In his first year with the Amarillo Bulls, Jacob Weatherly has emerged as the North American Hockey League team’s No. 1 goaltender early on, but knows there’s still plenty of work in front of him.

“I just have to play my game,” said Weatherly, 18. “I want to carry on the winning tradition here in Amarillo, so I’ll just keep giving everything I have every day and expect good things to happen.

“I’m taking things one day at a time and staying focused on the now. I can only control what I can control, on and off the ice; the rest will take care of itself.”

Weatherly, a Castle Rock native who played locally for the Hyland Hills Jaguars, Denver Jr. Pioneers and Colorado Rampage, signed a tender agreement with the Tier II junior team in January and stayed in close contact with new Bulls coach Jon Rogger over the summer.

“Everyone pushes each other to be the best they can be,” Weatherly said of his experience in Amarillo. “Obviously, the team has had great success in the past (the Bulls won the Robertson Cup championship in 2013) and expects the exact same this season.

“The coaches, the players and even the fans don’t accept anything but a win, and everyone works together to achieve that goal.”

With the Rampage, with whom he played four years through the 2013-14 campaign, Weatherly competed at the USA Hockey National Championships with the Bantam AA and 18U AAA teams.

He credits Rampage 18U AAA head coach and chairman Andrew Sherman for much of his developmental promise.

“He and (former Rampage goaltending coach) Chad Macleod helped me out a ton, on and off the ice,” said Weatherly. “They’re both great mentors.”

– Matt Mackinder