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Even having delivered all kinds of thrills in his two-year career as a University of Utah receiver and return specialist, Shaky Smithson almost certainly will leave the school without winning a conference championship.
He'll have to settle for helping to produce a Class 4A state title at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Highland junior quarterback Anthony Smithson never would have come to Salt Lake City from Baltimore if not for his older brother's concern for him. Shaky Smithson became the boy's guardian, living with him in a two-bedroom apartment while he plays for the Utes, and Anthony — known as "Fish" — plays for the Rams.
The relationship will become part of Utah high school football history. After everything that transpired Friday night, when Highland outlasted Mountain Crest 37-36 in double overtime, Anthony Smithson will long be remembered. All he did was throw the tying touchdown passes in the last minute of regulation and the first overtime, then run for the winning score in the second OT.
The Rams' defense made Smithson's TD (and the extra point) stand up by stopping Mountain Crest's two-point conversion on the following possession.
Naturally, Mustangs coach Mark Wootton's decisions will overshadow Smithson's overtime work, to a degree. The choice to go for two was defensible, considering his kicker missed an extra point in the first OT. The blunder was taking the ball out of dual-threat quarterback Alex Kuresa's hands. Running back Nate Rigby was stuffed by linebacker Benjamin Johnson after an offside penalty moved the ball a yard-and-a-half from the goal line.
So after personally accounting for nearly 13,000 yards of offense in his phenomenal four-year career (including 338 in this game), Kuresa finished a good yard short of a state championship.
And after moving to quarterback only in September, Smithson coolly came through with a title.
"I asked him the other day if he was nervous, and he looked at me like I was crazy," said Highland coach Brody Benson.
Smithson passed for 250 yards and three touchdowns, all after halftime. Rams receiver Nate Fakahafua was responsible for 10 of the team's 14 catches, 200 yards and all three scores, so Smithson obviously had some help from an amazing teammate.
Then again, Smithson's 43-yard pass to the right side of the end zone with 47 seconds left in regulation was perfectly delivered, and so was his 25-yarder to the left corner, just inside the pylon, on a fourth-and-10 play in the first overtime.
Highland's kick was blocked, forcing a second OT at 30-30. This time, the Rams went first, and Smithson drove them into position for his 4-yard TD on a sneak.
Highland's wild win left the Rams hoping that Shaky Smithson is still in town next fall, not playing somewhere in the NFL and taking his brother with him. Shaky said this week that he's reluctant to uproot Anthony for his senior year of high school.
But if this is it in Salt Lake City for the younger Smithson, there hardly could be a better ending: Fish's story of the big one that did not get away.
kkragthorpe@sltrib.comTwitter: @tribkurt