MISTER 300

There was a brief mention from public address announcer Barry Weaver. And there were a few congratulatory handshakes.
But for the most part Craig Teagle walked off the court just like he does after every other game, treating Friday’s victory as if it was just a normal win.
It was anything but.
The Jay County players honored Teagle by presenting him with the game ball in the locker room after the coach earned his 300th career win as his Patriots pulled away from the visiting Winchester Golden Falcons in the fourth quarter for a 49-35 victory.
“Really, it feels like very other one,” said Teagle, downplaying the accomplishment. “Every game you go into you want to find a way for the kids to be successful and win. … We’re going to prepare tonight to play tomorrow night and get ready for the next one.
“I’m thankful that I’ve been around a lot of really good kids, good players, really good staffs, administration. We’ve had a lot of support from the community. I feel pretty fortunate being in this situation.”
Teagle became the 36th active coach to reach the 300-win mark, and nearly 75 percent of those victories have come at Jay County. He has a 224-126 record with the Patriots and is in the midst of a streak of 12 straight winning seasons.
He led JCHS to its deepest tournament run in school history, taking the 2005-06 team to the Class 3A state championship game. Jay County Chamber of Commerce honored him as its Citizen of the Year in 2006.
Teagle was also selected to coach the Indiana Senior All-Star Team in 2012, leading a team that included Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), Gary Harris (Michigan State) and Glenn Robinson II (Michigan) to a perfect 4-0 record.
“He always has his kids competitive,” said Winchester coach Rick Owens. “They’re so sound fundamentally that they just don’t beat themselves.
“You know if you’re going to battle them, it’s going to be tough. …
“He’s going to have them prepared. He just does a really good job.”
Friday’s game was close most of the way, with Winchester (7-5) leading early in the third quarter and still trailing by just two points in the final minute of the period. But a Zane Shreve hoop pushed the lead to four and then Trey Teagle made a play to set the tone for the final eight minutes.
The senior guard and coach’s son grabbed the rebound off of a Winchester miss and zoomed back down the floor. He drove straight into the lane, laying a shot off the glass and in as time expired.
A Zach Fullenkamp bucket underneath and a Jake Schlosser 3-pointer from the left wing off an assist from Kyle Selvey to start the final period pushed the lead to double figures. That advantage never slipped to fewer than six the rest of the way, and the Patriots (5-4) closed on a 7-0 run for the final margin.
Teagle led the way, scoring a game-high 14 points while also grabbing a team-best seven rebounds.
“It feels good,” said Trey Teagle of being able to be part of his dad’s milestone win. “It was pretty cool. Not a lot of people get to do that. It’s been pretty fun. It’s special.”
Schlosser, who presented Craig Teagle with the game ball, added 10 points and five rebounds.
Freshman Jay Houck added seven points off the bench, including a pair of put-back baskets moments after he entered the game in the second quarter.
Turnovers were key for both teams, with Winchester taking the lead late in the opening half with a 10-2 run when JCHS gave the ball away on three out of four possessions.
But Jay County took the lead back thanks to four free throws late in the first half, and sealed the game at the line by going 5-for-5 in the final 42 seconds. It finished 12-of-13 from the line for the game while Winchester never attempted a free throw.
“We have not shot free throws great all year,” said Teagle. “We’ve been 67 percent for the year, so that’s more like it. That’s how you finish a game.”
Kiante Enis scored 10 of his team-high 12 points for the Golden Falcons in the third quarter. He also had eight rebounds. Jordan Mills added 11 points, nine of which came from long distance.
“It was kind of a strange game,” said Winchester coach Rick Owens in reference to the turnover spurts, “but that’s kind of the way they make you play. They’re so patient. And they’re strong mentally. You have to match that intensity, and at times we broke down and didn’t. …
“We had some positives, but not enough tonight.”

Junior varsity
Jay County dominated the first half and kept the Golden Falcons at bay in the second as they continued their unbeaten streak with a 40-26 victory.
The Patriots (9-0) limited Winchester to just five first-half points as they built a 28-point lead. They stayed perfect on the year with a double-digit win despite scoring just two points in the final period.
Adam Dirksen hit a pair of 3-pointers and led the way for JCHS with 10 points. His brother, Justin, added seven points, and Ryan Burkett and Nate Brackman each added five.
Michael Georgi and Elliott Waber paced the Golden Falcons with five points apiece.[[In-content Ad]]