2008 All Star West
Joe Smith
Inside Linebacker
6’ 210 lbs
High School Coach: Joe Schwartz
High School, Class: Mendon, C
College: Undecided
Joe started his career in Rocket Football “as did every other boy in Mendon.” As a JV he started both ways as a guard and an inside linebacker. In his sophomore year he was brought-up to play linebacker for the 2005 State Championship team (13-1). As a junior he was selected to be a captain and started on both sides of the ball. As a senior in 2007 he was again a captain and one again started both ways for the 2007 undefeated State Championship team (14-0). Joe is second all-time at Mendon for single season tackles with 157, and is also second for career tackles with 378. Joe was the leading tackler on the team for 2006 (113) and 2007 (157). He is also tied for fifth for most sacks with 11. In his varsity career at Mendon the team recorded 30 wins.
As a freshman Joe ran track. In his sophomore through senior years he played baseball. He has been on the honor roll, was a part of the National Honor Society and I was in his class’s academic top ten. He was also class president in both his junior and senior years.
Joe thanked his parents for “everything they have done for me. I could not have done any of this without them.” He also said, “Thanks for letting the entire town stay over after the games.” Joe also thanked his family for “their support through my entire career.” he thanked his teammates, “Thanks for dealing with me the past few years, I know it wasn’t easy, and thanks for all the hard work.” He thanked Coach Schwartz, Coach Samson and the rest of the coaching staff. “I have some of the best coaches in the state and it was great to play for them.” He thanked the Mendon community saying, “You guys are the ones that make it fun to play. It’s great to have the support that we do in Mendon.” He added, “There are a few people I would like to name that weren’t coaches but they were people that taught me off the field: Adam and Ben Harrison, Bobby Kretschmen, my father and my father’s father.”
Awards
All St. Joseph Valley League, 06 & 07
Co-MVP of the SJV, 2007
All State Division 7-8, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News & AP, 2007
Player of the Year Division 7 & 8, AP, 2007
Player of the Year Div. 5-8, Kalamazoo Gazette, 2007