Carthage’s Arkell Smith was the definition of an athlete in his time as a Tiger. The natural track athlete and standout basketball player was not a football player. That is until he was convinced to join the team by coach Jon Guidie and friends during his junior season.
Smith pulled in 47 catches for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season playing football. As a senior, he soared to even greater heights on the football field with 65 catches for 1,201 yards and nine touchdowns while also securing 24 tackles and an interception on defense. His efforts earned him second-team all-state honors as a wide receiver. He also earned a football scholarship to the University of Central Missouri after playing the sport for only two seasons.
In the winter, Smith was a key player for the Carthage basketball team. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to go with 44-percent shooting from the field. He was the only Carthage player named to the All-Central Ozark Conference Large basketball team as he earned third-team All-COC honors.
In the spring, Smith was back in his element on the track. He posted the area’s No. 1 triple jump mark, No. 2 high jump mark and No. 3 long jump mark. The versatile athlete also anchored the area’s No. 1 4×400 relay.
All of his skills culminated in a big state meet where he won the Class 4 triple jump championship on the first day of competition while anchoring the 800 and 1600-meter relay teams in the prelims with both making finals. On day two, he anchored the 800-meter relay squad to a third-place finish.
Then, late in the day with Carthage locked in a tight team race, the senior produced in a big way. Carthage was in third place as a team with two events left in the long jump and 1600-meter relay. Smith would leave the long jump competition long enough to anchor the Class 4 championship for Carthage in a time of 3:18.62. It was the second-fastest relay time in Missouri in 2018. Smith, not a natural 400-meter runner, posted a time of 47.89 on his anchor leg.
The star Tiger then went on to finish fifth in the long jump to secure a Class 4 team championship for Carthage by five points over COC Large rival Carl Junction.
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL FOUR FINALISTS FOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2017: Connor Sechler, Bolivar
2016: Chase Allen, Nixa
2015: Lane Duncan, Licking
2014: Spencer Haik, Glendale
2013: Shane Williams, Mt. Vernon
