1974 Donald Jacobs

Donald “Jake” Jacobs played football and baseball at Upper Perkiomen High School. In football, he was the punter and a defensive back. In his senior year, he had five interceptions to go along with three in his junior year. As a punter, he ranked second in the Bux-Mont League for average yards per punt.

In baseball, he earned All Bux-Mont League honors in both his junior and senior years. While second base was his main position, he also pitched significant innings his senior year, finishing with an ERA of 2.26. At the plate that same year, he led the team in hits (17) with a batting average of .405. One batting statistic that stands out is that he did not strike out once during his entire senior season!

He was invited to a tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates in West Chester before heading to Northwest Missouri State University, where he played baseball for three years. Upon graduating from NWMSU in 1978 with a degree in Health and Physical Education, he returned to the university for a year as the Intramural Director.

During summers in college, he played for the American Legion and later for the Tri-County Chiefs. In his first year playing for the Chiefs, he was the youngest All-Star, posting a .414 batting average. He was also a member of the Chiefs’ first championship team.

After his playing years, he remained active as a swimming official, Little League commissioner, and coach for youth softball and baseball.