Quarterback KJ Smith continues to dazzle at the start of his senior season. Smith went 13-17 for 233 yards passing and set a new school record for touchdown passes (seven) in a game surpassing high school great Robbie Roper. The irony of that is that Roper will have his number retired next week and KJ broke his record before. Smith talked about how special a moment it was.
“The moment was surreal, being able to come out & play the way we played from the opening kickoff, hours after learning that Rob’s number would be retired,” said Smith. “A 10/10 moment that made the night even more unique, was that we were playing hard in all 3 aspects of the game while having fun. Nothing was forced from the opening kickoff and everything flowed.”
Smith is currently tied for second in the state with eight touchdown passes so far this season and is leading an offense that is averaging 56 points per game. He is currently completing 77% of his passes and has continued to showcase his great escapability and ability to hit his receivers down the field. He is accurate and poised and not afraid of the big moment. In the big win against Centennial, Smith hit star wide receivers Dylan Williams and Synkwan Smith for three touchdowns each.
Looking back at the previous year, KJ’s performance was commendable, as he threw for 34 touchdowns and accumulated 2,758 passing yards. The momentum he built in 2022 has trickled into this season. These achievements played a crucial role in leading Roswell to the state semifinals. It is clear that KJ is driven and determined this year, with a strong desire to guide the Hornets to a state championship.
“As a team coming into this year we understand the goal which is a state championship,” said Smith. “What changed this year was being able to go the extra mile, whether that’s spending more time in the weight room, an extra hour of QBS & WRS throwing post-practice, or the small details outside of the “mandatory” work we put in. That standard starts with Coach Prewett, and then trickles down to the seniors which eventually leads down to your freshman.”
Roswell has been dominant the first two weeks of the season, and will continue to get tested in the next few weeks with matchups against Marietta and Milton. Roswell also plays in a highly competitive region that includes Blessed Trinity and Alpharetta. The Hornets have a strong-minded team on both sides of the ball and a phenomenal coaching staff that continues to have these players ready to go and compete at a high level. With a great quarterback and leader in KJ, the sky’s the limit this season for Roswell.
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