Patriot, Starfire athletes honored

Eight area athletes were given statewide recognition recently.
Players from the Jay County and South Adams football teams as well as the Starfire volleyball and boys cross country teams capped off their successful seasons with individual honors.
The Indiana Football Coaches Association named Jay County senior Eric Hemmelgarn as a defensive lineman to the Class 4A All-State football team.
South Adams’ Cal Clouser was named to the Class A All-State team as a linebacker, and teammate Derek Wanner earned a spot on the Class A junior All-State team as a defensive back.
The South Adams boys cross country team, which advanced to the state meet for the first time in school history, had four members earn all-state honors.
The Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches named Brody Shane, Sawyer Miller and Bailey McIntire to the Class 2A first team All-State. Daniel Velsaco was a Class 2A honorable mention.
Fellow Starfire Alyssa Bluhm was selected as honorable mention to the All-Northeast Indiana volleyball team. Clouser and Wanner were also named honorable mention to the All-Northeast Indiana football team, with Clouser earning the honor as linebacker and Wanner as quarterback.
Hemmelgarn and the Jay County Patriots finished the season 7-4 and earned a berth in the sectional semifinal for the first time since 2007.
Clouser, Wanner and the Starfires (5-8) won their first sectional title on an overtime thriller against Southwood before losing to eventual Class A state champion Tri-Central.
Bluhm and the South Adams spikers played for a sectional title, falling to semi-state runner up Woodlan in the championship match.

FR freshmen win
DELPHOS, Ohio — The Fort Recovery High School freshman boys basketball team went to St. Johns Monday with a perfect record on the line. The Tribe remained unbeaten when it returned home.
Three players scored in double figures as the Indians edged the Blue Jays 47-46.
Micaiah Cox had a team-high 15 points for the Indians, who improved to 3-0 on the young season.
Jason Roessner and Kyle Knapke each added 12 points.

Fort boys split
RUSSIA, Ohio — The Fort Recovery Middle School boys basketball teams split with the Russia Raiders Monday.
Three players scored in double figures for the eighth grade Indians, who topped the Raiders 42-37.
The Fort Recovery seventh graders fell to Russia 51-25.
Evan Post and Cade Wendel paved the way for the Tribe eighth graders, scoring 14 points each. Ryan Braun added 13 points.
Mason Will led the seventh grade Indians with 11 points. Clayton Pearson, Jack Knapke and Peyton Jutte each added four.[[In-content Ad]]