Gainesville High’s Kane Smith wasn’t even a quarterback.
Last week the cornerback turned QB just in time.
The senior scored four touchdowns as GHS ended its 15-game losing streak with a 49-21 win over Santa Fe (Alachua) at Citizens Field.
It was the first win for GHS since Nov. 5, 2021, when the Hurricanes knocked off rival Eastside, 28-10, at Citizens Field.
Smith threw three TDs and ran for another in earning Athlete of the Week honors.
“Kane has done a tremendous job stepping up to fill a huge role for our team,” said Gainesville football coach Ian Scott. “He has grown as a leader this year and has earned the trust of his teammates.”
Down 7-6 in the first quarter, Smith found Eli Williams on a screen pass for an 11-yard score and a 13-7 GHS lead.
His second score came late in the second quarter when he ran it in from three yards out on fourth down to give the Hurricanes (1-4) a 28-13 advantage.
Smith added a 54-yard touchdown pass to Williams on another screen to make it 35-13, followed by one more screen pass to Decarion Debose for a 40-yard score and a 42-13 lead.
Gainesville will host Menendez (St. Augustine) in a Class 3S-District 4 game at 7 p.m. on Friday at Citizens Field. The game will be broadcast on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and online (audio only) at IamCountryRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Smith becomes the fifth athlete to be selected for the weekly award.
Last week’s winner was Myles Graham of Buchholz, who rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries (22.7 yards per carry), including a career-long 97-yard TD run, against Creekside (St. Johns).
Other winners include Alvon Isaac of the Hawthorne football team, Chiefland running back Osten Jones, and Hailey Tharp of the Newberry volleyball team.
Coaches can email their nominations each week, along with stats, no later than Sunday night to mike.ridaught@mainstreetdailynews.com.