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    • Javonte Smith returns interception for TD in North Side win
    Duluth

    Javonte Smith returns interception for TD in North Side win

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    Javonte Smith stood in the end zone waiting for a dropped pass to hit him between the 2 and 5 on his jersey.

    The 6-foot, 175-pound North Side junior sprinted 100 yards to the other end zone for an interception return for a touchdown in North Side’s 28-7 home win over South Side on Friday.

    “When I saw him catch, I knew it was six (points),” North Side coach Woodrow Lowe said. “He just has that speed and explosiveness when he has the ball in his hands.”

    The interception return is Smith’s second of the season. He has been a solid performer for North Side (5-3, 3-0 Region 6-4A) this season.

    Smith has 364 receiving yards, 132 kick return yards and 195 interception return yards. He has three receiving touchdowns, one rushing TD and one kick return for a TD. His second interception return for a touchdown creates seven all-purpose TDs this season.

    As a defensive back, Smith has three interceptions, including the one in the win over South Side (2-5, 0-3).

    While the numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping, Smith’s physical talent has caught the attention of Power 4 colleges in the area. He is a three-star recruit by 247Sports and is the No. 19 wide receiver in Tennessee in the 2026 class.

    Smith has offers from Kentucky, Liberty, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. He visited Alabama on game day when the Crimson Tide defeated Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

    “Georgia never should have come back,” Smith said, laughing, alluding to Alabama’s 41-34 win on Sept. 28 in which the Bulldogs nearly came from behind to pull off a monumental win.

    Additionally, Smith attended game days in Missouri and Tennessee. He said it was exciting for him to see the atmosphere of major college football.

    FINAL RESULTS: TSSAA Football Results: Week 9 Tennessee High School Football Scoreboard

    “The fans are showing a lot of love,” Smith said. “When I was there there were fans everywhere on the street. It was just so beautiful.”

    Smith has overcome the challenge of balancing interaction with colleges while remaining loyal to his North Side boys.

    “I have to show them my love every day by coming here and showing them how hard it is to actually get to this level,” Smith said. “They show me love every day. I can’t be here without her. They put me in a position to reach the next level.”

    MORE FOOTBALL: How the duo of Gray Eubanks and Brady Warbritton is putting Huntingdon football on the path to a TSSAA playoff run

    Lowe assisted Smith in this process. Lowe went through the same process with his sons. Trey Lowe, Woodrow’s oldest son, played quarterback at West Virginia and then transferred to Southern Miss. Kyle Lowe, another of Woodrow’s sons, went to MTSU for two seasons and then transferred to Georgia State.

    Woodrow said he met with Smith before his junior season and told him his life would change with the countless communications from colleges and how he should deal with it.

    “We just talked to him about staying grounded and focusing on everyday life,” Lowe said. “Attention is attention, but you still have to be above it all. … He did well.”

    Austin Chastain is a sportswriter who covers high schools in West Tennessee. You can reach him by email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ.

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    Eira Gwyneth
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