By Ken Hansard
Cooper Smith, senior offensive and defensive linemen for the Cherryvale Chargers, is our VYPE Poll Winner for linemen. Smith is understandably excited to begin his senior campaign and is optimistic about the Chargers’ prospects under the guidance of their new head coach, “I’m very excited to play for Coach Hester. I’m also looking forward to being a senior leader this year. I think we have a great group of leaders, players, and coaches.”
Smith considers himself blessed to be included in that class of leaders, and his younger teammates have every reason to follow his lead. Cooper has previously been honored as All Tri-Valley League on both offense and defense and has additionally been nominated Honorable Mention All-State. He wants to use that influence to help foster the Charger culture and establish his legacy for years to come, “I see myself as a positive motivator and someone my teammates can rely on for support and guidance. I also want to leave behind something great for the underclassmen.”
When asked about specific goals and key games on the horizon, Cooper defers to the age-old adage that the next game is the most important, “Personally, I do have a goal to be named All-State defensively, but the team goals are more important. I certainly would like to help lead my team to playoff wins. However, I’m looking to week one – Neodesha on September 5th. It’s not only a big rivalry game, but it also happens to be my birthday. I’m excited about how quickly we are adjusting to our new coach and how quickly we are catching on to our new offense.”
Cooper, whose love of sport was inspired by his father who played football collegiately, has many interests when not on the gridiron. He is a three-time state qualifier and two-time regional champ in wrestling. He also participates in track and field for the Chargers. He is a two-time league champ in the shot put, a one-time state qualifier, and he currently owns Cherryvale’s school record in that event.
Smith is also a standout in the classroom, where he has recorded a 3.7 GPA over his first three years of high school. Following graduation, Smith plans to continue his studies and to play football at the collegiate level.
