Two years ago Independence running back Atticus Goodson had the worst performance of his career.
Coming to Week 4 of the 2019 season averaging over 300 scrimmage yards per game, the two-time all-stater was held to 34 yards on the ground in a 34-0 loss to Shady Spring.
He’s easily made up for that performance.
On Friday, Goodson ran the ball 26 times for 318 yards and five touchdowns as Indy beat Shady Spring 50-17 in the final meeting between the two programs with Goodson on the roster.
For his efforts, Goodson has been named the Week 4 Loopress Players of the Week by the Lootpress sportswriters. The award is sponsored by Bodyworks and the Law Offices of Brandon Steele.
The performance was a career one for the star running back, largely fueled by the failures of two years ago.
“I think about that game all the time,” Goodson said. “I think about it every day. I think about getting shut down like that and it’s not a good feeling. I just think about it before every game and use it for motivation. I’m playing with a great line and we had one then, but playing with that in the back of your head, it pushes you.”
A Kennedy and Warner Award candidate, Goodson is no stranger to big performances. He finished his sophomore year as the Class AA second-team all-state captain and was a first-teamer last year.
There’s little for the senior to achieve at this point, but he still enjoys big performances.
This one was particularly special because it was against a county rival and the Patriots, who have spent stints on remote learning, hadn’t played or hardly practiced in three weeks.
“I knew coming into the game that I could probably have a big game,” Goodson said. “I knew I just had to run as hard as I could and I could have a good game if I did that. I’ve had to do a lot of running, a lot of lifting and working out with my brother to stay in shape. I worked out with some of my teammates I’d see out in public sometimes so I was just working hard to stay ready.”