Patriots host Starfires in homecoming game

Jay County Patriots

Portland, 0-6 (0-3)

Coach: Tim Millspaugh, eighth

Conference: Allen County

Last week vs. Woodlan: Despite five Jay County turnovers, including three in the first half, the Patriots had a chance for a game-winning drive but came up short in a 22-20 loss to the Warriors. Quinn Faulkner had 89 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and Sheldon Eley caught a 91-yard TD pass from Sam Dunlavy, who threw for a career-high 146 yards.

Season leaders: Passing — Sam Dunlavy – 13-of-48 for 279 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Rushing — Bailey Cox – 101 carries for 513 yards and two touchdowns. Receiving — Sheldon Eley – six catches for 199 yards and one touchdown. Defense — Rylee Huftel – 40 tackles, three tackles for loss and one interception.



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South Adams Starfires

Berne, 6-0 (3-0)

Coach: Grant Moser, sixth year

Conference: Allen County

Last week vs. Adams Central: After a bit of a slow start in the first half, South Adams, which was ranked second in Class A, scored twice in the third quarter to pull away from fifth-ranked Adams Central for a 29-9 victory against the county rival. James Arnold was 19-of-30 for 264 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Christian Summersett had 107 yards and a TD on 24 touches.

Season leaders: Passing — James Arnold – 89-of-131 for 1,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. Rushing — Christian Summersett – 101 carries for 589 yards and eight touchdowns. Receiving — Drew Stutzman – 24 catches for 495 yards and seven touchdowns. Defense — Austin Gorney – 50 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.



Last season: Big plays on defense and offensive struggles after an injury led to a 42-0 Jay County loss to the South Adams Starfires. The Patriots allowed six plays of 33 or more yards, including three long-distance touchdowns (TD passes of 33 and 58 yards from James Arnold to Drew Stutzman, and a 63-yard TD pass to Aidan Wanner). Bailey Cox led JC with 78 rushing yards.

Game notes: This is the second of three straight home games for Jay County, and it is also homecoming, so kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ... Jay County and South Adams have met 11 previous times, with Jay County holding a 7-4 advantage in the series, including wins in three of the last five seasons ... South Adams climbed to the top of the Class A rankings in both the Associated Press and Indiana Football Coaches Association polls, leap-frogging 2019 state runner-up Indianapolis Lutheran. This marks the first time since the 2007 sectional opener against Bishop Dwenger that Jay County will play a top-ranked team ... The Starfires are averaging 45.2 points per game, including three nights of 55 or more points. The SAHS defense, which set a school record by allowing negative-57 rushing yards against Bluffton on Sept. 4, allows just 8.8 points per game. Jay County, which has been shut out twice, averages just seven points per game, and allows 41.3 points per game to its opponents ... John Harrell’s website predicts a 45-10 South Adams victory, while CalPreps.com favors the Starfires by more than 10 touchdowns.