High school football: Columbia's Justin Smith a factor on both sides in only his second year on the team

To run the ball effectively requires versatile blocking. Columbia has that, and then some, in 6-foot-6, 230-pound tight end Justin Smith. Smith has made a huge impact in only his second year of football. He was a third-team All-Ohio selection as a defensive end in 2023 and now contributes on both sides of the ball for the Raiders, a big reason why Columbia is set to take on Kirtland in the Division VI, Region 21 semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday night at Brooklyn High School. "For years I was a defensive coordinator," Columbia coach Mike Rice said. "Once we'd get to this level or play another great team, I'd always be so impressed with some of these guys and how they block on the perimeter, how they're coached to do that. And now I've got one of those guys. It's everything I've ever looked at and thought, 'man I wish I had that guy.' He's that guy. He's so good with his angles, so good with his hands and getting himself in the right position. And then he's just physical to finish." With Columbia running the football 87 percent of the time, Smith doesn't have a lot of chances to shine in the passing game. The team has attempted only 71 passes in 12 games, but he's made the most of his opportunities when the ball coms his way. He has seven catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns. His impact in the run game, however, is immense. Columbia is averaging 307.3 rushing yards per game with Jimmy Stofey already eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark and Jose Rivera just 21 yards from joining him. Three others have at least 400 yards. "It's just about being unselfish," Smith said. "We're really basically a run-only offense, so just playing unselfish and blocking for whoever has the ball in their hand. That's basically the basis of our team this year. Us as tight ends and the offensive line, we play for our team. We don't care about individual stats or anything like that. We all just want to win." It would be hard to tell that last season was Smith's first playing football. He made an immediate impact on defense opposite of third-team All-Ohio selection Gavin Tollett, piling up 47 tackles, 11 for a loss and seven sacks with a quarterback hurry in 11 games. This year, he's not surprising anyone, as opposing offense make it a priority to neutralize him. As a result, his numbers took a hit with 42 tackles, 11 for a loss and 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries in 12 games. However, his teammates are usually able to take advantage of the extra attention Smith receives to make a play. "I put it on myself that I wasn't able to do as much defensively as compared to last year," Smith said. "I had to remember to play with a little more fire, honestly. In the beginning of the year, it was a slow start for me. I adjusted. I got put on a few more blitzes and stunts to help me out. That helped set me up a little and got me going on the defensive side of the ball." Smith didn't expect offense to be as fun as defense, but he was pleasantly surprised when he got the chance to contribute on that side this year. He said he watches a ton of college and pro football outside of the film room, which has helped accelerate his learning curve. Rice said he's always asking questions and absorbing what the coaches tell him. He's learned how to use his size effectively and make the right reads to spring his backs. Rice added that on defense he's improved his handwork, using his long wingspan to keep opposing players off of him. "What he does is so important for us," Rice said. "Offensively, Jimmy Stofey has a lot of our yards and a lot of those yards are on the perimeter. Justin is one of the main reasons we have those yards. He's got to make decisions on the field, read defenses, understand the scheme and he takes a lot of pride in that. He does a great job. Unselfishness can be hard at this age level. We just haven't had the opportunities to get him the ball as much as we'd like, but he hasn't complained about it one bit." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.