Celebration spoiled

There was plenty to celebrate before the game Friday night, with a parade, tailgate and military helicopter delivering the game ball.

It would become a difficult night to be a Patriot, in more ways than one.

The mood was solemn as the fans departed Friday night after the Jay County High School football team lost multiple players to injury, one of whom left the field in an ambulance, in a 40-0 homecoming loss to the Class 2A No. 7 Bluffton Tigers.

“We’re 14-0 at halftime,” said JCHS coach Eddie Fields. “It’s a competitive ball game, and then just ran out of gas again in second half. Got to keep searching for answers. Just keep drawing it up, keep working.”

The Patriots managed to stay within two scores of their undefeated Allen County Athletic Conference rivals at the half, before Bluffton (5-0, 3-0 ACAC) put up 26 points in the third quarter. But it wasn’t so much the points allowed as the players lost that broke the celebratory mood.

First, senior Joaquin Johnson went out with an injury.

Then, as he was being tended to on the sideline, Carter Fugiett landed awkwardly while trying to catch a pass on the final play of the third quarter. He was immediately writhing on the turf while medical personnel and coaches rushed to his side.

He was eventually placed on a backboard and his teammates gathered close as he was moved into the ambulance. His friend Brady Jetmore led a team prayer before the ambulance pulled away.

Reports on the field were that Fugiett had feeling in his extremities. He was transported to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.

“Just both great kids, both seniors,” said Fields. “Just terrible for both. I mean, obviously, both those kids, they’re four-year players and they're good kids and they're good kids in the classroom, the school and the community … Really, really good kids.”

Bluffton put the game away with its high-octane third quarter, covering 67 yards on four plays on the opening drive with Elijah Bertsch scoring on an 18-yard wide receiver screen pass from  quarterback Axton Beste. After a Jay County punt, Khamel Moore needed just one play to go 53 yards for the first of his two TDs. Another punt led to a Cooper Craig 39-yard scoring run — he also had a 30-yard TD on a hook-and-lateral late in the first half as part of a 116-yard evening — and a Patriot fumble led to a second one-play drive from Moore on a 43-yard run. 

    Jay County High School seniors Nick Laux (left) and Brady Jetmore (right) team up to tackle Cooper Craig of the Bluffton Tigers during Friday night’s homecoming game. Craig ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which came during the Tigers’ 26-point third quarter. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)
  

Moore gave the Tigers two 100-yard rushers as he ripped off 109 yards on just four carries.

Beste was a master of efficiency through the air, completing his first 10 passes and going 15-of-16 for 165 yards.

“Axton, he's incredible,” said Bluffton coach Brent Kunkel. “He's an incredible kid, first and foremost, but he's an incredible leader for our football team, and obviously he's extremely talented. So putting the ball in his hands is never going to be a bad decision for us.”

Jay County had an opportunity to score on its final drive against the Tigers’ junior varsity defense, moving the ball to the 11-yard line on a series of Nick Laux passes to Aiden Phillips (four receptions, 49 yards) and Jermore (five receptions, 48 yards). But Laux was sacked on third down, and his last-second, fourth-down heave toward Jetmore in the end zone fell incomplete.

It marked the third time the Patriots (1-4, 0-3 ACAC), who were outgained 432-161, have been shut out this season.

Bluffton, meanwhile, is undefeated through five weeks for the third year in a row.

 “Those guys are winning football games four years ago when they're in the weight room, when they're developing their youth program, when they’re building numbers,” said Fields. “You see their kids that show up and they get a deep sideline …

“They’re big, strong, well-developed, well-coached kids. …

“They’re making adjustments to stuff we put in new tonight. The second time we run, they're ready for it. It's a well-coached, well-developed team.”

Laux completed 11 passes for 106 yards, with one interception. Leighton Brown ran eight times for 38 yards for the Patriots, with the bulk of his yardage coming on a 27-yard carry in the second quarter.

Jay County will play next at Woodlan, which is 1-4 overall and 0-3 in the ACAC after losing 34-21 Friday to Southern Wells.