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Friday, 15 December 2006 |
Prattville QB named 'Mr. Football'
By Wesley Lyle
Montgomery Advertiser
BIRMINGHAM -- It just doesn't get much better than the last six days for Prattville quarterback Larry Smith.
Less than a week after helping his team win the Class 6A state championship, the senior was named "Mr. Football" by the Alabama Sports Writers Association on Thursday.
"It was hard to believe that I could win with all this talent here," said Smith, who already has committed to play football at Vanderbilt. "It feels great coming off the state championship. That still hasn't hit me, and now this to top it off.
"I feel like I'm just living the life."
Smith is first Prattville player to win the award given annually to the state's top high school player. He's just the third from the tri-county to win, joining Robert E. Lee running back Larry Ware (1986) and Jeff Davis tight end Gorman Thornton (1995).
Smith was one of 42 finalists for the award. He was also named the Class 6A Back of the Year.
Two other central Alabama players were nominated for awards but did not win. Montgomery Academy's David Barrington was a finalist for Class 3A Lineman of the Year, and Brantley's Jeffrey Daniels was up for 1A Lineman of the Year.
Prattville coach Bill Clark said Smith represents the best of high school athletics.
"This is a culmination of what has gone into making Larry Smith who he is as a person and as a player," Clark said. "You can't find a better person or player. He is the epitome of what high school sports are all about."
Smith capped a spectacular high school career this season, passing for 2,465 yards and 21 touchdowns. In 299 pass attempts, Smith was intercepted just once.
"This is big," Prattville quarterbacks coach Tommy Goodson said. "I've been in coaching a long time. I've coached a lot of great guys, but Larry is special. You can't imagine what this means to him, us (coaches) and all of Prattville."
For his career, Smith passed for more than 5,600 yards and 49 touchdowns.
"Larry set his goals, and he reached them," Goodson said. "From a disappointing end to his sophomore year and getting beat last year, to winning the state championship this year, it's a storybook ending for his (high school) career."
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