Player: Braydan Smiley Position: RB/DB Height: 5' 8" Weight: 170 lb Academic: Junior School: Shenango

By Clayton Sauertieg

New Castle News

Braydan Smiley wasn’t supposed to be in this position.

When the Shenango High football team kicked off its season against Rochester on Sept. 2, the junior running back wasn’t listed in the starting lineup.

One month later, after an injury to starting running back Josh Young, Smiley led his team to its first victory of the season, carrying the ball 24 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the process. He also added one reception for 24 yards en route to a 28-0 victory over Western Beaver.

“Braydan has really developed into a trustworthy, reliable runner for us who moves the chains,” coach Mike Commesso said. “He’s been in the end zone now four times in the last two weeks, so we expect more of that going forward.”

Smiley has run for 281 yards on the season, 220 of which came in the last two weeks, including all four of his touchdowns on the season. Smiley was quick to emphasize what his performance and the team’s first win meant to them going forward.

“As soon as the whistle blew it was like a breath of fresh air,” he said. “It felt like a bunch of rocks has just been coming down on us, then eventually just to get that win we can finally start fresh with a new, clean slate.”

Smiley’s performance in the backfield has breathed life into the Wildcats’ offense, which scored 28 points last week to top its season’s best. Commesso said he expects that trend to continue.

“We had played some really good teams, it felt good to get that first win and Braydan obviously played a big part in it,” he said. “The schedule was front heavy. So now hopefully we’re more mature, we’re more experienced and we’re hungrier to do well. So moving forward, we look for more from him and from all our guys.”

Both Commesso and Smiley said they could sense the latter getting more comfortable with each carry, and that Friday’s game could really be a breakout game for him.

“After I scored my first (touchdown), I started to realize I was finding the holes more easily,” Smiley said. “Then I realized I could get us down the field again and I got into a pattern that I just started repeating and repeating after that.”

Smiley preached ball security as he spoke about his new role in the offense and the responsibility of being more involved.

“I like it. I like how our offense is being run because I feel like I know what to do,” he said. “I’m not going to fumble when I get the ball because our coaches like to teach really good fundamentals and I feel comfortable with the ball in my hands. I like having control of what happens.”

Should the opportunity continue to present itself, Smiley said he’s more than ready to compete and looks forward to helping his team win.

“We can play with anyone, really,” he said. “We just have to start playing to the best of our abilities and avoid penalties and I think we’ll see a lot of success.”

(Email: csauertieg@ncnewsonline.com)