Jamie Jackopin plays one of those positions in which a short memory is as important as quick feet and good hands.
Actually, he plays two of them.
"I always tell him, 'As a quarterback and defensive back, the most important play is the next play,' " Shawnee coach Tim Gushue said. "You can't worry about what just happened. You have to move on."
Jackopin's resiliency carried Shawnee to a 20-16 victory over Cherry Hill East on Thursday in a West Jersey Football League thriller.
His right arm and competitive heart helped, too.
On Shawnee's final drive of the game, Jackopin was 6-for-8 passing for 70 yards and ran twice for seven yards. He scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard sneak with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
It was some great work in the clutch by the senior quarterback.
But the most impressive thing might have been Jackopin's ability to shake off the disappointment of some earlier moments, both on offense and defense.
"I felt like I was letting my team down," Jackopin said of his passing in the first half.
In truth, he was being too hard on himself. Jackopin was 4-for-6 passing for 65 yards in the first half, although a late interception nearly cost the Renegades.
He also set up Shawnee's go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter with a 46-yard run to the Cherry Hill East 2-yard line.
But Jackopin was troubled by his play on defense. He had been the defender when Taj Frazier caught passes for both of the Cougars' touchdowns, including a remarkable 14-yard grab on a fourth-and-9 that ended up giving the home team a 16-13 lead with just 2 minutes, 50 seconds on the clock.
"I was really down," Jackopin said. "I know as a quarterback I can't be that way. I learned a lesson."
Jackopin's spirits received an immediate lift from Shawnee senior Kyle Wigley, a standout running back and defensive back who was lost for the season two weeks ago with a knee injury.
"He picked me right up," Jackopin said. "He told me we had time. He told me I could do it. I love the kid. I was thinking about him the whole drive."
Shawnee isn't a passing team, and Jackopin isn't an experienced quarterback. He played the position as a freshman, but was a running back and defensive back as a sophomore and junior.
Jackopin had been solid through four weeks for Shawnee (4-1), the No. 7 team in the Inquirer Top 10. But the Renegades' good start came mostly because of a powerful ground game and sturdy defense.
