Thursday, October 15, 2020

Smith family rooted in ‘Cats’ football success


 Smith family rooted in ‘Cats’ football success

Joseph Smith coaches sons Wyatt and Colton

 “As we went out to start the second half, I looked him in the eye and asked, ‘Can you do this?’ ” – Linfield football coach Joseph Smith, on his decision to play his son, Wyatt, at quarterback in 2017

By Rusty Rae, McMinnville N-R/News-Register 10/16/2020

‘Remembrance of Games Past’ series

By the sixth week of the season, starting 11s are set, team routines established and the ‘Cats are rolling toward another conference title.

However, at the halfway point of the 1989 season, Linfield had lost its initial two games. Head coach Ad Rutschman, forced to reconfigure his routine, promotes a new defensive starter. During a key match-up against arch-rival Pacific Lutheran, the ‘Cat head man calls upon Grants Pass freshman Joseph Smith against the seventh ranked Lutes.

The unranked ‘Cats must win out in order have a prayer at an NAIA playoff berth.

With an injury to a veteran defensive back, Rutschman had little choice but to play Smith – and his faith in the youngster was well rewarded. Linfield captured a 24-14 road victory at Sparks Field in Puyallup, Washington, propelling the Wildcats into the first round of the playoffs.

“In recruiting Joe, I found an intelligent individual with high character, a determined work ethic and someone who was simply tough. While it’s often difficult for a freshman to really make a contribution, Joe was more than up to the challenge,” Rutschman said.

Smith, Linfield’s current head coach, added, “PLU that year had a great QB in Craig Kupp, who would go on to play in the NFL, so it was a pretty big challenge for our defense.

“Fortunately, I played most of the second half the previous week due to the injury – but as I awaited the kickoff, I was certainly very nervous – there were butterflies dancing in me – though once the game started it just became football.”

As a senior in high school, Smith’s top three choices were Virginia Military Institute, Azusa Pacific and Linfield. After talking to Rutschman, it was an easy decision for him to select McMinnville.

“With Linfield, I saw stability in the program and the coaches, a program that focused on excellence, and I thought Coach Rutschman and the other coaches would push me to become the best I could be,” he said.

Smith started the next three years and, in his senior year, was voted to the first team all-conference team and named a first team All-America by Football Gazette Magazine and second team All-America by the NAIA.

Smith said during his first two seasons at Linfield, the ‘Cats were a good team but not great. He noted the ’91 roster, a senior-laden group he considered a good team, lost in the second round of the playoffs to those dreaded Lutes, 23-0.

At the end of that season, Rutschman stepped down as head coach and Ed Langsdorf took over.

Recalled Smith, “We had a strong offensive team returning, but the defense was going to need to be retooled. I was the only junior on the defensive side of the ball the previous season, but we also had a large senior class and we all pulled together.

“We were much more committed to being a team; to training correctly, to living correctly, and to working out together; it was a group that was much more like my teams today.

“The senior class made that season. We shared a sense of urgency — it was us against the world,” he remembered.

With Langsdorf leading the way, the Wildcats sliced through the conference schedule undefeated, knocked out wins in the playoffs to meet Findlay of Ohio in the championship match, played at Portland Civic Stadium, where the bullies of the Midwest topped the Wildcats, 26-13.

“They were one of the most physically imposing teams I ever played against. They had 34 kids on full rides, allowed by the NAIA in those days. I just remember I made too many tackles that day,” Smith noted.

The Linfield head man says today that even if a freshman is sufficiently talented, it’s difficult to grant him snaps because of a giant learning curve.

“It’s a new language – for most none of the terminology is the same as from their high school playing days. First-year players need enough reps so they can play fast – play without thinking – just react and play football,” he added.

Joseph’s two sons, Wyatt, a returning senior All-Conference QB, and Colton, a returning sophomore wide receiver named Freshman of the Year for the conference, both have undergone their initial seasoning.

In a bit of football déjà vu, Wyatt was called into action his freshman year against PLU on the same field where his father, Joseph, had his first start. In a contest in which the Wildcats’ offense was stymied by the Lutes and the team faced a 10-7 deficit at the half, Smith the coach placed his faith in Smith the quarterback.

“As we went out to start the second half, I looked him in the eye and asked ‘Can you do this?’” Joseph Smith recalled.

He received a curt “Yeah” from Wyatt, and it worked out for the best as the ‘Cats captured a 16-10 OT victory.

Wyatt didn’t do anything particularly spectacular, but managed the offense well enough to earn the win. He started the rest of the year as Linfield played its best game of the season behind the freshman QB in the first round of the DIII championship tournament, topping fifth-ranked Hardin-Simmons 27-13 before falling to Mary Hardin-Baylor in the second round. The Crusaders would go on to finish in the runner-up position in the 2017 tournament.

Last year, Wyatt torched Northwest Conference defenses as a junior signal caller, recording single season passing records only behind ‘Cat QB and current coach and co-offensive coordinator Brett Elliott, and setting the high mark for most TD passes in a game, eight against UPS.

Brother Colton, a freshman last season, the speedster wide receiver, didn’t start until the eighth game, a road contest against Whitworth.

“We had three senior receivers who were each experienced and who really understood the offense so I didn’t start (Colton) until Tyler Torgeson was hurt,” noted Smith.

“At first it was a bit stressful, not really knowing the system. But it was great having a bunch of older guys to lead the way. It really helped me to develop and actually take the biggest step — absorbing the nuances of the offense so I could play freely,” Colton recalled.

In his first start against Whitworth for the conference championship, Colton, much like his father, said, “I was big-time nervous. It was pressure I made for myself — not wanting to let the team down — and not wanting to let the head coach down.”

But once the game began, it was again just football for the Smith family. Colton shed his butterflies, caught a 12-yard scoring pass from brother Wyatt on the first series and again in the overtime frame, snatched the winning score on a two-yarder, making the overtime victory that much sweeter for him and his kin.

First starts are always memorable, and for the Smiths, Joseph, Wyatt, and Colton, they are the epitome of a football family.