September 11, 2021 at 4:47 a.m.
Five ways to score
Adams Central overmatches Jay County, scores five different ways in 54-7 thumping of Patriots
Five ways to score
There are six ways to score a touchdown.
The Jets accomplished all but one.
Jay County High School’s football team was overmatched in all three phases in a 54-7 loss to the Class 1A No. 3 Adams Central Jets on Friday at Harold E. Schutz Stadium.
“They’re really good,” JCHS coach Grant Zgunda said. “They always are. We can’t make mistakes that we made tonight and expect to be successful.
“Our kids are playing hard and everybody is doing the best they can. We just made too many mistakes. When you do that against a good team you saw what can happen.”
Adams Central (3-1, 1-0 Allen County Athletic Conference) scored touchdowns on runs, a pass, two pick-6s, a punt return and kickoff return.
The only thing missing was a fumble recovery taken to the house.
“I think our kids came out ready to play,” ACHS coach Michael Mosser said. “I think they did a really good job with that.
“I thought defensively our kids made some key stops and some big plays with some turnovers that kind of set the tone and our kids played hard the rest of the way.”
After forcing Jay County to punt on its opening drive, Adams Central needed just two plays to cover 52 yards for its first score. Alex Currie darted around the right side of the line for a 31-yard gain, and Nick Neuenschwander followed with a 21-yard TD run with 9:64 left in the first quarter. It was the first of three total touchdowns for Neuenschwander.
And just about five minutes later, the Jets were suddenly ahead 21-0 after Ryan Tester and Neuenschwander both returned interceptions for touchdowns.
Tester’s, a 37-yarder, came when a tipped ball fell into his hands and he went untouched to the end zone.
On the next Patriot drive, Neuenschwander stepped in front of a Sam Dunlavy pass and took it 53 yards to the end zone.
“I felt like early on we were kind of competing, but those two interceptions … you’re down 21-nothing,” Zgunda said.
The Jet’s 26-point second quarter — they had a 28-point second quarter in a 48-7 win over Jay County last season — just added to the Patriots’ problems.
Currie scored on a 4-yard run not even three minutes into the second quarter, and on Adams Central’s next possession Ryan Black connected with Braysen Yergler for a 26-yard touchdown. Yergler’s TD came on a drive that started at the AC 39-yard line as a penalty negated what would have been a 55-yard Currie punt return touchdown.
Given another chance at a return after Jay County’s ensuing possession covered 19 yards on eight plays, Currie acted as if he was going to let a Sheldon Minch punt roll dead but instead scooped it up off a bounce at his own 23 and took it all the way to the end zone.
“He really had a good night,” Mosser said of Currie, who had 68 rushing yards on three carries, a 12-yard reception and his two scores. “He has run really well. He’s been doing that all season for us. I thought there was some good blocks and some good holes for him and he took advantage of those.”
“We had five guys around him and all the sudden he shoots out,” said Zgunda, whose team allowed three special teams touchdowns. “I don’t know; we’ve got to make those plays.”
Mosser on his team’s versatility in finding the end zone: “It’s unusual, it really is. They just couldn’t tackle our guys for some reason. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know if we were that much better or they struggled tackling.”
Jay County’s only touchdown came with seven minutes left in the game. Quinn Faulkner, who had a hard-earned 58 rushing yards on 18 carries, scored on a 4-yard run.
Adams Central ran just 26 offensive plays and out-gained Jay County 258-217. Heyerly led the rushing attack with 73 yards on four carries. Black was 4-of-6 passing for 66 yards, 37 of which went to Yergler.
Jay County senior Sam Dunlavy completed eight of his 15 passes for 107 yards. Faulkner had 72 yards on six receptions.
“It shouldn’t look that way on a stat sheet when you look at the scoreboard,” Zgunda said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. They are a good football team (and) they took advantage of that.”
Jay County will look to rebound and go back above .500 as it hosts Bluffton for homecoming at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 ACAC) will also be coming off a loss following a 32-19 setback to Woodlan.
The Jets accomplished all but one.
Jay County High School’s football team was overmatched in all three phases in a 54-7 loss to the Class 1A No. 3 Adams Central Jets on Friday at Harold E. Schutz Stadium.
“They’re really good,” JCHS coach Grant Zgunda said. “They always are. We can’t make mistakes that we made tonight and expect to be successful.
“Our kids are playing hard and everybody is doing the best they can. We just made too many mistakes. When you do that against a good team you saw what can happen.”
Adams Central (3-1, 1-0 Allen County Athletic Conference) scored touchdowns on runs, a pass, two pick-6s, a punt return and kickoff return.
The only thing missing was a fumble recovery taken to the house.
“I think our kids came out ready to play,” ACHS coach Michael Mosser said. “I think they did a really good job with that.
“I thought defensively our kids made some key stops and some big plays with some turnovers that kind of set the tone and our kids played hard the rest of the way.”
After forcing Jay County to punt on its opening drive, Adams Central needed just two plays to cover 52 yards for its first score. Alex Currie darted around the right side of the line for a 31-yard gain, and Nick Neuenschwander followed with a 21-yard TD run with 9:64 left in the first quarter. It was the first of three total touchdowns for Neuenschwander.
And just about five minutes later, the Jets were suddenly ahead 21-0 after Ryan Tester and Neuenschwander both returned interceptions for touchdowns.
Tester’s, a 37-yarder, came when a tipped ball fell into his hands and he went untouched to the end zone.
On the next Patriot drive, Neuenschwander stepped in front of a Sam Dunlavy pass and took it 53 yards to the end zone.
“I felt like early on we were kind of competing, but those two interceptions … you’re down 21-nothing,” Zgunda said.
The Jet’s 26-point second quarter — they had a 28-point second quarter in a 48-7 win over Jay County last season — just added to the Patriots’ problems.
Currie scored on a 4-yard run not even three minutes into the second quarter, and on Adams Central’s next possession Ryan Black connected with Braysen Yergler for a 26-yard touchdown. Yergler’s TD came on a drive that started at the AC 39-yard line as a penalty negated what would have been a 55-yard Currie punt return touchdown.
Given another chance at a return after Jay County’s ensuing possession covered 19 yards on eight plays, Currie acted as if he was going to let a Sheldon Minch punt roll dead but instead scooped it up off a bounce at his own 23 and took it all the way to the end zone.
“He really had a good night,” Mosser said of Currie, who had 68 rushing yards on three carries, a 12-yard reception and his two scores. “He has run really well. He’s been doing that all season for us. I thought there was some good blocks and some good holes for him and he took advantage of those.”
“I thought he played good defensively as well.”
Adams Central, which led 47-0 at half after Blake Heyerly’s 60-yard touchdown run, scored its fifth different TD as Neuenschwander took the second-half kickoff down the right sideline to the end zone.“We had five guys around him and all the sudden he shoots out,” said Zgunda, whose team allowed three special teams touchdowns. “I don’t know; we’ve got to make those plays.”
Mosser on his team’s versatility in finding the end zone: “It’s unusual, it really is. They just couldn’t tackle our guys for some reason. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know if we were that much better or they struggled tackling.”
Jay County’s only touchdown came with seven minutes left in the game. Quinn Faulkner, who had a hard-earned 58 rushing yards on 18 carries, scored on a 4-yard run.
Adams Central ran just 26 offensive plays and out-gained Jay County 258-217. Heyerly led the rushing attack with 73 yards on four carries. Black was 4-of-6 passing for 66 yards, 37 of which went to Yergler.
Jay County senior Sam Dunlavy completed eight of his 15 passes for 107 yards. Faulkner had 72 yards on six receptions.
“It shouldn’t look that way on a stat sheet when you look at the scoreboard,” Zgunda said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. They are a good football team (and) they took advantage of that.”
Jay County will look to rebound and go back above .500 as it hosts Bluffton for homecoming at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 ACAC) will also be coming off a loss following a 32-19 setback to Woodlan.
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