'Wings' Smith ready for rematch

Published on April 7, 2005 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings News Release


BOSSIER CITY - One might forgive Battle Wing offensive specialist Bo Smith if he seems a little giddy about the prospect of facing Tulsa on Saturday evening at the Century Tel Center. After all, he only had the best game of his career against the then-defending Arena Cup champion Talons.

Smith almost single-handedly kept the Battle Wings close in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Bossier receiver and return man score seven of his season's 35 touchdowns against the Talons. The Miami native worked with deadly efficiency that May evening, scoring on five of his six receptions and taking two of his three kick returns the length of the field for two more scores. Perhaps time to get the ball in his hands once more was all the Battle Wings needed in the thrilling 65-59 loss at Tulsa.

"Bo had his break-out game, no doubt," said Keith Barefield, head coach of the Bossier City squad. "It seemed like every time he touched it, he wound up in the end zone. He's fast. Speed kills."

Smith's big day started out quietly enough with only a five-yard reception during the first half. But with a little more than three minutes remaining til the break, Bo hauled in Jonathan Knott's kickoff near the back of the end zone and sprinted 57 yards for his first touchdown of the day. The score also put Bossier back in the game, trailing at that point 27-19.

At halftime, Smith apparently used the Battle Wing locker room like Superman uses a phone booth.

"We needed to come out of the locker room with a positive note," Smith remembered. "I like to use the first quarter to feel out the defenders, find out what adjustments they make. Then, I try to give it to them where they're slacking."

First, a modest 6-yard reception for a score that pulled the 'Wings within seven 33-26. After Tulsa answered with a score, Smith's next reception was for 29 yards and a touchdown. Tulsa kicker Jonathan Knott's 49-yard FG gave the Talons a 43-32 lead, but Smith followed that with his longest reception of the night - a 40-yard scoring haul that brought Bossier within 43-38 just under the 11-minute mark of the fourth.

"After that first (scoring reception), I felt like I was in a zone," Smith said. "My quarterback knew where I was going to be and I was there. We were connected the rest of the night."

Following a five minute scoreless stretch, Tulsa's Bjorne Barre rumbled in from four yards out, then hauled in a two-point conversion for Tulsa's 51-38 advantage. Smith answered again, grabbing a 19-yard Sherard Poteete pass at the 3:09 mark to bring the 'Wings within 51-45.

The contest rolled down to the final minute with the ball in Tulsa's possession, then the scoring really wound up. Barre grabbed another TD reception with 0:49 seconds left. Smith answered with his second kickoff return for a touchdown - this one for 55 yards and stopping the clock with 42 seconds remaining.

Tulsa scored again with 38 ticks left on Talon quarterback Michael Wall's one-yard plunge to spread the lead to 65-52. Bossier lit up the scoreboard again 13 seconds later when Poteete hit Bo from 15 yards out. Jason Ball's PAT made it a six-point game, 65-59, but his on-side kick attempt was covered up by the Talons at the Bossier seven yard line and Tulsa was able to run out the clock.

"That last minute was like a tennis match," Barefield said. "There weren't a lot of defensive stops by either team in the second half, but the last minute was crazy. We never thought we couldn't win that game until the clock ran out."

All told, Smith finished the day with 252 total yards - a career-best 114 receiving yards coupled with a career-best 138 return yards. It also marked the third straight game he'd caught six passes and was the second in his career to return three kickoffs. The seven touchdowns earned him league Offensive Player of the Week honors even though Tulsa's Mitch Allner - now a Talons assistant coach - received the game's Offensive MVP award. The seven touchdowns Smith scored surpassed by one his season total entering the contest.

"I'm looking forward very much to this game," Smith added. "I arrived against them. Having the scrimmage against them during camp gave me chance to feel out their defensive backs already. I'm ready to see what I can do against them again."

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