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‘Incredible performance’: Marblehead football junior played hours after learning of father’s death
"He needed to be around the team."
Marblehead junior Jake Scogland played an emotional football game on Friday, just hours after learning his father Jeff died earlier that afternoon.
Jake Scogland started at left guard and moved to left tackle when a teammate was injured. He played major minutes and even blocked a point-after attempt — a performance that left his coach, Jim Rudloff, marveling over his mental strength.
“He played out of his mind,” Rudloff told the Salem News.
School officials reportedly were ready to cancel the game, but Scogland texted his coaches to say he wanted to play.
“He said he needed it,” Rudloff told The Boston Globe. “He needed to be around the team. He’s the kind of guy who is the first one in and he played out of his mind. Just an incredible performance. I don’t know if it has registered yet, but it’s amazing the resiliency kids can show.”
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After the game, teammates embraced Scogland as the defending Division 3 champions kept a 22-game winning streak alive with a 26-18 victory over Lynnfield. Lynnfield players — who found out about Scogland’s death shortly before kickoff — came together with Scogland and Marblehead players as well.
“There’s a larger football family here and we’re all rooting for Marblehead as they try to navigate this tough time,” Lynnfield coach Pat Lamusta told the Globe. “It’s not easy for any community to deal with something so sudden. It was an emotional night and a great game. It was special for our players to be on that stage and compete, but also to recognize that it’s about the greater football community and being there for your fellow brothers.”
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