Capital High’s Smith healthy again, returns for second helping from Spaghetti Bowl

Zach Smith has never finished a Spaghetti Bowl.

A football Spaghetti Bowl, that is.

The senior wide receiver from Capital High School does eat spaghetti — sans tomatoes.

“I’m more of a thin, angel hair guy,” Smith said. “I don’t really like red sauce, I’d rather just have plain meat.”

But the annual rivalry game between Capital and Olympia? He has never played a significant role.

Smith has been consistently sidelined by injuries since his sophomore season — the original injury occurring in his first Spaghetti Bowl appearance.

During the third quarter of the 2013 matchup, Smith ran a curl route, hit a defender and felt his right shoulder rip. He iced it on the sideline as Olympia trotted to a 20-6 victory.

At practice the following Tuesday, he tore his labrum in his left shoulder. The tear ended Smith’s season, and he had surgery to repair both shoulders two weeks later.

“He’s probably the best athlete on this team and just never got an opportunity because of the injuries, but he is unbelievable,” Capital coach J.D. Johnson said. “Last year, he was going to play wideout, he was my starting free safety, and then he got hurt.”

Again.

During Capital’s 2014 opener against Tumwater, the same thing happened in the fourth quarter. Another season-ending labrum tear, another surgery. Smith was sidelined for eight months, and while rehabbing his shoulder, tore his meniscus in his knee and had it repaired as well.

“It’s really hard, especially on your mind,” Smith said. “Coming back, and catching balls, and worrying about getting hit because it truly could be your last play.”

Smith has had a few of those, and he said the mental battle has been the hardest part of getting back on the field.

“He wasn’t going to play this year, was just not going to take another chance again, and then he got the itch,” Johnson said. “We kept him out against Tumwater and basically left it up to him — do you want to wait until league, or do you want to play in the Spaghetti Bowl?”

Smith wants to play in the Spaghetti Bowl.

“I’m excited to have him back for the whole team,” senior quarterback Cody Jenkins said. “He’s a playmaker, and he’ll be able to make a lot of plays for us. He’s definitely a threat out on the edge.”

Smith’s speed — he took seventh in the 100-meter dash at the Class 3A state track meet last season in 11.3 seconds — will offer some compensation for Jenkins’ absence at quarterback. Jenkins started the past two Spaghetti Bowls for the Cougars but injured his right index finger before last week’s opener against Tumwater.

Johnson said Jenkins will take reps at cornerback and possibility wide receiver, but he won’t throw until at least next week.

Junior Carson Bertelli will continue to fill Jenkins’ role. Bertelli was 8 for 16 last week in the 42-9 loss to the Thunderbirds, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions.

“Going into this, the more weapons and playmakers we can get around Carson, the more comfortable he’s going to feel,” Johnson said.

One of those is certainly Smith, who will focus solely on offense and kick returning to avoid another injury.

“Just being back on the field is probably the most exciting thing,” Smith said. “Just getting back, and listening to the crowd because it’s going to be packed. It’s going to be great.”

The 39th Spaghetti Bowl kicks off at 7 p.m. at Ingersoll Stadium. Capital possesses the trophy following last year’s 17-7 win, and the Cougars lead the overall series, 21-17.

STRINGING TOGETHER WINS

If the back-and-forth trend continues, Olympia is in line to win this year’s matchup.

But that’s not quite good enough for senior quarterback Jack Bell.

“I think we should win every year,” he said.

Capital broke a five-season Olympia winning streak in 2010. Since then, neither program has won consecutive Spaghetti Bowls.

“Hopefully we can keep the trend going and then break the trend next year,” Olympia coach Bill Beattie said.

Bell will make his first Spaghetti Bowl start for the Bears. He was 9 for 12 for 104 yards, and rushed for two touchdowns during last week’s 42-0 thumping of Ferris.

“I’ve been a part of the fans during the Spaghetti Bowl and I’ve been on the sidelines for it and came in for a few plays at the end,” he said. “I know what it’s like. I know the environment.”

But the Bears aren’t banking on fate, and Beattie said he expects a tough game.

“It’s a tough rivalry to win two years in a row, it just is,” he said. “The stakes are high for bragging rights and guys get amped up when you’ve lost the year before.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Capital High’s Smith healthy again, returns for second helping from Spaghetti Bowl."