Comer comes up big

HAGERSTOWN — With 45 seconds left, Gradin Swoveland was at the free-throw line for Jay County, up 52-49. 

The Patriots overcame a slow start, being down by as many as ten points in the first quarter, and now had a chance to go up two possessions. 

Swoveland went through his routine and netted the first attempt to get that job done. His second try hit the back of the rim and squirted out to the elbow. 

Jayden Comer was there to scoop up the rebound and immediately went into keep-away mode, burning 30 seconds off the clock. When he was finally fouled, he hit both of his shots to ice the game.

Behind a 23-point performance from Comer, Jay County High School’s boys basketball team went on the road Tuesday and defeated the Hagerstown Tigers 56-49.

“We always pretty typically get off to a slow start,” said JCHS coach Jerry Bomholt. “You could tell from the moment we stepped off the bus that we weren’t focused. On nights like this, you’d expect a different energy, but we didn’t have it. We were fortunate to even stay in the game, given the mental mistakes. We couldn’t even run our offense properly; we couldn’t take care of the basketball. There was very little pressure, and still, we made mistakes that you just can’t afford to make if you want to be a good basketball team. Right now, that’s what’s holding us back."

Jay County (7-5) found itself in a competitive tilt with the Tigers (4-9) in the fourth quarter, as Kaagan Kendall finished an easy layup and then Isaac Schmitz probed in the lane and floated in a basket to cut the Patriot lead to three points with 2:03 left in the quarter. 

“They attacked us a little differently than we expected,” said Bomholt. “They kept attacking the short corner, and it's been a while since we’ve seen that, and it didn't allow us to get the trap that we usually rely on. When teams attack us in the short corner, we need to trap it, but we weren't closing in fast enough to do that. They took advantage of it, making it tough to defend, but we survived and got it done.” 

Jay County held a narrow 32-31 lead at halftime before Comer took over the game offensively in the third quarter. 

The sophomore caught fire from behind the arc, knocking down three of his five 3-pointers and scoring 12 of the team’s 16 points in the quarter. The offensive outburst helped give Jay County a four-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter. 

“I was knocking down my 3-point ball,” said Comer. “We were able to spread the floor and work it inside, and my teammates found me where I was open. But yeah, it was the 3-ball for me and definitely the team; we were getting them up there.”

Hagerstown came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, jumping to a 19-9 lead with one minute left in the first quarter thanks to 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and 4-of-8 from inside it.

The Patriots eventually clawed their way back into the game, going on a 16-9 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter to claim a 29-27 lead.

The Patriots never trailed again in the contest. 

“There’s no way they could have continued that type of shooting,” said Bomholt. “If they were going to do that, we were going to lose. I’m not sure what it was, but they made a lot fewer shots than they made in the beginning.”

Landon Lawson led Hagerstown with a 16-point and 12-rebound double-double as the IHSAA Class 2A Tigers came up just short. 

"I told the guys in there; I asked them to be honest: ‘Did you expect us to come in here and just scream at you?’ And they all said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘You’re right.’ It’s a shame that society measures success based on wins, losses, or how many points and rebounds you get,” said Hagerstown coach Mark Doerstler. “Because, honestly, our record doesn’t reflect who we really are. We’ve been playing three freshmen a lot, which comes with its learning curves. But we’re headed in the right direction. We’re going to peak in the next three or four weeks, and I’m confident in that. I’m happy with where we’re at."

Anthony Kelley totaled 8 points following Kendall’s big performance for Hagerstown. 

Cole Forthofer and Tucker Griffin each added 12 and 11 points, respectively, to support Comer and the Patriots.

Despite the win, Bomholt was not pleased with his team’s performance, feeling the Patriots played sloppy and uninspired. 

"We were very inconsistent and sloppy at times,” said Bomholt. “We probably did just enough right to win the game, but we’re nowhere near the level we need to be to get where we want to go and to take that next step of being a good team.”