BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION —
After taking the head coaching job of Smiths Station football in February, Bryant Garrison is paving a new path forward for the Panthers.
In a tough 7A Region 2 consisting of powerhouses like Central, Auburn and Opelika, Garrison wants to instill in his players a mindset that they can compete with even the toughest competition. He said he knows it will take time, though, as the Panthers went 1-9 last season and haven’t won multiple region games since 2018. They last defeated Auburn in 2013, while they last beat Central in 2008.
“The main thing I wanted to do when I come in, and the players can attest to this too, we wanted to change the culture and change the narrative about Smiths Station, who Smiths Station is and who Smiths Station is going to be going forward,” Garrison said at High School Media Days in Opelika on Wednesday, July 26.
Garrison knows a thing or two about programs rising to prominence. He saw it happen as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama, and he’s looking to repeat that process at Smiths Station.
After graduating with a masters degree in kinesiology from Alabama, he became the equipment manager for the football team in 2004 under then-head coach Mike Shula. When Nick Saban took over in 2007, Garrison was promoted to graduate assistant and worked with the defensive backs alongside Kirby Smart, where he got his passion for great defense.
That was before it became “cool” to go to Alabama, but he was there when the Tide won its first National Championship under Saban in 2009, too. He said he is able to take bits and pieces of what Saban did and apply it in his own way, but he was able to work with Smart a lot closer.
“Coach Smart really helped me as far as safety play,” Garrison said. “I’ve always been kind of a secondary guy, and especially with the safeties. But just learning how to build a program because I was there when Alabama really wasn’t Alabama the way it is today. That’s because of the foundation it built back in 2007.
“I think that [Saban] changed the culture there, too. That’s the first thing he did — the weight room, the work ethic and the attention to detail, not only from a football standpoint but just going about your day-to-day business you have that sense of urgency to always want to do your job and make sure you do it right.”
One way Garrison is instilling the value of hard work is by changing the work out routine.
Smiths Station built a new weight room in the offseason, and Garrison is preaching to his team the self-inflicted wounds that come from cutting corners in all areas of life — with the classroom translating to the weight room and vice versa. The new weight room also appeals to the players, who’s faces lit up on stage at High School Media Day at the mention of it.
With Garrison’s leadership, the Panthers look forward to seeing the product of their work on the field starting in August.
“I think we have a lot of maturity on the defensive side of the ball,” said senior linebacker Lance Peterson. “Offensively, we’re getting a new system and a new offensive coordinator, and we’ve really embraced his schemes. We’ve got a taste of what it’s like to be elite this year, and I think it’s safe to say we’re definitely striving toward that and we’re expecting good results.”
Smiths Station’s sole win last year was a 30-21 defeat of region foe Prattville in week three, which the Panthers are looking to build off of this year.
“The way we’ve been working all summer, I don’t think nobody in our area works harder than us,” said junior running back Quenton Brooks. “I will say that this year, we’ll have a much better season than last year.”
SMITHS STATION FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
– Aug. 25: vs. Pleasant Grove
– Sept. 1: @ Central
– Sept. 8: @ Prattville
– Sept. 15: vs. Enterprise
– Sept. 22: @ Dothan
– Sept. 29: vs. Benjamin Russell
– Oct. 6: OPEN
– Oct. 13: vs. Opelika
– Oct. 20: vs. Jefferson Davis
– Oct. 28: @ Lee
Nov. 3: vs. Auburn