to do a better job of working as a unit in order to continue to improve.

"We're young back there ... We're inexperienced, but we can play well," Bailey said. "Communication was big tonight. We had too many breakdowns. We gave them two goals just with miscommunications. That should never happen."

Jay County dropped the junior varsity match 4-0 to the Braves. Chris Stephens had 10 saves in the loss.[[In-content Ad]]