SAN FRANCISCO — By every account, Joseph “JoJo” Smith is beyond his years.
On the field, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound sophomore tailback and strong safety for Balboa High School does it all: runs, catches, hits, covers and returns like a savvy and productive senior. His coach Fred Velasquez believes Smith will be one of the few kids a Division I college will pluck straight out of a San Francisco public school.
“He runs smart,” Balboa coach Fred Velasquez said. “He reads blocks and he’s very elusive. He has his own style.”
It’s his off the field manner that has caught Velasquez and others off balance and what sets him truly apart, calling him “the complete package.” That’s why Smith not only started both ways as a freshman, but immediately elevated to a leadership position.
Fourteen-year-olds don’t normally lead 17- and 18-year-olds.
“He does everything on the field but the best part is his makeup,” Velasquez said. “He’s quiet and humble. He goes about his budiness, but he’ll pick up teammates when they need it.”
Velasquez made all those statements even before Thursday’s huge 26-7 San Francisco Section/Academic Athletic Association championship win over the region’s king, Lincoln at historic and picturesque Kezar Stadium.
On a bright, shimmering and crisp Thanksgiving morning, Smith was more of a force on defense (five tackles, two for loss) and receiver than rusher like he normally is. Coming off a 10-carry, 183-yard, three-touchdown performance in the semifinals, Smith only ran the ball eight times for 24 yards, but his 30-yard TD grab from junior quarterback Rylen Thien-Jones pretty much clinched the victory with 8:19 remaining.
It was then that Smith showed some unusual talents, noting the big picture of the moment.
While standing in line with teammates during the trophy ceremony, Smith noted what an awesome experience it was to play on Thanksgiving in a landmark stadium.
“It’s amazing seeing everyboyd come out here to support us — both teams,” he said. “Everyboyd here is on Turkey Day, on a holiday, to celebrate with us and for us.”
With a shimmering smile as bright as the early afternoon sun, and sweat still glistening off his face, Smith took in all the joy of the moment — “It’s just so amazing to leave here with a victory,” he said. “And I hope they keep their heads up over there.”
He meant the Mustangs, a team that has owned AAA football for more than two decades since Phil Ferrigno took over the reigns. Lincoln has won 10 SFS championships since 2004, and taken the last two and three of four. They’d also beaten Balboa 14 of the last 15 meetings, though the one Buccaneers win was for the 2021 section title, later going on to win a state title.
Lincoln won state crowns in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
For Smith to be concerned how his opponents were taking the loss indeed showed some evolved life skills. It wasn’t him just feeling warm and fuzzy on a holiday, Velasquez said. The 36-year coach said Smith has “some very different qualities, some you wouldn’t expect from a young person. He has all the intangables to make it far. His ceiling is very, very high.”
And Velasquez wasn’t talking just football, which is the lens the longtime coach is looking through.
San Francisco public school kids tend to navigate outside the boxes most high school student-athletes do. Football isn’t normally a year-round venture with camps, speciality coaches and weight-training programs that suburban kids are often afforded.
City kids often have to navigate the city streets, or take on added responsibilities of child or home care. Playing sports after school is a privilege, an honor, a great escape for many AAA kids. Smith, for one, takes advantage of every minute and embraces the moment.
Asked about the touchdown he scored, hauling a long fourth-and-25 pass from Thien-Jones, just over the outstretched arms of a Lincoln defender. Just a few plays before, Smith made a diving 12-yard TD catch in the corner of the end zone that was wiped out by a penalty.
“I mean, normally a touchdown is a touchdown,” Smith said. “I ain’t go no extra feeling. But this right here was a different feeling for sure.”
The feeling was prideful and gratitude for Velasquez, who had other big performances from his defensive front seven which held Michael Washington, who came in with 1,872 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, to just 75 yards on 27 carries. The Mustangs didn’t even muster 100 total yards.
Noseguard Ramses Barrios was not only a big part of the rugged interior defense, but he also recorded a 2-yard scoop and score early in the second quarter to give the Bucs a 12-7 lead.
The game’s biggest standout was probably senior receiver and defensive back Amar Jacques, who hauled in a 54-yard touchdown pass from Thien-Jones, finished off the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown run and added an interception.
All of it gave Velasquez reason to throw out his chest and proclaim Balboa’s arrival as the AAA’s new power. Instead, like Smith, he chose to stay level headed and see the bigger picture, giving credit instead to his opponent.
The Buccaneers advance to next week’s CIF Regional Bowl game with the winner advancing to a state-championship game.
“You know, not yet,” Velasquez said when asked if his program is on equal footing with Lincoln. “Coach (Ferrigno) is a great coach and his staff do a great job. They bring it every season. We just are following suit of what we’re trying to do and build our program. I think we did that today. I’m proud of our guys.”
Ferrigno said his team (9-2) didn’t nearly play its best, but credited Velasquez for having his team ready, and the Buccaneers for getting the job done. Lincoln had the lead just once early on a 5-yard TD pass from Andrias Allanigue to Kevin Zhao with 4:45 left in the first.
Thien-Jones 54-yard bomb to Jacques closed the gap to 7-6 a couple minutes later and Barrios’ defensive TD gave the Buccaneers the lead for good. It was one of three Linclon turnovers to go with a half-dozen procedure calls.
“(Balboa) played hard and seem to have wanted it more,” Ferrigno said. “As always you can’t fumble and can’t jump offsides against a team like Balboa, which played great. They were hungry and we, for whatever reason, weren’t.”
Velasquez said his team’s nonleague schedules that included games with Casa Grande-Petaluma, San Mateo. defending state champion St. Vincent de Paul and Overfelt helped.
“We played the toughest preseason schedule in the AAA for sure,” Velasquez said. “Those are not your average programs.”
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