Patriots seek 10th straight winning season

When the Patriots walk out onto the practice court every day, they are working toward many goals. A reminder of one is written all over them.
Each player has the number “10” on his shorts, representing what the Jay County High School boys basketball team hopes will be a 10th consecutive winning season.
“I think that’s a good, legitimate goal,” said JCHS coach Craig Teagle, whose team got a win in its final regular season game last season to keep the streak alive as it finished at 10-9. “We’ve had a lot of success the last nine years and I’d like to continue that.”
The Patriots, who open their season at home Saturday against Lakewood Park Christian, will try to achieve that goal with a team that is younger, but still has more experience returning than it did last season.
A year ago Jay County had four seniors, but only one returning varsity player. The 2010-11 version of the Patriots has three returning varsity players, but two of them, and more than half of the players on the squad, are sophomores.
Garrett Krieg is the only returning varsity upperclassmen on a team that includes two seniors, two juniors and six sophomores, including returning varsity players Brock McFarland and Kegan Comer.
Krieg ran the point last season and led the squad with 47 assists, but will move to the shooting guard spot this year as Comer takes over the point. He is also the returning leader in 3-pointers with 15.
“I think he’ll have a really good season,” said Teagle. “He shot the three well all summer for us. He’s always been a pretty decent shooter, but he’s always been on the point.
“And our point guard needs to distribute the ball, get the ball in to people in scoring opportunities. So he’s not going to get as many shots usually.
“Garrett is our best outside shooter. He consistently can hit the three. … I just think we’re better as a team if he’s off the point.”
McFarland was a starter from the get-go as a freshman and is the team’s returning leader in scoring (7.4 points per game), rebounding (3.5 per game), steals (29), field-goal percentage (54) and blocks (seven).
Comer opened his high school career on the junior varsity squad, but didn’t stay there long. He played in every varsity game and was a starter in the second half of the season.
“At point, (Comer) gives us a little more size than we’ve had,” said Teagle. “He’s able to see over the defense.
“He’s a lefty, which a lot of times is hard for people to guard. He’s improved his shot a ton. … He’s really good in the open floor …
“Brock has really good basketball skills and tools. He’s strong. He’s a very good offensive player. He can get to the hole.”
Surrounding that returning trio will be senior Drew Houck, juniors Austin Cowan and Stephen Scott and sophomores Scott Scwieterman, Tyler Back, Cade Price and Alex Dunn.
Scwieterman (6-feet-5-inches), Back (6-3) and Scott (6-4) give the team more collective size than it has had in several years The team’s tallest player last year was Eric Homan at 6-2.
“It’ll be a little different because I’m a huge five-man motion guy,” said Teagle. “I love spacing on the floor. It gives you driving lanes. It just creates opportunities.
“Now we’ve got a couple of people who are going to play back to the basket. That will clog up some of the things we try to do offensively, but I think also it gives us some things we haven’t had in the past.”
Perhaps most importantly, it gives the Patriots a chance to feed the post and get easy baskets. He said he wants to see both Schwieterman and Back develop the ability to put people on their back in the post and bury them underneath the basket.
Teagle, who is in his 13th season at JCHS, said he also hopes his big men will help pull down more offensive rebounds. JCHS averaged 6.4 per game on the offensive glass last season.
In addition to the goal of extending the streak of winning seasons to a decade, Teagle said it is time for his squad to compete for a sectional title in Class 4A. The Patriots reached the sectional championship in Class 4A in 2008 before losing a hard-fought game to a state ranked Marion squad, but have been knocked out in their opening game each of the last two years.
“That’s where we’re going to be, and we’ve got to compete and get ourselves in position to win,” said Teagle, whose team lost in overtime last season to eventual champion Fort Wayne North Side. “It is tough … but that’s got to be a goal.
“When you go to the 4A sectional … you’ve got to control tempo. You have to dictate possessions. And you’ve got to take care of the basketball. Then you have a chance to win those games.”
With such a young team, Teagle said, a key to success in the tournament and throughout the year will be chemistry and mental toughness.
“We have some players who have good skill sets,” he said, “but ability determines capability; attitude dictates performance.
“It takes mental toughness to fight through things when they’re not going well. That’s when you’ve got to fight harder. You can’t give up. That’s when you’ve got to encourage your teammates and be positive.”[[In-content Ad]]