Flames Football alumni support one of their own in his battle with cancer

On Friday night, several former Flames Football teammates congregated in the Liberty Football Center to honor and encourage current Appomattox County High School Head Football Coach Doug Smith (’86), who has been battling multiple myeloma since last fall.

The gathering, which began with a meal and concluded with a speech from Smith and a time of prayer, was held in conjunction with a three-day golf tournament fundraiser sponsored by the high school, with all proceeds going toward Smith’s medical expenses. Many of the former Liberty players live out of state and flew in for the event. Former Flames football coaching staff members Morgan Hout, Bill Gillespie, and Dave Williams were also in attendance.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Brad Butler (’84), a Liberty Development Officer and former Flames Football player, on Friday. “The first day of the tournament sold out and the second day sold out and the third day is almost full. … This is amazing to see all of this support for Doug.”

Smith, the 2016 U.S. Cellular Most Valuable Coach, has led Appomattox County’s football team to five Class 2 State Championships in the last six seasons. On Friday, he was overcome with gratitude.

“We serve a great God,” Smith said. “What an unbelievable day this has been. It’s been kind of overwhelming for me to be with old friends I haven’t seen in so long and players that I love.”

The coach, who is loved throughout the community where he has led several service projects with his football team, has undergone intense chemotherapy treatments and had to coach remotely during a shortened spring season. But he is thankful that the Lord has given him the opportunity to grow throughout this challenging season of life.

“My encouragement for everyone here tonight is to turn it all over to Him 100 percent,” Smith told friends and his former teammates. “Let’s encourage one another in that. Do not fear what Satan can do to your flesh or what the world tells you. God has you, period.”

Smith’s resilience through trial has inspired former Flames teammates such as Guy Shashaty (’84).

“Whenever somebody goes through something, you find out whether all the stuff they’ve been talking about their whole life means as much to them as they say it does,” Shashaty said. “It’s one thing to talk about it and it’s another thing to live it out and be able to do it. So many can’t. They lose faith or they lose heart. Doug didn’t.”

Smith attributes his close relationship with God in part to Liberty’s dedication to Training Champions for Christ.

“Most of us here had our whole lives changed at Liberty. … I haven’t gotten over how God worked in my life. Through the Bible readings and prayer time, I’ve never been able to get over that — and I hope I never do. Watching people serve others and enjoying that was just so new to me. That’s what I saw while I was here.”

While passionate about football, Liberty’s coaching staff impacted Smith and his teammates by being different than the world.

“We had coaches who would be as intense as any coach we had ever had, but they didn’t curse at all, which was amazing to me because I wasn’t used to that,” he said. “We had coaches who told us to play for something more than ourselves and to do all that we do as unto the Lord, and as Christ followers, to always give our best for His glory.”

This fall, Smith plans to return to the sidelines where he will try to lead Appomattox County to its sixth state championship in seven seasons.

“That is the plan,” he said. “My health’s at a good point right now. But if I had to go through it all over again to feel the closeness to God that I felt, then I would.”