Patriots primed for big winter

The winter season should be a lot of fun for Jay County.
The Patriot girls basketball team opened the season this week as it chases its 12th straight winning season, and each Jay County High School team has reason to be excited.
The Patriot boys basketball team returns its entire starting lineup from a squad that was 18-4 a year ago. Brock McFarland, who will play next season at Grace College, and Kegan Comer (St. Francis) return after averaging 14 and 13 points per game respectively a year ago.
The girls swim team may well be the best in school history with freshmen cousins Anne Vormohr and Sophie Bader entering the fold to lead a fast, deep squad. The Patriots, who also bring back sophomore Katy Smeltzer and junior Caitlyn Mark, will be seeking their first sectional title in school history.
Jay County’s wrestling team returns junior Eric Hemmelgarn, who stunned the high school wrestling world with his run to a third-place finish in the heavyweight division at the state finals. He’ll be among the preseason favorites to win the state championship this year.
Katie Snyder returns to the gymnastics team after narrowly missing a state medal on the vault last season with a seventh-place finish. She is a two-time state qualifier and also continues to chase Danae Klatt’s school record on the vault.
And for the boys swim team, sophomore James Keen will be on a mission to earn a state berth after falling just short as a freshman. He finished second in the sectional a year ago in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200 individual medley.
Of course, preseason hype doesn’t matter once the real games, meets and matches begin.
But the Patriots are primed for a big season.

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