It's time to shine the spotlight on another deserving student athlete. Our 'Athlete of the Week' is Corey Smith, a rising tennis star with the Bleckley County Royals.
In his fifth period math class, Bleckley County's Corey Smith looks like a typical freshman student, but on the court, he looks more like royalty as one of the top student athletes for the Royals tennis team.
Coach Bradley Sanders says, "I think the biggest thing for Corey is his two feet. He moves as good as anybody I've ever coached. He moves to the ball, and obviously when you get there, you have to be able to do something with it, and he can."
This was Corey's first season playing Varsity, and he finished with a 25-2 record, an effort that helped the Royals win their 12th consecutive region championship.
"Corey is what I call an unsung hero. He is extremely talented as a freshman in tennis. He has been a leader for us on the courts to help us achieve the GHSA Final Four," says Dr. Michelle Masters.
Smith says, "I just go out there and do what I do. I just play."
Off the court, Corey is a silent leader with 3.2 GPA and a caring heart. This past spring break, Smith and fellow teammate Hunter Tucker used their time away from school to honor the late community coach, Thomas Horton, who recently died in a car accident. His character speaks volumes from a young teenager who was just in middle school last year.
"He has a ton of character, so that helps him with the transition from middle school to high school, but being involved in athletics puts on a focus because you have to get the grades in order to even play tennis," says Dr. Masters.
But as Corey continues to grow and get even better, he knows he can depend on his team for support.
"I feel like there is not one leader to say. We're kind of like one unit standing together," Smith says.
Coach Sanders says, "He has all the shots. I'm really looking forward to the next three years of what he'll be able to do."
Corey and the Royals lost out in their bid for the state title in the semifinals against Blessed Trinity last week.