Jay County boys to open tourney with Delta

INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots can play avengers once the tournament begins.

In the IHSAA boys basketball sectional tournament draw held Sunday, the Jay County High School boys basketball team received an opening-round matchup with the Delta Eagles, who rallied to beat the Patriots 39-35 Feb. 13.

The Class 3A Sectional 24 tournament will begin at 6 p.m. March 2 at New Castle Fieldhouse. The Hamilton Heights Huskies (13-4) and Yorktown Tigers (13-6) meet in the first game, with Jay County (7-8) and Delta (14-4) set for 7:30 p.m. later that night.

The Burris Owls (9-8) await the Hamilton Heights/Yorktown winner for the 6 p.m. semifinal March 5, while the winner between Jay County and Delta advances to the other sectional semifinal against the host Trojans (6-14) at 7:30 p.m. March 5.

The sectional championship game is slated for 7:30 p.m. March 6.

Jay County is 0-3 against sectional rivals. The Patriots lost to New Castle 43-38 Dec. 12 (their second game of the season) and fell to Yorktown 49-41 three days later.



FR girls make state

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Fort Recovery’s girls swim team received two at-large bids for the state meet based on its performance Friday in the Division II Northwest District championships at Bowling Green State University.

Teigen Fortkamp, a freshman, set a new school record in the 50-yard freestyle with her time of 24.48 seconds, besting 2019 graduate Cassy Martin’s time by four hundredths of a second. She was sixth overall and received an at-large bid for the state meet, which is 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Fortkamp then joined older sister Paige, Autumn Burk and Ava Bubp to take seventh in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:42.43. That earned them an at-large spot in the state meet.

Individually, Bubp had the second-best finish for the Indians, taking ninth in the 200 individual medley.

Fort Recovery placed 12th overall.



All-MAC team named

The Midwest Athletic Conference released its all-conference boys basketball teams Monday, and four Fort Recovery athletes made the list.

Brian Bihn, a 6-foot, 6-inch senior forward, and 6-foot, 3-inch junior guard Owen Jutte were both named to the first team. Cale Rammel, a 6-foot, 5-inch sophomore, was selected to the second team.

Derek Jutte received honorable mention.

Minster Wildcat senior Justin Nixon was named player of the year, and Wildcat coach Michael McClurg was named coach of the year. McClurg and Nixon led Minster to a 9-0 record in the MAC, earning the program’s first conference title since 1975.



Two make all-state

A pair of Jay County wrestlers earned academic all-state from the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association.

Ramon Bravo was named junior first team all-state, while Maddy Rinker was honorable mention as a senior when the awards were announced Monday.



Jay drops opener

Jay County Junior High School’s boys and girls swim teams both lost their season opener Monday to the Norwell Knights.

The girls fell 179-129, and the boys lost 191-74.

Lauren Fisher had two wins for the Patriot girls, taking first in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Maddy Snow got a victory in diving, Aubrey Millspaugh had a win in the 200 freestyle and Morgan DeHoff placed first in the 50 butterfly.

Kenzie Huey, Millspaugh, Fisher and DeHoff teamed for a win in the 200 freestyle relay.

Peyton Yowell has the only win for the Patriot boys, topping the field in the 100 freestyle.