BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — Smiths Station High School opened its season with a 29-6 loss to the Northside High School (Ga.) on Friday, Aug. 21, at T.C. Britton Field.
“Obviously, it didn’t turn out the way we wanted,” Smiths Station head coach Blair Harrison said. “They outplayed us in every phase of the game. I think our guys played hard, but sometimes you get out there and the other team’s just better than you that night.”
The game remained competitive throughout the first half, with the Panthers making things interesting by mounting a touchdown drive with two minutes remaining before halftime.
Trevon Kee capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run, answering the Patriots’ 9-0 start and cutting the deficit to 9-6 going into halftime.
Smiths Station moved the ball effectively at times throughout the game, but penalties and several failed fourth-down conversions prevented them from finding the end zone again. Cohen Thomas helped the Panthers’ offense produce several big plays early, including a 44-yard completion to receiver Jajuan Oliver on the scoring drive.
“[Thomas] threw the ball really well, and that opens things up for our run game,” Harrison said. “We had a couple good drives but just not enough possessions.”
Momentum then swung back in Northside’s favor to open the second half.
The Patriots put together a six-minute scoring drive to extend their lead to 16-6, then recovered an onside kick to retain possession. Taking over at the Smiths Station 40 yard line, Northside needed just three plays to strike again, with quarterback Maxwell Thrash connecting with receiver Jamari Hooker on a 40-yard TD pass to make it 23-6.
From there, the Panthers had only two more offensive possessions. One ended with an interception, while the other ended on a turnover on downs.
Capitalizing on the interception by Travis Wakefield, Northside’s Alex Tarboro added another TD in the fourth quarter. After chewing nearly six minutes off the clock again, he punched it in from three yards out with 2:43 remaining to make the final score 29-6.
“It’s hard to win a game when you only have the ball four or five times,” Harrison said. “The defense was just on the field for too long and for too many plays. Offensively, we have to limit mistakes and the penalties and setbacks.”
There were some bright spots for the Panthers. Smiths Station’s punter opened the game with a 69-yard punt that was downed inside the 1-yard line. Kee finished with 89 rushing yards and a TD, while Thomas went 5-for-9 passing for 86 yards. Defensively, senior lineman Alex Britton led the team with seven total tackles, including a tackle for loss.
“Those punts were a pleasant surprise,” Harrison said. “We didn’t really know how that was going to turn out because he had never played football before this year. He’s 6-foot-4, 240 pounds I think, and he just has a monster leg.”
Smiths Station will look to get in the win column next week when it travels to Montgomery to face Percy Julian High School (0-1) at Cramton Bowl on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. The Generals fell 44-0 at home to cross-town rivals Carver High School on Aug. 21.
After finishing 3-7 last season, Percy Julian, like Smiths Station, is searching for its first win since October 2025. Harrison said the Panthers will have to be disciplined against an athletic team with dynamic playmakers on offense.
“They’ll have a chance to beat us because they have the ability to score at any time,” Harrison said. “Hopefully we can stay disciplined and control the game.”
