Perfect seasons could be in play

Undefeated.
The goal of finishing a season without a loss is a lofty one. But early on, three area teams have unblemished records.
The Jay County and Fort Recovery high school boys basketball teams have each won their first four games, mostly by wide margins. And the JCHS girls swim team is also unbeaten heading into this weekend’s Connersville Invitational.
The Patriot boys basketball team is off to yet another strong start with the opportunity to open 5-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons with a victory at home Friday over Muncie Southside. Its longest winning streak to open a season came in 2008-09, when it ran off eight straight victories before falling by five to a state-ranked Winchester squad.
Jay County has been the most dominant team in Class 4A so far this season with an average margin of victory of 33.3. It has won each of its four games by at least 19 points, and set a school record with Saturday’s 50-point win over South Adams.
Coach Craig Teagle’s squad has been especially efficient, shooting 59 percent or better in every game and hitting for better than 70 percent twice. The Patriots are shooting 68 percent for the season and averaging 70.5 points per game.
Jay County will be tested over the next several weeks as it plays host to both Muncie schools — Southside Friday and Central Tuesday — and then battles with three top-10 Class 4A teams Dec. 28 at the Hall of Fame Classic.
Fort Recovery’s boys have ridden their top two players to their early success, which included a 62-point blowout of Ansonia on Saturday.
Senior Wade Gelhaus, who is fewer than 50 points away from breaking the 1,000-point mark for his career, is averaging 28.5 points per game. The defending Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year scored 39 points to lead the Indians to their 64-56 win over Greenville and is shooting 55 percent for the year.
Elijah Kahlig, a junior, has picked up his scoring as well. After averaging 10.3 points per game a year ago, he is up to 17.8 this season. He’s also second on the team behind Gelhaus in rebounds with six per game.
Like Jay County, the Indians will face some of their most difficult challenges at invitationals. They will take part in the GMC Shootout in Kettering Dec. 29 before opening conference play, and then will play in the Flyin’ to the Hoop Invitational on Jan. 21.
Fort Recovery also has Feb. 15 highlighted on it’s calendar. That’s the day it will play the St. Henry Redskins, who handed the Tribe two of its three losses a year ago.
Jay County’s girls swimmers are deeper into their season than either of the basketball teams, having opened several weeks earlier with a win at the Norwell Invitational on Nov. 10. Since then they have run off eight straight victories, including a two-point win over Oak Hill.
The Patriots been a record-breaking machine thus far, having erased nearly half of the school’s records. Freshmen Anne Vormohr and Sophie Bader have claimed two individual records apiece — Vormohr in the 100-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke and Bader in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. They have also teamed with junior Caitlin Mark and sophomore Katy Smeltzer to set new standards in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
JCHS knows its biggest challenge of the season will come Jan. 15 when it visits the defending sectional champion Muncie Central Bearcats. The meet will serve not only as an obstacle toward a potentially-perfect season, but also as an opportunity for the Patriots to show they are ready to earn a sectional title. They have finished as sectional runners-up six times, including each of the last two seasons, but have never won the championship.
It’s still far too early to predict that any of the above teams will stay unbeaten throughout the year. But even the opportunity to go undefeated is special.


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