Smith Has Career Day as Grant Wins : High school football: He gains 352 yards and makes key defensive play for Lancers.

Di-onte Smith of Grant High rushed for 352 yards and three touchdowns in 19 carries, but he had to make a big defensive play with about a minute remaining in Friday’s nonconference game against Marshall to preserve the Lancers’ 20-15 victory.

Marshall (0-2) had a second-and-six play from the Grant 19-yard line with 1 minute 5 seconds left--and the clock running--when the Barristers called an end reverse. The play appeared to catch Grant off guard as Mike Orta swept around the left side. But when Orta cut back toward the center of the field instead of angling toward the corner of the end zone, he was popped by Smith, who caused him to fumble.

Grant’s Adam Crespo recovered at the eight. The Lancers then ran out the clock.

“I knew we needed to make a big play on defense right then,” Smith said. “We kind of came apart in the last couple of (minutes), but I made the hit, Adam made the recovery, and things turned out all right.”

Although no one was sure where Smith’s performance ranks on the all-time City Section list, Grant Coach Bill Foster said he was “99% sure” it was a school record.

Smith, who had eight carries for 208 yards in the first half, gave Grant (1-0-1) a 20-7 lead with 10:31 left in the game when he scored on a 69-yard run.

The Lancers intercepted a pass by Marshall quarterback Jason Reyes on the ensuing series. On Grant’s first play, however, Smith fumbled after an eight-yard gain, and the Barristers recovered at the Marshall 18.

Reyes, who completed seven of 17 passes for 79 yards, connected with Sam Garcia for a 42-yard gain on the next play, and six plays later, Miguel Iglesias capped the drive with a two-yard run.

Iglesias’ two-point conversion run cut Grant’s lead to 20-15.

The Lancers then made several mistakes.

First, they were penalized 10 yards for clipping on the ensuing kickoff return. Then Smith lost two yards on a first-and-10 play from the Grant 11.

Grant was penalized for illegal motion on the next play, and after runs of three and 12 yards by Smith, Santiago Saucedo shanked a seven-yard punt to give Marshall a first down at the Grant 23 with 1:40 left.

“Consistency is something we’ve worked on in practice, but obviously, it’s something we haven’t done yet in games,” Grant Coach Bill Foster said.

Smith had rushed for 143 yards in 22 carries in a season-opening 15-15 tie with Verdugo Hills, but he surpassed that total on his eighth carry when he broke a couple of tackles, bounced outside and raced down the right sideline for a 98-yard touchdown with 8:25 left in the second quarter.

Smith’s first touchdown had come on a 79-yard run down the left sideline with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter.

“I had 225 yards and three touchdowns against Belmont last year, but I’ve never had a game like this,” Smith said. “But what can I say? My linemen did a great job of opening some holes for me.”