When Shady Spring standout Jacob Shamblin was young, he needed a sport that fit his personality.
Soccer filled the bill.
Saturday afternoon just outside Dave Wills Gymnasium, the only sport that could hold Shamblin’s attention over the years, took him to new heights.
Following a stellar high school career, the Tiger midfield mainstay signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for Concord University in the fall.
“I am really excited about this,” Shamblin said. “It is something I have been looking for my whole life. It feels nice to finally accomplish it.”
Playing soccer from an extremely young age, Shamblin honed his craft through play at the YMCA of Southern West Virginia which continued through middle school and high school. He also received valuable experience playing for Legacy Football Club Red since 2014.
“Where I have a short attention span, soccer just kept me going all of the time,” Shamblin explained. “With football, I would just sit on the sideline and get so bored. Baseball was the same deal, it is just stand there and wait. I couldn’t do it.”
The Tigers football staff did convince Shamblin to perform the kicking duties this season where is made a solid impact on Football Fridays.
While consistently placing kick-offs in the end zone, Shamblin had a direct impact on a pair of crucial victories for Shady Spring.
Four extra points and a 32-yard field goal paid direct dividends in a 31-28 win over Summers County. He was also true on four extra points in a 28-27 win over Nicholas County, including the game-winner in the final seconds.
“I won the Nicholas County game and everybody was patting me on the back. That was a nice experience, but I was ready to go home. I was cold and I was wet. I just wanted to leave,” Shamblin said, playfully.
Although he has played numerous positions over his years on the pitch, the constant activity of the midfield seemed to fit Shamblin best.
“(Jacob) is a great player that works hard and he has played every game. I don’t think he has ever missed a game his entire high school career,” fellow senior standout Michael Vecellio said. “He holds down the midfield and he wins balls in the air. He controls the game in the back where a lot of players can’t.”
In his senior season, Shamblin was named first team all-region, first team all-Coalfield Conference and honorable mention all-state.
“I think one of the things that happens in sports is you know what it is like when a player is all about themselves and when there is a player that everyone enjoys playing with,” Shady Spring head coach Josiah Smith said. “Jake is one of those players that everyone enjoys playing with. He played with a commitment to excellence, but he was also light. He enjoyed finding people and enjoyed setting people up as well as looking for the shot.”
No doubt playing in the midfield can make it hard to be noticed by the casual fan, Shamblin’s powerful leg and booming blasts constantly grabbed everyone’s attention.
“I would love to see a highlight reel of all of the long distance goals that he has scored. He has scored on some rockets,” Smith said. “I can think of a couple where I thought there would be a hole in the back of the net with the velocity of his shots. There is not a shot that he is afraid of if he has a little bit of space. He is eager if he has the opportunity.”
Smith also talked about the challenges ahead for his team in regards to filling the vacant midfield position vacated by Shamblin.
“He is a stabilizer to everything that we do. In attack, he supports that. Defensively, he deceptively slows down attacks,” Smith said. “He is a critical piece in stopping offensive attacks. It is very hard to think about what it will look like without him.”
While Shamblin felt the most comfortable on his visit to Concord, the question becomes can he make the transition to the next level? His former high school coach is convinced Shamblin has the required characteristics for success.
“Jake has been at this for a long time. He has leveled up throughout his high school career,” Smith said. “I have watched him since he was a youth soccer player and he continues to grow. That is what it takes in the transition from high school to college. He is intelligent and that helps a lot with soccer. He understands the challenge and just continuing to grow will be the key going forward.”
