MORGANTOWN — Morgantown High senior wide receiver Jayden Smalls was one of the top performers in the state in Week 1 with four catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-7 victory over Parkersburg.
Smalls didn’t have a single reception for the Mohigans last season, lining up as a defensive back in 2024, where he led the team in passes defended (5) and interceptions (2).
But last week in the 2025 WVSSAC Kickoff Game, Smalls got the start at wideout and answered the call with an incredible performance that helped MHS to its first win of the season.
“I think the way we shared the ball and kept Parkersburg on its toes every play made plays open up for me,” Smalls said. “Owen Young, Carter Cooper, and the offensive line were blocking great downfield and opened up the space we needed for big plays.”
Smalls and MHS quarterback Maddox Twigg connected for two touchdowns of 70 and 45 yards. Smalls lined up in the slot on both and ran a seam route through the middle of the Parkersburg defense, beating everyone on the field with his speed on the way to the endzone.
“Speed is a huge strength for me,” he said. “Being a basketball player, speed was always something that was encouraged to improve. It’s great seeing that work translate to the field. Something else I’ve been working on is my elusiveness and being able to read coverages and find the open spaces to get myself or my teammates open to make plays.”
Smalls missed the entire 2024-2025 basketball season with an injury, but entered the 2025 football season healthy and says he played through it last football season.
“It’s relieving being able to perform that way after injury,” he said. “Last year, playing through it and only being on defense, I knew it was going to be a big test for me coming out in a real game this season and seeing how I felt. It feels rewarding after all the time and work done in the gym and spent with the trainers in the offseason.”
MHS faces a tough test in Week 2 on the road against Jefferson, which dropped its opening game of 2025, 14-0, to Spring Mills and will look to bounce back this week.
Smalls and the MHS receivers will need to be just as good, if not better, against the Cougars on Friday to be successful.
“It’s a big week for working hard and improving,” Smalls said. “I feel like teams take some of their biggest jumps from week one to week two, so we’re looking to stack the days at practice every single day. We must play with the same passion and intensity, and we need to ensure that we deserve to win. If we do what we can and control what we can control, I believe we will see a favorable outcome at the end.”
