By John Raffel
Jake Smith is a senior Ithaca football player who simply won’t settle for anything less than returning the Yellowjackets to state championship glory this season.
As a junior quarterback, Smith almost got the job done in 2014. He took a 13-0 Ithaca squad to the state title game with hopes of a fifth straight 14-0 title-winning season.
But St. Mary Catholic Central snuffed out the dream with the win over Ithaca at Ford Field, snapping the 60-game winning streak.
“Last season was pretty fun, and it was a great run until the final game put a bad taste in our mouth,” Smith said. “This year we’re excited. We have 17 seniors on the roster. We’re excited to get on the field. All that experience will help us, especially down the road.”
Last year, Smith passed for 1,979 yards and 26 touchdowns. He ran for 1,298 yards and 19 touchdowns.
“I’m going to make plays and do whatever I have to do to get the win,” he said. “I’ll be running and throwing, doing anything I can to get touchdowns and help my team.”
Smith considers himself equally talented in the running and passing areas.
“We have many weapons at different positions,” he said.
Smith also plays safety.
“My strengths on defense will be pass coverage,” he said. “I know what quarterbacks are trying to do. I try to use that knowledge on the defensive side.”
Ithaca had a scrimmage on Aug. 20.
“We did pretty well on both sides of the ball,” Smith said. “We did what we wanted to do. There’s always room for improvement, especially with the young guys. But they came out and did their job and showed what they have.”
It’s no secret that Ithaca wants to get back to Ford Field.
“We had a terrible taste in our mouths going there just to lose,” Smith said. “We’ll take it one game at a time.”
Smith said he has received a college offer from the University of Dayton. He said he’s also talked to Air Force and Ivy League schools.