By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

LANDIS —  South Rowan’s football team practiced like rock stars for their upcoming playoff game, under the stadium lights, with music blaring from the loudspeakers.

The Raiders put the necessary work in, but for the seniors this past week was about as uplifting an experience as they’ve ever felt, as much fun as they’ve ever had in athletics.

Sophomore Owen Smith, a thick and sturdy linebacker/fullback who breathes fire and plays with the intensity of a wild boar, hasn’t experienced as many losses as his senior pals. For him, practicing under the lights in the stadium, wasn’t earth-shaking,  but it was pretty cool.

“That’s why we put in the work that we did in the offseason, the preseason and during the season,” Smith said. “So that we could keep practicing, so we could be getting ready for a playoff game after our regular season ended. That was the goal all along.”

A lot of Raiders had standout defensive games in the 21-14 victory against Carson that propelled South (5-5) into its first playoff game in 15 years. South will play at West Henderson on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

“Our whole dadgum defense played super against Carson, and we allowed half the number of points that we normally do,” South head coach Chris Walsh said. “Macon Fuller, Bryan Velasquez and Gavin Bisco, they were outstanding, and I could go and on and list the whole defensive unit. But Owen Smith was our player of the game. He had an incredible game.”

Smith has been South’s leading tackler this season with 7.9 stops per game. He ramped his production up to against Carson. He made 15 tackles.

Smith packs a little over 200 pounds on a stocky 5-foot-9 frame. His forte is being strong and tough. Carson is a run-heavy team. More plays than usual were headed in the direction of Smith, one of South’s inside linebackers.

“We played 10 games and we faced seven spread offenses,” Walsh said. “But Carson has talented backs and relies a great deal on running the football, so it was a game where being physical was tremendously important. Owen is only a sophomore, but he’s one of our stronger guys.”

Smith said making 15 tackles wasn’t a big deal, that he was just doing his job. When he got his hands on someone, he put them on the ground. That’s what he’s been trained to do.

“I was usually able to read the play that was coming pretty quickly, so I got downhill as fast as I could.” Smith said. “Carson didn’t run a lot of different plays. It was toss it left, toss it right or run it up the middle.”

Smith’s unusual strength and his addiction to the weight room have always made him a good player. He was starting to shine in middle school at Corriher-Lipe as a wrestler and football player.

“I was always that strong, slow kid when I was growing up,” Smith said. “But I’ve never stopped working to get better.”

Making the transition from middle school to high school was an adjustment, but Smith held his own as as a 190-pound freshman wrestler for South.

On the football field, he had a solid freshman season on the jayvees and impressed his coaches.

“My dad and I set the goal in the offseason of me making the varsity football team as a sophomore,” Smith said.  “We did a lot of speed training, three or four days a week. I knew that’s the area where I needed to pick it up if I was going to make an impact.”

South’s coaches knew as soon as summer workouts got under way that Smith could make that impact and would be one of their top linebackers.

“The kid loves contact and he’s not afraid to fly up and fill a gap,” Walsh said. “We’d been preaching that we had to get more physical. He  was a great addition to our defense.”

Smith says he’s learned a lot this season from playing next to senior linebacker Conner Richards.

He and Richards also are an offensive tag-team.

They split fullback duties whenever South’s offense goes to its old-school power running game, an I-formation look that the Raiders call “Anchor.”  Smith or Richards is positioned as the lead blocker for tailback Bryson Frieze, a grinding back who has produced impressive games during the Raiders’ stretch run. South used “Anchor” often against Carson. With Richards or Smith taking out a linebacker, Frieze responded with 94 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

“Hitting people is fun, whether it’s on offense or defense,” Smith said.

Smith also had the thrill of scoring a rushing touchdown in a goal-line situation against Central Cabarrus. Smith has powerful legs from all those squats he’s done, and with his back to the goal line, he carried three defenders with him for six points.

“Getting to score a touchdown was an amazing feeling,” Smith said.

While a shaved head or a mohawk would seem to fit Smith’s personality, he has opted for a mullet.

“I joke with him he looks like a cross between an 1880s president and a modern football player,” Walsh said. “But the guy can play.”