Patriot boys drop to Class 3A

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots are finally back in Class 3A.

After more than a decade in the state’s biggest class, the Jay County High School boys basketball team will return to Class 3A for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the IHSAA announced this afternoon.

The JCHS boys basketball team was the lone Patriot team to remain Class 4A for the two-year cycle which ends this summer.

Based on enrollment figures submitted to the IHSAA in the fall, the number of students at Jay County dipped into three digits — 987 from 1,060 two years ago — for the first time in history.

For the last two years, Jay County was the 100th largest school out of 101 to be designated in Class 4A. Only Columbia City, a sectional rival with 1,056 students, was smaller.

Jay County’s enrollment of 987 makes it the 107th largest school in the state, and seventh in Class 3A. Culver Academies, with 845 students, was moved up to Class 4A because of the tournament success factor.

The Class 3A schools with a higher enrollment than Jay County are Kankakee Valley (1,041), Connersville (1,028), Shortridge (1,027), Northview (1,016), Bishop Dwenger (1,015), and South Bend Clay (988).

Since moving up to Class 4A before the 2007-08 season, Jay County has posted an overall record of 184-88, including the a sectional title in 2011.

The Patriots were 6-12 in postseason play as a Class 4A school. They lost their first sectional game eight times, including each of the last four years and six of the last seven.

Sectional alignments for the 2019-20 season are expected to be released later this month.

Jay County’s girls team remains Class 3A, while both basketball programs for South Adams stay Class 2A.