NEWPORT NEWS, VA (WTKR)- There's a chance Trevor Smith could dribble a basketball before he could walk. The Woodside senior is the latest generation of a hoops family.
"I was born into basketball," he said. "My father played, my older brother played so I just grew up playing it. I knew I would be good when I was in like seventh or eighth grade. I knew this basketball could take me somewhere big."
It has. Smith has asserted himself as one of the best to put on a Woodside uniform. He's scored more than 1,000 points during the course of his high school career and has sparked a state title game run for the Wolverines this year. None of that is a surprise to head coach Stefan Welsh.
"His eighth grade year, he was the leading scorer on our JV team," Welsh recalled. "JV and varsity scrimmaged each other and he came over. He was the best player on the floor."
"Without the game of basketball, I don't know if I am who I am today," Smith added. "This game made me who I am. I'm going to college for free so it's a blessing really."
That college opportunity is not taking him far away from home. Smith's work on the court and in the classroom have set him up for success at the University of Richmond. The senior guard points to staying humble and keeping a tight inner-circle as things that have helped keep him focused.
"Ask questions because I can just learn," he said of his approach. "Keep my momma, my father and Coach Stef close to me, so that's how I stay on the right track."
It's worked. Welsh looks at his senior leader as the total package.
"Trevor Smith may be the best kid I've ever coached and it has nothing to do with basketball," the head coach pointed out. "You never hear anything from his teachers. You can go ask the janitor and they're going to tell you he's an unbelievable kid."
It's been a memorable career at Woodside for Trevor, one that has set him up well for the future. Now he has a chance to give this chapter the perfect ending with a state championship ring.
"Throughout the year, he played with that sense of purpose," Welsh noted. "Through this playoff run, he's been lights out."
"We put in so much work," the senior added. "We've worked so hard since August so we've been waiting for this moment and now it's here, so we're going to get it done."
Smith and Woodside meet Patrick Henry-Roanoke on Saturday at 1:00 PM in the Class 5 state championship game. The contest tips off at VCU's Siegel Center in Richmond.
If you have a nominee for Esprit Decor Student-Athlete of the Week, send an email to marc.davis@wtkr.com.
