Jay outscores Heritage total in one quarter

MONROEVILLE — The Patriots aren’t taking a day off.

Four players scored in double figures to elevate the Jay County High School girls basketball team over the Heritage Patriots 76-21 to close out the regular season on Thursday.

Jay County (15-7, 5-1 Allen County Athletic Conference) eclipsed Heritage’s total score in each of the first two quarters, while the home team managed just 10 points by the intermission.

Hallie Schwieterman led the way for JCHS with 23 points, all of which came in the first half. Elizabeth Brunswick, Karsyn Schwieterman and Natalie May all reached double-digit points as well with 14, 12 and 10, respectively.

Raylah Newton and Claudia Dirksen both added six points apiece while Charlee Peters had three and Alivia Schwieterman hit her third bucket of the season.

Olivia Lybarger led Heritage (6-12, 0-6 ACAC) with five points, all of which came at the free throw line. Elise Hissong was the only player from HHS to hit more than one field goal (she had four points).

Jay County will get a break over the weekend before facing off with New Castle in the sectional opener on Tuesday.

Jay finishes strong

Only one event was dropped between the Jay County swim teams as they clobbered the Marion Giants on Thursday’s regular season finale.

The girls team racked up 219 points, while the Giants could only manage 57. The Patriot boys came up just short of a 100-point victory over Marion in a 185-89 victory. Between both teams, JCHS claimed 23 of the 24 events.

Three boys and three girls walked away with two victories apiece. On the girls side, Brooklynn Byrum (100-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke), Elly Byrum (200 individual medley and 100 butterfly) and Maria Laux (50 freestyle and 100 backstroke) all had two wins, while Cooper Glentzer (100 freestyle and 100 backstroke), Grady Warvel (200 freestyle and 100 butterfly) and Carson Westgerdes (200 IM and 50 freestyle) all finished first twice for the boys.

Other first-place finishes for the Patriot girls (8-2) came from Ariel Beiswanger in the 200 freestyle (2 minutes, 19.34 seconds), Gillian Keller in the 1-meter diving (127.95 points) and Kali Wendle in the 500 freestyle (6:17.62). The remaining wins for the boys team (4-6) came from Bryden Carter in the diving (163.00) and Lincoln Clamme in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.87).

JCHS won all six relays.

The girls will host the sectional prelims on Feb. 5 with the finals to follow on Feb. 7. The boys will have an extra two weeks off before the prelims on Feb. 19 and finals on Feb. 21.

Jay rolls Warriors

The Jay County Junior High School boys basketball teams rolled through the Woodlan Warriors in the first round of the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday.

The eighth graders gave the Warriors no breathing room in a 48-8 victory. Finn Hemmelgarn led Jay County with 13 points, followed by Abram Lee with eight and Job Dirksen with six.

Also scoring for the Patriots were Jaylen Brown (four points), Roman Clamme (four), Lyle Beiswanger (three), Dillon Dunnington (two), Ango Kato (two), Jenson Edwards (two), Jade Westgerdes (two) and Bentley Comer (two).

The seventh grade team pulled out a 44-15 victory.

Carter May’s eight points topped the Patriots’ offense, while Sawyer Smitley and Benson Collins had six apiece. Other scorers for Jay County were Cruz Darby (five), Ryker Price (four), Beckham Hough (four), Mason Paxson (three), Ethan Paxson (three), Parker Wasson (two) and Carson Pfeifer (two).

Girls grit it out

WOODBURN — The Jay County Junior High School girls basketball teams won a pair of low-scoring games over the Woodlan Warriors in the first round of the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday.

The eighth graders claimed a 19-16 victory. Boo Towel fueled the Patriots with 12 points, while Arabella Link added four. Kinze Homan put Jay County over the top with two points and Brenna Weitzel added one as well.

The seventh graders won with a little more cushion at 34-16.

Gretchen Petro was Jay County’s leading scorer with 13 points and Hailey Comer added seven.

Adalee Rigby, Makenna Wellman and Kendall Farr all put up four points for the Patriots, while Evie Skirvin added two.