Jay Co. tops host Knights

FOUNTAIN CITY — The Patriots had their full lineup for the first time in a couple of weeks.

For the second time all season, they beat a team with a winning record.

Jay County High School’s boys basketball team, which had been without Blake Bogenschutz for two games and then Dusty Pearson for one, took control in the third quarter of a 55-48 victory over the host Northeastern Knights.

The Patriots (7-8) started slowly with a six-point first quarter but trailed by only four at halftime. They outscored Northeastern (15-4), which had won nine in a row and finished 13th in last week’s Class 2A poll voting, 19-10 in the third quarter and kept the advantage in the fourth.

Pearson, who had missed Thursday’s game against Southern Wells with a knee injury, returned to the lineup to score all of his team-high 13 points in the second half. Bogenschutz, who missed two games because of a concussion, and Bennett Weitzel joined him in double figures with 10 points.

JCHS cruised to a 51-22 victory in the junior varsity game behind eight points apiece from Parker Nichols and Trevin Dunnington. Wes Bihn added seven points.



FR is No. 5 seed

Fort Recovery’s boys basketball team will meet New Knoxville twice in a span of 11 days after the teams lined up against each other in the sectional/district seeding that was announced Sunday.

The Indians received the No. 5 seed and will play 12th-seeded New Knoxville in the second of two opening-round Division IV sectional games at approximately 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at St. Marys. (The Rangers will visit Fort Site Fieldhouse for a regular-season game Friday.) The game will follow another opening-round contested between eighth-seeded Ada and 10th-seeded Ridgemont.

The winner of the Fort Recovery/New Knoxville game will advance to play No. 3 seed Upper Scioto Valley for a sectional championship at approximately 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24.

Sectional winners will advance to play in the district tournament at Wapakoneta.



JH tankers lose

The Jay County junior high swim teams came up short Monday against the visiting Delta Eagles, with the boys team losing 156-134 while the girls team lost 171-115.

Rockland Beiswanger and Elly Byrum each won a couple of events for the Patriots. Beiswanger took the top spot in the 200 freestyle in 2 minutes, 32.7 seconds, and the 100 backstroke in 1:21.07. Byrum sprinted her way to times of 28.76 to win the 50 freestyle and 32.36 to win the 50 butterfly.

The only other individual victory for Jay County came from Cooper Glentzer, who led the 400 freestyle by nearly a minute in 4:48.65.

Carson Westgerdes, Rockland Beiswanger, Raif Beiswanger and Glentzer also took first place in both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.