Staff photo by TOM KING Campbell's Jason Rubino looks focused during a drill at practice as the Cougars prepare for this Saturday's Division III championship game vs. Monadnock.

LITCHFIELD – Forgive Campbell High School senior Jason Rubino if he seems a bit distracted this week.

You see he knows now for certain that Saturday’s Division III title game between the Cougars and Monadnock at the University of New Hampshire will be the last high school football game he ever plays in. And, who knows, perhaps the last football game, period.

“Definitely a lot of emotions going through my mind,” Rubino said. “I’ve been playing for a very long time, and to know I’m only guaranteed four more quarters, it gives you a lot to think about.

“Especially with how passionate I’ve been for this game and how much effort I’ve put into this. All of it coming together, it’s definitely weighed a lot on me. But I’m definitely going to power through it.”

Rubino has been playing football for 12 years, falling in love with the sport ever since he watched the Dallas Cowboys play on television. He was hooked both on football and the Cowboys, whom his father, Chuck, grew up rooting for.

“I kind of got his genes,” Rubino said with a chuckle. “Every time when I was a little kid, I’d watch them. And right away, when I was old enough to play flag football, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

And the Cougars are glad he did, as he is used by head coach Glen Costello and his staff all over the field on both sides of the ball. Basically name a position, and Rubino has played it.

He’s played wide receiver, wing back, or tight end on offense, with blocking as his specialty. On defense, he’ll play corner, strong safety, free safety, and sometimes outside linebacker.

“They like to put me all over the field,” Rubino said grinning. “Anywhere they need me to be, I’ll always be glad to play there. It’s all about doing your job. … Definitely a lot of things while you’re doing it, but when your coaches really need you, you have to step up.”

That’s what Rubino has been all about during his time with the Cougars, and it’s important to him.

“It’s very important,” he said. “If you’re not putting in all your effort, then why are you really out here, you know? It’s all about effort and attitude, those are the only two things you can really control. Anything else, the coaches can help you and guide you. If you put in your portion of it, they’re going to give it back to you.”

“A coach always hopes you could have kids like Jason,” Costello said. “He’s willing to give everything for anybody. The coachability factor is off the charts with him. One of those kids who you have to tell him once and he’ll do it; if he makes a mistake, he’ll fix it.”

Costello feels Rubino leads by example, and the fact he’s willing to play different positions makes him incredibly valuable.

“The versatility that Jason provides athletically allows us to put him as a safety, a free safety, a corner, an outside linebacker, a wide receiver, as a slot, as a wing,” Costello said. “He’s been all over the place this year and again, he wants to be better, and be better for everybody else first.”

Rubino is a perfect example of a player who doesn’t need the ball to be successful. He knows with some of the flashier Cougar backs, such as Keegan Mills, Conor Sweeney and Cam Barrett, his job is to pave their way and not carry the ball.

“Great, great players,” he said. “It’s not always about getting the ball and not all about the stats. It’s just about helping the team win and getting to the next week.”

That’s why Costello calls him “the best blocking wide receiver in the division.”

And he’s not bothered by not getting the ball because he loves defense.

“I’ve always loved to tackle, ever since I was a little kid,” Rubino said. “It’s always seemed like it’s something that’s really fun to do, even if the kid is a whole foot bigger than you. It’s such a satisfying feeling making that tackle knowing that you made that play. Even when it comes to (covering) passing the ball, being able to make that deflection, interception. It’s just a great feeling that goes through you and definitely gives you a lot of toughness.”

There are a few players on the Cougars who have played together all through their Hudson-Litchfield Bears Pop Warner days to now, and Costello says Rubino is a perfect example of the Litchfield athlete who cares about the program he competes for.

“Jason has an awesome family that supports him throughout the year and that translates into him being a great player,” Costello said.

But it wasn’t always that way. Rubino has simply improved as an athlete.

It’s funny; I came to Campbell as a defensive coordinator three years ago, and Jason was too slow to play corner at that time,” Costello said. “Wasn’t quite as physical as some of the other safeties, but he was always on the radar, always that next kid in.”

His junior year, Costello said, Rubino showed up a little heavier than usual, and the coach would needle him about it all season, saying he wouldn’t be part of the defense.

The result: A superb defender.

“He put a significantly larger commitment into the weight room,” Costello said. “His speed increased, and now you’ve seen the complete package of a kid who’s worked hard and is coachable.”

Rubino says that playing in college is “definitely an option”, but he’s really focused on his future, calling it a “main priority.” Here’s another thing he has in common with his father: He wants to study criminal justice, as his father is a police officer in Tyngsborough, Mass.

“If I were a Division III coach,” Costello said, “I’d take Jason Rubino nine out of nine times.”

After all, he can just about play nine positions. Hopefully his football career has nine lives.

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