Record-setting running back Goodlin returns to lead Knoch

By: George Guido
Saturday, August 17, 2019 | 9:36 PM

At the end of last season, Knoch’s Matt Goodlin was alone at the top of the school’s single-season rushing leaderboard.

Goodlin set a standard with 1,461 yards for the 5-5 Knights.

That’s saying something when one considers the fine tradition of Knoch running backs, from Russ Kroneberg to A.J. Pagano to the late Tim McNerney to Matt’s brother, Andrew Rumburg-Goodlin.

“Growing up around football, I could hold up my older brother as a role model,” said Goodlin, who was playing youth football with the Saxonburg Spartans.

As a first-time starter, not only did the then-junior have to master the rigors of Class 4A football, but Goodlin also had to learn the triple-option offense, rare in modern day football this side of McKeesport or the Naval Academy.

“It’s definitely weird at first,” Goodlin said. “When the play starts, you don’t know if you’re getting the ball. You run to a spot, and once you get to that spot, you have to be ready for the ball.”

“Most of our plays, they’ll probably be two guys unblocked,” first-year coach Brandon Mowry said. “Matty’s such a hard worker. He’s in the weight room, he’s running. He deadlifts something like 570 pounds. He’s got that running back heritage from his older brother.”

Mowry feels that planning for the coming season has been easier with Goodlin in the backfield.

“Just to have somebody back there with a wealth of experience is huge,” Mowry said. “Our quarterback is reading everything each play, and Matt’s such a big threat that defenses are going to key on him. That’s going to help open up the rest of our offense.”

Goodlin and his teammates are set to make a playoff run after coming up short last season.

“We’re going for it,” Goodlin said. “We’ve got a lot of chemistry this season. We’re big on filling in for the people who graduated.”

Opening up the holes for the running game will be center Maison Felix, and Cole Lassinger is back at right guard. Left guard is a competition between junior Eli Reese and Dustin Schlagel. Hunter Roenigk will be at left tackle, and the right tackle will be either senior Braden Tristani or junior Dalton Reed. Versatile Clark Fraser can play several line positions.

And then there’s the question of weather. While great passing games can bring the crowds to their feet, sooner or later the weather gets bad in Western Pennsylvania and teams are well-served by a strong running game.

“It always seems like we have a kid ready to step into that role every two or three years,” Mowry said. “We’ve been very blessed. As last season went on, we were playing some of our best football against Trinity in the rain and then we played Freeport in the cold.”

Mowry added he hopes his team is playing in some really bad weather — late into November.

Tags: Knoch