Size, strength return to Jay boys offense

Offensively, the Patriots are in good position to improve from where they were a year ago.

They averaged more than 46 points per game and eclipsed 50 points eight times with a season-high of 62.

Four of the top five scorers from a team that went 14-10 and won the Allen County Athletic Conference return to the Jay County High School boys basketball team, which opens its season Tuesday at Hagerstown.

“Obviously we’re only going to be better offensively at this stage of the game than we were last year,” said JCHS coach Chris Krieg, who enters his fourth year leading the boys’ program.

The offensive output begins with senior Michael Schlechty, the team’s leading scorer at 10 points per game.

Fellow post player Wyatt Geesaman was third on the team at 6.8 points per game, and those two have only added mass since they were juniors.

“Wyatt has probably picked up 30 pounds of muscle,” Krieg said. “Michael was a beast last year and he is so much stronger and bigger than last year.”

It’s that all-around size — only one player on the 10-member roster is shorter than 6 feet — and strength the Patriots hope to use on both ends of the court.

“We have gotten better defensively,” Krieg said. “We are athletic, we are long and we are a lot stronger team, more physical than we were last year.”

Ryan Schlechty, Michael’s twin brother, was fourth on the team with 6.2 points per game and was also the assists leader at 3.5 helpers per game. He’ll handle most of the point guard duties in place of Cole Stigleman (9.4 PPG, 2.2 APG).

“One of the best passers we have at Jay County in a long time,” Krieg said of Schlechty. “Very unselfish player.”

Also in line to start with Geesaman and the Schlechtys are swingman Parker Grimes (5.9 PPG) and guard Xavier Ninde.

Krieg noted Grimes, although one of the tallest players on the squad at 6 feet, 5 inches, can step out to the perimeter and shoot 3-pointers well.

“We haven’t had that in a long time and we are hoping to get that out of him this year,” he said.

Stigleman was the team’s leading shooter from outside as he had a 35 percent clip (22-of-63) from long range. Max Moser was second with eight made 3-pointers, and Holton Hill had seven.

The Schlechty twins return with the most made shots (four) from behind the arc, and Grimes finished his junior year with three.

Krieg said if the outside shot isn’t working, he’ll turn back to the bread-and-butter of Jay County basketball, working to find the easiest shot closest to the basket.

All five projected starters are seniors. Classmates Gavin Randall (guard) and Matthew Franks (forward) are bench players. Junior Gabe Link, who is coming off a broken foot during soccer season, junior forward Noah Arbuckle and sophomore Landon Grimes round out the roster.

“We have some really good kids coming back,” Krieg said.

As usual, Jay County is focusing on defense and is coming off its best year under Krieg.