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Yes, April, a sharpened charcoal stick would be a solution. If you're using a wood-cased charcoal pencil, cut the wood off 2 or 3 inches so you can get a long sharp taper on the charcoal. (Easier, actually, to use an uncased charcoal stick.) Get a piece of sandpaper to do this sharpening, pulling (not pushing) the charcoal across it and turning the stick at the same time. You may need to use a harder charcoal to be able to do this sharpening without breaking it. Or, if you're using a softer stick, then use very fine-grit sandpaper.
Now you'll have a point that you can use to get into the troughs of the paper's tooth. It will be somewhat painstaking work, but the smoothing effect will be worth it.
The crests of the paper's tooth may have picked up a bit too much charcoal (getting too dark). The solution for that is similar, but you use a kneaded eraser. Again, a relatively sharp point is what you want for precision and control. Just knead the eraser into a point (roughly the shape of a toy spinning top), and dab at those dark areas, lifting out the excess. If you go too far, just restore it with your charcoal point.
Whether one goes to this trouble in a particular drawing depends on the subject and the desired effect. In an elderly male subject's face, the rougher appearance would perhaps be acceptable, even desirable. In a child's delicate features, the smoother look is worth going after.
Use of a mahl stick to support your drawing/erasing hand is very useful. You don't want to rest your fingers or hand on the paper very long for support, as the oils in your skin will transfer and either mar the paper or make the charcoal in that area difficult to work (that is, the oil acts as a kind of fixative.)
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