His father is one of the most accomplished NFL wide receivers in the last several decades, so it might seem natural for
Peyton Smith to suit up for the gridiron himself.
However, the son of the longtime Panthers receiver and current Ravens receiver Steve Smith Sr. has found his own niche playing a different fall season sport: soccer.
The younger Smith, a senior at
Carmel Christian (Matthews, N.C.), is enjoy a an outstanding start to the season — just like his father, currently one of the NFL's leading receivers.
Peyton is one of the top goal scorers in the state of North Carolina, finding the back of the net 20 times in 13 games. Four of those goals came in the team's season-opening matchup against Christ the King, which Carmel Christian won 5-0.
According to Carmel Christian coach Kyle Hunt, despite his goal-scoring prowess Smith is at his best when he's facilitating opportunities for his teammates.
"He has great vision and does a great job of putting teammates into space where they can be dangerous," Hunt told MaxPreps. "He can finish himself but is also able to draw defenders to himself and find open teammates in the box."
In addition to his 20 goals, Smith also has 14 assists.
Several schools are recruiting Smith, including DePaul, Tufts and Johns Hopkins. Hunt believes Smith has the ability to play the next level.
Right now, Smith and Carmel Christian are chasing a state title. The team has posted an 11-1-1 record thus far and has not lost since the middle of August. It will look to extend its hot streak in a Tuesday night game against Christ the King.
Check out Smith in action in the photos below and the video above.
Peyton Smith battles a Statesville Christian player for control of the ball during a recent game.
Photos by Troy Cherry
Smith takes a corner kick.
Smith dribbles down the field.
Smith celebrates with a teammate after scoring a goal.
