If there’s one thing Notre Dame Prep’s Jake Smith knows, it’s how to find the end zone.
A Scorching Start
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound WR/RB is the No. 17 receiver in the ’19 class and the No. 2 player in Arizona according to 247 sports.
Regardless of rankings, the future Texas Longhorn is clearly one of the most electric players in the country.
Jake’s skills were on full display in a 41-27 win over Sunnyslope (Phoenix). According to the Arizona Republic, he had receiving TDs of 8, 11 and 56 yards, returned a 79-yard kickoff for a score and added scoring runs of 67 and 93 yards. The box score showed Smith with 480 all-purpose yards, including 237 rushing.
In Notre Dame Prep’s first two games, Smith tallied 693 total yards (320 rushing, 247 receiving, 126 returns) and 11 TDs (6 rushing, 4 receiving, 1 return).
In their third game, the Saints secured an easy 47-0 win over Gilbert but Smith (perhaps surprisingly) was held to one touchdown.
He was back at it again last Friday with 4 TD’s in Notre Dame’s 63-21 win over Apollo, including this 37-yard reception from Jake Farrell.
A Run On the Record Books
There’s a chance that Smith can make this a historical season.
According to the AIA, the state record for touchdowns in a single season is 51, set by Nathan Wize at Tucson Sabino in 1997. The Arizona Class 5A record stands at 41, set by Bobby Wade at Phoenix Desert Vista in 1998.
With 16 TD’s through four games, Smith is ahead of the pace for the Class 5A record and slightly behind the state record pace.
He’ll need to average 5 TD’s for the rest of the season to get to 51. While that may be a stretch, Smith has so much versatility and can score in so many ways it’s far too early to think 51 is out of reach.
(The national single-season touchdown record is 72, set last season by Tulare Union’s Kazmeir Allen, currently a freshman at UCLA.)
Keep an eye on the next couple of games to see if he can add another game or two with 6 or 7 scores and the race will be on.
Jake Smith, the eyes of Texas are upon you.
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