By Michael Lindsay
An impressive defensive performance led the Smith County Owls to a victory Friday night as they earned a shutout at DeKalb County, 21-0.
Friday’s game was delayed 30 minutes due to projected dangerous high temperatures and a triple-digit heat index in the afternoon.
“There was a lot of adversity tonight and this week with the heat,” said Smith County head coach Matt Dyer. “Everybody had to adjust to it in their own way. It was a weird week to approach practice and prepare for a team like DeKalb. Coach (Steve) Trapp and them do such a great job with their program.
“Our whole team adjusted to adverse situations,” Dyer added. “They’re the ones who had to play in the heat. They did a great job of hanging around for four quarters and not letting it affect them.”
Defensively, the Owls earned their second shutout of their last 5 games dating back to last season while forcing 4 turnovers.
“Any time you can shut out a 4A football program with a potent offense like DeKalb County, that’s a huge win,” Dyer said.
Offensively, Smith County quarterback Riley Martin did it all as the freshman threw for two touchdowns in the win, both to receiver Jermaine Cason.
“Jermaine Cason helped me a lot tonight,” he said. “My line had a big part in that also.”
Smith County struck first late in the opening period as Martin hit Cason deep down the right sideline for a 63-yard touchdown pass with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter. Javier Gaspar’s extra point gave the Owls a 7-0 lead.
The Owl defense stepped up midway through the second period as a Key Harris interception stopped a DeKalb County drive across midfield.
Bad luck would fall on the Tigers late in the second quarter as starting quarterback Brizz Trapp left the game with an apparent injury, leaving an already-thin DeKalb County team down another starter on offense.
Despite the injury, the Tigers threatened as they rushed inside the Smith County 5-yard line before the Owls forced a fumble to close the first half ahead 7-0.
“It’s the resiliency of these guys and this program,” Dyer said. “A lot of people want to count these guys out, whether it’s on social media or whatever. They don’t know what hard-nosed guys they are.”
The second half opened with neither team finding offensive success early.
“We couldn’t get some things done in the run game tonight, and that’s a testament to DeKalb and what they did to prevent us from wanting to run the ball,” Dyer said.
The Owls went back to the air again late in the third period as a long pass to Wyatt Claywell set up the second Martin-to-Cason touchdown of the evening, this one from 20 yards out with 49 seconds left in the third period. Smith County held a 14-0 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Smith County put the nail in the coffin with 5:02 remaining as running back Ethan Madewell broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown run to put the Owls ahead by a final score of 21-0.
The Owls improve to 2-0 overall with the win and host Liberty Creek in their home opener next Friday in Carthage.
DeKalb County falls to 0-2 and hosts Livingston Academy in Region 4-4A play on Friday.
