By Mike McKinney
PAXTON NEWS BUREAU

PARAGOULD — After 14 years of playing soccer, Andrew Smith wasn’t quite ready to walk away from the sport.
On Tuesday, the Crowley’s Ridge Academy senior extended his soccer career by signing a national letter of intent with Williams Baptist College.
“I didn’t know if the day would actually come, but it has,” Smith said following a signing ceremony in the CRA gym. “I didn’t want my soccer career to end, so this was an added bonus to the education I’ll be getting.”
The Jonesboro resident said he had planned to attend Arkansas State after graduation, but contacted WBC coach Dan Watson about the soccer program and made two visits to the Walnut Ridge school.
“I wanted to play college soccer and Williams Baptist is a good school,” Smith said of his decision to sign with the Eagles. “They also have my intended major, finance, so it’s just a culmination of everything I saw there. I was planning to go to ASU but they don’t offer men’s soccer. There were a couple of other schools, but Williams was the closest to home and it’s a good school.”
Watson said he’s pleased anytime he can sign a student-athlete from Northeast Arkansas.
“We’re always trying to find players from this area,” Watson said. “Unlike baseball, there are several schools in (Northeast Arkansas) that don’t have soccer. When he contacted us, it was pretty exciting that he was looking at Williams Baptist.”
Watson, who will be starting his third season as WBC coach next fall, said he liked what he saw in Smith as a student and a player enough to extend him a scholarship offer.
“The thing we really like about him is that not only is he a solid soccer player, he has good size. The college game is a little bigger and stronger than the high school game. He’s also a sound student and a good young man. He’s a good leader and a good role model, someone that will represent our college well,” Watson said.
This season, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Smith played fullback, helping CRA secure its third state tournament bid in as many seasons. In the last three years, the Falcons have lost only two district matches and won two conference championships.
During his career, Smith has worked hard to make himself into a better player, CRA coach Mark Morris said.
“We’re very proud of Andrew,” Morris said. “He’s worked very hard for several years to get to this point. It took a lot of soccer not only at the high school and junior high level, but he also played in the fall at U-2 and Classic levels. He’s worked hard on his team skills and his individual skills. I’m very proud for him.
“He’s the type of kid if he’s got a weakness, he goes out and works out on his own,” Morris added. “He’s put a lot of time and energy into it, and he’s very deserving.”
Morris also said Smith signee should “fit right in with what they want him to do and where to fill in. He’s extremely versatile. At one time or another, he’s started at every position on the field, on both the junior high team and the senior high team.”
At WBC, Smith knows he’ll have to adjust to a higher level of play.
“It’s going to be faster, more aggressive,” Smith said. “It’s going to take some time to figure out, but it will be OK.”

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