Weeks after wrapping up a successful high school football career by being rated as one of the best players in the country and signing a letter of intent to attend the University of Georgia, Washington’s Branden Smith is getting set to cement his mark in another sport: track and field.
The speedster finished second in the state in the Class 4A 100-meter dash last year, and he and his head coach Joseph German think he can do one better this year.
“Hopefully he should win the state,” German said. “That’s what we plan on doing.”
Smith says he ran his personal best in the 100 of 10.4 at last year’s state meet before eventually finishing second to Mt. Zion of Jonesboro senior and national 55-meter record holder, D’Angelo Cherry, who is currently a freshman at Mississippi State. “It was very good to race against him,” Smith said. “[He’s] a good person, he made me work for my second place, I made him work for his first place. Both of us had a battle.”
Even if Cherry had eligibility remaining, he would not pose a threat to Smith this year, as Washington has dropped down to Class 3A. “The competition probably will be a little different. I won’t say it won’t be as fast,” German said.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know any runners,” Smith added about the unfamiliarity surrounding 3A. “But at the same time, everybody is going to compete.”
Smith knows something about competing, as he goes up against teammate Antonio Goodwin, last year’s Class 4A 200-meter state champion, regularly. “Everyday in practice we compete with each other. Sometimes he wins. Sometimes I win,” Smith said. “It’s all about competing, making each other better and that’s what we do, make each other better.”
Goodwin (a major football prospect for the Class of 2010), Smith and Sanchez McMullen return from the 4×100 team that also captured state last year. Smith has been running track since the seventh grade and plans to run at Georgia, as he has the blessing of Mark Richt. “[Richt] says it’s a good idea to keep my speed up and at the same time get prepared for football,” Smith said.
German says Smith could go far in track if it was his only sport, but Smith sees football and the calling of the NFL as his first love. “That’s been my goal ever since I was a little boy,” he said.
But if he continues to excel on the track this year for Washington and in the future at Georgia, that success could change his mind. “You really can’t do anything but take the one you’re better at,” Smith said.
For now, he’s focused on this track and field season. Washington’s first meet is March 10 and the team will compete in events such as the Carrollton, Jefferson and Roswell Relays, as well as the Atlanta Track Classic. And of course come May, Smith should undoubtedly be competing once again for the state title.
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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