Web exclusive: Team earned finals berth

Editor’s note: Over the last few months, we have run brief looks back at the 2005-06 season that the Jay County High School boys basketball team capped with a run to the Class 3A state championship game. Those culminated with a recap of the sectional final last week. In this web exclusive, we're reprinting the March 20, 2006, column about the semi-state title.
You look at the roster and ask, “Who scares you?”
You look at their statistics and wonder how they keep winning.
Opposing teams walk off the floor, trying to figure out how they just lost.
But for those of us who have watched this team all season, the answers are abundantly clear. The Jay County Patriots are going to state for good reason.
“It’s been like that all year,” said JCHS coach Craig Teagle, whose team beat seventh-ranked Plymouth 53-52 in overtime at the Lafayette semi-state Saturday for a berth in the Class 3A state title game. “We’ve had six leading scorers on the year during games. You just never know who is going to step up. That’s why this is a true team.
“I’m just so proud of the kids. I mean, they’ve worked so hard to get to this position, this situation. I’m just proud of them. The just fight and battle. They’re just a great group to coach. I’m lucky.”
They’re going to state because of Teagle and his coaching staff, preparing the players with endless time and precision.
They’re going because of the many players who have been there in practice every day since the regular-season ended Feb. 24, but have never made it on the floor.
They’re going because of freshman Billy Wellman, seeing spot action and giving the elder players spurts of much-needed rest.
They’re going because sophomore point guard Luke Goetz has scored seven points in the regional and semi-state tournament games without missing a shot.
They’re going because of senior Randy Evans, who has found his resurgence in the last two games. He rallied the Patriots back in the regional championship against Wawasee, and hit all three of his attempts — all 3-pointers — versus Plymouth.
They’re going because sophomore Clint Muhlenkamp grabbed a rebound in the fourth quarter, scored and was fouled. A 61 percent free-throw shooter for the season, he rattled in the biggest shot of his life to give Jay County its first lead since the opening half.
They’re going because of the toughness of senior John Retter, who led the team in rebounding Saturday and hit three big free throws in overtime.
They’re going because juniors Scott “Scooter” Bruggeman and Corey Comer have taken their play to new levels in the tournament. They both got in foul trouble in the first half against Plymouth, but were strong in the second half and overtime in the comeback win.
They’re going because of the unwavering leadership of seniors Tyler Rigby and Zac Green, either of whom could win the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude award.
And they’re going because their leading scorer in the semi-state, Rigby, had 10 points. Because Evans, Retter, Green, Muhlenkamp and Goetz went 8-for-8 from the field for their 26 points. Because no single star could trump their team.
No play showed it more than the last.
On the final play, Teagle wanted the ball in Rigby’s hands. He wanted the senior and leading scorer to control the team’s fate.
When Rigby got the ball, with less than 10 seconds to go, he didn’t have an open look at the basket. He could have just fired up a shot anyway, as so many players would, but he didn’t. He drew the defense, shot-faked and found Comer open in the lane.
Comer turned, shot, scored, then showed why, once again, this team will be playing for the state championship this weekend. It was not “I.” It was “we.”
“We were supposed to hold it so we could get the last shot,” he said. “We wanted to go for the win. ... We got the shot. We made it. That’s the game.”