Jay shut out to end '06 season (10/28/06)

Even into the final two minutes, Jay County had a chance to win. But the one big play the Patriots needed never came.

Muncie Central scored the football game's only points on its Davyd Jones-led opening drive, and the Bearcats snuck out of Jay County Friday night with a 6-0 sectional semifinal win.

JCHS coach Shane Hill said the game will be something for the program to build on as his team had every opportunity to beat what has been one of the best programs in the area over the last five years.

"We had a chance to win the ball game there at the very end. It's not like it was done and over with," said Hill as the six-point margin was the closest the Patriots' four trips to the sectional semifinals in his five-year tenure. "We were in it from the beginning to the very end.

"There's definitely something we can take away, definitely something we can build on, it's just unfortunate that these seniors and this group of kids who have given so much to this program aren't going to be around to reap the benefits of what we did learn here tonight."

Central (5-5), which sealed the game on a Gary Lynch interception, moves on to host Delta in next week's sectional championship game. The defending champion Eagles advanced with a 17-14 victory over Pendleton Heights Friday.

The Delta/Central game has decided the sectional title every year since 2001, including a 28-21 triple-overtime win by the Eagles last season's championship game.

"The defense did a really nice job," said Muncie Central coach John Hochstetler, whose team allowed just 115 yards of offense. "No offense is really good tonight. It's a matter of will and taking your opportunities. You've got to get up in the game early, that's what we thought.

"We were fortunate to get up early in the game and that gave us an advantage."

The Bearcats seemed ready to run out the clock after Jay County was called for a roughing the kicker penalty with 2:21 to play, allowing them to keep possession at their own 36-yard line. But after a run for no yards and a delay of game penalty, Central ran an ill-advised pitch play. Casey Waters was there to meet the running back at the same time as the ball, jarring it loose, and the Patriots recovered.

But, a thrilling finish for the home team was not to be. After a fumbled snap on first down, Billy Wellman's pass attempt to Justin Mann on the left sideline sailed a bit and Lynch intercepted it inside the 5-yard line.

"We were throwing the kitchen sink at them," said Hill, whose team had the ball inside the 30-yard line three times but could not come up with any points. "We were trying to throw the ball even in this weather. They were stacking three big guys up on the inside of us (Kerrigan to nose) ... to try to neutralize some of the things we were trying to do ... We just weren't getting enough movement up front."

Neither team did much offensively as the day's constant rain extended into the night and all but halted any chance at a passing game. Jay County completed one pass - a 39-yard strike to Sean Hatzell in the fourth quarter - and the Bearcats had just two completions.

But Jones gave Central all the offense it needed.

The senior, who will play at Ball State next season, picked up 50 of the Bearcats' 59 yards as they marched down the field on the opening drive of the game. He had runs of 17 yards up the middle and 27 on a pitch around the left end to set up Central with a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line.

After a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Troy Johnson, Jones finished off the game's only scoring drive with a 1-yard run.

"Davyd was going to be key tonight when we saw the forecast," said Hochstetler, whose team tossed interceptions on two of its first three passing attempts before going almost exclusively to the run. "That's how it goes. I was real excited for Dave. He didn't turn it over, and ... that was a big part of the game."

Jones toted the ball 27 times for 122 yards while all-state tight end Ryan Kerrigan ended the game without a reception. Jones also caught one of Johnson's two completions, taking a shovel pass 26 yards in the second quarter.

"He's a machine," said Hill of Jones. "They weren't doing anything real fancy. They were just getting some movement off the line of scrimmage ... and he broke a couple big ones, but I think most of his gains were two, three, four yards, so it's not like he was burning us for big yardage every time he touched the ball. They were just grinding things out and getting first downs."

Central had 10 first downs in the game, including three on the opening drive, while the Patriots struggled to get anything going.

Jay County didn't get its first play for positive yardage until there were less than two minutes left in the opening period, and finished the first quarter with just six total yards. Wellman finished 0-for-5 passing in the opening half and 1-of-9 overall, while Sam Lyons led the ground attack with 14 carries for 63 yards.

"We couldn't run the football, and when you've got weather like this it's all about first downs and moving the chains," said Hill. "We punted the ball too many times and they were able to sustain some drives.

"They had the big drive at the beginning of the game before things were real sloppy and were able to punch one in. That's the story of the ball game."[[In-content Ad]]