A great connection for GH

Wed, Nov 4, 2009    to del.icio.us

There's a tendency to make football more complicated than it needs to be.

So it's refreshing to hear Grand Haven quarterback Adam Poel and his favorite target, Alec Smith, describe their connection on the gridiron.

"I just get behind the defense and go get it," said Smith, who has gone and gotten it to the tune of 18 catches for 573 yards and eight touchdowns this fall. "Our offensive line does a really good job blocking, and Adam's been throwing the ball perfectly downfield."

"Alec's such a great receiver. I just put it up there and he goes and gets it," echoed Poel, who hasn't had to throw the ball often this year as the Bucs have rushed for over 1,500 yards. When he does throw the ball, chances are, it ends up in the hands of Smith, who has caught nearly half of Poel's 44 passes on the season.

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This past Friday, in the Buccaneers' first playoff game in a decade, Smith had two catches for 77 yards, both of them for touchdowns. On both occasions, Poel simply threw the ball up and let the 6-foot, 2-inch, 200-pound speedster go and get it. In the process, the duo helped their team further achieve the goal that they set out to accomplish this past offseason.

"We've been working hard since the start of winter. The main thing we wanted to do was to change the culture," Smith said. "We want to let everyone know Grand Haven can be a football powerhouse."

A powerhouse is exactly what the Bucs will face when they return to the field Friday night at Ted Carlson Memorial Stadium against defending Division 1 state champion Rockford in the second round of the state playoffs.

The Rams are the only team that managed to put the clamps on the Bucs' offense this season, scoring a 14-0 victory over Grand Haven back in Week 5.

"I feel like we match up against them very well. There's an opportunity to put some points on the board," Smith said. "We know it's a big game, but we're just trying to go at it like it's any other game."

But this isn't any other game. A victory over the No. 1-ranked Rams would be one of the most significant wins in the history of Grand Haven football.

At the time, the Buccaneers' thrilling 14-13 win over Muskegon at Gene Rothi Field in Week 4 certainly qualified as one of the program's biggest wins ever.

"There were a lot of fans out here for that game, and that let them see what we could do," Smith said.

Entering his junior year, the Buccaneer wide receiver figured he'd be catching balls thrown by Bryan Kiel, who started at quarterback for Grand Haven in 2008 and seemed poised for a breakout senior season. Instead, Kiel suffered a season-ending foot injury just a few plays into Bucs' opening game, and that opened the door for Poel to step in and claim the starting job.

Poel has proven more than capable, which was no surprise to anyone who watched him play the past two falls. As the starting quarterback for the Bucs' freshmen and junior varsity teams the past two years, he led his teams to a 14-4 record. Now, 10 games into his senior season, that record is even more impressive. He's 23-5 as a starter, thanks to an unflappable attitude, the ability to make big plays when needed, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to avoid negative plays. He's been intercepted just twice in 85 pass attempts this year, and as a rule, he doesn't put the ball on the ground. Poel has proven to be the perfect compliment to an offensive group that possesses an outstanding offensive line, explosive running backs, and plenty of playmakers in the wide receiver corps.

"Adam's done a great job. I'm so proud of him," Buccaneers' head coach Mike Farley said earlier this fall. "I'm real pleased with his effort in key situations. He's got great poise."

It helps to have someone like Smith on the receiving end.

"Alec Smith is one of the best athletes in the conference," Farley said. "We've got quite a few very good athletes on our team. We don't want to be one-dimensional, but without question, in order for us to be successful, we've got to get (Smith) the ball.

"Any time he's in the ballgame, he's a threat. Plus, that really opens things up for our other kids to have success."