PAHOKEE – Kani Smith is a defensive player on the rise.
All one will need to do is watch film from this past season of the Pahokee ‘25 LB. We will show you his statistics right now and then you can view the highlights for yourself.
In 11 games, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound linebacker posted the following:
•25 solo tackles
•23 assisted tackles
•48 total tackles
•15 tackles for loss
•8 sacks
•20 quarterback hurries
•2 forced fumbles
•1 pass deflection
Smith’s best individual game came in the Muck Bowl at home against Glades Central – a 55-22 win for Pahokee in Week 11. Here are his stats from that one.
•5 solo tackles
•9 total tackles
•2 sacks
•3 tackles for loss
•3 quarterback hurries
Smith spoke on his Muck Bowl performance from his team’s 33-point margin of victory, which resulted in Pahokee first-ever three-game Muck Bowl winning streak over Glades Central.
“I personally think the Muck Bowl went great for me,” Smith said. “It was a surreal experience. We actually had a chance to make history. I feel like as a team, we did well but started off a little rocky. But we pulled it together for the three-game winning streak.”
Smith on his junior season with the Blue Devils:
“I can say it was a decent performance, but I definitely could’ve done a lot better than what I did,” Smith said.
Fellow Pahokee teammate and ‘24 defensive back Pierre Fertil was impressed with the effort that Smith gave to the program this past season and more.
“Kani Smith is a hard worker,” Fertil said. “He had big shoes to fill this season with the departure of Deejay Holmes, arguably the best edge rusher in the nation. He stepped in with little to no varsity experience and did exactly what we needed him to do week in and week out. Always going 100 percent for the team, he was a big contributor in our team success. Kani as a person is cool to be around. He’s funny with a good sense of humor and he’s a down to earth kid. You’ll think with all that he has going on for himself, he would have a ego. But he is really chill.”
At this time, Smith has no offers. But there are some colleges showing him interest, such as Pitt, Western Michigan, USF, FAU, and FIU.
For the offseason, Smith is working to make multiple gains in the weight room and in workouts so he can improve on his overall craft. This will help him gain more notoriety later this year and in time for the upcoming 2024 fall season with the Blue Devils.
Smith shared his aspirations for his final season as a soon-to-be senior with Pahokee.
“My main individual goal is to get 25+ sacks and my team goal is to win the state championship,” Smith said. “I want to win Muck Bowl for my fourth time.”
FUN FACT: Kani Smith is the nephew of Pahokee legend Eric Moore.
PHOTO CREDITS: Drew Campbell and Alison Vilela
Muck City Media Enterprises 
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