Jay to host Starfires

Jay County Patriots­­

Portland, 7-6

Coach: Chris Krieg, third year

Conference: Allen County Athletic

Saturday vs. Heritage: Jay County gained momentum in the third quarter but it slipped away in the fourth quarter in a 45-36 loss to Heritage in the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament championship at South Adams. Michael Schlechty scored 10 of his 12 points in the third quarter but JCHS had trouble getting him the ball in the final period.

Season leaders (per game): Points — Cole Stigleman 10.7, Michael Schlechty 10.2, Ryan Schlechty 5.3. Rebounds — Wyatt Geesaman 5.3, M. Schlechty 4.0. Assists — R. Schlechty 4.2.





South Adams Starfires

Berne, 4-7

Coach: Trent Lehman, first year (seventh overall)

Conference: Allen County Athletic

Saturday vs. Southern Wells: Two players eclipsed the 20-point plateau in a 76-43 win over Southern Wells in the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament consolation game at Bluffton. Kody Fike had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds while James Arnold chipped in 21 points.

Season leaders (per game): Points — Kody Fike 12.9, James Arnold 11.0, Lars In’t Groen 10. Rebounds — Fike 6.7, In’t Groen 5.3. Assists — Arnold 3.8.



Last season: South Adams limited Jay County to just 11 points in the second half of a 37-34 win, snapping a 16-game losing streak to the Patriots. SAHS senior Marcus Teeter led all players with 18 points and Cole Stigleman had a team-high 11 points for the Patriots.



Game notes: This is the 45th meeting all time between Jay County and South Adams, with the Patriots holding a 37-7 lead. Prior to last season, South Adams last defeated Jay County on Dec. 9, 2000 ... The Patriots allow 41.38 points per game, which ranks second in Class 4A and 13th overall. They score 44.8 points per game ... South Adams averages 47.5 points per game offensively and allows 48.4 points on defense ... Jay County’s Sagarin rating comes in at 62.89 (211th overall) while South Adams’ is 52.63 (309th overall) ... John Harrell’s website predicts Jay County to win, 51-39.