Not that anyone in the Volunteer state is keeping score, but it looks like Tennessee has beaten Alabama in football for the second time in 2022. Or at least local Big Orange fans think so.

  Last week Smyrna high school football standout Arion Carter announced he will attend the University of Tennessee in 2023. Considered a major score for the Vols, this Bulldog had been highly recruited by many of the major players in college football with the Crimson Tide considered the frontrunner by many. In a bit of an upset, however, the player who has been selected as Class 6A Mr. Football for 2022 decided to trade his purple and gold for some orange and white.

  “From the time I first visited the campus the people at the University of Tennessee really made me feel welcomed”, says Carter. “This is a great opportunity and I am really excited to continue my education and play football in my home state.”

  Carter earned his accolades and attention with a stellar senior season. A leader on and off the field, he was Smyrna’s leading rusher (107.6 yards per game), leading tackler (8.4 stops per game), and scored 19 touchdowns. In helping the Dogs finish with a sharp 10-2 overall record, Carter was a playmaker in all phases of the game.

  “We are really proud of and for Arion”, says Smyrna head football coach Matt Williams. “We are excited to see him continue his career at the University of Tennessee. He’s a great football player and an even better young man.”

  For those scoring at home, keeping Mr. Football in Tennessee’s top high school classification home coupled with that 52-49 win on October 15 makes it Vols 2 Bama 0 in 2022.