With high school graduation in the rearview mirror and their futures already set to fish in college, Benjamin Russell High School’s Stihl Smith and Slade Davis pulled off the miracle. Going into the tournament at Lake Eufaula in June, they didn’t have enough points to head to the national stage, but they came home with the state championship trophy.
Smith and Davis have been fishing ever since they can remember.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$>:E9 92D 366? 32DD 7:D9:?8 D:?46 96 H2D `a J62CD @=5]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“}@3@5J x <?6H C62==J 42C65 E@ 7:D9 7@C 32DD 324< E96?[ D@ x =62C?65 E@ 5@ :E >JD6=7] x 8@E 2 3@2E 2C@F?5 `a[ 2?5 E92E’D H96? x C62==J DE2CE65 =62C?:?8 2== x 4@F=5 23@FE :E[” $>:E9 6IA=2:?65]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%9@F89 96’5 A=2J65 32D632== E9C@F89 9:D 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= J62CD[ $>:E9 82G6 FA E96 DA@CE :? 9:D D@A9@>@C6 J62Cj 2?5 E96?[ 96 ;@:?65 E96 q#w$ 7:D9:?8 E62>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x A=2J65 32D632== 2=>@DE 2== >J =:76[ 2?5 x C62=:K65 x 5:5?’E =:<6 9@H >F49 E:>6 E96 DA@CE E@@< 2H2J 7C@> >6] x DE:== H2?E65 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8[ E9@F89] x E2=<65 E@ r@249 (:==:2>D[ 2?5 x ;@:?65 E96 7:D9:?8 E62> 27E6C E2=<:?8 H:E9 9:> 23@FE :E[” $>:E9 D2:5]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D[ H9@ EC2?D76CC65 E@ q6?;2>:? #FDD6== 7C@> s256G:==6 7@C 9:D 6:89E9\8C256 J62C[ 92D 366? 2C@F?5 7:D9:?8 9:D H9@=6 =:76 2?5 36=:6G6D 96 56G6=@A65 9:D =@G6 @7 7:D9:?8 7C@> E96 2?8=6CD :? 9:D =:76]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x H2D C2:D65 2C@F?5 :E[ 2?5 :E C62==J 92D EFC?65 :?E@ >J H9@=6 =:76] |2:?=J[ >J 525 E2F89E >6 9@H E@ 7:D9] q@E9 >J 525 2?5 8C2?525 96=A65 >6 =62C? >@C6 23@FE 7:D9:?8 62C=J @?[ 3FE x C62==J 4C65:E >J 525 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ >J =@G6 @7 E96 DA@CE[” s2G:D D2:5]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D H2D 7:CDE :?EC@5F465 E@ E@FC?2>6?E 7:D9:?8 H96? 96 ;@:?65 E96 s256G:==6 7:D9:?8 E62>] (96? 96 EC2?D76CC65 E@ E96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ[ 96 =@@<65 FA 7:D9:?8 E62> r@249 y@D9 (:==:2>D] kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x ;@:?65 E96 q6? #FDD6== 7:D9:?8 E62> :? E96 6:89E9 8C256] x EC2?D76CC65 7C@> s256G:==6 E@ q6?;2>:? #FDD6==[ 2?5 x H2?E65 E@ ;@:? E96 E62> 3642FD6 x 925 D@ >F49 7F? 7:D9:?8 @? s256G:==6’D E62>] x E2=<65 E@ r@249 (:==:2>D[” s2G:D 6IA=2:?65]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 EH@ E62>65 FA :? 2 3@2E[ 2?5 $>:E9’D 72E96C[ y677 $>:E9[ 42AE2:?65 7@C E96>] w6 H2D 2 72E96C 7:8FC6 2?5 2 4@249] w6 2=D@ 92?5=65 E96 324<8C@F?5 5FE:6D 7@C E96 5F@[ @C82?:K:?8 4@@=6CD :? E96 3@2E 2?5 3@@<:?8 9@E6= C@@>D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE 2 H66< 367@C6 E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E[ H9:49 E96 E62> 6IA64E65 H@F=5 36 E96:C =2DE[ y677 H2D <:==65 :? 2 EC24E@C 244:56?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6 <?6H :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 E@F89[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “$E:9= DECF88=65 2 3:E[ 3FE 96 E@=5 >6 E92E 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ H:? DE2E6 7@C 9:D 525] (6 5:5 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 4@F=5 E@ AC6A2C6 E96>]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmtG6CJ q6?;2>:? #FDD6== 3@2E 25@C?65 2 7=28 C6>6>36C:?8 r2AE2:? y677]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm|2?J @7 q6?;2>:? #FDD6==’D 2?8=6CD DECF88=65 5FC:?8 E96 @A6?:?8 C@F?5] ~?=J E96 3@2ED @7 $>:E9 2?5 s2G:D 2?5 76==@H (:=542ED y24<D@? uF==6C 2?5 s2G:D q2C?6EE 9:E E96:C E9C66\7:D9 =:>:E @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 7:D9:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(96? 6G6CJ 7:D9 925 366? 4@F?E65 2?5 E96 7:?2= E2==:6D 42>6 :? @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E[ :E H2D E96 3@2E E92E D2:5 :E H@F=5 H:? E92E =65 E96 7:6=5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“p7E6C E92E 7:CDE 52J[ x E9@F89E E96J >:89E 24EF2==J AF== E9:D @77[” (:==:2>D D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~? E96 D64@?5 2?5 7:?2= 52J[ $>:E9 2?5 s2G:D 4CFD965 E96 A24<] $>:E9 C66=65 :? E96 E@FC?2>6?E’D 3:886DE 7:D9[ 2 H9@AA:?8 f]b` A@F?56C[ 255:?8 E@ 9:D 3@2E’D 7:?2= D4@C6 @7 ag]hh A@:?ED 24C@DD EH@ 52JD] %96 3@JD 7:?:D965 >@C6 E92? 7@FC A@:?ED 29625 @7 E96 D64@?5 A=246 3@2E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:??:?8 2E E96 DE2E6 4@>A6E:E:@? D64FC65 $>:E9 2?5 s2G:D @?6 >@C6 492?46 E@ 7:D9 E@86E96C] t2C?:?8 2 E@A\7:G6 DA@E 2E DE2E6 8F2C2?E665 E96 E62> 2 A=246 2E E96 q2DD>2DE6C }2E:@?2= r92>A:@?D9:A[ 2=@?8D:56 uF==6C 2?5 q2C?6EE] %92E E@FC?2>6?E H2D 7:D965 27E6C k6>m{2<6k^6>m >282K:?6’D AC6DDE:>6[ D@ 4964< k6>m%96 p=6I r:EJ ~FE=@@<’Dk^6>m DA@CED A286 7@C E96 C6DF=ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%9:D 72==[ E96 2?8=6CD H:== 7:D9 282:?[ 3FE E96J’== 36 @? D6A2C2E6 E62>D 2E D6A2C2E6 D49@@=D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2G:D 2446AE65 2 7:D9:?8 D49@=2CD9:A 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |@?E6G2==@]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x 564:565 E@ 8@ E@ |@?E6G2==@ 3642FD6 E96J’C6 E96 }@] ` 7:D9:?8 E62> @? E96 4@==68:2E6 =6G6= :? E96 ?2E:@?] %96J 2=D@ 92G6 E9:D ?62E AC@8C2> 42==65 E96 !C6D:56?E’D ~FE5@@C $49@=2CD !C@8C2>[ H9:49 :D H96C6 DEF56?ED 42? E2<6 EC:AD] %96 AC@8C2> :D?’E EC25:E:@?2= 7@C 4@==686D] %9@D6 H9@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 AC@8C2> 92G6 2 =@G6 2?5 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C E96 @FE5@@CD[ 2?5 |@?E6G2==@ 6?4@FC286D E92E[” s2G:D D2:5]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw6 A=2?D E@ >2;@C :? 3FD:?6DD >2C<6E:?8 2?5 9@A6D E@ 8@ AC@]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm|F49 =:<6 s2G:D[ $>:E9 :D 6286C E@ D66 H92E E96 7FEFC6 9@=5D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw6’== DE2J 4=@D6 E@ 9@>6 E@ DE2CE 9:D 4@==686 42C66C[ 2EE6?5:?8 r6?EC2= p=232>2 r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x 564:565 E@ 8@ E@ rprr 3642FD6 x’> ?@E BF:E6 DFC6 H92E x H2?E E@ 5@ 42C66C\H:D6[ D@ x E9@F89E x 4@F=5 8@ E@ rprr 2?5 86E 2 8@@5 65F42E:@? :? >J 9@>6E@H?] x’> DE:== 564:5:?8 H92E’D ?6IE] rprr 7:D9:?8 E62> :D 2=D@ 5@:?8 C62==J H6==[ 2?5 x’> 6I4:E65 E@ 36 A2CE @7 :E[” $>:E9 6IA=2:?65]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$>:E9 2?5 s2G:D 925 ?66565 2E =62DE 2 E@A\7:G6 D9@H:?8 2E DE2E6 E@ 8F2C2?E66 E96:C EC:A E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp?5 :? E96 7:CDE E@FC?2>6?E 6G6C H:E9@FE E96:C 42AE2:?[ E96J H@? :E 2==]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x <?6H x H2?E65 E@ H:? :E 7@C s25[” $>:E9 D2:5] “x H6?E 5@H? E96C6 H:E9 E96 >:?5D6E @7 H:??:?8 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 >J 525 AC@F5] {F4<:=J H6 5:5]”k^DA2?mk^Am
