Goodrich a takeaway machine
Wheeler junior leads state with 8 interceptions
When Wheeler’s Austin Goodrich sees his name atop the list of state leaders in interceptions, he still can’t quite wrap his head around it.
“It’s hard to process,” Goodrich said. “It doesn’t register sometimes. But it’s nice to know you can get recognized for stuff you’re doing.”
What the junior safety has done to this point is snag a state-high eight interceptions, according to MaxPreps. He has had at least one in each game for the Bearcats (5-1, 2-0), who will play at Hanover
Central (6-1, 2-0) in a key Greater South Shore Conference game on Friday.
“It’s kind of a shock,” Goodrich said. “I didn’t expect it. But now that it’s happened, I’m happy, and the guys are happy for me. I’m just having fun out there playing with them.
“The defense has been doing a really great job. It’s not all me. The defensive line has been getting great pressure. The linebackers have been doing a great job making tackles. Once the line gets pressure, the quarterback throws it up, and hopefully I can get to it and pick it off.”
Goodrich also has returned three of his interceptions for touchdowns.
“Once I catch it, our sideline’s great,” Goodrich said. “They yell that I got the ball, and immediately all of our defense starts blocking down the field. Once they start blocking, it’s pretty easy just to walk into the end zone.”
Goodrich, who has 24 tackles, started for Wheeler last season, when he had one interception and 50 tackles. He said it took him time to adjust to the varsity level, and he didn’t do as well as he hoped. But he learned and parlayed that experience into a breakout 2021.
“It’s been just incredible to see,” Wheeler coach Rob Kania said. “He’s just one of those kids who absorbs everything like a sponge.
Early on, he was a little bit overenthusiastic, getting caught up on stuff. But he’s learned to sit back and just read it and trust his ability.
“He’s one of the smartest people we have on this team, which is great for the safety position. He’s able to read defenses. He’s doing some really nice things for us. He’s just a great kid to have on the team.”
Goodrich, a straight-A student, also handles punting and kickoffs for Wheeler. He takes reps in practice at quarterback and wide receiver, although he’s able to focus on defense in games because the Bearcats have talented senior signal-caller Preston Morris and a strong receiving corps.
Still, after Morris graduates, Goodrich figures to be in the mix at quarterback, where he last played regularly in middle school.
“He’s probably going to vie for that quarterback position next year, just with his intelligence,” Kania said. “He’s such a smart kid. I wish I could have 20 of him. He’s just a great leader, on the field and among the kids. He just does things the right way. That’s all I can ask of him.”
Kania, an assistant around Northwest Indiana for 25 years, is in his first season as Wheeler’s coach. He likes the progress the Bearcats have made and views Hanover Central as “a true test,” a team they “respect the heck out of.”
Goodrich, also a guard on Wheeler’s boys basketball team, expressed similar sentiments.
“Hanover’s probably going to be one of our biggest tests this year,” he said. “They’re rivals. It’s a big game we’ve had circled on the calendar since the beginning of the year. We knew they were going to be good, and we’re going to try to bring our all and try to win.
“I just really enjoy playing with this team. We have a lot of fun. I love these guys. They’re my family. I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”
Pressing pause: Morton’s season has been suspended due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Governors missed last week’s game against Hammond Central, which would’ve been the first meeting between the schools after the consolidation. Their game at Bloomington South on Saturday also has been called off.
Hammond Central played West Lafayette Harrison last week instead and lost 44-14.
Morton (1-5, 1-0) also is expected to miss its Great Lakes Athletic Conference game at East Chicago Central on Oct. 15 to close the regular season.
Around the field: With its win last week against East Chicago Central, West Side (4-2, 1-1) has reached four wins for the first time since it went 4-6 in 2015. … After a marquee Duneland Athletic Conference win against Valparaiso, Merrillville (7-0, 5-0) is having its best start since 1992, when it went 12-0 before losing to Fort Wayne Snider in a semistate. … Calumet (6-1, 2-0) has four shutouts after its 69-0 win against South Bend Clay.