Hunter Smith savors return to football at All-American Bowl

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Hunter Smith got to play in just one game during his final season of high school football.

But it was quite the experience for the senior from Foxcroft Academy.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wide receiver took part in Saturday night’s Blue-Grey North-South All-American Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And while Smith was a thousand miles from Maine, he felt right at home among the approximately 100 college football prospects from around the country selected for the game, including at least 65 who already have received NCAA Division I scholarship offers.

“It felt so good to be out there,” said Smith, who missed his entire senior season with Foxcroft after suffering a dislocated hip during a preseason game on Aug. 28.

“My mom was telling me right before the game, ‘No pressure, but this is actually the first full game of your senior year you’ve been able to play in,’ but it was just great to be playing with all those guys in an NFL stadium.”

Smith helped the North secure its first-ever victory against the South in Blue-Grey all-star competition, a 35-0 shutout during which the former all-conference quarterback and defensive back for Foxcroft nearly scored a touchdown.

Smith, one of seven wide receivers and tight ends on the North roster, had two catches for 32 yards, one a short pass in the flat late in the first quarter and the second a longer strike to the brink of the goal line near the left sideline with five minutes remaining in the game.

“We had called the same play the previous few plays but ran the ball up the middle instead of throwing it so those times I just blocked the cornerback,” said Smith. “This time when we hiked it I took two steps like I was going to block him again and then when I got even with him I took off running.

“He held my left arm down and I think the ref would have called pass interference if I hadn’t caught it, but it was a back-shoulder fade to the pylon and I caught it one-handed against my chest while he held my other arm.

“I stood up and looked down and I was on the 1-yard line.”

The North scored its final touchdown on the next play.

Smith, who with the rest of the receivers rotated into action every third offensive series, was targeted by his roommate, North quarterback Jason Dambach of Riverside, Pennsylvania, on two other occasions. One of those passes was tipped away by a South linebacker and the other was overthrown.

“I wish we could have played a little longer so everybody could have more opportunities,” said Smith.“Everyone was kind of getting frustrated on the sideline because no one was getting complete playing time. Everyone’s used to being the star of the team and playing every down, and you go from that to playing every third series here.

“But all the wide receivers got three or four passes apiece so it was pretty even that way.”

Smith was supported by a sizeable group of family and friends, some who live in Florida and others who made the trip from Maine including his parents, Dean and Laurie Smith, and younger brother Hyatt.

Also in attendance was Foxcroft Academy football coach Danny White, who watched the game from the sideline with the school’s athletic administrator, Tim Smith.

“Everything seemed to be right on point with what this was, an All-American football showcase,” said White, who also confirmed that Smith was the the first Maine high school player ever to participate in a Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

Smith was invited to participate in the game in August after a strong performance in late spring at the Blue-Grey Mid-Atlantic Super Combine in Richmond, Virginia.

Smith subsequently dislocated his left hip during an exhibition game at Orono the weekend before Foxcroft was to start its 2015 regular season, but after six weeks without putting any weight on his leg, he began therapy that enabled him to resume competitive athletics with the Foxcroft basketball team as well as prepare for his all-star football opportunity.

Smith’s first formal practice with the North team came Thursday afternoon amid temperatures in the low-80’s, a far cry from the conditions he had left some 24 hours earlier.

“It was pretty hot, but we adjusted to it pretty quick,” said Smith.

There was also an adjustment to be made to the caliber of teammates — including an offensive line full of verbal commitments to Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 10 and Pac-12 college programs.

“All the linemen were huge and the linebackers and running backs were all super big, they all live in the weight room,” said Smith. “And the wide receivers were quick and on point and the quarterbacks were extremely skilled.”

Practices continued Friday, followed by a banquet Friday night and a walk-through on Saturday before the game.

Rain late Saturday afternoon threatened the start of the game but eased to a mist just before the opening kickoff, which for Smith followed a memorable team entrance into the giant NFL stadium.

“Everyone was just in awe of playing in an NFL stadium, so it was pretty cool just to walk through the tunnel to go out onto that field,” he said.