Muhlenkamp breaks former coach’s record

ANDERSON — In 2021, Brad Horn coached Levi Muhlenkamp.

Three years later, Muhlenkamp erased Horn’s name and penciled in his own. And with the Patriots’ sights set on a second sectional championship in three seasons, he will have a chance to add to that record.

Muhlenkamp scored 7 goals in a 10-1 victory over the Liberty Christian Lions on Thursday to break the Jay County High School boys soccer team’s record for career goals.

While it’s Muhlenkamp’s name that will be recorded in the books, he immediately gave out recognition to the help his teammates. 

“It means a lot, it really does,” said Muhlenkamp. “I feel like it’s not just my award. It’s a team award, just because I’m not the only one doing it. I’m counting on people like Dylan (Marentes) for example. He gets the ball to me every chance he gets and without him, I know for a fact I wouldn’t be here doing this today. .. It’s all because of my teammates, coaches, family. Without (any) of them, I wouldn’t be where I am today, that’s for sure.”

Muhlenkamp entered the game with 74 goals in his career. He trailed Horn’s record of 80 by six scores, a mark he hit on Tuesday at Blackford.

He didn’t waste time cutting that number down, as he got the Patriots (12-2) off to a hot start with three goals in the first five minutes of the game against the Lions (2-10).

After five first-half goals, Muhlenkamp was staring down the record.

About 10 minutes into the second half, Jay County had a corner kick. The Patriots’ leader in assists, Dylan Marenetes, took the kick, sending it over to Muhlenkamp for the score.

“He just had a beautiful kick over to the back post,” Muhlenkamp said of Marentes’ pass. “I was able to catch a knee on it and then it lightly hit the goalie’s hand and then it was able to roll in. …

“It was just a remarkable moment. I was just extremely happy. Everybody was happy for me. Everybody’s telling me ‘Good job. Congrats.’ Everybody was just surrounding me. It was just  a surreal moment, that’s for sure.”

Marentes assisted four of Muhlenkamp’s seven goals, while Aryan Montes added another assist as well.

Muhlenkamp paid back Marentes with his own assist. The other two Jay County goals came as the result of two own-goals by the Lions’ defense.

With the record broken, the Patriots can shift 100% of their focus to the postseason, as they prepare to take on the winner of Delta and Yorkotnw on Oct. 9 in the IHSAA Class 2A Sectional 23 semifinal hosted by Eastbrook at 5:30 p.m.

A victory in the semifinal would earn Jay County its third consecutive trip to the championship game and give them the opportunity to reclaim the crown for the first time since 2022 after falling to Mississinewa 2-1 in 2023.

“In my opinion, the biggest thing we have to do is stay mentally strong and prepared,” Muhlenkamp said. “The first time we played Delta, they got into our heads a little bit and that pulled us down, but we were lucky enough to pull out the win. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t let anybody get into our heads, stay mentally strong and prepared.

“I feel very confident if we can do that.”