Teams off to great starts

Boys basketball is in the spotlight.
The Jay County High School boys team is looking for its 11th straight winning season. And after an impressive finish to 2010-11, including the first Class 4A sectional title in school history, the Patriots have high hopes for the tournament.
Fort Recovery’s boys are also setting some impressive goals (see related story) as they return four of five starters. The Indians are just two years removed from reaching the state’s final eight, and falling just short of a trip to the state finals with an overtime loss to eventual state champion Jefferson Township.
But other teams at our area schools have also gotten off to hot starts.

The Jay County …
… girls basketball team has bounced back from an opening loss to Fort Wayne Southside to win five straight games.
Four of those victories came on the road, and three of them could have easily gone the other way.
The Patriots (5-1) knocked off Bellmont in overtime, and a night later rallied from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Winchester 43-34. In their return home Friday, they trailed by three at the half before eking out a 35-32 victory over Marion.
It’s those close games that can swing a season, and those victories have JCHS well on its way to its 11th winning campaign in a row.
The Patriots will face their most difficult challenge since the season opener tonight when it host Class 3A No. 5 Concordia (3-1).

With 15 athletes …
… the South Adams High School girls swim program is a bit short on numbers. But that hasn’t slowed the Starfires down.
With Tuesday’s 49-point victory over conference rival Adams Central, SAHS ran its record to 3-0.
Freshman Cady Farlow has led the Starfires to their quick start, opening her season with wins in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 individual medley at the Norwell Invitational. She has had two individual victories in every meet thus far.
Kara DeLong, a junior, has been the other leader for South Adams after winning the 100 backstroke at the Norwell Invitational.
The Starfires seem headed for a winning record, and with more than half the roster made up a freshmen their future looks bright.
The Patriot girls …
… swim team has also gotten off to an impressive start.
Coach Matt Slavik said Tuesday his team had questioned him for his yearly declaration that his current squad is the strongest he has coached. But so far, this year’s squad has backed him up.
Jay County opened its season with an impressive victory, taking the Norwell Invitational by more than 50 points. Since then, the team has won four straight dual meets including Tuesday’s 193-116 destruction of Bluffton.
The Patriots have a good mix of experience and youth, led by senior and two-time state qualifier Mary Hudson. She has been to the state finals in the 100 breaststroke in each of the last two years, and was also part of the 200 freestyle relay team that qualified for the state finals last season.
Four seniors — Eme Miller, Laura Bowen, Marissa Murrell and Jocelyn Mann — join her in a lineup that is also getting a major contribution from freshman Katy Smeltzer. She was the team’s lone winner at the Norwell Invitational, taking the 100 butterfly.
The Patriots have a real chance to break the school record for wins set with a 12-3-1 mark last season, and are hoping to challenge Muncie Central for the sectional title.[[In-content Ad]]