Anyone who has followed Arkansas high school football for any length of time is aware of the outright gaudy offensive numbers Bearcat senior Dax Goff has been posting.
Goff set a school single season rushing record last year and became the first 2,000-yard Bearcat (2,323). He reached the 4,000-yard mark on Homecoming night and has since become the career rushing leader.
With 230 yards against Lavaca Friday Goff is at 1,523 for the season and 4,793 for the career, making 5,000 yards a relatively safe assumption.
“What he has been about to do on the field is unbelievable,” said head coach Doc Crowley. “I’m not sure we’ll ever see it again.”
What followers of the sport may not know is Goff actually prefers playing defense.
Yes, seriously.
Goff was the leading returning tackler in Conference 3A-1 and he is the team leader on that side of the football this season as well with more than twice the solo tackles of anyone else.
Goff was also the Bearcats leading tackler as a sophomore and now has career numbers of 273 total tackles with four sacks and four interceptions.
“It’s been fun watching Dax grow into the player he is today,” said head coach Doc Cowley. “He has devoted so much time to the weight room and getting his body ready to be successful. He’s in the gym with (AD Josh) Walker on Saturday mornings after every game.”
Defense, specifically linebacker, is also where Goff is likely headed on the next level. He verbally committed to Harding University in the spring.
“I haven’t gotten any phone calls for offense. I’ve gotten a lot of phone calls for defense,” said Goff.
The only exception was a coach who envisioned Goff as a tight end but it was from a coach with a school who also had hopes of adding him as a linebacker.
“I don’t really have a whole lot of background in receiving,” said Goff.
Goff did have two catches on a 98-yard drive Friday night that took just 2:19 and lasted for 15 plays.
“We kind of want to keep a pace as fast as we can,” said Goff. “In practice we go in a faster pace than we do in games. Less time for questions, less time for mess-ups.”
Now that he has become the career rushing leader Goff is “looking to get a little cushion for some of the dudes coming up.”
For the year Goff has gone over the 1,500-yard mark despite a stretch of 14 quarters where he had only 23 carries.
“I guess it was to keep some teams off of me, to not key on me as much,” Goff said. “Make them worry about some other dudes.”
He doesn't mind defenses gearing up for him. As the son of Booneville School District Superintendent Trent and Candy Goff is used to attention anyway.
Since the two and a half games with little use there have been games against Mansfield, Charleston, and Lavaca. In those he has logged 24, 27, and 15 carries for a combined 710 yards surpassing Allen Ray, then Randon Ray in the process in career yardage.
“I’m just trying to help get wins for my team, trying to stop other teams from wining,” said Goff. “I’ve been around it a while so the fans and people watching, I don’t really focus a lot on that.”
Goff was especially happy with the Mansfield and Charleston games, a combined 480 yards, facing a former coach and the team who beat his team twice a year ago.
Factoring into the increased carry count of late has been an injury to fullback Rylen Ray that has sidelined him for two full games so far. In his absence Goff has lined up in multiple positions.
“It’s pretty much the same plays,” Goff said. “Very select plays I have to remember different stuff but I’ve been doing it a few years, I’ve kind of got it down.”
Do not read that as arrogance.
“They are a good accomplishment,” Goff said of the assault on the school record book. “But the greater goal is a state championship. Hopefully I can have these records and a ring at the end of the season to cap off a career.”
Goff also does not have all of the records. The career touchdown of 76 is held by Bryson May and Randon Ray. Goff is at 70.
May, an assistant on Charleston's staff, is apparently a fan of Goff’s work.
“I was talking to Bryson after the Charleston game. He saw that I was kind of close to it and he said ‘go for it.’ I didn’t know that was even in reach,” said Goff.
The record started appearing reachable through a stretch of three straight four touchdown games and three more scores last Friday.
“It’s a fun season,” said Goff.
Speed accounts for a lot of it, of course, but the touchdowns are also the work of the offensive line, and his backfield mates, one in particular.
“(Conner) Lentz is probably one of the best blockers we have. We see it in practice and you see it in games if you are paying attention to it,” said Goff. “He gives an effort out on the edge.”
While the 2023 record has a pair of losses on it, Goff believes the games against Class 5A Camden Fairview and Class 4A Harding Academy served a bigger picture.
“Glen Rose and Prescott all played above their level in nonconference. Glen Rose played Malvern and Crossett and Prescott played (McAllister, Okla, and Houmer La.),” said Goff. “And in the playoffs that will matter because we’ll be seeing better competition again.”
“It’s bittersweet in a sense because you are excited about the playoffs and look forward to making another run, but at the same time, you know as a coach you are running out of time watching him and the other seniors do something they have been doing their whole lives,” said Crowley.
As far as college goes, Goff has not reconsidered the Harding commitment, though his phone lets him know about calls and texts all the time.
Before that, however, will be both Bearcat basketball, which he has not played since his freshman year, and baseball.
A few junior colleges have made inquiries about Goff playing college baseball but football is still the focus. Defense in particular.
OFFENSIVE RECORDS ASIDE, GOFF PREFERS DEFENSE
