JCHS draws 'Dogs again

INDIANAPOLIS — The only difference for the Patriots in this year’s tournament draw compared to last year’s is the venue.
For the second straight season Sunday, the Jay County High School football team drew the New Haven Bulldogs in the opening round of the state tournament. This time around the Class 4A sectional quarterfinal game on Oct. 22 will be at Harold E. Schutz Memorial Stadium.
Also Sunday, South Adams drew an opening-round game at North Miami in the Class 1A tournament.
JCHS (2-6, 0-2 vs. sectional opponents) has lost its first game of the sectional in each of the last two seasons, including a 28-10 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs in 2009, since winning its first sectional title in 2007. New Haven is 6-2 after falling 38-24 Friday to East Noble, and closes the season Friday at Homestead.
The teams have one common opponent this season — Heritage. Jay County lost 42-0 to Heritage Friday while New Haven defeated the same squad 31-7 in the opening week of the year.
The other quarterfinal game in the Patriots’ half of the bracket has Fort Wayne South Side (2-6, 0-1) visiting Muncie Central (0-8, 0-1). In the other half of the Class 4A Sectional 12 tournament it will be No. 10 Delta (7-1, 2-0) visiting Wayne (5-3, 1-0) and Marion (5-3, 0-0) traveling to Muncie Southside (6-2, 2-1).
South Adams (3-5, 1-0), which has won three in a row, has not played North Miami (6-2, 2-0) in recent seasons, and the teams have no common opponents this year.
Both lost in the opening round of the sectional tournament in 2009.
The other game in the lower half of the Class A Sectional 35 bracket is Fremont (0-8, 0-2) at Northfield (4-4, 1-1).
In the upper half of the bracket Adams Central (6-2, 1-1) will travel to second-ranked Churubusco (7-1, 1-0) and No. 8 Southern Wells (7-1, 2-1) will visit Southwood (1-7, 0-3).
First-round winners will meet in semifinal action Oct. 29 — Jay County would play either host Muncie Central or play at Fort Wayne South Side —and the sectional championship games will be Nov. 5.[[In-content Ad]]