Recalling memorable moments in Goodman’s career

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In covering most of the Seymour High School varsity football games coached by Joe Goodman from 1974 to 2003, several games stand out.

The most memorable season was the 1991 campaign when Seymour advanced to the Class 4A state championship game at the old RCA Dome in Indianapolis, where the Owls lost to Hobart.

The game I remember the most that season was the semistate at Avon, which the Owls won by a narrow margin.

They always say “offense sells tickets and defense wins games.”

Avon was driving for what would have been a go-ahead score late in the game. Avon had an outstanding field goal kicker, but he didn’t get a chance to show his talent because Craig Flinn intercepted a pass by the Orioles’ quarterback that ended their chances and enabled the Owls to advance to the state championship a week later.

Another win from that season that a lot of Seymour fans remember is the regional game at Mount Vernon in the blistering cold weather.

I remember at least two Goodman-coached games over the years being held up by the weather — at Rushville and at Floyd Central. The teams had to retreat to the locker rooms until the storms passed, and then they returned to the fields to finish the games.

With Goodman winning six sectionals, two regionals and 202 games overall, there were certainly several other memorable wins at home and at Bedford North Lawrence, Bloomington North, New Albany, Madison, Jennings County, Shelbyville and Connersville, among others.

I remember covering games at the old fields at Rushville and Martinsville when the cars parked around the fields.

When Goodman came to Seymour, the school was a member of the South Central Conference. When the SCC folded, Seymour moved into the Hoosier Hills Conference in January 1995 and began competing in the HHC in the fall of 1996.

Goodman coached the Owls to HHC championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He coached 16 Indiana All-Stars, including his son, Grant.

Seymour High School conducted Cancer Awareness Night at the Sept. 7 game this fall against Floyd Central, and that night meant a lot to Goodman, and he thoroughly enjoyed seeing 46 of his former players and men who had coached under him.

One of the highlights of a Goodman-coached game came during a 1999 home game when Bryan Robertson kicked a state-record 61-yard field goal against Franklin County.

The 1999 team holds the record for wins in a season with 13. The 1991 team won 12 games.

Goodman always enjoyed talking football, whether it was at a clinic, in the coach’s office at Bulleit Stadium, in the gymnasium before a basketball game or at the practice field.

Arv Koontz is a sports writer for The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected]

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