Death of selfless Knoch athlete shocks community
Jake Herrit was about more than simply creating a good first impression.
His deeds were genuine, and they had lasting effects on those who knew him.This influence has undoubtedly played a role in the outpouring of support Herrit's family has received in the wake of his death.Herrit, 21, a 2018 Knoch High School graduate, died suddenly Sunday in Erie, where he was a student at Gannon University.His father, Josh Herrit, set up a GoFundMe page to help with his son's funeral expenses. He explained on the page that he had been unemployed until recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the family's savings had been depleted.Josh Herrit, who could not be reached for comment, listed a fundraising goal on the page of $8,000. Within four hours of the page being posted Monday morning, $19,000 had been raised.As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, the total had risen to nearly $58,000.Many of the donations are from people within the South Butler County School District.The response doesn't surprise Sean O'Donnell, who coached Jake Herrit on the Knoch baseball team. “I've lived here for over 16 years, and people in this community want to support each other.”
O'Donnell first met Jake when he was a student in his seventh-grade English class.“He was a phenomenal athlete, but I first got to know him as a person,” O'Donnell said. “He was the type of kid, if you had a daughter, you wanted her to date him. If you had a son, you wanted him to be friends with him.“Jake had his whole life in front of him. I'm so sad about his death, and I can't imagine what his family is going through.”News of Herrit's death sent shock waves through the Knoch community, including the baseball and football programs where he had invested so much time and effort.Former Knoch football coach Frank Whalen said he broke down after hearing the tragic news.“I just saw Jake about two weeks ago, lifting weights at the gym here in Saxonburg,” he said. “He had a big smile on his face, as always. It's just terrible news that he's gone.”Whalen recalled several of Herrit's traits that positively affected those around him.“Jake was an incredibly determined and unselfish athlete, but he was also encouraging,” Whalen said. “He was always looking to raise up the spirits of other kids, anyone who needed a helping hand.”Herrit was the starting quarterback in 2017, Whalen's first year as head coach with the Knights.“Defensively, he had his heart set on playing cornerback that season, but midway through the year, we needed someone to play outside linebacker because of an injury to one of the other players,” Whalen said. “I remember him telling me, “Coach, I'll do whatever the team needs me to do.'“That was Jake being Jake.”
Ben McMillen and Jake Herrit were baseball teammates for years.“He moved here in the fourth-grade,” said McMillen, a student at Kent State University who is traveling back for Herrit's funeral. “He came in and was one of us immediately. He was very mature for our group of friends and we looked up to him.”Jake Herrit carried his love of sports with him to Gannon University, where he played both football and baseball. He was also a member of ROTC.“I truly believe that Jake is more alive right now than he's ever been,” Whalen said. “We're all going to miss him, but our faith tells us we will see him again.”
