Pictured at the April 14 signing ceremony: Front row, from left, John Smith (brother), Mary Black-Smith (mother), James Smith and Jacob Smith (brother); Back row, from left, Silas Mills (WUHS Boys Soccer Coach), Tom Wuest (Former WUHS Boys Soccer Coach) and Ethan Stricklett (WIHS Athletic Director). (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The senior year journey for West Union’s James Smith has not been an easy one to say the least. Smith, an outstanding multi-sports athlete for the Dragons, has experienced a senior year that most others would not care to deal with. In December 2024, Smith developed strep throat which triggered in him an autoimmune condition (Henopch Schonlein Purpura), which then caused nephritis, all of this coming after a very successful fall soccer season in which he led the Southern Hills Athletic Conference in total points and tied for the conference lead in goals scored with 24. He also set a school record with eight goals in one game in a win over Piketon.
Over these past few months, Smith has been dealing with IgA Nephropathy (for which there is no known cure), going through a battery of tests such as a kidney biopsy and dealing with all of their side effects. He is on medication and has to do lab work regularly, all in hopes of preventing further kidney damage. The good news is that Smith’s doctors have cleared him to play soccer, causing Smith to say, “the soccer field is where I feel most at home”.
With all of those odds seemingly stacked against him, Smith’s soccer career came full circle on April 14 when he and his friends and family gathered in the West Union High School gymnasium to witness him signing his letter of intent to become part of the men’s soccer program at Asbury College, a Division III school located in Wilmore, Kentucky.
“When I first learned about and saw Asbury, I knew I wanted to be there,”, said Smith. “I loved the environment and I think everything I have overcome to this point has just made me stronger and prepared me for the rigors of college life. I played four years of soccer here at West Union, as well as basketball, track and cross-country and I’ve gained so many life lessons from my various coaches along the way. Mr. (Donnie) McCarty and Coach (Silas) Mills have been great influences on me. I’ve had so many bonds and connections with my teammates and my Mom has been driving me to the city for club soccer since I was in the fifth grade, putting a lot of time and money into that.”
“I’ve been a part of coaching James since we were in SAY Soccer,” said Coach Mills, the current head coach of the WUHS Boys Soccer program. “He’s always been dynamic, been our team captain and a huge part of our program. He had a great scoring year this past season and is a big part of our program now moving in the right direction. James was a big scoring threat that we will definitely have to find a way to replace next fall, if that’s possible. I think every athlete wonders whether they can play at the next level and that has been his dream since elementary school. I think it’s a testament to his love of the game and willingness to put the time in to get to this point. It’s always good for the school and the county when one of our athletes moves up to the next level and that’s pretty exciting.”
With the college credits he has accumulated in high school, Smith will begin classified as a sophomore at Asbury and plans to major in Exercise Science with a minor in Sports Management.
