Senior scorers need help

The Patriots are 0-3.

So what?

Of course, the Jay County High School boys basketball team is off to a difficult start, having lost to Hagerstown (51-44), Richmond (43-42) and most recently Woodlan (60-53) on Friday.

A big reason for those three losses is the number of extra possessions the Patriots are giving to their opponents. They average nearly 18 turnovers a game. Their season low so far is 15 against Woodlan with a high of 22 in the defeat to Richmond.

But perhaps the biggest reason for the worst start in more than a decade is the fact Jay County has yet to find its identity.

Senior Jay Houck is unquestionably the leader of this team. He averaged more than 15 points and six rebounds as a junior. Despite the team’s performance as a whole through three games, he is been playing well, pouring in an average of 22 points while grabbing nearly 10 rebounds per game in the process.

He ripped through Woodlan during the first half Friday and finished with 33 points, the second-highest of his career behind only his 35-point effort in the sectional loss last season.

Before the season began, Houck was asked about a few milestones he may reach this year — 1,000 points and the school’s record for points in a career (1,177). He responded the way any premier player should.

“They would be cool if I get them, but ultimately we want to win and we want to have fun while we’re doing it,” he said. “If they come along with it that’s cool, that’s awesome. The main goal is to win.”

Unfortunately, those wins haven’t come just yet.

Jason Schlosser has been a solid sidekick for Houck. The senior has scored 10 points in each contest this year and gets five rebounds per game.

But in terms of offense, that’s about all Jay County’s got. Houck and Schlosser need help.

In the season opener against Hagerstown, Houck scored 18 points. He took a dozen field-goal attempts and Schlosser had eight shots. The rest of the team combined for 18.

Four days later at Richmond, Houck (15 points) and Schlosser combined to take 20 of the Patriots’ 33 shots from the field and made up nearly 60 percent of the team’s 42 points.

On the road at Woodlan, the senior duo did almost everything. They totaled 43 of Jay County’s 53 points (81.1 percent) and took 75 percent (33-of-44) of the shots. No other player attempted more than four shots.

Houck and Schlosser are doing what they can. They just need some help.

“We can’t rely on Jay and Jason to attack every possession we have,” coach Chris Krieg said following the defeat to Woodlan. “The only threat we had out there tonight was Jay and Jason.

“Then finally in the second half Cole (Stigleman) attacked the basket … That is what I have got to have out of (the others). If not they’re going to have five guys guarding two of us before the season is out. Our guard play has got to pick it up as far as attacking the basket.”

Together, Schlosser and Houck account for 63.5 percent of the shots and 61.9 percent of the scoring. Senior Spence Calvert (14) and Stigleman (12) have reached double figures for the season.

It’s been more than a decade since the Patriots have been in this position, winless through the first three games. It’s been two decades since they lost four in a row to start the season.

But as Jay County finally plays at home tonight when it hosts the Burris Owls (1-3), for the Patriots to win two things need to happen — fewer turnovers and some other players to take some of the pressure off the two forwards.

It’s not time to panic just yet.