Running back Isaiah Smith injured
Photo courtesy of Nick Marinaro
Isaiah Smith stands on the sideline of a football game
October 3, 2019
The Red Knight football team has kicked off their 2019-20 campaign, but this season they are without star senior running back Isaiah Smith, who rolled and fractured his foot in practice a week before the first game.
When the team found out about the news, they were stunned and became emotionally upset.. The team dwelled on it for a day but realized they needed to move on to prepare themselves for their time without him. “Once we got over it we realized we just needed to work that much harder to obtain our goals without him,” junior linemen Nick Marinaro said.
Without Smith in the lineup, the running back position is filled by senior captain Joe Marinaro, juniors Will Petty and Malik Robertson, and sophomore Cam Royal. “It’s hard to fill the role of a playmaker like Isaiah, but we have strong depth at running back that will help fill his shoes,” senior captain Charles Deterding said.
The running back situation is looking bright even without Smith. Through the first two games of the season, the four running backs have proved they can fill the shoes of Smith by totaling a combined 410 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. “The running backs are strong and can get the job done,” Smith said.
Smith burst onto the scene last year as a junior totaling 1251 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns. He proved to be a strong, speedy, and reliable back that the Red Knights could trust on any play. “Isaiah is an explosive player who always has the possibility of scoring a touchdown on any play. He is special,” Nick Marinaro said.
There is still a chance fans could see him on the field this season. His timetable for the injury is six weeks from when he fractured it, and if everything goes right, Smith could be back on the field for the Red Knights in the last week of the regular season or the playoffs.
Smith, who, locked in a verbal commitment to play Division 1 football at the University of North Dakota this past spring, was named to Randy Shaver’s preseason all-state team this fall. Smith is upset about his injury as he was looking to have a strong senior year, but he has been watching every down from the sidelines, cheering on his teammates who are filling his role. “[I am most disappointed about] not being able to play and compete with the team on the field,” Smith said.
After wins over strong teams such as Chanhassen and Orono the Red Knights are 5-0 on the season so far and look to keep their momentum rolling without their star running back.
