By BILL BARLOW
Ocean City High School wide receiver Jake Schneider got some great news Wednesday: He was selected by USA Today Network as part of 2020’s all-New Jersey first team.
“I think it’s a pretty big deal,” Jake said, adding that it’s been some time since an OCHS player made the list.
He said the Red Raiders played well this year.
“Everyone in the state noticed us, so some of our players were bound to get some attention,” he said.
His season has included breaking the school and league records for pass receptions, and a glowing endorsement from his coach, in addition to making all-state.
News organizations from throughout the state participate in the USA Today Network, including APP.com, northjersey.com and many others, according to a news story posted to northjersey.com, with multiple bylines.
He made first team for offense.
“Schneider isn’t the biggest receiver, but the 5-foot-7, 140-pounder came up huge for the Red Raiders all season,” reads the story. “He snagged 38 passes for 570 yards and seven touchdowns on offense and made four interceptions on defense, three of which he returned for scores.”
It can be frustrating how often people focus on his size, Jake said.
But once he’s on the field, that stops mattering, he said.
His father, Joe Schneider, said Jake does not allow anything to hold him back.
“Making first team all-state is difficult and a great honor. Jake has exceeded expectations since the first grade,” Joe Schneider noted. “He has always believed he could do anything.”
He said his son has hopes of going pro, adding that there have been successful small players in the NFL. He put Jake’s weight as 150, by the way, 10 pounds over what was published.
“I couldn’t be more proud. He has consistently been the smallest kid on the field with the biggest heart, and that’s since first grade,” Joe Schneider said.
That was when Jake started playing tackle football, and when his dad started coaching him and his friends soon after the family moved to Ocean City. Coming up together, the players formed a close-knit group.
“I got to know them all. It’s a great bunch of boys that played for the Junior Raiders. This is their 12th year playing together,” Joe Schneider said.
Like student-athletes around the country — and almost everyone else — the pandemic has derailed some plans for Jake and other team members.
That included a deflating end to his senior season, with a game against Williamstown abruptly canceled at halftime on Wednesday before Thanksgiving after a member of the Williamstown team tested positive for COVID-19.
“That was a tough way to end our high school careers. Especially if you’re losing 28-6,” Jake said.
That was the score when the game was called. He said the team may have battled their way back in the second half, despite the daunting deficit.
He and his teammates have learned to play hard and keep pushing, he said, citing the lessons they learned growing up together.
Jake cited his dad, his Junior Red Raiders coach, Carl Wanek, and others as inspirations.
“Coach Carl (Wanek) taught me and my friends how to play football: How to play hardnosed,” he said. “We would be out there against way bigger kids.”
The final game was not as big a disappointment as it might have been, his dad said. The Red Raiders were set to face Pleasantville, a Thanksgiving matchup that goes back a century.
But Pleasantville canceled this year. The Williamstown game was scheduled later. That meant they thought the season was over on Monday.
“They had their emotional moment,” Joe Schneider said.
On Nov. 21, Jake had another moment, making seven catches against DePaul Catholic for a total of 118. That put him ahead of former Cedar Creek star Bo Melton for the Cape Atlantic League record for pass receptions.
Melton is now a senior at Rutgers, where he plays wide receiver.
Jake already held the Ocean City High School record for pass receptions, beating out Ryan Taylor of the class of 2000, one of several records to his name.
“He’s got great instincts, he’s really quick off the ball and he catches everything,” explained Red Raiders Head Coach Kevin Smith. “That makes him hard to cover. But the thing that makes him special is his work ethic. He’s one of the best practice players I’ve ever coached. He gets better every day at practice.”
Football may be over for the year, but Jake’s high school athletic career is not. He plans to play lacrosse this spring and holds out hope for a full season.
His dad said he was in line to break the school record for scoring in that sport, making 70 as a sophomore, but losing his junior-year season – canceled due to the pandemic – will make that a tough record to reach.
Jake has not yet decided where he will go to school. Part of that decision will depend on whether he plays college-level football or lacrosse.
“I haven’t decided yet. I like football better,” he said.
His dad said he also excels academically and may major in business. His mother, Maureen Schneider, works as a real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway. His sister, Olivia, is a sophomore at Stockton University.
“Everyone has pro football hopes. I’d love to do that, but I don’t know,” Jake said. “My mom’s a realtor in Ocean City and that doesn’t seem like a bad job.”
