End of the line

GAS CITY — The overcast sky finally burst open in the waning moments of the match. Unfortunately for the Patriots, their persistent offense never followed suit.

The Jay County High School boys soccer team generated numerous chances, but was held scoreless by the Oak Hill Golden Eagles in a 1-0 loss that bounced the Patriots out of the tournament in the opening round of Class 2A Section 23 at Mississinewa on Tuesday.

“It was a good game, it was a good battle,” said Jay County coach Rodney Reynolds. “We knew they were going to bring it. They’re right there with us the whole season, but unfortunately, one team’s got to win, one team’s got to lose, and we were on the losing side. It’s just unlucky, that’s all I’m going to say.”

Oak Hill advances to the semifinal round at 7 p.m. Thursday to take on Yorktown, which won its opening-round game Tuesday 5-0 over the host Indians.

The lack of luck manifested itself on several occasions in the back-and-forth clash. The Patriot offense generated plenty of strong looks, including multiple close-range efforts from Blake Collins and Jacoby Penrod that were either saved or just missed the target.

Perhaps the Patriots’ most agonizing near-miss came with just under 13 minutes remaining, when Emmitt Reynolds pounced on a loose ball in the box and sent it screaming toward the goal, only for the ball to carom off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

In spite of the offensive misfortune, Jay County (6-10-1) posted a rugged defensive outing. While Tayt Bowlin’s finish off a Carter Kreitzer through ball with 23:38 left in the opening half proved to be the deciding goal, the Patriots were determined to stymie any further Golden Eagle (9-5-3) chances.

“I think that goal woke us up,” said Jay County goalkeeper Peyton Yowell, who recorded four saves. “We were just like, ‘We need to start locking in, or else they’re going to start burying more.’ And then we started strapping up their defenders and offenders, it’s just really good about the defense today.”

Among the key defensive contributors was Angel Gutierrez, who anchored the left side of Jay County’s back line and used his physicality and awareness to negate the impact of Eagle speedsters Marc Caritos and Manuel Calcaneo-Mora. Also integral to the stingy defense was Zavier Hudson, who put his body on the line to block multiple shots before they made it to Yowell.

But while the defense’s resilience kept the match close, it simply wasn’t meant to be for the Patriots, who were shut out for just the second time all season. The heartbreaking defeat was the latest gut-punch in a year full of them, as seven of Jay County’s 10 losses were by a single goal.

“We’ve been hit every which direction, but they still try to find a way,” said Rodney Reynolds. “You can see they don’t quit. They go out there and give it their all. … There’s no quit in them, they fight until the end. So I’m fortunate to have those kind of kids.”

Now, the Patriots will look to next year as they brace for the losses of three key players — seniors Yowell and Max Klopfenstein, and foreign exchange student Elias Mueller.

“It’s always hard to lose those guys, especially when you don’t go out like you think you should go out,” Rodney Reynolds said.

Despite the sour finish to the season and the departure of the three vital contributors, Rodney Reynolds and Jay County remain optimistic about the future. The team’s top two goal scorers, Penrod (17 goals) and Brody Collins (eight goals), are both freshmen, and six of the seven Patriots to score multiple goals in 2025 are poised to return next season.

“We’re not going to give up on anything,” Rodney Reynolds said. “We play very young. These kids are positive, and just keep building on what we have.”

Rodney Reynolds also expects a strong incoming freshman class to augment the foundation Jay County established this season, leading to high hopes that the Patriots will avenge what was their first losing season since 2020.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Yowell said. “I think they’re going to be insane next year. Nothing’s stopping this team. Just because we’re losing a few seniors doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. We’re going to come back better and stronger.”