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QB Jacob steps out of predecessor’s shadow

Jeff Caspersen
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Kelley Cox Post Independent
ALL |

AURORA, Colorado – Imagine being the successor to Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Either would be an unenviable task, to say the least.

Luke Jacob probably has an idea how that feels.

In following Dakota Stonehouse, perhaps the best quarterback to ever walk the halls of Glenwood Springs High School, Jacob was charged with replacing a legend.



And he did an admirable job in Stonehouse’s shadow.

Saturday’s 29-6 loss to Elizabeth in the 3A football state title game brought an end to Jacob’s two-year stint as the Demons’ starting quarterback.



In those two seasons, Glenwood posted a 19-7 record, cementing its legacy as one of the top programs in the state. Simultaneously, Jacob cemented his status as one of the state’s top quarterbacks.

The senior finished 2010 with 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground and 1,320 and seven scores through the air. It was his second season with more than 1,000 yards in both the passing and rushing departments.

And Jacob did all that in the shadow of a local legend.

Stonehouse led the Demons to a state title in 2008, his senior season, and put up ungodly numbers – more than 7,000 yards passing and 2,000 rushing – during his three-plus years as the team’s starting quarterback.

Jacob says he felt the pressure of replacing a great, but only in the form of pressure from within.

“There was a lot of pressure I put on myself,” he said. “People probably didn’t expect much from me, so there wasn’t a whole lot of pressure from the town, but, I mean, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do good for my teammates. …

“It took a little bit of getting used to at the beginning, but then I just sucked it up and got comfortable in there. It’s just fun playing in there.”

Stonehouse, who played alongside Jacob and even threw to him as a receiver late in the Demons’ 2008 state title push, knew he was leaving the program in good hands.

“He can run. He can pass. He can pretty much do it all,” Stonehouse said. “He’s extremely fast and the good thing about him is he’s smart. He knows how to play the game and he just plays really hard.”

Like Stonehouse, the legions of high school football enthusiasts who packed the stands at Legacy Stadium in Aurora on Saturday certainly appreciated what Jacob brings to the table as a quarterback.

As Jacob faced the media in the wake of defeat, he paused briefly to autograph a football for a nervous youngster. Moments later, an Elizabeth parent approached the quarterback and shook his hand.

“I’m an Elizabeth fan, but I want to shake your hand,” the man said. “You played a hell of a game. You’re a hell of a good football player and it was a pleasure watching you.”

It’s safe to assume pretty much every fan of Glenwood Springs football feels the same way.

jcaspersen@postindependent.com


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