Bruins blitzed

The smile on Tony Beiswanger’s face was almost as wide as the goal he’d just scored in.

The freshman’s tally with just over a minute remaining in his varsity debut capped a jubilant Tuesday evening, as the Jay County High School boys soccer team blasted the Blackford Bruins 9-1 while celebrating senior night.

“Very strong outing from the guys,” said Jay County coach Rodney Reynolds. “They came out, the passing was pretty phenomenal — it’s going to be hard to guard. That’s what we’ve been working up towards, is trying to make things happen, and I felt really comfortable with the way they started, the way they held the middle of the game and the end of the game. They played well.”

The Patriots (6-8-1) established a rhythm as soon as the clock started rolling. Less than five minutes in, Jay County broke the ice when Elias Mueller converted a penalty kick after Blake Collins was dragged down in the box.

Jay County’s onslaught snowballed from there, with freshman Jacoby Penrod recording a hat trick within the first 25 minutes. Emmitt Reynolds, Raif Beiswanger and Collins also found the back of the net as Jay County took a 7-1 lead into halftime.

“It’s just a hard team to beat,” said Blackford (3-12-1) goalkeeper Jaden Aulbach, who recorded 10 saves in the contest but conceded all nine Patriot goals. “They play good, they pass well. It’s nothing you can do about that. It’s just a tough game.”

Jay County’s offensive outburst helped the team snap a skid of three straight losses and seven defeats in the last eight outings.

“After last game, we lost, and I feel like we had a lot of motivation coming into this game with it being Senior Night and just wanting to win it for the seniors,” Penrod said.

With the result firmly in Jay County’s control, the team shifted its focus to getting its younger players an opportunity while celebrating its pair of seniors, starting goalkeeper Peyton Yowell and defender Max Klopfenstein, as well as Mueller, an exchange student.

    Jay County High School’s Blake Collins (right) and Blackford’s Logan Wilson battle for possession during the Patriots’ 9-1 senior night victory on Tuesday. Collins’ first-half goal made him one of seven Patriots to score in the game. JCHS will close its regular season Saturday at Huntington North before the state tournament series gets underway as Jay County faces Oak Hill in the opening round of Class 2A Sectional 23 at 5 p.m. Tuesday. (The Commercial Review/Ethan Oskroba)

Yowell even shed his customary pink paraphernalia and donned the vacant No. 15 jersey for the Patriots, making a rare appearance playing the field in what he said might have been his favorite memory of his Jay County career. The senior made his final home game one to remember, doling out a pair of assists, first to Jaxson DeHoff before delivering the feed that led to Tony Beiswanger’s late score.

“It’s just so much fun,” Yowell said. “I played a few minutes of JV, and asked coach, ‘If we’re up by a lot, can I go in?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ I did what I could in the field to help my teammates (with) those assists because it’s just fun to have everyone else have fun. Like that assist (for) Tony, I know that meant a lot to him.”

Not only was the goal meaningful to Tony Beiswanger, it sparked elation on the entire Patriot sideline. The freshman’s first career goal was even sweeter after a controversial ruling had wiped out what would have been his first junior varsity score a few matches prior.

“I was really glad that I redeemed it,” Tony Beiswanger said. “Especially on varsity, and that was my first time I’ve been on varsity. So I’m really glad I had that opportunity and I’m really glad that our team had that energy to keep it up and kept scoring.”

While Klopfenstein didn’t join his friend Yowell or Tony Beiswanger in the box score, the evening still gave the defender plenty to be happy about. Klopfenstein hadn’t played soccer for several years before joining the Patriots this fall and making pivotal contributions on and off the field.

“Max is just a great leader in and out,” Rodney Reynolds said. “You can hear him on the bench, when you put him in, he does what he needs to do, and for somebody that hasn’t played soccer in six years, I think he’s doing a phenomenal job.”

Making the night extra special for Klopfenstein was the opportunity to share it with Yowell, who was instrumental in coaxing him back onto the pitch.

“A good friend of mine, Peyton Yowell, convinced me to join the team,” Klopfenstein said. “For one last time, bring back some childhood memories, and I just want to thank Rodney (Reynolds) for allowing me to play today and this year.”