Two becomes one

Quinn Faulkner almost didn’t play football.

It’s not because he was going to quit, or because he walked away only to be convinced to come back.

For years, West Jay Middle School, where Faulkner is an eighth grader, had diminishing numbers in its football program.

During the 2016 season, the Eagles had to drop to one team rather than fielding both seventh- and eighth-grade squads.

Faulkner was one of about 10 players to show an interest in football this year. The Eagles weren’t going to have enough for one team, let alone two.

“I was disappointed,” Faulkner said.

Little did he know a plan was already in the works to get him and his West Jay schoolmates back on the gridiron.



The move

East Jay principal Fred Medler, EJMS athletics director Tammy Boltz, West Jay principal Mike Crull and WJMS athletics director Curtis Little met during the summer with Brad DeRome, who was acting as interim Jay Schools superintendent while Jeremy Gulley was away with the Army National Guard.

During their meeting, which also included Jay County High School athletics director Steve Boozier, the notion of combining the middle school football teams into one was discussed.

“None of us really wanted to do it,” Medler said. “We would have loved to have West Jay have to have enough. It just didn’t seem like it was going to be logistically possible this year.”

The minds were in total agreement to combine the teams, and the Jay County Middle School Patriot football team was born.

“For the good of the kids, (we) gave them the opportunity to play football if they wanted to play football,” Medler said.

Faulkner once again had his chance to play football during his final year at West Jay. It’s just that “Eagles” will not be emblazoned on his helmet or across his chest.

But for him it didn’t matter. After being disappointed for a short time thinking he wouldn’t get to play, his feeling quickly changed to excitement as he just wanted to get on the football field.

“Kind of happy, at the same time, that I get to play with some of my friends from East Jay,” Faulkner said.



The teams

There are more than 60 members between the seventh and eighth grade football teams, and so far there hasn’t been much in the way of butting heads during practice.

“I feel like it’s gone really well,” said Joe Imel, who was the East Jay eighth grade coach and has since taken the reigns of leading the middle school Patriots.

Back when each Jay County community had its own high school and spirit was at its peak, there were often showdowns between teams. At times the west side schools — Dunkirk, Redkey and Pennville — had rivalries with those on the east side, Portland and Bryant.

That animosity, however, isn’t prevalent with these middle school kids, which Imel attributes to the rise in travel baseball and AAU basketball.

“Nowadays most of them know each other anyway,” Imel said, noting there are no cliques in the locker room. The only separation is between the seventh and eighth grade teams.

“It hasn’t been an issue with knowing each other,” Imel added.



The games

One problem that arose when the decision was made to combine teams was a practice location. Teresa Myers, coordinator of transportation for Jay Schools, was in contact with Medler and mentioned to him both middle schools already have buses that head to JCHS.

So, the middle school Patriots have been practicing alongside their high school counterparts since the season began.

The next question was the location for the home games. The team decided to take on East Jay’s schedule. The first three contests, including the season-opener Tuesday at Bluffton, are on the road. The Patriots aren’t home until Sept. 12 agains Southern Wells. It also plays home against Delta (Sept. 23), Woodlan (Oct. 3) and Winchester Driver (Oct. 5).

With two solid fields — one at each school — the team decided to use them both. The games with Winchester and Southern Wells will be played at West Jay in Dunkirk, while the Patriots will host Delta and Woodlan at East Jay in Portland.



The future

Imel feels nothing but good things can come from his Chief teams combining with the Eagles.

“I feel like this is a benefit to the program,” he said. “I do feel bad for some of the people who may have felt like they lost something in their community.

“All in all, at the end of the day we’re doing what’s best for the kids and what’s best for the football program as a whole.”

Medler said although this is the first year to have one middle school football team, it could be the last.

“It is a one-year deal,” he said. “We’ll look at it next year, and if (West Jay) can go back to having football there we’ll go back to having football there.”

In the meantime, Medler said instead of the West Jay kids wearing their Eagle uniforms and East Jay donning the Chiefs, new jerseys were ordered for both the seventh and eighth grade teams.

“We did buy a set of uniforms so the kids will look nice on the field,” he said. “We went ahead and did that because I like putting kids on the field or on the athletic competition contest, wherever they’re playing, looking good (and) feeling good about themselves.

“I think we’ll put a team on the field that looks good, plays good, plays hard (and) plays together.”

Faulkner, who has been practicing as one of the Patriots’ wing backs, has high hopes for the season.

West Jay was 5-2 (5-2 Allen County Athletic Conference) last year while East Jay was 7-3 (5-2 ACAC), including a 28-19 season-ending victory over the Eagles.

“I think we’ll be pretty good this year,” Faulkner said. “We’re going to be better than what we would if we were just West Jay.

“So that’s a positive. Now we get to work with these guys all the way up until 12th grade. I think we’ll be really good.”