By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PICAYUNE — Picayune’s Darrell Smith is the recipient of our second “Baria Law Firm Game Ball of the Week” as presented by SouthMiss6 Sports.

Every week throughout the end of the school year, we will honor student/athletes across the “Southern Six” with our “Game Ball of the Week” sponsored by David Baria, Attorney-Mediator.

Smith, the senior standout tailback for perennial state power Picayune, just wrapped up his final campaign with the Maroon Tide and will long be recognized as one of the top running backs in long and storied pantheon of Picayune ball carriers.

After playing behind Donte Dowdell, now toting the ball for Nebraska, a sophomore and then Chris Davis, now carrying the ball for Stanford, as a junior Smith really stepped up his game during his final campaign with the Maroon Tide as he has become one of the top running backs in the rushing for just over 2,500 yards and 28 touchdowns this year in 13 games. He averaged right at 192 yards rushing per game, and helped guide Picayune to its fourth straight trip to the South State championship game.

Smith also caught a touchdown pass, threw a scoring pass and returned a kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown as Picayune finished the season at 11-3.

He has scored either three or four touchdowns five different times in a game this season as well, and has eclipsed the 200-yard mark six times in a contest as well.

Smith signed a scholarship with Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday but before moving on to the next level he will suit up for the South squad in the annual Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game on Sat., Dec, 21st in Gulfport at historic Milner Stadium.

The Baria Law Firm provides a beacon of trust and reliability in a complex legal landscape. Our firm’s unwavering dedication to you is at the core of everything we do. Choose David Baria of Baria Law as your legal ally, and let us handle the details while you focus on what matters most. Reach out to David at 228-395-8303 or dbaria@barialaw.com and at https://barialaw.com.