Phil Anastasia: Smith emerges to help Shawnee roll to victory

Think Shawnee.

Think running game.

Think Chris LaPierre.

On the surface, it was business as usual last night for the Renegades.

LaPierre ran for four touchdowns and two two-point conversions, and Ben Schwing added two more rushing touchdowns as No. 1 Shawnee trounced No. 3 Camden Catholic, 42-13, in an Olympic Conference showdown before around 2,500 spectators at Shamrock Field.

But there was another element to the Renegades' imposing play: The passing of quarterback Kody Smith.

A 6-foot, 165-pound senior, Smith made the most of his few opportunities. He completed 5 of 10 passes for 143 yards, and three of his completions covered 125 yards and led to Shawnee touchdowns.

"Everybody knows Shawnee is going to run the football. We're built on that," Shawnee coach Tim Gushue said. "But if we want to be the kind of football team that we want to be be, we have to develop the other parts of our game. We were able to make a few plays in the passing game tonight, and people are going to be looking at that and saying: 'Why don't they do that more?'

"I'm probably going to look at the film and ask myself the same question."

Although he's a three-year starter at quarterback at one of South Jersey's most powerful programs, Smith is mainly known outside of Medford as the guy who hands the football to LaPierre.

In some ways, this clash of two of the top three teams in The Inquirer Top 10 was true to form for Shawnee. LaPierre gained just 84 yards on 17 carries but found the end zone four times, excelled as a punter, and picked off a pass on defense.

He also went 47 yards with a screen pass, zigging back and forth among Camden Catholic defenders, and moving the public-address announcer to exclaim, "Wow," while the play was unfolding.

He added another "wow" when it was over.

"Shocker is a great player," Smith said, referring to LaPierre by his nickname. "People figure I just hand the ball to him. But that's not such a bad thing."

In truth, Smith made several big plays that helped turned what looked like a tight game into a runaway.

Camden Catholic was in front, 7-6, and Shawnee was facing a fourth and 8 at the 32 when Smith rolled right, bought time with his legs, and fired a perfect strike to wide receiver Ryan Pretti just before a Camden Catholic rusher lowered the boom. Pretti made it to the 1, and LaPierre scored on the next play.

"We had all the momentum, and Kody Smith made a huge play," Camden Catholic coach Rick Brown said.

It was 14-7 Shawnee at halftime, but Smith found Pretti again for a 55-yard play to set up another LaPierre touchdown on the first possession of the third quarter. A 10-yard completion to Ryan Welsey on third and 7 kept another drive alive early in the fourth quarter, leading to another LaPierre touchdown.

"People think all we do is run, run, run," LaPierre said. "But Kody makes plays in the passing game."

It was a twist, Smith setting up LaPierre, the passing game setting the table for the running game. But it ended in typical fashion, with the Renegades on the high side of the scoreboard.

"As long as we win," Smith said, "it doesn't matter how we do it."