Jay opener delayed

The second coming of the Jerry Bomholt era will be put on hold.

Jay County High School athletics director Steve Boozier said in a statement late Wednesday night the scrimmage slated for tonight and the first four games of the regular season will not be played as scheduled.

“As is the case with many athletic programs across our state and nation, we are compelled to make adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Boozier said in an email shortly after 10 p.m. “In accordance with the guidance from the Jay County Health Department, all boys basketball junior varsity and varsity contests have been postponed or cancelled through Dec. 5.”

Bomholt, who coached the Patriots from 1981 to ’84 and is one win away from 550 for his career, was eager to get his second stint underway. Instead, the highly anticipated second coming of the Zorro defense will have to wait.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Bomholt, who himself was diagnosed with the disease caused by the coronavirus last month, said earlier Wednesday before Boozier’s official announcement. “Probably wouldn’t be as much if we would have had a chance (to be together) in the summer.

“That’s the frustrating thing; we don’t know how good we are. We think we are at a level now that we’re better than they were a year ago but we don’t know for sure.”

Tuesday’s season-opener at Hagerstown, a Nov. 28 contest at Richmond and the Allen County Athletic Conference opener at Woodlan on Dec. 4 are postponed, and Boozier said he is working with each of those schools to secure an alternate date.

The scrimmage against Tri this evening, as well as the Dec. 5 contest against Fort Recovery — it would have been Bomholt’s first home game — will not be rescheduled. Boozier’s statement also said he will be attempting to find a replacement for the Indians and the series between state-line rivals will be resumed next year

This marks the first time since the 2012-13 season the Patriots and Indians boys will not meet on the hardwood.

With the update, Jay County is now set to open the season Dec. 12 at home against sectional rival New Castle Trojans.

These COVID-19 changes only affect the JCHS boys basketball program. The Patriot girls are still set to host Bellmont Friday and travel to Oak Hill on Saturday. The JCHS wrestling team opens its season tonight at Hamilton Southeastern, and the swim programs begin their respective schedules Dec. 1. Gymnastics does not start until mid-January.