BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION –– Halfway through the 2026 football season, Smiths Station High School remains winless after a 55-14 loss to Carver-Montgomery (3-2) at T.C. Britton Field on Friday, Sept. 18.
The Panthers (0-5) won two games in head coach Blair Harrison’s first season last year after going winless in 2024. Smiths Station is left searching for bright spots amidst a season that hasn’t gone to plan.
“I feel like we’ve gotten a little bit better, but tonight it didn’t really look like it on defense. Offensively, I thought we did some good things,” Harrison said. “I think we blocked them pretty well on offense – better than I probably expected – and Mikel Spencer stepped up and had a pretty good game.”
Despite the lopsided loss, the Panthers got on the scoreboard first. After going three-and-out to start the game, Smiths Station’s Nik Lundy recovered a muffed punt near the Carver 30-yard line. A few plays later, Trevon Kee capped off the drive by bulldozing into the end zone from seven yards out with 8:08 remaining in the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for the Wolverines to respond. Less than a minute later, junior quarterback Jayden Tyus connected with Demone Porter for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
Carver continued to pour it on from there, taking a 27-7 lead by the end of the first quarter after a fumble return touchdown and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by senior Mekhi Williams.
Williams had a career night, scoring three total TDs. In addition to the blocked punt return, he scored on an 80-yard punt return and a 52-yard pass from Tyus.
Smiths Station responded with another score before halftime, as fullback Luke Sexton scored on a nine-yard TD run to cut the deficit to 41-14 heading into the break.
Sexton found success throughout the night, carrying the ball 15 times for 115 yards and a TD. Kee was held to 62 yards and a TD on 17 carries, while Spencer added 48 yards on eight carries.
The Panthers finished with 231 yards of total offense, all on the ground, while Carver-Montgomery eclipsed 400 yards of offense. Carver also scored on defense and special teams.
Junior QB MJ Vining played most of the game for Smiths Station and helped move the offense at times, but the Panthers were hurt by penalties and a fumbled snap that Carver returned 20 yards for a TD in the first quarter.
When asked about starting quarterback Cohen Thomas, Harrison said “no comment.”
“Nobody is going to let [Kee] run all over them like he did earlier in the season, and that’s just good coaching,” Harrison said. “We need more weapons. We’re on our fourth quarterback, MJ Vining, so we are getting a guy that had reps earlier in the summer but has been moved around trying to get him on the field.”
Carver added two more TDs in the second half, including Williams’ punt return to the house and a 22-yard run by Donnell Soles.
Tyus finished with four total TDs, including three passing and one rushing, as the Wolverines posted their highest scoring total of the season.
“We’re just going to continue to work hard every day, no matter what our record is,” Harrison said.
Smiths Station will look to get in the win column next week when it hosts Class 5A Wetumpka (4-1) on Friday, Sept. 25, for homecoming. The Indians are coming off a 28-6 victory over Percy Julian.
