Decision making key for Patriot girls

The Patriots had a chance to win their first title in 15 years, but a late turnover thwarted those dreams.

A year wiser, Jay County High School girls basketball coach Kirk Comer is hoping for better decisions out of his squad.

“It plays a big role for us as a team,” junior Renna Schwieterman said of the team’s loss in the sectional final. “We know that every possession matters and we experienced that in the sectional championship game last year.

“We use it as motivation to get better every day and work hard in every drill we do.”

Said Comer: “We’re going to be a year older and hopefully a year wiser. When I say that, our decision-making, I think, will be the key to our success both offensively and defensively.”

Jay County, which is ranked 10th in the preseason Class 3A coaches’ poll, lost two seniors from the 19-4 squad a year ago, but returns nearly 90% of its scoring.

Schwieterman, a 6-foot junior guard who has nine NCAA Division I scholarship offers, led the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game, and her six rebounds per game were second to Madison Dirksen’s 7.3 boards.

Once again, the offense will run through Schwieterman.

“Renna is going to have the ball in her hands a lot of times so she’s got to be able to make good decisions to make her teammates better,” Comer said. “We need to use all of our assets and get our girls in the right positions to score the basketball. Renna could really help with that as well as score the ball.”

Dirksen averaged 12.9 points per game as a junior, and classmate Izzy Rodgers scored 8.1 PPG, including a career-high 28 points in the sectional semifinal win against Yorktown.

Rodgers led the team with 30 3-pointers — she shot 36% from long range — and Dirksen was second with 29 made threes. Schwieterman added 25 triples.

Opposing teams will have to pick their battle: take away Schwieterman, the 6-foot forward in Dirksen or Rodgers as a guard.

“It works to our advantage because the other team doesn’t know who to mainly guard,” Schwieterman said. “Realistically, each team only has a few really good defenders to shut down scorers … It’s easier to shut down one or two players but when you have three it makes it more difficult, especially when Madison can play inside and do post moves along with shoot the lights out on the perimeter.

“Along with this, if one of us is having a bad night we have good enough players to pick us up and score when needed.”

Dirksen emerged last season as a threat from distance, and Comer said she’s been working on playing with her back to the basket to be more of an all-around player.

Jay County, which opens its season Tuesday at home against South Side, averaged 13.7 turnovers per game last year. None were more crucial than the 16th and final giveaway in a 46-42 loss to Hamilton Heights in the sectional championship. The Patriots had a chance to tie the score or take the lead in the waning moments but the Huskies forced the turnover.

The Patriots lost seniors and defensive stalwarts Aubrie Schwieterman and Grace Saxman. Together they combined for just 5.1 points per game. However, Schwieterman’s 2.2 steals per game were second-best on the squad.

Sophie Saxman, a sophomore and Grace’s younger sister, as well as classmates Molly Muhlenkamp and Breanna Dirksen, emerged late in the season as defensive replacements for the two seniors. 

Sophie Saxman saw action in all 23 games, and combined they accounted for 3.6 points per game.

“They’ve got a year’s experience underneath their belt,” Comer said. “They’re much more mature from an athletic standpoint. They’ll be much more of a threat offensively as well as defensively.”

Gabi Bilbrey returns for her junior season as a starting forward. She was third on the team with 4.3 rebounds per game and scored 2.5 PPG. Comer said he will be looking for her to be more of an offensive threat in the post alongside Madison Dirksen.

Jay County also has Mabrey McIntire, who transferred from Winchester. Comer expects the 5-foot, 6-inch, junior to play more of the 2-guard next to Schwieterman, with Rodgers off the ball to get more shots.

After falling in the opening game of the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament in 2020, the Patriots rebounded to go undefeated against conference rivals last season to win the program’s fifth tournament title. 

Jay County opens ACAC play with a Nov. 26 tilt at Woodlan. It also plays Adams Central (Dec. 10) and Heritage (Jan. 27) on the road, while hosting South Adams (Dec. 18), Bluffton (Jan. 7) and Southern Wells (Jan. 22).

“We just take it one game at a time,” Comer said. “I don’t feel pressure, I just feel that each game we want to go out and try to win. If we take care of business each night then the results are what they are.”

Jay County meets five teams ranked in the top 20 in their respective classes. Only two are at home. Fort Wayne South was No. 19 in the opening Class 4A poll. On Nov. 13, Jay County goes to Indianapolis to take on Class 4A No. 3 North Central. The Patriots meet Winchester, which finished 12th in the first Class 3A voting, on the road Nov. 20, and are at Class 2A No. 6 Northeastern on Nov. 30.

Concordia, which was 18th in the initial Class 3A voting, visits Jay County on Jan. 4, and the Patriots square off against defending Class 3A regional champion and fifth-ranked Norwell in Ossian.

“I coach each team based on experience,” Comer said. “And this is the most experienced team I’ve had with the most talent since I’ve been back at Jay County.”

(Comer returned in the 2015-16 season after a previous stint in the aughts.)

“The expectations are higher and when the expectations are higher you’ve got to prepare more,” he continued. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how much the girls are willing to put in to be the best they can be because they have a ton of talent.

“The sky is the limit.”