Richards Football Rides Relentless Running of Smith

It’s not hard to pick out Marcus Smith among his teammates on the Richards sideline. Just look for the yellow helmet.

No, Smith doesn’t have a special helmet that stands out from the typical Richards gold hard hats because he’s the starting running back or because he’s a senior. As the main cog in Richards’ offense, Smith takes so many hits that, by the end of the game, the majority of the gold paint has chipped off, revealing a yellow base.

Smith was at it again for Richards on Saturday afternoon in a 28-14 victory over Hyde Park. The senior tailback carried the ball 29 times–including 20 times in the second half–for 201 yards and a touchdown.

Richards struggled on offense for the first three quarters of Saturday’s first-round Class 6A playoff game. That included Smith, whose fumble late in the third quarter led to a Hyde Park touchdown that knotted the game at 14-14.

“He’s got to hold on to that ball, but he did a great job,” Richards coach Tony Sheehan said. “He runs hard. He’s a big strong kid.”

But Richards didn’t go away from the bruising running back. Smith’s name was called seven times on the ensuing drive and his last carry resulted in a 15-yard touchdown to put Richards up for good.

“It was pressure at first, but you have to get through that stuff, so I figured I have to step it up more,” Smith said.

After a Hyde Park turnover, Smith again came up big, converting a fourth-and-1 inside the red zone. That led to Tommy Mister’s 1-yard keeper that capped the scoring for Richards.

“In the beginning, the tempo was a little off, but toward the end we picked it up,” Smith said.

At this point in the season, teams have found their identity. And Richards won’t be changing its game plan of consistently handing the ball off to No. 42 anytime soon. Not as long as Smith is wearing that helmet.

“He’s our horse and we’re going to ride him,” Sheehan said. “It was good to see him bounce back and that’s what type of kid he is.”

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