January 10, 2017 at 6:46 p.m.
Road to redemption
Road to redemption
It’s a script not normally written.
The defending champion is supposed to be targeted, not the one doing the targeting.
But that’s the case for the Jay County High School boys and girls basketball teams as the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament begins tonight.
Both squads won the title last year. The girls claimed back-to-back championships and the boys won after falling in the tournament final the previous year.
Jay County should be the team with a target on its back.
Instead, it is looking for redemption.
“Right now our kids want to play Woodlan again,” said JCHS boys coach Chris Krieg, who led the JCHS girls to the title in 2014 before winning it with the boys last year.
Jay County (6-4, 1-1 ACAC) lost to Woodlan 60-53 on Dec. 2 in Woodburn. It was the third of three straight losses to start the season.
“Woodlan hit us early,” Krieg continued. “Our guard play wasn’t the best at that point.”
The Patriots were also relying heavily on two payers, seniors Jay Houck and Jason Schlosser, to do most of the scoring through the first three games.
Those two are still the team’s leading scorers with 18.5 and 13.4 points respectively, but other players have stepped up as well. Junior Cole Stigleman has scored 11 or more points in three of the last four games. Twins Michael and Ryan Schlechty are contributing in their own right, scoring key baskets despite not putting up gaudy point totals.
It’s a recipe that has helped the Patriots go 6-1 since, including winning each of their last four games.
“The kid are focused,” Krieg said. “They believe they can win. Even if a team gets ahead of us, we’re going to come back because we play very good defense.”
He’s right, too.
Jay County erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter beat Fort Recovery in overtime Dec. 27, and three days later rallied for an OT win against Muncie Central.
It’s given the Patriots confidence they can beat anyone, especially if they get another shot at Woodlan.
Jay County hits the road tonight against Heritage. The boys game starts at 6 p.m. with the girls game to follow. The winner meets either South Adams or Bluffton in the semifinal on Friday, with the host site following the girls’ winner between JCHS and Heritage. The championship games are Saturday at StarDome in Berne.
For the Patriot boys to meet Woodlan, it will be for the conference championship, as the Warriors (6-5) are on the other side of the bracket. Woodlan has to get through either Southern Wells (6-4, 1-2 ACAC) or Adams Central (1-8, 0-3 ACAC) in the semifinal to reach the title game.
The defending champion is supposed to be targeted, not the one doing the targeting.
But that’s the case for the Jay County High School boys and girls basketball teams as the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament begins tonight.
Both squads won the title last year. The girls claimed back-to-back championships and the boys won after falling in the tournament final the previous year.
Jay County should be the team with a target on its back.
Instead, it is looking for redemption.
“Right now our kids want to play Woodlan again,” said JCHS boys coach Chris Krieg, who led the JCHS girls to the title in 2014 before winning it with the boys last year.
Jay County (6-4, 1-1 ACAC) lost to Woodlan 60-53 on Dec. 2 in Woodburn. It was the third of three straight losses to start the season.
“Woodlan hit us early,” Krieg continued. “Our guard play wasn’t the best at that point.”
The Patriots were also relying heavily on two payers, seniors Jay Houck and Jason Schlosser, to do most of the scoring through the first three games.
Those two are still the team’s leading scorers with 18.5 and 13.4 points respectively, but other players have stepped up as well. Junior Cole Stigleman has scored 11 or more points in three of the last four games. Twins Michael and Ryan Schlechty are contributing in their own right, scoring key baskets despite not putting up gaudy point totals.
It’s a recipe that has helped the Patriots go 6-1 since, including winning each of their last four games.
“The kid are focused,” Krieg said. “They believe they can win. Even if a team gets ahead of us, we’re going to come back because we play very good defense.”
He’s right, too.
Jay County erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter beat Fort Recovery in overtime Dec. 27, and three days later rallied for an OT win against Muncie Central.
It’s given the Patriots confidence they can beat anyone, especially if they get another shot at Woodlan.
Jay County hits the road tonight against Heritage. The boys game starts at 6 p.m. with the girls game to follow. The winner meets either South Adams or Bluffton in the semifinal on Friday, with the host site following the girls’ winner between JCHS and Heritage. The championship games are Saturday at StarDome in Berne.
For the Patriot boys to meet Woodlan, it will be for the conference championship, as the Warriors (6-5) are on the other side of the bracket. Woodlan has to get through either Southern Wells (6-4, 1-2 ACAC) or Adams Central (1-8, 0-3 ACAC) in the semifinal to reach the title game.
Despite Jay County’s girls (9-7, 4-1 ACAC) entering play tonight as two-time defending conference champions, their dominance against ACAC opponents took a slight hit earlier this season.
South Adams (9-7, 4-1 ACAC) defeated Jay County 50-40 on Dec. 23 in Berne, ending the Patriots’ streak of 22 consecutive wins against conference opponents, including regular season and tournament play.
It’s a game the Patriots want to have back, and like their male counterparts they too could have a shot at redemption.
“If we happen to play South Adams again then one thing I would like to see us do differently is make a few more shots,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team was 12-for-50 (24 percent) from the field that night. “I’m looking forward (to the tournament), to see how we’ve improved and in what areas.”
Comer did say, however, he feels the loss to the Starfires relieved some of the pressure on his team heading into the tournament. Without the added stress to continue a winning streak, the Patriots can simply play the tournament as if it’s any ordinary game.
Jay County defeated Heritage 61-19 on Dec. 15 at home, so a win tonight is highly possible. Awaiting in the semifinal is either South Adams or Bluffton (9-8, 3-2 ACAC). During their regular season meeting Nov. 25, Bluffton beat South Adams 40-37 in overtime.
Sure, the Patriots want that rematch with South Adams, but they’ll also enjoy a matchup with a Bluffton team they beat 53-36 on Friday.
“I feel like this really sent a message to ourselves and other teams,” JCHS senior Britlyn Dues said after Friday’s win. “I feel like we’ll really build on it. As for the tournament I still feel like we are going to be the strong team.”
But Comer isn’t overlooking tonight’s game against the other Patriot squad.
“We played really well that night and I’m sure they’d say they didn’t play one of their better games,” he said. “We’re expecting a totally different game.
“I think the key to the game is going to be getting them to turn the ball over and rebounding the basketball.”
South Adams (9-7, 4-1 ACAC) defeated Jay County 50-40 on Dec. 23 in Berne, ending the Patriots’ streak of 22 consecutive wins against conference opponents, including regular season and tournament play.
It’s a game the Patriots want to have back, and like their male counterparts they too could have a shot at redemption.
“If we happen to play South Adams again then one thing I would like to see us do differently is make a few more shots,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team was 12-for-50 (24 percent) from the field that night. “I’m looking forward (to the tournament), to see how we’ve improved and in what areas.”
Comer did say, however, he feels the loss to the Starfires relieved some of the pressure on his team heading into the tournament. Without the added stress to continue a winning streak, the Patriots can simply play the tournament as if it’s any ordinary game.
Jay County defeated Heritage 61-19 on Dec. 15 at home, so a win tonight is highly possible. Awaiting in the semifinal is either South Adams or Bluffton (9-8, 3-2 ACAC). During their regular season meeting Nov. 25, Bluffton beat South Adams 40-37 in overtime.
Sure, the Patriots want that rematch with South Adams, but they’ll also enjoy a matchup with a Bluffton team they beat 53-36 on Friday.
“I feel like this really sent a message to ourselves and other teams,” JCHS senior Britlyn Dues said after Friday’s win. “I feel like we’ll really build on it. As for the tournament I still feel like we are going to be the strong team.”
But Comer isn’t overlooking tonight’s game against the other Patriot squad.
“We played really well that night and I’m sure they’d say they didn’t play one of their better games,” he said. “We’re expecting a totally different game.
“I think the key to the game is going to be getting them to turn the ball over and rebounding the basketball.”
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