Jay County boys to be more balanced

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A year ago the Patriots were relatively easy to defend.

Jay Houck, who finished his career third on the program’s career scoring list, and classmate Jason Schlosser combined to average nearly 30 points per game.

They accounted for almost 60 percent of the team’s offense.

This year, the Jay County High School basketball team is more balanced, and the Patriots hope it will work to their benefit.

“It’s huge,” said JCHS coach Chris Krieg, whose team opens its season Tuesday at home against Hagerstown. “It’s easy to defend against one or two scorers. When you’ve got five, that makes it a little more difficult. We’re going to hopefully use it to our advantage.”

Cole Stigleman, a senior, returns as the team’s leading scorer having averaged 7.8 points per game. Entering his fourth year on varsity, the 6-footer will be tasked with facilitating the offense as the point guard.

“The floor leader, quick, athletic, understands the game,” Krieg said.

Junior twins Ryan and Michael Schlechty averaged 3.3 and 2.8 points respectively. They’re also in line to start with Stigleman. Ryan is a 6-foot, 2-inch, guard while Michael is a forward at 6 feet, 3 inches.

Max Moser, a 6-foot, 1-inch, senior, and 6-foot, 5-inch, junior Parker Grimes will also be in the starting lineup for the Patriots, who are coming off a year in which they were 13-10 and 3-3 in Allen County Athletic Conference play.

“Max is a kid that works extremely hard and has improved his game a ton,” said Krieg, whose team finished with a winning record for the 15th consecutive season last year. “Another leader on the floor. Has a knack for being around the basketball at the right time.”

While listed as a forward, Grimes has the ability to shoot from long range.

Senior Holton Hill can sub in at either guard position and has no trouble leading the offense on the basketball court as he did as the football team’s quarterback.

“Holton Hill might be the smartest kid I’ve ever been around as far as understanding the game.” Krieg said. “He’s going to be the guy I talk to on the floor. His leadership will be phenomenal.”

Also in the mix to come off the bench are 6-foot, 5-inch, junior forward Wyatt Geesaman (2.5 PPG) and guards Jordan Stutlz (senior) and Xavier Ninde (junior).

“Offensively, I can see seven kids scoring eight points a game,” Krieg said. “I think you’re going to see a lot of mixing and matching night in and night out. There’s not going to be one star leading us in scoring.”

And it’ll be the play of the guards which will be of the utmost importance.

“We handle the ball well,” Krieg said. “Pressure does not concern me to date. It didn’t concern me this summer when we played

“Teams that are going to press us, I think it is going to work to our advantage because we can get the ball down the floor.”

Last season the Patriots were defending ACAC tournament champions, but bowed out in the first round to Heritage, which lost to Woodlan in the title game.

“You just have to take every game serious and I think we took Heritage, we kind of looked past them thinking we were going to get to (the championship),” Krieg said. “Obviously you have to win game one to get to game three. We’re not going to take anyone lightly this year.

“The kids are very mentally tough compared to last year’s group. They want a piece of that conference.”

Jay County opens conference play early — its third game of the year against Woodlan at home on Dec. 1. Then it doesn’t meet another conference foe in more than a month as it plays Adams Central in Monroe on Jan. 6, three days before the ACAC tournament begins. The Patriots have home conference games against South Adams (Jan. 19), Southern Wells (Feb. 1) and Heritage (Feb. 9), and meets Bluffton (Jan. 26) on the road.

As the only Jay County team to remain Class 4A, the Patriots’ sectional didn’t change too much. It added Columbia City, and Huntington North will once again host.

Homestead has won five straight sectional crowns, and that stretch includes a run to the state championship in 2015. But with J.J. Foster leaving Bishop Luers to lead Fort Wayne South Side, Krieg said the Archers and Summit Athletic Conference rival Wayne are the favorites.

The seven-team field also includes Muncie Central, which is under the direction of first-year coach Chandler Thompson and lost to Homestead in the sectional final each of the last two years.

“Sectional is going to be tough this year depending on the draw,” he said.