ARP’S SMITH, WHITE OAK’S McCLANAHAN! | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

White Oak’s Addison McClanahan, a two-time winner of the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com girls Player of the Week award, and a three-time winner overall: she won once last school year in softball, and now twice in volleyball. Joining Addison this week is Arp’s Josh Smith (below, with Arp coach Wes Schminkey), the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com boys Player of the Week award winner, for the week of Oct. 21-26. Congratulations, guys! (Photos courtesy of JACK MOORE)

One of this week’s honorees is making a “return engagement” as a player of the week award-winner, and the other – well, his name has came up in previous weeks, but this week, nobody was getting by him.

We’re talking, of course, about White Oak’s Addison McClanahan, who already had one award this season, but so stepped up on the court last week that she’s earned another one, and Arp’s Josh Smith, who’s had one outstanding performance after another, but the most recent put him over the top. Addison McClanahan and Josh Smith, the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 21-26!

McClanahan has had an unbelievable senior season, and the Ladynecks are cruising into the UIL Class 3A volleyball playoffs. They’ve won eight of the last nine – in fact, their only losses in District 16-3A have both been to Tatum, and that’s what we call quality losses; Tatum is ranked No. 2 in the state in 3A.

McClanahan passed a huge milestone a couple of weeks ago, going over 1,000 kills in her career. And in two games last week against West Rusk and Arp, she had two great performances. In a 25-16, 25-21, 18-25, 25-12 win over West Rusk, she had 27 kills, eight digs, an ace and scored three points, and in a 25-9, 25-16, 25-20 win over Arp, she had 19 kills, nine digs, five aces and scored 10.

This award is given for this past week, but in recognition of all McClanahan does for her team, here are her numbers for this year. In 121 sets played, she has 537 kills, 58 aces, 184 points, 48 total blocks (40 block assists and eight solo), 314 digs, and 17 assists.

We’ll see more of Addison and White Oak in the playoffs, but congratulations, Addison, on winning a second Whataburger / ETBlitz.com girls Player of the Week award this school year, and her third overall – she won our award last year in softball season, as well!

Our boys award-winner this week has helped lift coach Wes Schminkey’s Arp Tigers to a 6-2 record, and to three straight wins. Their losses came in non-district by one point to Garrison in overtime, and to rival Troup back on Sept. 27.

Smith, just a junior, has had a special year – we’ll get to that in a minute – but this past Friday, Oct. 25, in a 54-28 win at Winona, Smith was simply unstoppable. He had 288 yards and scored five touchdowns, all on 38 carries, a huge workload, and he also scored four two-point conversions. And on defense, he had six tackles!

This isn’t a season accomplishment award, as we said with Addison, but here’s what Josh has done this year: 1,110 yards on 113 carries, averaged 9.8 yards per carry (!), and scored 18 touchdowns. Defensively, he’s got 86 tackles (which leads the Tigers), averages just under 11 per game, and has 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hurries, three fumble recoveries and has a caused fumble.

We at ETBlitz.com are so proud to partner with Whataburger for this award – we began presenting it to a boy and a girl each week of the 2023-24 school year back in January, and will continue to do so, for student athletes who compete at Arp, Gilmer, Gladewater, Henderson, Kilgore, Kilgore College, Leverett’s Chapel, Overton, Sabine, Tatum, Troup, West Rusk and White Oak.

Here are our winners so far this school year:

And when we say “partner” with Whataburger, we mean it: the ETBlitz crew already loved Whataburger and spent a lot of time there just about every day of the week. And why not? Their food is the best, bar none; they’re always open, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; they serve breakfast beginning at 11 p.m. every night until 11 a.m. the next day; and you can order ahead of time, either on the website, right here – Whataburger | Order Online with Curbside and Delivery – or by downloading the app!

Just Friday night, after the Kilgore-Palestine game, ETBlitz dropped by Whataburger for one of their Whatachicken sandwiches, a good ol’ No. 1 combo, the Whataburger with cheese, and for Mitch – it was after 11 p.m. – a sausage biscuit, the best biscuits anywhere around.

So get by Whataburger any time of the day, any day of the week, and if you see Addi McClanahan or Josh Smith, congratulate them on being our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply