Student Athlete of the Week – Messiah Smith

"So, I met Messiah when I first got hired on here in January, you know, kind of started getting knowing the kids and just kind of filling out who they are as a person. When we got out out here on February, started to see what kind of athletes we have. He was by far one of the most athletic guys we have out here," said DHS head coach Roy Provost. "Very bright young man. We knew that we had something with him."

How does it feel this year compared to previous years?

"It's really just a breakout year for us, especially for the seniors. This year for the whole team to change everything, the last two years we went 2-8.  Then when Coach P came, they just put me at quarterback. I just broke out from there," said Smith.

What are you most proud of in Messiah's growth?

"First thing is his character, his GPA and the way he leads his team. He's a natural born leader," said Provost. "When he says something, he doesn't go crazy, when he says something, he means it. He leads by example."

In the first round of playoffs, DHS decided to go for a 2-point conversion and the win. They put it in Messiahs hands, and he secured the first ever playoff win in school history. We thought it was scripted, but come to find out it wasn't.

"We ran an option and Christian messed up.  So, I just had to take it for myself," said Smith. "And I made it."

"Christian went the wrong way on it and left him solo. And you know, he's the man for the job. He had all the confidence in the world and he took it in and won us the game," said Provost.

What does this team, this school mean to you?

"It means a lot," said Smith. "You know, I've been here three years and you know, I want to stay here and be represented as an Eagle."

"Love that kid. Absolutely love him. He's one of my sons. You know, We always talk, we always text, we all we always have each other's back. It's a family here," said Provost. "And that young man is going places. His grades alone will take him to a four year but his athletic ability will get him where he wants to be playing in the next level."

"But we expect to win when Coach P came on board. We knew we were going to have a better season. We just felt it and how they had us working through summer and everything. We just knew something was going to change," said Smith.

Do you feel like he's a part of this breath of fresh air for Golden Eagles football?

"100%," said Provost. "I told all the upperclassmen it's about leaving a legacy. It's about what you do in this field right here in a classroom and as a person, you know, whenever these young guys looking, they see number 3. They all want to wear that number three coming up because it's Messiah."