KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — High school standouts continue to perform well on both sides of the ball with playoffs just three weeks away.
Fulton wide receiver, Derrick Smith, and Bearden linebacker, Kai Ironside, had successful week-eight performances, earning them Player of the Week honors.
Smith was a huge factor on the offense and scored multiple times in the Falcon's win against Seymour on Friday. The junior wide receiver posted an impressive stat line — six catches for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
He says he's proud of himself and happy to help his team out on the field.
"I mean, I hit 217 yards in the game. That's a lot," Smith said. "I just started off with five yards from my first game. The goal for me is to keep pushing my teammates and to try and make a name for ourselves."
Over on the defense, Kai Ironside helped the Bulldogs beat Cleveland for a huge region win last week.
The junior linebacker came alive in the second half and finished the night with 13 tackles — two tackles for loss and a sack. Head coach Josh Jones had high praise for Ironside's performance.
"He's the heartbeat of our defense," Jones said. "He's a great kid, he's a great teammate. When that ball snaps, you just cut him loose and let him go make plays. At times he looks like a heat-seeking missile."
Fulton has a bye this week but will take on Carter in its next matchup against Carter on Oct. 20. Bearden plays Oak Ridge this Friday. Both games start at 7 p.m.