Jacob Rine Perfecting ‘Next Man Up’ Role for Wheeling Central
Central QB has stepped up in team’s time of need
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WHEELING -- One of the sayings that Wheeling Central follows is, "Next man up." And for Jacob Rine, he has been exactly that. Rine, a senior, has been under center for Wheeling Central since star quarterback Curtis McGhee went down with a season-ending injury.
Over the course of the past three weeks, Rine has put the Maroon Knights in position to win their third straight West Virginia Class A state title when they face off against Doddridge County Saturday night at Wheeling Island Stadium.
"It's something special. You don't get to do this anywhere else in Valley," Rine said about going for a 3-peat. "It's almost like we expect for this to happen every year. It's just a tradition here. It's a lot of fun always coming out every day and knowing you have the opportunity to play for a state championship. It's a lot more fun that way.
"Obviously, you can never replace someone like Curt. Just what he did on the field, just an incredible career he had here. You can never replace someone like that. But when you have a lot of really good players on your team, a lot of really good guys around you, it makes your job easier."
What has made this journey easier for Rine is not only the players on the field with him, but the people on the sidelines as well, including McGhee, who has shown what a true teammate is all about.
He has been showing Rine the ropes and picking a part the defenses like if he was out under center.
McGhee and Rine have been friends since their childhood.
"He's also been a huge supporter these past couple of weeks with me on the sidelines, helping me out with different reads and everything like that," Rine said.
"We've always had a really good relationship. We've been friends forever. Ever since he got hurt, he's been at practice. He's always been super supportive of us, making sure what to do and what to expect."
Rine has put together a postseason he'll remember forever. In the first round against Tolsia, he read the defense perfectly and tossed a perfect pass to Jalen Creighton for a touchdown with 7 seconds remaining. He threw for two touchdowns in the contest.
In the second round against Ritchie County, he completed the first four passes en route to a 123-yard performance.
Against Pendleton County in a semifinal matchup, he piloted Wheeling Central to 27 unanswered points as it punched its ticket to the state title game.
"When you have guys like Jalen (Creighton) House (Jordan Waterhouse), Payton (Marling). Guys like that to throw the ball to makes your job easier," Rine said. "With our line up front, they really stepped it up the past couple of weeks. They're playing a lot tougher, a lot harder and they've made it easier for me. Everyone has just been stepping in, doing their job and that's why we've been able to have so much success these past couple of weeks."
And as a senior, he will step on the turf one final time in a Maroon Knights uniform, right in his backyard.
Growing up, the senior signalcaller knows all about those Friday or Satuday nights under the lights, even when he wasn't in uniform.
"It's going to be something special," Rine said. "I've always been coming to Central practices since I was a kid, since my dad (offensive coordinator Jason Rine) is a coach. Ever since I was 5-years-old, I've always been on the sidelines for those games. Now, going out there, walking on the field as starting quarterback for Wheeling Central in the state championship, I could have never imagined that and I'm really looking forward to it.
"What this team and this program has meant to me in these past four years and really all my life, I would never ask for anything else in the world and nothing would be able to replace this. I'm truly appreciative of all my teammates, all my coaches and everyone who's come before me too whose had an impact on my football career. It's going to be something special walking out on that field for the last time."
And as he steps on the field for one final 48 minutes on the biggest stage in his young career, with thousands of people in the stands watching, Wheeling Central coach Mike Young knows he can be the won to give Central another title.
"He's humbly done this," Young said. "And sometimes it's been stressful as heck because sometimes I think we have expectations of him that aren't fair in terms of him not being there all year and expecting him to be smooth as silk. He's going to get the job done. He's got the job done the last three weeks and he's going to get it done this Saturday night. Why? Because he's Jacob Rine. He's not Curtis McGhee. He's Jacob Rine. Curtis McGhee would get it done and Jacob Rine's going to get it done because of who he is. He plays with so much intensity and so much heart, intelligence. You don't have to be the biggest, fastest or strongest. If you have the right heart, the right attitude, you'll be successful."