Every coach who is tasked with teaching his or her son or daughter has to deal with a lot of scrutiny. But that scrutiny becomes tenfold when the coach is the head of the local football team and the son is the quarterback.
Benjamin Russell’s Kevin and Carter Smith have certainly dealt with accusations of favoritism throughout the last year, but they’ve overcome them together.
kAm“x 567:?:E6=J 962C E96[ ‘*@F’C6 @? E96 7:6=5 3642FD6 96’D J@FC 525[’ 2?5 E96 ‘%92E’D E96 @?=J C62D@? J@F’C6 @FE E96C6[’” D2:5 r2CE6C[ H9@ H2D E96 DE2CE:?8 BF2CE6C324< 7@C E96 (:=542ED =2DE D62D@? 2?5 :D 6IA64E65 E@ C6EFC? E@ E96 ;@3 E9:D J62C] “x’G6 8@EE6? E@ H96C6 x ;FDE 3=@4< :E @FE ?@H] x’G6 962C5 :E D:?46 A66H66[ D@ x’G6 ;FDE =62C?65 E@ 562= H:E9 :E] x’G6 8@EE6? E@ H96C6 :7 E92E’D H92E E96J H2??2 E9:?<[ x’== =6E E96> E9:?< E92E] x <?@H E96 ECFE9 2?5 W>J 525X <?@HD E96 ECFE9]”k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 z6G:? 92D 366? E96 9625 4@249 @7 E96 (:=542ED 7@C E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD[ 96’D 366? @? E96 4@249:?8 DE277 7@C >@C6 E92? EH@ 564256D 2?5 96 <?@HD E96 AC6DDFC6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 ;@3] tG6? 367@C6 :E H2D 9:D @H? D@?[ z6G:?’D 562=E H:E9 D4CFE:?J 2?5 A2C6?ED :?BF:C:?8 23@FE A=2J:?8 E:>6] qFE H96? :E 4@>6D E@ r2CE6C[ z6G:? @3G:@FD=J E2<6D E9:?8D 2 =:EE=6 92C56C]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< 23@FE :E 9@?6DE=J F?E:= :E 86ED A6CD@?2= E@H2C5 9:>[” z6G:? D2:5] “(96?6G6C E9:?8D 2C6 D2:5 23@FE 9:>[ E92E’D H96? :E 86ED 2 =:EE=6 E@F89] w6’D 92?5=65 :E 8C62E[ 3FE J@F 42?’E 7@4FD @? E92E DEF77 2?5 H6 5@?’E] xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 D2:5 23@FE 2?J 4@249 2?5 D@? 2?5 E96 D2>6 8@6D 7@C 52F89E6CD] xE 5@6D?’E >2EE6C E96 D:EF2E:@?j J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 E9@D6 E:>6D]”k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 $>:E9D 92G6 366? E9C@F89 5:77:4F=E E:>6D[ E96 A@D:E:G6D 72C @FEH6:89 E96 ?682E:G6D 7@C 3@E9 E96 72E96C 2?5 E96 D@?]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 6?;@J65 DA6?5:?8 2== >J E:>6 @? E96 7@@E32== 7:6=5 2?5 92G:?8 >J 525 E96C6 H:E9 >6[” r2CE6C D2:5] “$@>6 <:5D 5@?’E 86E E@ 92G6 E92E :? =:76[ D@ 96’D E96C6 2== E96 E:>6 2?5 96’D 2=H2JD 2C@F?5] x 567:?:E6=J 6?;@J E92E]”k^Am
kAmp?5 =:<6 >2?J @E96C 4@2496D H9@ 92G6 E96 AC:G:=686 @7 4@249:?8 E96:C D@?D[ z6G:? D2:5 96’D 92C56C @? r2CE6C E92? 96 :D @? @E96C A=2J6CD] p7E6C 4@249:?8 H:E9@FE r2CE6C E96 7:CDE D62D@? E96? 92G:?8 9:> @? E96 E62> =2DE J62C[ z6G:?’D 8@?6 E9C@F89 2 =62C?:?8 AC@46DD @7 9@H >F49 96 D9@F=5 4C:E:BF6 9:D @H? D@?]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 96 <?@HD E96 42A23:=:E:6D @7 9:D D@?[ z6G:? 92D 366? @G6C4C:E:42= @7 r2CE6C :? E96 A2DE 2?5 96’D H@C<:?8 E@ E@?6 E92E 5@H? 2 3:E]k^Am
kAm“x7 2?JE9:?8[ x’> E@F896C @? 9:> 3FE x 766= =:<6 E9:D J62C H6’C6 86EE:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E 36EE6C 2D 72C 2D =62C?:?8 x 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 4C:E:BF6 6G6CJ =:EE=6 E9:?8[” z6G:? D2:5] “pD 2 525 D@>6E:>6D 2?5 92G:?8 E92E 525\4@249 C6=2E:@?D9:A[ J@F 766= =:<6 J@F @G6C4C:E:BF6 J@FC <:5] %96C6 2C6 E9:?8D x >2J ?@E D2J E@ 2?@E96C <:5 x’> 4@249:?8] $@>6E:>6D x 42? 36 @G6C4C:E:42=[ 2?5 H6’G6 EC:65 E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 4@?D4:@FD @7 E92E]”k^Am
kAm~?6 A6CD@? H9@ 92D EC6>6?5@FD=J 96=A65 E92E =62C?:?8 AC@46DD 7@C 3@E9 $>:E9D :D z6G:?’D H:76 2?5 r2CE6C’D >@>[ sC] p?86=2 v2G:? $>:E9]k^Am
kAm“$96’D <:?5 @7 E96 46?E6CA:646[” z6G:? D2:5] “$96 <66AD 6G6CJE9:?8 :? 32=2?46] x’G6 366? E@=5 E@ 42=> 5@H? 367@C6 2?5 x <?@H E96 =@@< H96? J@F ;FDE <?@H[ ‘~z[ :E’D E:>6 E@ =6E FA]’ qFE @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ D96 2=D@ :D ?@E 27C2:5 E@ E6== Wr2CE6CX[ ‘*@F ?665 E@ DF4< :E FAj J@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 2? 6I4FD6]’”k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 p?86=2 5@6D?’E 92G6 2 324<8C@F?5 :? DA@CED[ D96’D 96=A65 :?DE:== 2 DEC@?8 H@C< 6E9:4 :? r2CE6C E92E’D EC2?D=2E65 E@ 9:D 2E9=6E:4 =:76]k^Am
kAm(:E9 92G:?8 2 7@@E32== 4@249 7@C 2 72E96C[ :E’5 36 62DJ E@ 766= AC6DDFC65 E@ H@C< 4@?DE2?E=J 2?5 E@ AFE :? 6IEC2 AC24E:46 @C 7:=> DEF5J 2E 9@>6[ 3FE r2CE6C 5@6D >@DE @7 E92E 6IEC2 H@C< @? 9:D @H?] p44@C5:?8 E@ r2CE6C[ z6G:? 5@6D 2 8C62E ;@3 @7 D6A2C2E:?8 9@>6 =:76 7C@> 7@@E32== =:76]k^Am
kAm“w6’== 3C:?8 7@@E32== :?E@ E96 9@FD6 @7 4@FCD6[ 3FE 96’D 8@@5 23@FE E2<:?8 2?JE9:?8 325 E92E 92AA6?D E92E 52J 2E AC24E:46 @C :? 2 82>6 2?5 96 =62G6D :E E96C6[” r2CE6C D2:5] “w6 42? 4@>6 9@>6 2?5 H6 42? E2=< 23@FE D@>6 DEF77 E92E H6?E HC@?8[ 3FE @E96C E92? E92E[ 96 5@6D?’E 3C:?8 2?J @E96C 2EE:EF56 23@FE :E] w6 4@>6D 9@>6 2?5 96’D >J 525]”k^Am
kAmq642FD6 z6G:? 92D 366? D@ 6?EC6?4965 :? E96 q6?;2>:? #FDD6== 4@249:?8 DE277 7@C D@ =@?8[ 96’D 364@>6 2 4@249 E9C@F89 2?5 E9C@F89] p=E9@F89 :E 42? 36 5:77:4F=E E@ D6A2C2E6 E9@D6 =:G6D[ z6G:? D2:5 96 H@F=5?’E 492?86 92G:?8 9:D D@? H:E9 9:> @? E96 D:56=:?6D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D DA64:2= 3642FD6 :E’D 2 A2CE @7 J@FC =:76 J@F 86E E@ D92C6 H:E9 E96>[” z6G:? D2:5] “x 92G6 4@249:?8 7C:6?5D H9@D6 D@?D 5@?’E A=2J 2?5 H9:=6 E96J 92G6 2 8C62E C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96:C <:5D[ E96J’C6 ?@E 86EE:?8 E@ 4@249 E96:C D@?D 2?5 ?@E 86EE:?8 E@ D92C6 E92E A2CE @7 E96:C =:76]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F 86E E@ E9:D =6G6= :? 4@249:?8[ :E’D C62==J 2 46?E6C A@:?E :? J@FC =:76] xE E2<6D FA 2 3:8 A2CE @7 H9@ J@F 2C6 2?5 E@ 36 23=6 E@ D92C6 E92E H:E9 J@FC 49:=5[ :E’D 92C5 E@ C6A=246] x 766= C62==J =F4<J]”k^Am

