Shoreline Patch Athlete of the Week: Keith Jacobs

Name: Keith Jacobs

School:

Class: Senior

Age: 17

Sport: Basketball; Soccer

Position: Guard

Family: Keith lives with his parents Ken and Pat and has three older brothers ages 29, 28 and 23.

You guys do a ton of traveling, just for league games. How do you deal with the challenges of being on the road for up to five hours in a day on a weeknight?

One of the unique circumstances surrounding Shoreline Christian athletics is their affiliation in the 1A/2B Northwest Conference.

The other members of the conference are: Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, Darrington, Concrete, LaConner, Mount Vernon Christian and Cedar Park Christian-Mountlake Terrace.

Recently, the Crusaders trekked over two and a half hours (one way) to Orcas Island for a Tuesday night contest against Friday Harbor.

On the Shoreline Christian School website, the itinerary for the day's game against Concrete brings the Crusaders' reality to light.

Keith and his teammates sometimes feel the strain placed on them by such extreme travel demands, but make a conscious effort to use their hardship to their advantage.

"Traveling as much as we do can be very tough," Jacobs admitted.

"It means long nights on some school days and the next day after a long trip, you are really just exhausted. But pushing ourselves the next day is practice is something that we always work on."

What does it mean to you to be named a captain?

Six of the nine players on this year's SCS varsity team are seniors, meaning there is no shortage of upperclassmen to assume leadership roles.

But even among his fellow seniors, Jacobs is recognized as a leader and was named a team captain for the second year in a row.

"It is a great honor to be named a co-captain for my team," said the SCS senior.

"It shows that my teammates and my coaches believe that I can lead this time through not only the good but also the bad.  This is a great responsibility, but also something that really pushes me."

If you could get out a message speaking to what SCS athletics are all about, what would that message be?

With an enrollment of fewer than 250 in grades Preschool-12, (75 in grades 9-12) Shoreline Christian provides an intimate setting for students.

Despite remaining relatively unknown, Jacobs and his SCS teammates keep their focus on the task at hand, whether that be in the classroom or practice.

"We are extremely hard working on and off the court," Jacobs insisted.

"Not only do we push ourselves while we play basketball but also in school."

Words from the coach:

In his third season after coming to SCS from Juanita in Kirkland, coach Steve Call has the Crusaders looking for a berth to the regional tournament behind the play of Jacobs.

Call spoke at length about Jacobs' character, what he means to the Crusaders and his incredible work ethic.

"He [Keith] exemplifies what we hope for every student athlete at Shoreline Christian," Call began.

"He is probably the hardest working player I have coached and he is relentless in his work ethic both on the court and in the classroom."

Call went on to say that Jacobs, who is a returning starter and one of the leading producers for the Crusaders offense, sets an example for his teammates with his sportsmanship and his enthusiasm and passion for the game.

"We would not be the competitive team we are without his leadership," concluded Call.