Greg Smith has spent the last 13 Missouri high school football openers on the field with the Smithville Warriors.

The only difference this time around was that he was on the other sideline.

As he walked to the field clad in the purple and white of Pleasant Hill, he could not help but wonder how the reception would be and was pleasantly surprised when he was handed a plaque and honored at midfield.

“I was expecting boos,” he said with a smile. “That was a classy move by Smithville.”

However, the warm welcome was extended with a caveat.

The announcer wished him the best of luck, but only in his future endeavors after the game. And it was apparent the Warriors felt the same way, capitalizing on a few costly Pleasant Hill errors and handing their former coach a 28-0 season-opening loss on Friday night.