Photos by Heather Belcher
Playing at the next level is not an opportunity that is afforded to every high school athlete.
For Independence standout Atticus Goodson, playing at the next level has never really been the question. Goodson’s big decision was should he play baseball or football.
Saturday afternoon, baseball officially won.
Surrounded by family, coaches, teammates, friends, along with numerous fans and supporters, Goodson signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for Walters State Community College.
“This is super exciting and has been my dream since I was a small kid. To be able to go to the next level and play college baseball and maybe have the chance to play (professional baseball) is a super huge accomplishment,” Goodson said. “All of the people here today have supported me from the very beginning. For them to be here and experience this with me, it’s a great feeling. Honestly, who knows where I would be without these people guiding me, so it is great to have them here.”
Walters State is a highly respected and successful program that plays in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.
The Senators have won 16 TCCAA regular season titles and made 10 National Junior College Athletic Association World Series appearances, winning the National Championship in 2006.
Last season Walters State freshman first baseman Alberto Osuna was named the 2021 NJCAA DI Baseball Player of The Year. Osuna was the first in school history to receive the honor.
“There was a super family feel and everybody down there works hard to make each other better,” Goodson said about Walters State. “They win a bunch of games and it is a just a really good program that I really like.”
Baseball has always been Goodson’s love, but his high school football career complicated the decision-making process.
Playing just three seasons, two with regular season games shortened by Covid issues, Goodson rewrote the Independence record book.
He set new marks for career rushing yards (5,292) and touchdowns scored (83) and was named first-team all-state twice.
After running for 1,907 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns as a senior, Goodson won the Warner Award as West Virginia’s top running back. He also garnered the prestigious Kennedy Award given to the state’s top player by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
For Goodson, the ultimate decision to play baseball over football had to do with long-term goals.
“If you look at my dad, he was a college football player. He has had to have double knee replacement and has had all kinds of problems from football,” Goodson explained. “I really don’t have a chance to go pro in football. I have a little better chance of going pro in baseball. I thought about that a lot, so it has mainly been baseball for me from the start.”
Football may not be in his future, but the benefits of his time on the gridiron have been huge for Goodson.
“(Football) has made me a lot stronger. Now, instead of having to rip a ball to get it over (the fence), I can kinda poke one over with all of the lifting and training I have done,” Goodson said. “Another thing is mental toughness. Nobody likes going out there and getting smoked like 10 or 12 times a game. So now when I am down in the pitch count, I won’t just break and give up. Hopefully I will keep fighting. (Football) has taught me a lot of stuff to help me out.”
Independence head baseball coach Scott Cuthbert talked about what has made Goodson such a successful player.
“One thing that Atticus does that most people don’t realize is, whether things have gone good or bad, he plays hard all the time,” Cuthbert said. “In the two years I have had him, he has given us 100 percent effort every time he plays.”
While Goodson has more than proven himself at every level so far, college baseball clearly brings his toughest challenge to date.
“I think he will need to continue to work on consistency. Defensively I think he can play now,” Cuthbert said. “I have had several kids play at the college level and what I have seen is that sometimes they struggle with consistency more than anything. They will have good days and bad days, but good college players are more consistent.”
Patterning himself after his favorite player Mike Trout, Goodson says he is more than willing to put in the work to succeed.
“I told them that whenever I get there that I am willing to hit wherever in the line-up and do whatever it takes to play. We will see where I am at when I get there. I will work hard when I get there to get where I want to be,” Goodson said. “You get what you put into it. If you put hard work in, you will be good. As coach Cuthbert always says, you have to play with grit and never give up.”
