One of the surprise schools so far in Class AAAAAA is Walton High School. The Raiders went from relative anonymity (ranked 25th preseason) to now ranked top 10 across many media outlets.

Head coach Mo Dixon came from North Gwinnett with great praise of his defensive prowess, and in Year 2 the Walton community has seen a jump in success. The Walton defense is currently giving up 12.3 points per game, and if you throw away a second team-heavy fourth quarter against South Gwinnett, it drops to 6.67.

The impressive start to the season runs parallel with the success of senior linebacker Joey Goodman, whose preseason anonymity will also be a distant memory. The captain of the Raiders defense has had an outstanding start.

Going into Week 4 he has tallied 17 tackles, 2 for loss, 3 sacks, 8 QB hurries and 1 pass breakup. He’s a special teams ace and already has three blocks this season, including two that resulted in scores.

Dixon spoke highly of Goodman’s game. “Joey Goodman could be the most underrated player in the state.”

When watching his film, you see that Walton showcases Goodman by moving him all over the field to make plays. On one play he’ll be on the edge rushing the QB, and the next he’ll be off the line of scrimmage surveying the field and reading the QB’s eyes. 

“He could play inside/outside LB or Strong Safety and could probably beef up to be a DE,” Dixon said about Goodman’s versatility.

Goodman doesn’t just flex on field, but also in the classroom. He is an impressive student-athlete with over a 3.8 GPA and a 31 ACT score, and he’s a National Honor Society student to boot.

Currently, Ivy League schools have expressed the most interest in the talented SR, but that should change soon.

Goodman displays everything you want in a student-athlete, but the one distinguishable attribute from other players that Dixon cites is that “he is a great leader.”

 

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Featured Image source: Bush Enos