Patriot boys are ready to win

Jerry Bomholt’s return to the Patriot sidelines had numerous hiccups.

He battled some personal health issues before the team played even a game. Then the Patriots had to quarantine because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on two separate occasions, the latter of which cost them a chance to compete for a conference tournament title.

As the Jay County High School boys basketball team played its way to a 7-11 record — the second consecutive seven-win season after posting a winning record for 19 straight years — there’s one thing in particular that the Patriots could hang their hats on.

They didn’t lose anyone to graduation.

“I think the expectation for these kids, just from themselves, are that they are going to take the floor — unlike last year — they are going to take the floor believing they can win every game they play,” said Bomholt, whose team opens its season Tuesday at home against Hagerstown. “They put a lot of time in during the summer, particularly the top eight kids that have kind of separated themselves from the others.”

Bomholt noted the school purchasing a shooting machine and the kids having collectively put more than 60,000 shots through it already.

“That’s our big improvement, the ability for us to score,” he continued. “I feel strongly that that’ll carry over into the season.

“Last year we had so many games we had periods of time during the games where we struggled trying to put the ball in the basket. This year should not be the case.”

The focal point of that Patriot offense is senior Ethan Dirksen, who led the team in scoring with 13.2 points as a junior. He was also second in rebounding at 6.8 per game, and while he is not the team’s point guard, he’ll be the one with the ball in his hands come crunch time.

“He’s our leader,” Bomholt said. “There’s no question about when it comes clutch time and periods where we need a basket he’ll have the basketball. If he doesn’t get the basket for us he’ll create enough to open someone else.

“If people enjoyed watching him play last year they’ll really enjoy him watching him play now.”

Dirksen’s 4.6 assists were second only to Gavin Muhlenkamp, another senior who averaged nearly five points per game in 2020-21. Bomholt said he wants Muhlenkamp to play more off the ball — he was the primary ball-handler as a junior — and look to score more than he did in previous years.

Junior guard Josh Dowlen (6.4 PPG) will take over those point guard duties, with his classmates Dusty Pearson (7.8 PPG) and Bennett Weitzel (7.6 PPG) in the paint as forwards.

“The big thing I think with the two of them is they finally started to realize what they can get accomplished,” Bomholt said of his post players, who are both 6 feet, 5 inches tall. The coach in his second stint at Jay County also noted they are learning to play more with their backs to the basket. “So many games last year I thought they played passively.”

As the Patriots, who averaged just 44.7 points per game last year, return all five starters, they have solid bench players in junior guard Brady Davis, junior forward Blake Bogenschutz and senior forward Trent Alexander.

“Our starting five is as solid as you could ask,” Bomholt said. “You take a step away and say we’re really blessed to have eight kids in the same school year that can play the game at a high level.”

Bomholt said the biggest challenge for his guards will be to limit the turnovers. Jay County averaged 12 turnovers per game.

“There were times, even though we didn’t turn it over that much, we turned it over at crucial times,” Bomholt said. “This is a team that has to play with minimal turnovers. That means, to me, keep it in single digits. Gavin Muhlenkamp and Josh Dowlen, along with Dirksen, have improved ball-handling skills.”

After Tuesday’s opener, Jay County hosts Richmond on Nov. 27 and opens Allen County Athletic Conference play Dec. 3 at home against Woodlan.

The Patriots cross the state line to meet rival Fort Recovery on Dec. 4. 

Just before Christmas, Jay County will travel down near the Ohio River to play in the Madison Tournament. They’ll open the two-day tournament with Scottsburg at 12:45 p.m. Dec. 22. A victory will set a 6 p.m. matchup against the winner of Silver Creek or Bomholt’s former team, Southwestern (Hanover).

A loss to Scottsburg would mean Jay County would play the Silver Creek/Southwestern loser at 11 a.m. Dec. 23.

The Patriots host ACAC rival South Adams and former player and assistant coach Garrett Krieg on Jan. 21, as well as fellow conference foes Southern Wells (Feb. 3) and Heritage (Feb. 11). (Krieg was a senior when JCHS last won a sectional title in 2011.) They’ll be on the road against Adams Central (Jan. 8) and Bluffton (Jan. 28), while the ACAC tournament is slated for Jan. 11 through 15. 

A notable non-conference tilt is a Jan. 28 game at home against Blackford. It’ll be the first of just two scheduled back-to-back weekends. (The semifinal and final of the ACAC tournament are slated for Jan. 14 and 15, respectively.)

“I think they understand there’s a lot at stake for them,” Bomholt said. “They feel good about the kind of team we have tried to mend together and we’ll see what happens.”