Streak stopped

Jay County found itself in an eerily similar situation.

Heritage had just scored early in the fourth quarter to get within one possession, and a penalty pinned the host Patriots deep in their zone clinging to a six-point lead.

Cole Stigleman helped put the game away.

Stigleman finished off a career night Friday by doing a majority of the work and scored the game-sealing touchdown as the Jay County High School football team capped its regular season with a 34-20 victory over the Heritage Patriots on senior night.

“Made some good cuts, did a lot of good things right tonight,” said Stigleman, who finished with a career-high 225 yards on 25 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run with 2:35 to play to seal the victory and help Jay County (3-6, 2-4 Allen County Athletic Conference) put an end to a stretch of five consecutive losses.

“(Offensive) line was obviously good tonight,” he added. “The line is very important. If you don’t get a good push instantly, if you don’t read or blocks right it’s not going to work out no matter how good the back is.”

Personal accolades aside, Stigleman was happy for the win.

“It is very good,” he said. “Getting a win before sectional is always key. It gives you confidence, especially with how we’ve played this year, going on a five (game) losing streak.”

Jay County coach Tim Millspaugh, whose team opens sectional play next week at home against the Logansport Berries (5-4), was proud of his senior running back.

“Had a great night,” he said. “He ran really hard, and the last two weeks he’s done that. I think he’s done a fantastic job. He has definitely run harder the last two weeks than I have seen him in his career. The numbers, they show.”

Millspaugh was most thankful for the way his team stayed resilient after Hunter Bradmueller scored for the second time to get Heritage (1-8, 1-5 ACAC) within six, 26-20, with 8:41 to play.

The host Patriots had a fourth-quarter lead against Bluffton on Sept. 15 but gave it away. A week ago, they led Arlington 18-12 in the final period and lost by two.

But Jay County — it claimed the “Patriot Trophy,” a rivalry trophy between the ACAC Patriot teams — let the big guys up front push around the defenders and had quarterback Holton Hill hand off or toss the ball to Stigleman to help chew clock and march down the field.

Stigleman carried the ball nine times for 47 yards on a 14-play drive that took more than six minutes off the clock. Daniel Ostrowski (negative-1 yard), Noah Hummel (19 yards) and Michael Schlechty (four yards) also ran the ball.

“The start of the fourth quarter had a very scary feel to it,” Millspaugh said. “They end up scoring after we scored … we were backed way up and that seems pretty similar to stuff we’ve done in the past.”

Jay County’s offense started slowly after jumping on a Heritage fumble on just the fourth play of the game at the opponent 47 yard line. Two plays later — after gains by Stigleman of 17 and 12 yards respectively — Jay County fumbled, and Heritage took over on its own 9.

The visiting Patriots marched down the field, covering 58 yards on 10 plays, but the 11th play sparked the home team.

Heritage quarterback Parker Tracey overthrew his intended receiver, and JCHS junior Parker Grimes intercepted the pass at his own 24-yard line and ran down the left sideline. Grimes appeared to get tackled at the 30, but instead fell on a Heritage player. Knowing he had not touched the ground, Grimes kept running and didn’t stop until he reached the end zone.

“He tackled me and I didn’t feel like I was down so I took off running,” Grimes said. “Everyone was looking at me. I didn’t hear the whistle.”

In the second quarter, the JCHS defense had a bit of a breakdown, allowing Tracey to connect with Nick Bosler between three defenders for a 34-yard touchdown. Bosler kicked the PAT for a 7-6 Heritage lead with 1:23 before halftime, but the advantage didn’t last.

Jay County used 10 plays to go 56 yards in just 1:11, and Grimes won a jump ball in the left corner of the end zone on a Hill pass for a 29-yard touchdown.

On the host team’s first drive of the second half, JCHS junior Caleb Webster slipped behind the Heritage defense and Hill hit him in stride for a 69-yard TD.

Hill completed five of his eight pass attempts for 143 yards. Webster had three catches for 111 yards.

Bradmueller reached the end zone for the first time as Heritage cut the deficit to 20-13, but Michael Schlechty plunged through the offensive line for a 1-yard score with 1:14 to play in the period to put JCHS out front, 26-13.

Bradmueller led the visiting Patriots in rushing with 129 yards on 19 carries. Tracey was 13-of-23 passing for 203 yards.

“It is huge,” Millspaugh said of the win. “There is no doubt. It has been a frustrating five weeks … Fridays were deflating … Our kids, they continued to fight. That certainly helped us get this victory.”