A new chapter of Smithville’s history started on a strong note under first-year head coach Josh Speer.
The Warriors turned in a stellar effort in all three phases during a 49-0 victory against Raytown South on Friday night in a season-opening matchup between Suburban Conference rivals.
Smithville (1-0) scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions, including three by running back Austin Clevenger, only gave up a handful of first downs on defense and delivered a resounding season-opening win.
Speer has been a huge part of Smithville’s success over the past decade, serving as the defensive coordinator for the past several years, and he said he was thrilled to see such a strong overall performance during his first game at the helm.
“I thought up front, our offensive line was really dang good tonight, and we were able to run the ball and do what we wanted up front with those guys,” Speer said. “Defensively, I thought our tackling was really good, and we were getting 11 guys to the football.
“I could not be prouder of our guys' efforts, just flying around, having fun and letting our hard work pay off.”
Bolstered by a strong returning group of offensive linemen, the Warriors displayed their physicality and tenacity from the get-go. After Smithville’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, junior quarterback Peyton Steffen tossed a 17-yard touchdown to Drake Odneal to open the scoring.
Smithville’s ground-and-pound attack took over after that, leading to five touchdowns on the remaining drives of the first half – two by Clevenger, one from Steffen, one from Lyndon Russell and another from Lincoln Roske.
Senior offensive lineman Kolby Harris even got in on the action when he took a direct snap and flipped into the end zone for a two-point conversion during the second quarter.
An all-state selection last year, Harris is one of three returning starters up front – along with Chase Turner and Eli Aviles – and helped the Warriors consistently move the chains all game long.
“That’s the goal, just go out there and pound the ball down the field,” Harris said.
Defensively, the Warriors proved to be just as tough, only allowing a handful of first downs to Raytown South all night and notching an interception thanks to Roman Roske. What’s more, Smithville’s special teams turned in multiple highlight-reel plays by blocking two punts and nearly returning a punt of their own for a touchdown.
“I told our special teams guys before the game that they need to be special tonight, and that they could make a huge difference,” Speer said. “That’s 33 percent of the game, and they were definitely special tonight and made some big plays.”
Coming off a breakthrough eight-win season under coach William Harris, the Cardinals (0-1) struggled to find their footing against Smithville but will look to bounce back next week against rival Raytown.
The Warriors travel to Truman next week, seeking a performance similar to their season-opener. And while there was a lot to like in game one, Speer said he was especially impressed with how his team’s newcomers and first-time starters stepped up and contributed to a well-rounded performance.
“We had some younger guys that haven’t experienced Friday nights before,” Speer said. “I thought tonight was a good taste for them. We saw some guys respond and do some really great things, and I think we were locked in and focused from snap one.”
