Berryhill junior transforms into standout for 3A-5 favorites
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
8/19/12 at 6:04 AM
People didn't recognize Jeremy Smith when he arrived for Berryhill's preseason football camp last August.
"We thought he was a different person," linebacker Lance Hassenplug said with a chuckle.
Smith lost almost 100 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons. By changing his body, he likely changed his athletic destiny.
An offensive lineman since grade school, Smith received a shot at tight end and helped lead the Chiefs to the Class 3A playoff semifinals.
His rapid-reduction plan contained no fad diets, just toil and sweat. It started with the February 2011 blizzard that dumped record snowfall across northeast Oklahoma.
"I started shoveling snow everywhere I went. I shoveled everybody's driveway, and that's when I started losing the weight," Smith said. "I was like, 'Hey, I want to be a tight end, anyway, so I might as well just keep losing weight.' "
Smith didn't get lazy when the weather changed from sub-zero cold to triple-digit heat.
"I was running every day over the summer. One day, my dad said, 'You don't want to go running today, it's 117 degrees.' But I've never minded the heat," he said.
With additional work in the weight room, Smith dropped from 289 pounds to 190 in roughly six months. He's now a 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior, and has the potential to develop into a high-profile recruiting prospect, head coach Pat Harper said.
"He's the kind of guy everybody wants, a big kid who can really move around," Harper said.
Smith doubled at defensive end last year and produced this eye-catching stat line: nine touchdown receptions and nine sacks.
He and senior quarterback Zach Jackson, who threw 23 TD passes in 2011, give the Chiefs a chance of improving on a 12-2 finish.
Berryhill rates among 3A's preseason elite, but winning District 3A-5 likely won't be a cakewalk because Metro Christian and Verdigris also return talented squads.
Metro (12-1) went unbeaten until the quarterfinals, losing to eventual 3A champion Anadarko one round before Berryhill did. The Patriots lost All-State quarterback Andrew Hearon, but head coach Jared McCoy has Matt Woolslayer waiting in the wings, and a senior-laden roster.
Connor Drake has 24 TDs over two seasons as a receiver/wildcat/defensive back, and two-way lineman Zach Webb had 11 sacks from his nose guard spot last year.
Verdgris lost only to Metro Christian in the 2011 regular season. Top returnees for coach Dan Nickles include running back Tanner Smith, who has scored 52 TDs over the past two seasons, and linebacker J.D. Hanslovan, who had 115 tackles last year.
Original Print Headline: Berryhill looks to extend 3A success
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Berryhill's Jeremy Smith has transformed into a tight end and could become a high-profile recruiting prospect, according to his coach. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World file
Berryhill's Jeremy Smith has transformed into a tight end and could become a high-profile recruiting prospect, according to his coach. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World file
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