Resurgent Marana is back in the playoff hunt after a turbulent start and the reason behind the Tigers winning four of their last five games is junior running back/linebacker Jeffrey Smith III.
Smith is coming off rushing for 181 yards on only eight carries — five of them for touchdowns — with a team-leading 14 tackles in a 54-7 win at Casa Grande.
In the Tigers’ run of 4-1 in their last five games, they have outscored their opponents 197-93, including triumphs of 48-3 over Ironwood Ridge and 54-7 against Casa Grande in the last two games.
In those five games, Smith has tallied 696 yards on 62 carries with 12 touchdowns, and compiled 64 tackles (two for loss, both of them sacks).
He ranks 34th in the state with 819 yards rushing and third with 91 tackles. No other big-school player (4A to 6A) ranks as high in both categories.
For his dominating rushing performance at Casa Grande, Smith is the APS Digital Print/Frog & Firkin Week 7 Player of the Week.
Banners from APS Digital Print will be presented to the player and coach at an end-of-season awards gathering at Frog & Firkin.
2026 APS DIGITAL PRINT/FROG & FIRKIN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
- WEEK 0: CATALINA QUARTERBACK CADEN OZMENT
- WEEK 1: PUEBLO RECEIVER JESUS ENRIQUEZ
- WEEK 2: SUNNYSIDE RUNNING BACK AYDAN TAPIA
- WEEK 3: IRONWOOD RIDGE QUARTERBACK MAXIMUS HARDER
- WEEK 4: TUCSON SAFETY/RECEIVER/PUNTER EZRA SPIVEY
- WEEK 5: DESERT VIEW QUARTERBACK ANDREW GODOY
- WEEK 6: ELOY SANTA CRUZ VALLEY RUNNING BACK DIEGO IBARRA
- WEEK 7: MARANA RUNNING BACK/LINEBACKER JEFFREY SMITH III
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