news-record.com

GREENSBORO — The typical Dudley running back is a guy who would look right at home in one of those tractor pulls at the county fair. You know, as one of the tractors.

Typically, he is a guy who hovers around 200 pounds and leaves tire tracks on the chests of opposing linebackers. For further reference, you might recall Fred Overby, Kyree Ward, Keith Lee and Jamaal Edwards.

So the first impulse is to light a candle and whisper a prayer for the vastly undersized Golden Eagles, who face Dudley at Tarpley Stadium in tonight's 45th renewal of one of the city's most passionate football rivalries.

After all, when your starting nose guard stands 5-feet-3 and is generously listed at 185 pounds, you might want to stock up on ice and keep the trainers close by.

Not so fast, says Smith coach Rodney Brewington.

"I promise you what we lack in size we more than make up with in speed," Brewington said this week.

"If you don't match up with a team in size, you'd better be fast and our guys are fast."

In addition to speed, Smith enters its game against Dudley with something it hasn't had in eight years: a winning record. The Golden Eagles are 3-2, which is nothing spectacular until you realize they won four games in the last five seasons.

Much of Smith's success this season is because of its defense. The team is allowing just 10 points per game — tops in the Metro 4-A Conference.

The Eagles' defense will never overpower. But all 11 players swarm to the ball and are unrelenting for 48 minutes.

"We just keep coming at you, over and over," said Daniel Boetang, the aforementioned nose guard who already has five sacks this year. "You might be bigger than us, but we're going to come at you from all angles so you'd better be quick."

Last year, Brewington was overwhelmed running the Eagles' offense and defense. This year, he's turned over the defense to new coordinator Mike McMillan.

McMillan knows a thing or two about defense: He played at Dudley in the mid-1980s and went on to play at N.C. A&T with Dudley coach Stephen Davis. McMillan believes Smith's players are gaining confidence with each passing week.

"A big part of football, especially high school football, is getting the kids to believe in themselves," McMillan said. "When our kids step out on the field against Dudley, they're going to believe in themselves and I don't know if they had in the past."

Everywhere you look on defense, the Eagles are small. There's 5-9 end Antwan Nevious, 5-5 linebacker Dushonte McCoy, 5-5 cornerbacks Myles Morris and Mike Millner, 5-9 strong safety Demari Bosswell and 5-9 linebacker Colt Johnson.

Only Keith Coleman, at 6-3 and 175 pounds, looks like he belongs out there. Somehow, the Eagles make it work, anticipating and then racing to the ball with intensity. They'll need that intensity against Dudley. The two-time defending 3-A state champions are 4-1 and haven't lost since Ragsdale in Week 2.

Dudley has won its last seven games against Smith and leads the series 27-18-1, but the rivalry remains fierce.

Players, many of whom played together for the Warnersville Recreational Center's youth football team, routinely see each other at Four Seasons Mall or at neighborhood restaurants.

"We talk a lot of smack to each other," said Elijah Jordan, who has already played seven positions for the Eagles this year. "This is the game we look forward to every year."

The two schools get most of their players from Allen Middle School, though in recent years many of the middle school's top athletes have gone to Dudley as part of its Early College Academy.

"It's not quantity we're losing, it's quality," Brewington said, "but we're not worried about that. Winning takes care of a lot of things. When we start winning on a (regular) basis we'll start getting the kids back to us."

Brewington and Smith fans would love for that winning to start tonight.

"What would happen if we beat Dudley?" Brewington asked. "My principal would have to give me the next week off because I'll be going to Disney and taking the team with me."

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com