Jay rallies past Delta

The Patriots fell behind twice, but they never gave up.
Jay County High School’s boys soccer team overcame two one-goal deficits Thursday to pick up its first win of the season.
“It’s been a rough week for us,” said senior captain Alex Abbott, who scored two goals and assisted on another in the Patriots’ 4-3 win over the sectional rival Delta Eagles. “We’ve been working hard together. Some games it just isn’t our game. When we work together we’re going to get good things out of it.”
JCHS coach Alan Bailey praised the Patriots for their efforts despite Delta taking a 2-1 lead early in the second half.
“I’m glad that they didn’t drop their heads,” said Bailey, whose team improved to 1-3-1 on the season. “I’m glad to see the kids get (the win).”
Delta (1-4-1) took its second lead of the game in the first minute of the second half when Alec Lynn found an opening in the top right corner past a sliding Zach Chaney.
But Lynn’s go-ahead score didn’t give Delta the lead for long, as the Patriots tallied three straight goals.
Jared Schlosser found twine for his fourth goal of the season in the 45th minute, heading a ball past Delta goalkeeper Josh Rawls from 8 yards out on a corner kick from Abbott.
Then, Abbott gave Jay County a 3-2 lead seven minutes later when he placed a shot from about 30 yards away over a leaping Rawls, tucking it under the crossbar. It was his second goal of the game after he beat Dominic Yarger — Delta’s goalkeeper in the first half — in the 17th minute.
Jason Schlosser assisted on Abbott’s first score, and Jared Schlosser helped on the second.
“I had a few (of those goals) last year,” Abbott said of his long-range score. “I just always get that gut feeling that it’s going to go in. You can just see that the goalie isn’t going to reach it.”
But Abbott, who has a team-leading five goals to go with his two assists, said his teammates are to thank for his early-season scoring barrage.
“Without my team I wouldn’t be able to do any of this,” he added. “When we all work together we’re going to play good.”
The senior then got his teammates involved to extend the Patriots’ lead.
In the 63rd minute, Jalen Ryder’s header attempt on Abbott’s corner deflected to Luke Rowles, who then legged it past Rawls into an open left side of the net. It was the first goal of the season for Rowles.
Jay County was finally effective with its possessions, keeping the touches short and making good passes — something it wasn’t able to do in the first four games.
“That’s been our stress from day one,” Bailey said of getting the whole team involved. “That’s one thing we’ve been stressing all season was our touching of the ball and our passing.
“Our workouts are based around that and it showed tonight. They were definitely talking. They worked the ball well.”
With a 4-2 lead, the Patriots didn’t let up on the pressure.
Abbott had a free kick in the 69th minute from the right of the 18-yard box, but Zaaron Lee’s header attempt went wide.
“He made a difference,” Bailey said of Lee, a freshman who was playing with a broken foot and had a couple more scoring chances throughout the contest. “He has his opportunities on shots. He is just one of those kids that doesn’t stop. He loses a ball and he tries to win it right back. That’s what you love to see in a kid.”
Delta got within one in the 73rd minute. From the right side of the penalty area, Lynn sent a cross pass to Yarger at the left side of the box who then buried a shot past Chaney.
The Eagles had another chance in the final minute of the game, but Yarger’s shot sailed over the net, like many opportunities for Delta on the evening.
“I think our youth showed,” said Delta coach Kurt Griffis, who started eight underclassmen.
Jay County now has its first win in the rearview, and Bailey hopes the Patriots can build on the momentum.
“(It was a) good win for us,” he said.