He was such a smart kid and had a way to make you laugh even when times were tough. I am heartbroken to hear this news and so terribly sorry for your loss.

Jake “Jellyfish”
Too Soon to Say Good-by

It amazing how quickly time passes as I think of the good times associated with Scorpions Club lacrosse, box lacrosse, and MVHS JV lacrosse.  

Jake played on a few Scorpions youth teams that I coached and he always stood out as a very good player; both attack and middy.   Periodically, we would participate in LAX tournaments within the Bay Area and a number of tournaments in SOCAL, which John attended.  Jake was very active and really took to the game.  He was a strong attackman and often wowed the coaching staff with an outstanding move or shot, which, typically resulted in a coach saying “where did that come from” or “nice move, can you do that again?”. His lacrosse IQ was very high, he knew where to be on the field in order to get good shots off.

I’ll never forget Jake’s Cheeseburger T-shirt that he often wore to practices and games.  He knew it made me smile and when he wore it always made time to point out this prized treasure.  During one of the MVHS JV LAX practices Jake asked me “Coach, what did you think of those moves today?  I was pretty slippery and smooth and was able to catch everything.”  I said, “Yeah Jake as smooth and as slippery as a Jellyfish”.  We both broke out laughing with other players joining in and cracking up.  Jake said “I like it…Jellyfish… I’m cool with that”.  And it stuck.  Whenever I saw Jake on or off the field, sometimes at SRV HS football games, he was referred to as Jellyfish, and by the way, was proud of it an always laughed.  

I was amazed by Jake’s intelligence at a young age.  He was always very bright, and he seamed to be mature beyond his years.  I remember saying to coach Bill Klein, “That kid is going to make it big”.   Jake was always respectful of his peers and his coaches. I always appreciated his nonchalant, yet insightful, and on point comments.  

I periodically dropped Jake off at home after practice and he would ask what he could do to become a better player.  I recommended using his LAX throw-back more often and gave him pointers to have a consistent overhand shot.  He always listened and tried what we discussed and reported out to me on his progress.

After Jake left MVHS and went to SRV I occasionally gave him a call or sent him a text message to ask how he was doing.  I remember seeking him out on the SRV LAX field as I coached the MVHS team that played at SRV and Jake was happy to see his former teammates and coaches.

During the years around Jake, I remember his witty sense of humor; always a wise yet tactful comment to make others laugh.  He was a real entertainer.

I am thankful for the time that I was able to spend with Jake as his coach and friend.  Jake’s infectious smile will forever be etched in my memories and he will always generate a smile on my face when I think of him.

Until we meet again Jellyfish, keep smiling.