September 13, 2016 at 5:09 p.m.
Defense leading Starfires this year
Rays of Insight
We’re at the mid-point of the season.
Or, at least, we’re as close to a mid-point as there is in the fall.
Some sports — particularly golf, in which the Jay County and South Adams high school girls will play in sectional tournaments this weekend — are getting to the end of their campaigns. But for most we’re somewhere around the middle.
So it seems like a good time to take a look at some of the teams that have excelled and have a great chance to continue to do so.
SA football
I have to admit, I didn’t see this one coming.
I didn’t see it before the season as the team was coming off of a 1-9 effort in 2015, and I didn’t see it after watching a 10-3 loss to Winchester in the season opener.
Then the Starfires beat Bellmont. Then they beat up on both Bluffton and Heritage.
The success has come from strong defense throughout the season — the Starfires are giving up just 8.3 points per game — and a sudden explosion in offense. They matched their 2015 touchdown total — eight — in the win against Bluffton and then put up another 34 points against Heritage after scoring just 13 points in their first two games.
FR volleyball
I was watching the Jay County High School volleyball team Thursday in their match against Woodlan.
But in between games, a tweet caught my eye. Fort Recovery had beaten St. Henry in the first game of their match. The Redskins were the Division III state runner-up a year ago, and were ranked No. 2 again this season. Winning anything against them is big.
The Indians didn’t stop at just a game. They won the match, finishing off St. Henry in four.
That’s a signature victory, especially given that Fort Recovery was 0-9 in the Midwest Athletic Conference last season while the Redskins were undefeated. It could be a sign of big things to come for the Tribe.
JC girls soccer
To say the Patriots are on a roll would be an understatement.
Since dropping its season opener to Richmond, Jay County has won six games in a row. Five of those wins have been shutouts, including each of the last four.
The team also completed its sweep to a second consecutive conference title with its 4-0 victory Saturday over South?Adams.
Teamwork has been key. Ten different players have scored for the Patriots this year, with senior Stormi Canterbury joining the list Saturday. A group mindset is just as important on the defensive end, where the back-line players and goalie must work as one in order to shut down scoring opportunities.
The focus for JCHS is to reclaim the sectional crown, which they lost last season after winning in 2013 and ’14. In the first half of the year, the team has looked primed to deliver on that goal.
Or, at least, we’re as close to a mid-point as there is in the fall.
Some sports — particularly golf, in which the Jay County and South Adams high school girls will play in sectional tournaments this weekend — are getting to the end of their campaigns. But for most we’re somewhere around the middle.
So it seems like a good time to take a look at some of the teams that have excelled and have a great chance to continue to do so.
SA football
I have to admit, I didn’t see this one coming.
I didn’t see it before the season as the team was coming off of a 1-9 effort in 2015, and I didn’t see it after watching a 10-3 loss to Winchester in the season opener.
Then the Starfires beat Bellmont. Then they beat up on both Bluffton and Heritage.
The success has come from strong defense throughout the season — the Starfires are giving up just 8.3 points per game — and a sudden explosion in offense. They matched their 2015 touchdown total — eight — in the win against Bluffton and then put up another 34 points against Heritage after scoring just 13 points in their first two games.
FR volleyball
I was watching the Jay County High School volleyball team Thursday in their match against Woodlan.
But in between games, a tweet caught my eye. Fort Recovery had beaten St. Henry in the first game of their match. The Redskins were the Division III state runner-up a year ago, and were ranked No. 2 again this season. Winning anything against them is big.
The Indians didn’t stop at just a game. They won the match, finishing off St. Henry in four.
That’s a signature victory, especially given that Fort Recovery was 0-9 in the Midwest Athletic Conference last season while the Redskins were undefeated. It could be a sign of big things to come for the Tribe.
JC girls soccer
To say the Patriots are on a roll would be an understatement.
Since dropping its season opener to Richmond, Jay County has won six games in a row. Five of those wins have been shutouts, including each of the last four.
The team also completed its sweep to a second consecutive conference title with its 4-0 victory Saturday over South?Adams.
Teamwork has been key. Ten different players have scored for the Patriots this year, with senior Stormi Canterbury joining the list Saturday. A group mindset is just as important on the defensive end, where the back-line players and goalie must work as one in order to shut down scoring opportunities.
The focus for JCHS is to reclaim the sectional crown, which they lost last season after winning in 2013 and ’14. In the first half of the year, the team has looked primed to deliver on that goal.
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