Schools

For Richards Football, Marcus Smith is the Best Option

Shepard couldn't stop the fullback-turned-running back on his way to 176 yards in the Bulldogs' 24-19 victory.

Last season, Richards bruiser Marcus Smith was used primarily in short-yardage situations as a fullback. His jersey number, 42, is usually reserved for that position.

This season, he's been converted to a running back, and the position swap paid huge dividends for the Bulldogs once again in a 24-19 victory over Shepard on Friday night.

Almost all of Smith's 24 carries were run out of coach Tony Sheehan's option offense, and all but four of them went for positive yardage. One of those carries was a 25-yard touchdown run to help the Bulldogs nail down the win. Smith, a senior who is just scratching the surface of his potential, finished with 176 yards.

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our game plan was to give it to Marcus," Sheehan said. "Our offensive line did a great job creating holes for him."

"Throughout the last few weeks, I've just been learning the position," Smith said. "They challenged me, and I stepped up to the challenge.

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I always wanted to be a running back. It was my dream position since I started playing my freshman year. It's happening for me now, and I'm going to keep working hard at it."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here