SAN ANGELO, TX-- Central senior running back Sam Goodloe first stepped on campus in January of this year. He had just transferred from Class 3A Reagan County, where he put up blistering numbers in two years of varsity play with the Owls.
Immediately, the senior-to-be knew he was at a different place physically and athletically. He knew hard work laid ahead.
“The first few days were rough -- like very rough,” Goodloe emphasized. “I threw up a lot. I wasn’t used to all their conditioning, lifting. But once you get yourself to get it down and going, you don’t give up. I couldn’t give up.”
Goodloe first burst on the scene in 2016 with a 1,000-yard season for the Owls. He was expected to have a similar impact in Central’s offense.
However, through the first five games of this season, Goodloe’s name wasn’t called often and he hadn’t made too much noise. The senior has 32 carries for 96 yards rushing over those five games. Goodloe did show promise as a pass-catching RB with six receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown in that time, although.
“He’s been playing good,” Central head coach Brent Davis said. “He just hadn’t had a big rushing night, but we hadn’t fed him a whole bunch either. We’ve kinda done whatever we’ve felt was possible during the game to have success. Sometimes that’s giving Malachi [Brown] a bunch of carries. Sometimes it’s giving [it to] our running back or throwing the ball.”
Through the last three contests, Goodloe has carried the ball 25 times for 143 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. He had also caught five passes for 28 yards and two touchdowns receiving.
“I’m kind of getting the hang of everything,” the senior said following Central’s 32-28 win on Friday night. “The speed’s different. [I’m] just adjusting to the offense. It’s a lot different than what I’m used to, but I’m getting it down.”
Goodloe had his true breakout performance in Central’s win over Fort Worth Richland. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back had 69 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving and two total touchdowns on 13 touches Friday night.
“It’s a big relief,” Goodloe said of his performance. “Just getting used to everything -- getting used to the speed, actually. The speed is way different. We’ve just gotta keep going and going and keep working at it.”
Davis added the balance in Central’s backfield was “a big part” of the Bobcat’s success offensively.
“Obviously, Malachi had a big night,” Davis said, referencing the record-breaking performance by the sophomore QB, “but Sam did too. He carried the ball more than he has and … he ran for one [touchdown] and he caught a touchdown. I thought his explosiveness was better. I thought he was seeing holes and hittin’ through them better than what we’ve seen in the past. Hopefully with a little bit of a breakout, he can take off from here.”
The senior attributes “a lot” of his latest performance to the offseason program.
“It’s night and day,” Davis said of Goodloe’s transition. “He moved here in January … He’s always fit in well. I mean, he’s a hard worker. He’s a great kid. We’ve never had an issue with his attitude or anything. He’s just been a great young man.”
The Bobcats travel to face Hurst Bell (1-6, 0-3) this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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