Our ITG Next Georgia “4 Questions” guest this week is Crisp County head football coach Lawrence Smith, who is in his second season with the Cougars. Smith has an extensive football background as a player and a coach at the high school, collegiate, and professional level. He enjoyed a successful career as an offensive lineman at Tennessee State, which led him to a professional career. Coach Smith played for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europe), and Nashville Kats (Arena League) before retiring.
Smith was part of the successful Cedar Grove High football program as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator after helping launch the football program at St. Francis High School and spending two seasons as head coach at that Fulton County school. He has been at Crisp County for a total of three seasons, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator for a year before being promoted to head coach. We visited with Coach Smith prior to broadcasting the Cougars’ October 13 game against Carver Columbus.
Q. Coach Smith, thanks for joining us! First of all, we are excited about featuring the Cougars in our ITG Next Game of the Week. This will be our first look at your Crisp County football team, as well as Carver Columbus. What can we and fans watching the game expect from your team in terms of the type of offense and defense you run?
A. Defensively you can expect to see us play with high energy, multiple fronts, and constantly attacking. Offensively, you can expect to see us in multiple formations and getting the ball to our playmakers in space. Lots of zone action, and deep shots when available.
Q. You guys are playing well, with a 4-3 record as we get ready for your game this week against Carver Columbus. They enter the game at 2-0 in the region, undefeated and on top of the region standings. Your team is 3-3 with a 1-1 region mark, so this is obviously a huge game – maybe the biggest for you since you took over as the Crisp County football coach. I asked earlier about your team; now I’d like to know about your opponent. What can your Cougars expect from Coach Pierre Coffey’s squad in this one, and how different are the teams from last year when they won this matchup?
A. Expect a really well-coached team with really good players who play to win. They have a good combination of size and speed on both sides of the ball. I think differences are this year they are playing at a higher level than they were at this time last year. I also feel like we are doing a lot of things better than this time last year, especially understanding our players better as a staff and our young men understanding their jobs and our expectations.
Q. Which players have emerged as team leaders for your Crisp County football team so far,? Who will you be counting on this week and for each game the rest of the way?
A. RB/DB CJ Jones, LB Omarion Young, LB/RB KJ Merrell, and LB Marterius Glover have all been great leaders on and off the field for us this season.
Q. I’m always interested to know the impact and involvement head coaches have with the feeder programs that will eventually make up the varsity squad that plays under the Friday night lights. How closely do you work with the middle school and junior varsity coaches?
A. That is something I make sure I am heavily involved in. Our JV team practices with our varsity daily. My wife, who is an educator at Crisp County Primary, and I are usually present at every home middle school game, as well as the youth feeder games that are local to the area. I want those young players and their parents to know they are the future of what this program will be.
