JCHS trying to stay sharp

It's been a long month for the Jay County High School boys basketball team.

Eighteen days into February, the Patriots have played just once. They've had games postponed or canceled because of snow four times - against Yorktown, Irvington Christian and Delta (twice).

Assuming they get to play Friday at Union City, it will be their first time on the court in two weeks and just their second game since falling Jan. 29 to Anderson Highland.

JCHS coach Craig Teagle said Wednesday that his team is handling the situation well, but "they're disappointed. They want to play. Usually this time of year you can scale back practices a little bit ...

"It's almost like we're in preseason practices again. I think they're just a little bit stale, but their attitude has been good ...

"It's unfortunate. I feel bad for the kids. They want to play games."

Most Patriot fans likely have not seen their team play this month, as its only game came on the road at Eastbrook in the midst a snowstorm that made the crowd sparse. A visit to Yorktown the following night was called off because of snow, as was the Feb. 11 game at home against Delta.

Jay County's home games this week - Tuesday's regularly-scheduled game against Irvington Christian and Wednesday's attempt to get in the postponed Delta game - were both canceled. They will not be made up.

"Probably the biggest problem with (the players) is we keep going through scouting reports and personnel and how we're going to guard a team, and then all of a sudden we're not playing that team," said Teagle. "And the very next day you're going through (another scouting report), and then you don't play them."

In the absence of games, the Patriots have been trying to mix up their practice plans in order to keep the players fresh.

Wednesday the plan was to simulate a games as best they could, starting with pre-game warm-ups. That was followed by a scrimmage with seniors Eric Homan and Adam Daniels as captains of their respective squads.

"We want to mix it up because we know they're getting stale with all the drill work," said Teagle. "Hopefully a little live action will get their competitive juices flowing.

"It's just not the same as a game where you're playing somebody else and the personnel is different. We'll try to make it as live as possible, but it's really hard to simulate."

And with the sectional tournament just 12 days away, Jay County is trying to do some things to help them prepare for sectional rivals Marion, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne South Side, Huntington North and Homestead.

"We know sectionals are creeping up and the teams in our sectional are really athletic," said Homan. "With the speed they've got, we're throwing a couple of extra guys on the court, playing against seven or eight people, trying to simulate what it's going to be like in a game situation. Hopefully that will help us out."

Perhaps fortunately for the Patriots, who are 8-6, this situation is not entirely new.

A year ago, Jay County had its second game of the season postponed because of Bellmont's run in the state football tournament. It missed two more games because of snow in December, going three weeks between playing Dec. 13 at South Adams and Jan. 3 at home against Muncie Central.

The team had three games postponed because of snow in January, leading to a stretch in February in which it played six times in a span of just 12 days. But JCHS was at least able to reschedule all of those games, where as this season it will lose at least two.

Homan said the situation is similar to last season, but perhaps more difficult because of the timing and the relative inexperience of the 2009 squad.

"We're still trying to grow together as a team, and when you're not playing it's kind of hard," he said. "It's tough because you've got to practice and try to stay in shape ... but it's nothing compared to the game. I know once we get back out there it's going to be totally different ... You've just got to stay focused and concentrate."

Assuming the Patriots are able to play at Union City Friday night, it will kick off a run of four games in eight days. They are scheduled to play at Norwell Tuesday, the rescheduled game at Yorktown Wednesday and at home Feb. 26 against Maconaquah.

The sectional tournament at Marion begins Tuesday, March 2. The draw for the tournament is Sunday.

"(We just need to) get out there and actually compete against another team and get back into the flow," said Teagle. "It's going to be ugly the first couple of games back, but hopefully by the end of next weekend we'll get back into some sort of flow and give ourselves a chance to compete in the sectional."[[In-content Ad]]