Patriots run it in for the win

HARTFORD CITY — The decision to go for it was easy.

The hardest decision was what play to run.

Michael Schlechty took a handoff from Parker Grimes and bruised his way through the center of the line of scrimmage and fell toward the goal line.

After discussion, and hearing pleas from both the Patriots and Bruins, the officials made their call. 

Good.

Schlechty’s go-ahead two-point conversion with 32.6 seconds remaining followed up his 5-yard touchdown run and proved to be the dagger for the Blackford Bruins on Friday as the Jay County High School football team escaped with a 22-21 victory.

“We were thinking about running Green Quick, or anything to try to get outside,” said Schlechty, who finished with 62 yards on eight carries. “Also talked about pounding it up the middle.”

The offensive line wanted the latter. So too, did Schlechty, who bruised through the Bruin defense for 40 yards on three carries and an 8-yard screen pass from Grimes on the Patriots’ nine-play scoring drive.

Jay County coach Tim Millspaugh, rather than calling a play in their offense, drew one up — have the line push forward, give Schlechty the ball and never stop chugging.

“To win the game, you’re on the 3-yard line, 6-2, 246 (pounds) that moves well, feed that dude,” said Millspaugh, whose team has won 10 consecutive games against the Bruins (0-1) and hosts Huntington North on Friday. “Even if they would have ruled that he didn’t get in, I’d take my chance with that kid every time.”

To add to the suspense, on the ensuing kickoff, Blackford’s Isaac Justice bobbled the ball, and it appeared as if Jay County jumped on the loose ball. Officials said the Bruins recovered it at their own 28, forced to go 72 yards in just 24.1 seconds.

Four consecutive passes from Caleb Mealy fell incomplete, and Grimes took a knee as the Patriots moved to 1-0 for the second year in a row.

“Our senior class, we’ll go as they go,” Millspaugh said. “Tonight was a team win. We knew this football team was really good. They’ve made some great strides.

“To be down 21-14 and have to drive the field to win it then go for two, that’s not easy. We didn’t give up. We continued to fight even when it is tough.

“There is life lessons there. I’m really proud of our team.”

Blackford struck first, taking more than seven minutes off the clock as the Wing-T offense used a 13-play drive, capped by a Justice 1-yard run to put the Bruins on top.

Just before half, JCHS senior Trey Castillo scored his first career touchdown as he broke through the left side of the line on a sweep for a 34-yard score. The point after failed, and the Patriots went into half trailing 7-6.

Melvin Hernandez scored just past the midway point of the third quarter, extending Blackford’s lead to 14-6.

But just five seconds into the fourth quarter, Castillo scored again, this time on an 8-yard sweep to the right.

“He is a fantastic player,” Schlechty said of his classmate. Castillo also finished with 62 yards. “He is very quick.”

Castillo saw limited action as a junior, spending most of his time spelling defensive backs. He did not tally a carry until Friday.

“Trey Castillo is one of those seniors we knew going in was going to have to be a dude for us,” Millspaugh said.