Report

Congrats from WV. Smith is an awesome athlete and will do well at the next level. 

Per the Daily Memphian: https://dailymemphian.com/section/sportshigh-school-sports/article/48495/covington-standout-skylan-smith-wins-class-3a-mr-football NASHVILLE — It’s hard to put into words what winning Tennessee Titans Mr. Football meant for Skylan Smith, Covington High’s football program and the entire Covington community. But Chargers head coach J.R. Kirby gave it the old college try Tuesday, “It’s emotional,” he said. “I was crying, Mom’s crying. There were a lot of tears at our table. We’ve been knocking on this door a few times ... (and) we’ve had a lot of great players at Covington that weren’t even recognized.   “Skylan’s a great kid and a lot of people from all different walks of the school were pulling for him. That’s not always the case. I was getting texts and videos of classes screaming, erupting and hollering. This means so much for our school and our community.” On several different levels. Smith, who was named the winner in Class 3A, is the first Mr. Football in Covington history. Additionally, he’s the first winner from Tipton County, and it came after he finished as a finalist in 2023 to Sheffield’s Radarious Jackson. But this year, his numbers were hard to overcome. Smith, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior, rushed for 1,585 yards — averaging nearly 11 yards per carry — and scored 31 touchdowns while adding six more on receptions and returns. Mr. Football only takes into account a player’s performance during the 10-game regular season but overall, the senior topped 2,000 yards and finished with 47 touchdowns for a Covington team that went 11-2 and lost to Martin Westview in the state playoff quarterfinals.   Westview freshman quarterback Graham Simpson — who passed for nearly 2,800 yards and 44 touchdowns with no interceptions — and all-purpose standout Eli Graf from state champion Alcoa were the other finalists. Mr. Football voting doesn’t take career accolades into consideration either, but consider this: Smith will leave as Covington’s all-time leading rusher and touchdown scorer. “It was very nerve-wracking,” he said. “When I heard my name called, it was a sigh of relief since I didn’t get it last year. (After last year), I just went back to work and worked harder. We have a great coaching staff that just pushes us to be the best versions of ourselves.” And now he’s left a giant legacy for future players at Covington. That includes his younger brother, Jaheim, a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore for the Chargers this season. “It’s special for my city because I’m the first one to do it,” he said. “Maybe there are little kids who look up to me, who want to be like me one day. Hopefully, they can break records. I really want my brother (to break them) and keep the family tradition alive.” Added Kirby, “Where he’s at now is not a shock to me. We put a lot on him his freshman year and continued to build on that. He’s been the face of our program that last two, three years ... I know it means a lot to all the winners, but this kid right here, it’s going to stick with him for the rest of his life.”   Smith was the lone area winner among the five local finalists who were recognized during ceremonies at Nissan Stadium.

Grass os best 

Agreed

Guys the only reason that Alcoa was able to play that defensive scheme is because they are Alcoa and they have 3 guys on their defensive line who are able to whip tail.     if the west TN schools like Dyersburg and Covington try to use that scheme to slow down Westview offensively they will score 40-50 points easily.     Alcoa is able to do stuff like that because their players are a different breed of an animal.  You can’t do what they do and expect the same results.