Smackover’s Mitchell impacts game with versatility
News-Times Staff Wherever he is on the football field, Tanner Mitchell is going to find a way to make an impact on the game.
On offense, the Smackover senior standout played at quarterback, wide receiver and running back, finishing with over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,350 yards total.
An All-Conference and All-State selection, Mitchell had 16 tackles for a loss while finishing with over 80 tackles for the season.
But for coach David Osborn, it's not only the versatility Mitchell has that has endeared him to the coaching staff, it's his will and determination to see that the job gets done.
“Tanner is an all-around player,” Osborn said. “He gives you his all every time he steps foot on the field. He just plays with a ton of heart and effort. Thinking back to the James Bowie win, if anyone saw him after the game that night, it's all you would ever need to know.
“We had to help carry him off the field. He was beat, bruised with cuts on both sides, but he wasn't leaving the field on our last defensive stand.”
Osborn added that Mitchell became an extra coach on the field with his ability to make adjustments.
“He is a playmaker,” Osborn said. “He is one of our leading tacklers on defense. Tanner has been a leader on defense from the moment he started playing for us.
“By the end of his career, he was like another coach on the field, being able to make adjustments and move the front on the fly.”
During the Bucks' conference slate, Mitchell took over at quarterback, rushing for over 1,000 yards in six games that also included 193 yards against Gurdon and 165 yards against eventual 3A state runner-up Prescott.
“Offensively, we had to find a way to get him the ball,” Osborn said. “At wide receiver, he would cause mismatches for teams with his quickness and speed. But when teams started to try to take him away, we started to just put him at quarterback in a wildcat look and turn him loose.
“He was able to average 160 yards rushing a game when teams knew he was getting it every play.”
Mitchell's productivity at quarterback earned him plaudits from the conference.
“All you have to do is ask the other coaches in the conference,” Osborn said.
“He was a threat every time he touched the ball. When we needed a big play, he was there and did a great job of leading us during that stretch.”