Jay County will enter the upcoming season with one of the area’s most productive backcourts and a roster built to contend immediately. The Patriots return four starters and several experienced reserves from a team that finished 16-8 overall and 5-1 in conference play last winter.
Senior Hallie Schwieterman will once again set the tone from either guard position. Schwieterman led Jay County in scoring at 19.5 points per game while contributing 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.1 steals. She scored 468 points and collected 74 steals, demonstrating the ability to influence games at both ends of the court.
Karsyn Schwieterman produced a tremendous freshman season and now returns as one of the region’s most accomplished sophomores. The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 18.7 points, a team-leading 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field. Hallie and Karsyn combined to score 917 points last season, giving the Patriots an explosive tandem around which to build.
Junior Liz Brunswick provides another experienced and versatile presence in the backcourt. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 6.2 points, two assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 39 percent from the field. Sophomore Charlee Peters also returns to the starting group after averaging 4.6 rebounds as a freshman, giving Jay County a developing 5-foot-10 presence at forward.
The Patriots’ experience extends well beyond their starters. Junior guard Natalie May, sophomore guard Claudia Dirksen and 5-foot-10 junior forward Kendall Scheumenaur all return after receiving playing time last season. That depth should provide Jay County with flexibility, competition and several lineup combinations depending on the opponent.
“We are excited about the potential of our group. We look forward to the opportunity to play a tough schedule that can hopefully prepare us for what it takes to compete in February,” says new coach Donna Buckley.
Jay County is also adding an intriguing group of newcomers. At 6-foot-2, junior forward Amelia Heath brings valuable size to the frontcourt, while junior guard Gabi Petro adds another ball handler. Freshmen Brenna Weitzel, Boo Towell and Arabella Link will have opportunities to earn roles and deepen a rotation that already returns considerable varsity experience.
The resulting roster offers the Patriots an appealing mix of speed, size and athleticism. Jay County should be capable of applying pressure defensively and creating transition opportunities with its collection of active guards. With Peters, Scheumenaur, Heath, Weitzel and Link available inside, the Patriots should also have more options when facing bigger opponents.
Jay County’s stated objective is simple: get better every single day. With two elite scorers leading a seasoned backcourt, increased size in the frontcourt and depth throughout the roster, that steady-improvement approach could carry the Patriots a long way. If the returning players continue developing and the newcomers settle into productive roles, Jay County should be positioned for another successful season—and potentially much more.
WHY #9?
Jay County’s backcourt features two of Northeast Indiana’s best players and that is a great place for them to start and a difficult place to start for teams that line up against them.
So what exactly could make that start even better? The inclusion of new head coach Donna Buckley, who comes to the Patriots from Noblesville High School. Buckley has a career record of 382-231 over 26 seasons as a head girls basketball coach. She ranks 13th in all-time wins among active coaches in the state of Indiana.
Buckley also has a state title to her resume and has won 20 or more games five times in her career; Jay County had three straight 20 win seasons before falling just short the last two seasons.
CRITICAL GAME
Two of Jay County’s first four games qualify here with November 7 at Class 3A state runner up Indianapolis Roncalli and November 20 hosting Class 3A state champion Bellmont.
If the Patriots can push on or beat these two teams, it immediately sets them up as a team to beat in the state of Indiana throughout the season. Roncalli is a new opponent for the Patriots, while Bellmont has been the runaway winner each of the last three seasons so there has to be an assumption that a lot of focus will be on the Braves game on November 20.
CRUCIAL PLAYER
How much can Karsyn Schwieterman improve this season? After a freshman season in which she averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field, it may seem difficult for Schwieterman to improve significantly—but her ceiling remains exceptionally high.
The next step may be less about dramatically increasing her scoring and more about becoming a more complete and consistent player: expanding her perimeter game, creating more opportunities for teammates and learning how to handle the added defensive attention she will receive. With another year of experience and a talented supporting cast around her, Schwieterman could develop from a prolific young scorer into one of the area’s most complete players.
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