“You ever seen a mule spin?” Centreville Academy head coach Bruce Hurst asked.
“It takes about a half acre.”
The mule in that joke is none other than the Tigers’ Nick Goudeau.
His running style is best described by watching a mule. Goudeau runs straight. He doesn’t cut, spin or juke, he just runs like a mule with blinders on.
There isn’t anywhere to go but straight ahead.
For Goudeau there was a lot of straight ahead last Friday night. He carried the ball 42 times for 227 yards on his way to the Enterprise-Journal Player of the Week.
He’s been called “Mule” ever since the start of last year. Goudeau likes it and said the only other nickname he would want is quarter horse.
His coaches did agree that he has speed going straight ahead.
The Tigers needed every one of his carries to defeat Oak Forest 35-34. Goudeau scored the only touchdown in the fourth quarter for Centreville — his third score of the game.
The points were enough for the Tigers to survive a late failed two-point conversion and clinch their division title.
The week before, Goudeau averaged nearly 34 yards a carry, only touching the ball four times. After rushing 42 times Friday, Goudeau didn’t feel there was that much different.
“I got more tired,” he said.
Goudeau said his main goal on every play is to pick up as many yards as he can. Carrying the ball is what he enjoys the most.
Football didn’t become fun until he started carrying the ball in ninth grade.
Through three years of rushing for the Tigers, Goudeau has come to love one play.
Up the middle 24 or 25 counter.
Goudeau takes a step or two to either the right or the left before the handoff.
If the play goes right, the left tackle pulls, and vice versa if it goes to the left. The tackle goes through the hole as the lead blocker and Goudeau follows.
From there it always depends on what has already happened. Breaking the big play usually depends on not just the tackle blocking in front, but the rest of the line holding their blocks.
Goudeau isn’t one for trying moves, and would rather put a hit on whoever is in front of him.
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Josh Armstreet, Parklane, 16 carries for 181 yards, broke 1,000 yard mark for season
Justin Powell, McComb, 65 yards rushing and 31 receiving two touchdowns
Anthony Cain, Amite County, 16 rushes for 188 yards, two touchdowns
Dane Hogan, Parklane, one touchdown receiving one interception return for a TD
Keiron Robinson, North Pike, 86 yards rushing and an 86-yard kickoff return for a TD
