Fourth downed

LAPEL — The Patriot defense was stout during the first half in the midst of pouring rain and high winds.

It came up with a couple big stops, both inside the red zone, and the visitors only trailed 14-0 at halftime.

After the deficit was trimmed to one score, the magic was gone.

The Jay County High School football team surrendered two fourth-quarter touchdowns and had its offense stall after ending the shutout in a 28-6 loss to the Lapel Bulldogs on Friday at The Boneyard.

“I was very proud of our defense,” said JCHS coach Tim Millspaugh, whose team falls to a program-worst 0-8 on the season. “There was one thing … that I was upset with, that last drive letting that thing get in there.

“They ran inside zone virtually the entire way down. That’s the heart of your defense and in the fourth quarter we cannot allow that to happen.”

Jay County punted to Lapel (5-3) three plays into the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs took over at their own 47-yard line.

Josiah Scott, who was limited this week in practice because of an ankle injury and was used sparingly during the first half, ran the ball on every play of the Bulldog drive. Aided by a 5-yard facemask penalty, he covered the 53 yards and capped the scoring drive with a touchdown around the right side from the 6-yard line to give Lapel a 20-6 lead less than three minutes into the final period.

Following an interception from Eli Michalek at the Lapel 45, the Bulldogs marched 55 yards for insurance points, a 25-yard Scott touchdown.

“He finally got in that groove and when he gets those legs moving he’s hard to bring down,” said Lapel coach Tim Miller.

Jay County’s only scoring drive came on the first drive of the second half. Through heavier rain than at the start of the game, the Patriots marched 53 yards, keyed by a long run from Rylee Huftel.

The junior finished with 94 yards on 11 carries, and he set up Bailey Cox’s 5-yard touchdown run up the gut midway through the third quarter.

“Offensively in the second half I was proud of how we were able to run the ball,” Millspaugh said. “I thought (the offensive line) did a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage on those drives.”

Lapel, which saw its comeback bid against No. 5 Heritage Christian come up short last week in a 36-35 loss, had its opening drive stall at the Jay County 2-yard line.

The Patriots went three-and-out, and Lapel backup quarterback Brennen Stow threw the ball — starter Cole Alexander was out with a shoulder injury to his non-throwing arm — on the next possession in spite of the conditions.

He connected with Charlie Prough for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Mitchell Wilbur’s 2-point conversion run made it 8-0.

Jarod Roundtree blocked a Sheldon Eley punt on the Patriots’ ensuing possession and the Bulldogs took over on the JCHS 26. They went nowhere for three plays, and Jay County stopped a fourth-and-10 pass one yard short to force a turnover on downs.

But Eley lost the football on a sack-fumble on the next Patriot drive, and Lapel jumped on the loose ball inside the 10-yard line.

Penalties pushed the Bulldogs back to the 14, and Stow found Prough again for a touchdown.

“We’ve been blessed to have a succession of quarterbacks,” Miller said. “I thought Brennen came in and played really well. Completed passes in very, very tough conditions. Couldn’t be happier with him.

“Obviously we’re not ecstatic about weather like this with the way we like to play but I thought kids stepped up and played well tonight.”

Jay County returns home Friday to host the Heritage Patriots — they lost to Southern Wells 38-21 Friday — in a battle for the Patriot Trophy on senior night in the final game of the regular season.

(The sectional tournament draw is 5 p.m. Sunday).

The Patriots will be looking to end a nine-game losing streak and prevent the first winless season in program history.

“One thing I’m really proud of these kids about, I do feel like we continue to get better each and every week,” Millspaugh said. “When you don’t get rewarded with a win at the end, that’s hard to put your best foot forward in practice and in the game the next week.

“I don’t feel like they have pulled back on that at all.”