Jimtown High School

Jimmies achieve great season By Red Williams Freelance Sportswriter ELKHART – “Overachievers.” Bite your tongue, knave. Basketball Head Coach Tyler Leighton bemoans the idea that other coaches downstate feel Jimtown’s Jimmies went beyond their abilities in claiming a spot in the Class 2A Semi-State basketball tournament last month: “That perception is on the outside looking in. These guys are extremely smart and quite athletic. All four of our seniors will be participating in college sports on the next level.” With a second-straight winning season, Leighton believes his Jimmy team played to their potential and reached their peak just in time for the state play-offs. They finished this season at 16-11, missing a trip to the final four by the slimmest of margins. Many who witnessed them in the Semi-State contest believe a controversial call could have been a deciding factor in the outcome, as Jimtown lost, 56-55, to Manchester. BTW, the Squires went on to win the title. Leighton reminisced over the Jimmies’ season during the basketball banquet last Thursday (4.3.25) at the Simonton Lake Sportsmen’s Club. The event was well-attended. He made no excuses for the loss to Manchester. “We were hurt by their high ball-screen and failed to cover the shooter on his last shot. Often times a game will come to one final shot. “We have a very intelligent team with a combined GPA of 3.16 (out of 4). They had an offensive sheet with a million plays to learn (slight exaggeration) and did it.” Dylan Fey was named an academic “all-conference“ (Indiana Northern State Conference), as well as “all-state” by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. He sports a 3.9 GPA. Junior Will Spurgeon earned an academic “all-conference” and award of excellence for the highest GPA on the team of 4.047. Spurgeon also gained a plaque for the best free-throw shooting percentage on the team (78%). He, Fey and Branden King all were named to the All-Conference first team, and Javen Jackson made the Honorable Mention list. In team awards, Leighton said, “In my opinion the most important award I can give is the ‘Toughness Award.’ It goes to Dylan Fey. You came back again and again from injuries, willingly gave up your body to help your team, win regardless of how much physical pain it caused you, bloody and beaten and never quitting on your brothers, because you understood that’s what we needed to win.” Fey also won the Railroad Defensive MVP, Leighton said, “guarding the other team’s best player many times inside and out, choosing the stopper role.” King took the offensive Most Valuable Player and Hammer Rebounding MVP trophies. Jackson earned the Railroad Track assists award (with 75 and only 32 turnovers, and Ed Potter won the Hard Hat Hustle award for the most steals, deflections, rebounds, blocks and going for loose balls.