Guards step up

The frontcourt carried the bulk of the load in the first half.

But it was a pair of guards that came up clutch to secure the game in the final two periods.

Gabe Overton reclaimed the lead in the third quarter for the Jay County High School boys basketball team before Jayden Comer put the Richmond Red Devils away in the fourth for a 56-53 victory on Monday.

“Trying to survive is what it felt like to be honest with you,” said first-year JCHS coach Tyler Rigby, whose team managed to stall out the final two minutes for the narrow victory. “I thought we struggled a little bit in the first half with the pressure again but we did respond in the second half, but we did respond in the second half. … (Richmond) is so good creating offense with their defense. You just can’t turn it over, can’t miss an easy layup or they’re going to get out in transition.

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Jay County boys basketball vs. Richmond (12/1/2025)

“But I thought our guys responded really well in the second half. It could have folded pretty easily and they didn’t. They responded with a little bit of intensity themselves and that’s good to see.”

The Patriots (1-1) allowed Richmond (1-1) to hang around in the first half as they committed 10 turnovers that allowed eight transition points, including a pair of alley oops to Elijah Hubbard.

Richmond turned up the defensive pressure even more to start the third quarter, leading to a Zaevion Sanders pull-up and a transition dunk by Hubbard – he led all scorers with 20 points — to go up 28-24.

“Our defense is what we hang our hat on,” said RHS coach Josh Jurgens. “Offensively we do struggle at times and that’s on me. I’ve got to get better at calling plays, drawing up stuff and getting these kids moving a little bit more. We feel like our defense can travel even if our offense is off, the defense can still be there.”

RHS got one more transition bucket, but the Patriots cut it to a two-point deficit before figuring things out for good. Jay County started to settle in when Overton was bringing the ball up the floor.

JCHS went on an 8-0 run including three buckets by Overton, two in transition and one on a back cut, to reclaim a 41-35 advantage.

“He brings an intensity defensively,” Rigby said of Overton. “He can get after it and he’s really good on the ball.

    Jay County High School’s Gabe Overton floats up a shot during the Patriots’ 56-53 victory over Richmond on Monday. Overton scored six straight points as part of an 8-0 run that reclaimed the lead for Jay County in the third quarter before Jayden Comer put the game away in the fourth. (The Commercial Review/Andrew Balko)
  

“He does provide a bit of a calm offensively. He’s still got a lot to learn and still got to do a little bit better against some of that pressure. He does provide another ball handler and did a really good job tonight.”

The Patriots entered the fourth quarter up three points, but Comer finished Overton’s work to go up double digits.

It started when Comer picked off a pass from Thomas Stargell for an easy layup. On the next possession, Cole Forthofer set a ball screen for Comer on the wing and the junior guard stepped up to knock down his sole triple of the day. Comer capped off a personal 7-0 run with a reverse layup to go up 48-38 with six minutes remaining.

“Just taking care of the ball, that’s our main thing,” Comer said. “Then I was just getting to the rack and that’s all it takes.”

Comer continued to contribute throughout the rest of the fourth quarter as well. With four minutes left, he drove the baseline before finding Forthofer in the lane for a push shot, assisted Benson Barnett during a play designed to run the clock down and iced the game away with a pair of free throws with 12.9 seconds remaining.

“I was just dragging their defender and then kicking it when they come,” said Comer, who matched Aiden Phillips with a game-high three assists. “I love getting my teammates buckets.”

After Comer’s free throws, Richmond couldn’t get a good look against JCHS quick enough as Hubbard only got a three off at the buzzer.

While Comer and Overton controlled the second half, Forthofer and Phillips powered the first two quarters. Forthofer finished with a team-high 14 points, 10 of which came in the first half, while Phillips shot 3-of-3 from the field for eight first-half points.

Gradin Swoveland also added 13 on an effort split throughout the game. Tyrel Brown and Treston Bennett were the only other Red Devils in double figures with 11 and 10, respectively.