<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
The spotlight is a funny thing. <\/span>It doesn’t care about the past or the future. <\/span>It lives in the moment. <\/span>It can shine too brightly for some, while its glare brings out the best in others. <\/span>But most of the time, it just follows the playmakers, and this week it’s found Long Beach Poly receiver Damon Smith.<\/span><\/p>\n The senior didn’t catch a ball last year, and before the playoffs started this season, he only had one catch for three yards. <\/span>But like a true playmaker, the playoffs brought the best out of the diminutive pass catcher.<\/span><\/p>\n In the quarterfinals against Esperanza, the score was tied at 10 in the waning minutes. <\/span>The Jackrabbits faced a third-and-long and quarterback Morgan Fennell dropped back looking for a screen pass, but was forced out of the pocket. <\/span>He sprinted to the sideline and gunned a low pass to the sticks. <\/span>Guess who was there? <\/span>Smith, who had come off the bench due to an injury to Kaelin Clay, caught the ball inches away from the turf for the first down. <\/span>Three plays later, Poly scored the game-winning touchdown.<\/span><\/p>\n A week later in the semifinals against Lakewood, Smith only had one catch, but it was a 12-yard catch that led to a first down on the drive that gave Poly its first lead of the contest.<\/span><\/p>\n Those two wins carried Poly to another CIF Championship last weekend against Tesoro. <\/span>The two defensive units dominated the first half of the game, but with minutes remaining in the second quarter, Smith beat Titan star Preston King down the sideline. <\/span>Fennell put a perfect long ball on Smiths hands, but it squirted out, a sure touchdown was left on the field, and Tesoro took a 7-0 lead into halftime.<\/span><\/p>\n Coming out of the break, the casual fan would not have noticed if the drop affected Smith. <\/span>The casual fan would not have noticed if Smith disappeared. <\/span>But with the spotlight at its brightest, the 5’9” 155 lb wide out played the best half of his high school career, leading the team with six catches, 58 yards, and one touchdown that Jackrabbit fans won’t soon forget.<\/span><\/p>\n Down 10 with 10 minutes to play, Poly got the ball on their own 20-yard line on a must-score drive. <\/span>On the second play of the possession, Fennell went deep to Smith again. <\/span>This time, he played defense to save an interception and keep the drive alive. <\/span>Two plays later on third down, Smith made probably the toughest catch of the night for eight yards and the first down to keep the drive alive. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Four plays later it was 4th-and-15, with the game on the line. <\/span>Tesoro brought the blitz, Fennell stood tough in the pocket and took a shot as he heaved one to the back of the end zone. <\/span>Guess who got there?<\/span><\/p>\n “I don’t know… I just went and got it,” said Smith, whose modesty limits his quoteability. <\/span>“I just do my best.”<\/span><\/p>\n It seems the spotlight brings out the best in Smith. <\/span>He and the other senior Jackrabbits have one last chance to shine in it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Playmakers seem to come from nowhere for Poly, and the latest is receiver Damon 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