November 19, 2016 at 5:44 a.m.
Guard play crucial for Jay Co.
Patriots open season at Hagerstown on Tuesday
Guard play crucial for Jay Co.
In the Patriots’ three-point overtime loss in the sectional opener last season, two things came to light.
One, it’s hard to win by turning the ball over 40 times.
Two, Jay Houck has the potential to become the most prolific scorer in school history.
As the Jay County High School boys basketball team opens it season Tuesday at Hagerstown, second-year coach Chris Krieg doesn’t see the high number of turnovers being an issue.
And Houck is using his breakout performance as a springboard to reaching a couple scoring milestones.
“Our guard play is so good this year,” said Krieg, whose team was 17-7 and the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament champion a year ago. “(Turnovers) don’t concern me as much as it has in the past.”
For the Patriots, it will just be a matter of which player will be tasked with facilitating the offense in place of Kyler Carvel, who graduated as the team’s leader in assists with 3.1 per game. Junior Cole Stigleman was tied for second on the team with Houck at 1.8 assists per game. Stigleman, his classmate Holton Hill, sophomore Ryan Schlechty and senior Spencer Calvert are all capable of running the point to feed Houck and the other forward the ball down low.
Those forwards are senior Jason Schlosser (4.7 PPG), sophomore Michael Schlechty (he saw limited action as a freshman) and sophomore Wyatt Geesaman. It will be a group effort from those four to replace the void of 6-foot, 8-inch, Adam Dirksen, who averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game.
“Realistically you can’t replace that,” Krieg said. “You just have to have the other kids step up. We all have to play together as a team. We have to block out as a team and rebound as a team. We just can’t rely on one person or two people to get our rebounds.”
Houck, who has started each of the last three years, has increased his scoring total by an average of five points per game from one year to the next. He finished his junior season averaging 15.4 points per game, including a 35-point effort in the sectional loss to Fort Wayne South Side.
“It gives me a lot of confidence that I can score a lot more than sometimes I have scored,” Houck said.
One, it’s hard to win by turning the ball over 40 times.
Two, Jay Houck has the potential to become the most prolific scorer in school history.
As the Jay County High School boys basketball team opens it season Tuesday at Hagerstown, second-year coach Chris Krieg doesn’t see the high number of turnovers being an issue.
And Houck is using his breakout performance as a springboard to reaching a couple scoring milestones.
“Our guard play is so good this year,” said Krieg, whose team was 17-7 and the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament champion a year ago. “(Turnovers) don’t concern me as much as it has in the past.”
For the Patriots, it will just be a matter of which player will be tasked with facilitating the offense in place of Kyler Carvel, who graduated as the team’s leader in assists with 3.1 per game. Junior Cole Stigleman was tied for second on the team with Houck at 1.8 assists per game. Stigleman, his classmate Holton Hill, sophomore Ryan Schlechty and senior Spencer Calvert are all capable of running the point to feed Houck and the other forward the ball down low.
Those forwards are senior Jason Schlosser (4.7 PPG), sophomore Michael Schlechty (he saw limited action as a freshman) and sophomore Wyatt Geesaman. It will be a group effort from those four to replace the void of 6-foot, 8-inch, Adam Dirksen, who averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game.
“Realistically you can’t replace that,” Krieg said. “You just have to have the other kids step up. We all have to play together as a team. We have to block out as a team and rebound as a team. We just can’t rely on one person or two people to get our rebounds.”
Houck, who has started each of the last three years, has increased his scoring total by an average of five points per game from one year to the next. He finished his junior season averaging 15.4 points per game, including a 35-point effort in the sectional loss to Fort Wayne South Side.
“It gives me a lot of confidence that I can score a lot more than sometimes I have scored,” Houck said.
Becoming just the school’s third 1,000-point scorer is a definite possibility. He is currently 12th on the career points list with 764. He needs 78 to crack the top 10, 150 to vault in the top five and 413 to tie 2013 graduate Brock McFarland’s record of 1,177 points. That means over a 22-game season he needs to average and roughly 18 points per game to become the all-time scoring leader.
“They would be cool to get if I get them,” he said of the milestones. “But ultimately we want to win and we want to have fun while we’re doing it. If they come along with it that’s cool. That’s awesome.
“The main goal is to win.”
The 6-foot, 6-inch, senior is also aiming to become more of a leader, especially given the fact he will be the focal point of the offense this season.
“I’ve had a lot of years to develop under older players and the coaching staff,” he said. “Now I kind of take it upon myself to be a leader.”
How can he handle that?
“Just being aggressive and taking my opportunities when they come,” he said. “But also play with the team (and) make the best decisions for the team.”
Jay County has a slightly beefed up schedule than in the past. It plays three-time defending sectional champion Homestead during the regular season for the second year in a row. The Patriots travel to Fort Wayne to take on the Spartans Feb. 18.
The season-opener against Hagerstown is also a new addition, and former ACAC foe rival Leo is back on the schedule. The Patriots host the Lions Feb. 11.
“It’s hard to find the right teams to play you at the right time,” Krieg said. “Hagerstown is going to be a very, very good basketball team … Then we come back with Richmond (Nov. 26), which is obviously a very athletic team.”
After winning the conference tournament, Jay County had to settle for a share of the regular season title with a loss to Heritage. Despite not winning it outright, the Patriots still have a target on their backs as the team to beat.
“We just play one game at a time,” Krieg said. “Everybody is going to come after you. It’s not going to be easy. We have to come to play night an and night out.
“We can’t take anyone for granted like we took Heritage for granted that night because they’re going to pounce on you.”
Jay County has home conference tilts against Adams Central (Jan. 7) and Bluffton (Jan. 27). It meets Woodlan (Dec. 2), South Adams (Jan. 20), Southern Wells (Jan. 21) and Heritage (Feb. 10) on the road.
“As a whole our conference is going to be pretty good,” Krieg said. The Patriots are 16-3 in two years against ACAC opponents. Two of those losses were to Leo two years ago. “I’m excited.”
“They would be cool to get if I get them,” he said of the milestones. “But ultimately we want to win and we want to have fun while we’re doing it. If they come along with it that’s cool. That’s awesome.
“The main goal is to win.”
The 6-foot, 6-inch, senior is also aiming to become more of a leader, especially given the fact he will be the focal point of the offense this season.
“I’ve had a lot of years to develop under older players and the coaching staff,” he said. “Now I kind of take it upon myself to be a leader.”
How can he handle that?
“Just being aggressive and taking my opportunities when they come,” he said. “But also play with the team (and) make the best decisions for the team.”
Jay County has a slightly beefed up schedule than in the past. It plays three-time defending sectional champion Homestead during the regular season for the second year in a row. The Patriots travel to Fort Wayne to take on the Spartans Feb. 18.
The season-opener against Hagerstown is also a new addition, and former ACAC foe rival Leo is back on the schedule. The Patriots host the Lions Feb. 11.
“It’s hard to find the right teams to play you at the right time,” Krieg said. “Hagerstown is going to be a very, very good basketball team … Then we come back with Richmond (Nov. 26), which is obviously a very athletic team.”
After winning the conference tournament, Jay County had to settle for a share of the regular season title with a loss to Heritage. Despite not winning it outright, the Patriots still have a target on their backs as the team to beat.
“We just play one game at a time,” Krieg said. “Everybody is going to come after you. It’s not going to be easy. We have to come to play night an and night out.
“We can’t take anyone for granted like we took Heritage for granted that night because they’re going to pounce on you.”
Jay County has home conference tilts against Adams Central (Jan. 7) and Bluffton (Jan. 27). It meets Woodlan (Dec. 2), South Adams (Jan. 20), Southern Wells (Jan. 21) and Heritage (Feb. 10) on the road.
“As a whole our conference is going to be pretty good,” Krieg said. The Patriots are 16-3 in two years against ACAC opponents. Two of those losses were to Leo two years ago. “I’m excited.”
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