Jacob Stopay certainly appreciated every second he was on the football field against Northern Lehigh last week.

It has been three weeks since he has last played due to a knee injury. Against Northern Lehigh, Stopay played entirely on the offensive side of the ball as he caught four passes for 54 yards with a touchdown.

For the season, Stopay has 18 catches for 417 yards and six touchdowns.

"It was nice," said the senior about his return. "I was really excited to play. It was really tough standing on the sidelines and watching my best friends out there playing. This is my last year and I want to make the most of it."

Stopay, who also expects to play on defense Friday night against Northwestern, stated that he has full mobility in his knee and he will continue to wear a brace. It will be a huge night for Stopay and his fellow seniors in their final regular season home game and a chance to win their second consecutive Colonial League crown.

"This is really a big game for us," said Stopay. "We have been playing together for a long time and we all know each other really well. It really helps us execute as well as we have this season and we know where each other will be.

"We'll all be really pumped and ready to go. But we still have to take it one game at a time no matter what the situation is."

Head coach Tom Falzone has welcomed Stopay back with open arms.

"He is a big part of our offense and defense," said Falzone. "He was certainly missed, but we had guys who filled in for him nicely. Jake is a guy who often slips under the radar because of some of the other guys on our team, but he always gets the job done."

Stopay, who also plays baseball, plans to either attend Bloomsburg or Shippensburg University to pursue either a degree in exercise science or physical therapy.

His brother Zach, who graduated last year, is studying exercise science at Bloomsburg. The younger Stopay is also a member of the school's National Honor Society, SADD, Varsity C Club, and Student Council.

"I have thought about the major for a while because I always wanted to be in the medical field," said Stopay about his future. "Being able to stay active with sports will also help. I know it will be a good fit for me and I like both colleges."

Stopay won't forget his team's earlier win this season over Southern Lehigh in which they scored 62. It proved to be a catalyst.

"Everyone was saying how good Southern Lehigh was going to be this year, and we went out and took it to them," stated Stopay. "It was great being able to score 62 points against a team like that. From there, we really gained some steam and have been moving forward ever since."

For Stopay, it is just a matter of being there.