Zorro gets 550

PONETO — Bennett Weitzel had a career night.

So too did the ol’ ball coach.

Zorro is officially back in Portland.

Legendary coach Jerry Bomholt’s trademark zone defense kept a high-scoring Southern Wells squad in check.

At the other end, Weitzel had the best game of his short career as Bomholt earned his 550th career victory Tuesday with the Jay County High School boys basketball team’s 51-28 win over the host Raiders in Bomholt’s long-awaited return to Portland.

“Well, 550 isn’t nearly as important as the No. 1 victory for these kids that have worked their tails off,” said Bomholt, trying to deflect the gravity of the victory. In his 40th year of coaching, Bomholt is just the 21st coach in the history of the state to reach 550 career wins. This was his first game leading the Patriots since he left following the 1983-84 season.

“That’s far more important to me than that other milestone,” he continued. “It feels good. It feels good to be back (at Jay County). It feels like we’re home again and I just love these kids so much. They just played so hard for us tonight.”

Bomholt showed that love to Weitzel, kissing him on the cheek — through his mask — after the sophomore forward commented on how much he enjoys playing for his second coach in as many years.

“It’s really special,” Weitzel said of being a big part in Bomholt’s milestone win. “He’s a really good coach. I see the impact already and we’ve only been with him for officially two weeks. It’s just crazy how much a season can change.”

Weitzel and the Patriots (1-0, 1-0 Allen County Athletic Conference), who had their first three games of the season postponed and another canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, asserted their dominance over the Raiders (0-4, 0-1 ACAC) from the early going.

Weitzel converted an Ethan Dirksen assist for the Patriots’ first points of the season, and after Dirksen assisted on a Gavin Muhlenkamp basket, Weitzel put back a Muhlenkamp missed 3-pointer. It completed a 6-0 Jay County run following a Raider triple to begin the game.

Later in the opening period, Weitzel banked a 3-pointer from near the left corner as he scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the first period.

Jay County, which had a 9-0 run in the second quarter, went into half leading 32-22 and holding Southern Wells to just 7-of-21 (33.3%) shooting from the field. Because of the Patriots’ length — Weitzel and classmate Dusty Pearson both stand 6-feet, 5-inches tall — the Raiders had very few inside chances. Southern Wells took just six 2-point field goals and only made one of them.

And after intermission, things only got worse for the home team.

Southern Wells attempted just eight shots and missed all of them in the third quarter as their 10-point deficit ballooned into 43-22 hole. The Raiders went nearly 12 minutes without a point in the second half, and their only field goal after intermission came with 31 seconds to play on a steal and a fast break.

The Raiders ended the night 6-of-25 (24.5%) from beyond the arc, and 2-of-12 in front if it. Branson Rheinhart, who led Southern Wells with 11 points, nearly eight fewer points than his season average (18.7) entering the night. Will Rickerd was far off his average of 18 points as he only had a pair of free throws in the second quarter.

“We were amazing,” Weitzel said. “I mean obviously it’s the first game. We were getting used to it in the first half. But the third quarter we just amped it up. I mean, no scoring in a quarter looks pretty big.”

Weitzel made his first six shots of the night. His first bucket of the second quarter tied his previous career high of 11 points set in a 42-38 loss to Woodlan on Dec. 6, 2019, and then he set a new best mark just before halftime.

Weitzel also hauled in 11 rebounds for his first double-double.

“It’s all the team,” he said. “I didn’t do anything myself. It was dump-down passes wide open. Ethan Dirksen assists all day. I mean, I can’t claim any of it. It was my team.”

Dirksen, who made nine of his 13 free throws and also had six assists, complemented Weitzel with his own double-double (19 points, 14 rebounds).

“Man I’m so proud of these kids because they have worked hard,” Bomholt said. “The big thing I keep hearing form everybody was what a change in their bodies and how much stronger, physically we are and that’s due to all the hard work in the weight room.”



Junior varsity

Within striking distance after the first half, Jay County gave up 20 points in the third quarter of a 59-45 loss to Southern Wells.

The Patriots (0-1) trailed by five points, 15-10, at the end of the first quarter and the margin was the same (24-19) at intermission. But the Raiders used a barrage of 3-pointers for after halftime to bury the visitors.

Gavin Myers led Jay County with 12 points, and Blake Bogenschutz joined him in double figures with 10 points. Brady Davis chipped in nine points.

Brandon Kirtley made five triples on his way to a game-high 17 points for Southern Wells.



C-team

Parker Nichols had 10 points and Liam Garringer added nine in leading Jay County to a 33-21 win over Southern Wells.

The Patriots (2-0) led 9-6 at the end of the first and by just one, 13-12, at halftime. The lead turned into six points, 22-16, after three quarters of play.

Wes Bihn chipped in seven points, while Nichols also paced the team with four rebounds and three assists.