BY DAN SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — Auburn High School and Smiths Station High School met at Panther Stadium on Oct. 10 in a matchup between two teams at a crossroads. For the Tigers, it was about regrouping after a loss to Central High School. For the Panthers, it was about building on their first region win in 720 days.
After four hard-fought quarters, Auburn (6–2, 4–1) overcame a sluggish start to dominate Smiths Station (2–6, 1–4) 38–0 in a game that was within one possession for most of the first half before ending with a running clock.
Cason Myers completed 25 of 35 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns, Antonio Welch caught nine passes for 139 yards and three scores, and Cortez Cooks returned an interception for a touchdown in the win for the Tigers.
Trevon Kee led Smiths Station with 81 rushing yards on 16 carries.
After the game, Auburn head coach Keith Etheredge praised his team for taking advantage of opportunities while crediting the Panthers for their first-half effort.
“[Smiths Station has] some confidence. They got their first region win last week,” Etheredge said. “I thought they played good tonight. Coach [Blair Harrison] does a good job of doing what he needs to do to keep his kids in the game. They played hard, they played physical, they didn’t make a bunch of mistakes, and the mistakes they did make, we capitalized on.
“I thought Coach [Wagnon] did a great job of calling plays tonight, and of course, [Coach] Goolsby on the defensive side to get the shutout against a team that’s scored on everybody this year. They’ve scored points on everybody, from Central to everybody they’ve played. So we’ve just got to keep grinding.”
With the physical contest behind them, Etheredge turned his focus to a key region matchup against Carver High School on Oct. 17, which could determine who hosts a first-round playoff game.
“We’ve just got to continue to get better. It’s a good region win,” Etheredge said. “We’ve only got one loss in the region, fighting for that second spot, and we’ve got a big one coming next week. I think it’ll be a playoff-type atmosphere. [Carver is] a really good football team. They’ve got talent all over the place. We’ve got to be prepared and can’t give them any silly penalties.”
A big part of Auburn’s preparation will involve maintaining rhythm on offense, particularly in the passing game. Welch said his career night was a product of team chemistry and execution.
“I feel great about that. I feel like we had a great team win. It started with the offensive line — they stepped up today,” Welch said. “I feel like we’re all taking a step closer to where we need to be. It was a rocky start, but we had to go out there and do what we have to do. We were on a business trip and had to come down here and show up.”
On the defensive side, that same mentality led to Auburn’s second shutout of the season and another defensive touchdown.
“I saw the receiver, and we’ve been working on it every day at practice,” Cooks said. “When I saw the quarterback, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s my turn.’ When he threw the ball, I caught it and ran. We just had to stick together, make tackles, get them down, and stay together the whole time.”
Smiths Station opened the game with a nine-play, 39-yard drive that consumed half of the first quarter, setting an early tone. Auburn didn’t score until 9:57 remained in the second quarter, when Welch hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass. The drive included catches of 30 and 18 yards from Welch and Joshua Askew, respectively.
After forcing another Panther punt, Auburn extended its lead late in the half. Jayden Huff, who transferred from Smiths Station during the offseason, capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 14–0.
Moments later, Cooks intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown with 27 seconds left before halftime, giving Auburn a 21–0 lead at the break.
The Tigers opened the second half with an eight-play, 80-yard drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to Welch. By 9:55 in the third quarter, Auburn led 28–0.
Smiths Station continued to run the ball in an effort to shorten the game, but Auburn’s defense held firm. The Tigers added another score with 3:13 left in the third quarter when Welch caught a 21-yard touchdown pass, his third of the night, to make it 35–0.
Joseph Daniel closed out the scoring with a 28-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter as the running clock wound down the game.
What’s Next
Auburn will host Carver High School in a Class 7A, Region 2 matchup on Oct. 17. The Wolverines are 4–3 overall and 2–3 in region play after a 58–35 loss to Central High School
Smiths Station will travel to Dothan High School for a Class 7A, Region 2 game the same night. The Wolves are 4–3 overall and 2–3 in region play after a 52–24 win over Johnson Abernathy Graetz High School.
