Patriots netters are heating up

WINCHESTER — The Patriots are building momentum.

With its sectional a week and a half away, Jay County has strung together four wins in a row.

Jay County High School’s boys tennis team earned a quick 5-0 victory over the Winchester Golden Falcons on Thursday.

The Patriots (8-8, 1-1 Allen County Athletic Conference) dominated the singles positions. Abraham Dirksen swept Cooper Hummel in the No. 1 singles match while Eli Dirksen handled Foster Kratoska in the No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-0.

Winchester didn’t have enough players for a No. 3 singles match, resulting in an automatic forfeit, giving Jay County all three positions.

Isaac Miller and Luke Muhlenkamp received a little bit of resistance from Rogan Auker and Aiden Mendenhall in the No. 2 doubles match, but figured things out to pull through 6-3, 6-0.

Sam Myers and Gage Sims did just enough to take down Jayden Beeson and Levi Hanes 6-4, 6-4 to win the No. 1 doubles position.

The win pulls the Patriots to .500 as they prepare to take on Bellmont Monday before competing to be ACAC co-champions with South Adams Sept. 21.

DeHoff scores

DECATUR — The Jay County girls soccer team couldn’t hang on in a 2-1 loss to the Bellmont Braves on Thursday.

Morgan DeHoff scored the lone goal for the Patriots (3-6-1, 2-3) in the first half. Molly Muhlenkamp found DeHoff with a long through ball that she controlled and beat the defender for the goal.

Jay County managed six shots on Bellmont’s goal.

The score was DeHoff’s 10th of the season, the most anyone on the team.

Hannah Hawkins and Arabelle Laurent scored for the Braves, one in the first half and the other in the second. Lilly Alberding assisted both goals.

JCHS goalie Angel Clairday finished with nine saves in the contest.

Aixa Lopez went to work in the midfield with 20 steals for Jay County. The Patriots also got 17 steals from Muhlenkamp and 15 from DeHoff and Jayla Huelskamp.