Smith leads Dobbins past Boys' Latin
Brandon Smith tried to speak, but the words didn't come. With his thumb and forefinger, the Dobbins senior pinched the bridge of his nose, perhaps an attempt to dam the emotion that pooled behind his face.
Brandon Smith tried to speak, but the words didn't come.
With his thumb and forefinger, the Dobbins senior pinched the bridge of his nose, perhaps an attempt to dam the emotion that pooled behind his face.
His teammates knelt, forming a circle after defeating Boys' Latin, 28-26, in a sloppy but tension-filled Public League AAA contest at West Philadelphia.
"I really don't have much to say," the 6-foot, 170-pound quarterback and defensive back said as he addressed his team and coaches. "I let my team down."
"I missed an important practice," Smith added later, his head down, voice low. "We were supposed to watch tape on Monday, and I just let my team down. I knew I was wrong for doing it, but I had a lot of stress on my mind and I needed a day off, but that was the wrong day to take off, and I'm really sorry I did it."
Recent family strife, Smith said, caused him considerable stress, so instead of Monday's practice, he went to the junior varsity football game at 29th and Chalmers to clear his mind.
As penance, first-year head coach Damond "Smash" Warren didn't start Smith on Thursday, an important game with playoff implications for the Mustangs (2-3, 2-2 league).
Perhaps as repayment, Smith played with abandon, racking up three rushing touchdowns and adding another in the air.
He also returned a third-quarter fumble, which set up a touchdown, and added a 50-yard kickoff return that led to his winning touchdown and two-point conversion.
He also learned a valuable lesson.
"Never let my team down and never give up," he said. "And if it's not very, very important, practice always comes first. I love my team."
"He paid his discipline," Warren said. "After a while I put him back in for us and he did his thing. He's a good kid."
Smith finished 3 of 6 for 63 yards in the air and added 19 yards on eight carries.
For Boys' Latin (2-4, 0-4), senior quarterback Troy Hester finished with four rushing touchdowns and 89 yards on 25 carries. Rasheed Wilson added an interception for the Warriors. Javon Oglesby-Rice blocked two punts.
"I really let my team down, so I had to make it up to them, Smith said. "I thank my line, and our defense played very, very hard. We needed this win for a playoff spot and we did what we had to do."
Dobbins 8 6 6 8 - 28
Boys' Latin 6 6 2 12 - 26
BL: Troy Hester 1 run (run failed)
DB: Wonsale Dahkwe 52 pass from Brandon Smith (Andre Witherspoon run)
BL: Hester 2 run (run failed)
DB: Smith 1 run (pass failed)
BL: Safety
DB: Smith 1 run (run failed)
BL: Hester 4 run (run failed)
BL: Hester 7 run (run failed)
DB: Smith 5 run (Smith run)