Athlete Of The Week: Colby Smith

NORTH EASTHAM – Colby Smith felt due.

After an up-and-down regular season that left the Nauset senior from Brewster frustrated at times, Smith has been a key contributor for the fifth-seeded Warriors during the postseason.

The Mass Maritime men’s lacrosse commit scored a team-high six goals in the team’s 19-9 second-round victory over No. 12 East Longmeadow, then added three more goals in the team’s 10-9 overtime victory over No. 4 Newburyport in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

“I was just ripping it the hardest I can,” Smith said after his six-goal performance. “It feels amazing because I’ve been kind of on a slump the whole season and then playoffs came and I just turned it up.”

Now Smith and the Warriors shift their attention to top-seeded Medfield in the state semifinals on Tuesday afternoon. Regardless of the outcome, Nauset coach Jesse Peno said he’s been proud of the way Smith delivered down the stretch.

“He’s handling it cleaner and he’s shooting the heck out of the ball,” Peno said. “He’s super confident, and you can tell. He’s catching and shooting and he isn’t thinking. It’s all coming together at the right time and I’m super proud of him.”