Jay takes 4th in a row (09/25/06)

All the work was finished. Saturday morning was all about fun.

The Jay County girls soccer team cruised in its final Olympic Athletic Conference game, finishing off its title run with a 6-0 thumping of the Muncie Southside Rebels.

"The girls were looking forward to this game after playing Highland (Monday) in the mud. They knew if we won this game we would be conference champs," said JCHS coach Sue Rager, whose team won its three OAC games by a combined score of 18-2. "It's always nice to have that honor."

There was not much doubt about what the outcome of the conference finale would be, and the Patriots needed just three minutes to erase that little bit.

Just 35 seconds into the game sophomore Brianne Wellman took an assist from junior Tequila Guntle on the left side. Wellman looped a shot to the top-right corner for a quick 1-0 lead.

Barely two minutes later Wellman was on the opposite end of Jay County's second goal. She passed from her spot on the left side to Sara Garringer in the middle, and the senior easily shot past Southside goalie Katie Green.

Garringer's goal gave the Patriots a 2-0 lead with just 2:51 off the game clock.

Jay County was never challenged - Southside did not record a shot on goal in the game, and only had one decent run at the goal in the opening half - as it continued its hot streak after just an average start to the year. The team won only three of its first seven games, but has since bounced back to win four in a row and improve to 7-3-1.

"I think the girls have found their positions," said Rager, whose team has defeated Centerville, Anderson Highland, Yorktown and the Rebels during its winning streak. "The girls are playing better together, passing the ball. They're learning what each other's strengths and weakness are and anticipating those.

"The passing has gotten definitely better. We're not just pounding the ball, we're passing the ball and we're looking for those open spaces on the field.

"And we're taking advantage of those opportunities down by the goal and scoring with them."

The Patriot lead pushed to 5-0 by halftime, with junior Dana Horn tallying the third goal. She sent a slow roller toward the net at the 27:41 mark, and the ball went right through Green's hands for the score.

Southside donated the fourth goal when Jay County's Kaelee Keller, a sophomore, tried to pass from deep in the right corner to Jessica Morgan in front of the goal. Green had a bead on the ball, but before she could get to it a Rebel defender interfered. The ball went off the defender's leg and into the net, giving Keller the goal and the Patriots a 4-0 advantage.

Then with just 38 seconds on the clock, Heather Ayers found Pazia Speed in the middle. She busted past Southside junior defender Briana Nelson and lobbed a high shot over Green for the halftime margin.

Jay County's quick start provided the opportunity to get every player plenty of minutes as Rager started heavy substitutions just five minutes into the game.

"Cori (Vormohr) was playing very well today," said Rager. "She's gotten very strong in her position and her foot has gotten really good.

"I think they all played well today. No matter where they were on the field, they were all playing their positions well. ... It's not just one or two that were good today, I think the team as a whole today was playing well."

The Patriots, who took 28 shots on goal, spent most of the second half trying to set up some of its seniors. Normally defenders, Jessica Morgan, Heather Ayers and Jennifer Logue were pushed up to the front in an attempt to score the first goal of their careers.

They finally cashed in with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Horn was knocked to the ground for a Southside foul, and Logue lofted the ensuing direct kick from just outside the 18-yard box on the left side over the Southside line of defenders and Green.

"That's our tradition," said Rager of Logue's first career goal. "Seniors can't graduate unless they score."[[In-content Ad]]