Downingtown West has been known to produce football teams with quality and balanced offensive attacks mixing the run and the pass. So, it should come as no surprise that the Whippets have a wide receiver in Pennsylvania’s 2011 recruiting class that has generated a lot of Division-1 interest.
That receiver is Louis Smith, a 6’1, 160-pound senior to be, who has generated interest, but doesn’t have any scholarship offers, from 15 Division-1 programs and D-1 FCS representative Delaware.
Smith has received interest from quite a notable list of programs. Boston College, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Lousiville, Maryland, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, Temple, West Virginia and Wisconsin have all shown interest in Smith, according to Rivals.com.
Perhaps what makes Smith so appealing is his blazing speed. Smith’s Rivals profile lists a 40-yard dash time of 4.28, and that data has been confirmed. Smith also has a 28-inch vertical leap to go along with his blazing speed, according to Rivals.
Smith was not the featured target in the Whippets’ passing attack last season – that title would belong to Peter Mulville, who caught 22 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns. But Smith posted respectable stats as the Whippets’ #2 receiver – 16 recceptions, 408 yards and three touchdowns. Smith averaged 25.5 yards per reception and 51 yards per game.
The 2009 season opened with a bang for Smith, who caught five passes for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Whippets’ 40-37 victory over Penncrest. In the final three games Smith had any receiving stats (Coatesville, Bishop Shanahan & Conestoga), he hauled in six passes for 214 yards (35.67 yds./rec.) and one touchdown.
Downingtown West finished 10-2 last season, falling to Avon Grove in the District 1 “AAAA” quarterfinals, 35-21. The Whippets, winners of 41 of their last 49 games (.836), averaged 30.4 points per game last year.
