Patriots, Red Devils draw

The Patriots were (finally) home for the first time.

They got a result they hadn’t had all season.

Jay County High School’s boys soccer team wasn’t able to net the go-ahead goal and played to a 1-1 draw with the Richmond Red Devils in the team’s home opener Tuesday.

The draw makes Jay County’s record 3-3-1 on the season.

Levi Muhlenkamp and the Patriots struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Dylan Marentes sent a deep pass through the Red Devil defense, and Muhlenkamp chased it down. Once inside the 18-yard box, Muhlenkamp made a one-on-one move to beat a Richmond defender, then put a left-footed shot into the left side of the net for the goal.

It was his fifth goal of the season, and the second helper of the year for Marentes.

Barely five minutes later, Richmond’s Darius Hogg found the back of the net for the Red Devils (3-2-1).

Playing a man down for a majority of the second half because of a red card, Jay County still managed to get a plethora of scoring opportunities. Those chances included a pair of corner kicks in the final minute, but the Patriots were unable to convert them into the game-winning goal.

Senior goalkeeper Ian Ruiz made eight saves.