Gould tops in Heath football annals for longevity, reliability
HEATH — Paul Gould shot to the top of the Heath football team’s leaderboard in tackles for loss after a standout performance last Friday, but the senior outside linebacker probably will not notice.
Gould racked up seven solo tackles, including four for loss, in Heath’s 54-21 victory against Johnstown to win the Licking County League-Cardinal Division championship. Gould has been battling with classmates Daylen McIntyre and Kaden Green and junior Tannar Patterson for the Bulldogs’ lead in plays made behind the line of scrimmage.
“I don’t think it’s a competition. It might be for them,” said Gould, now sitting at 19 for the season. “It’s more just picking each other up. We like seeing our teammates’ success. I like seeing Daylen have a great game. It’s amazing to watch him do that.”
Gould was shy to talk about his contributions, but coach Tim Ward is not.
Gould moved to the top of an all-time list at Heath, too, last Friday. He will made his record 43rd start against the Johnnies and will play in his 44th game Friday when the Bulldogs (8-2) visit Portsmouth West (8-2) for a Division V, Region 19 first-round game.
“We’ve only had a few guys even suited up for 44 games. To start all of those and especially to go back to when he was a freshman 100 pounds soaking wet and playing an outside linebacker position, I can’t just speak highly enough about him,” Ward said.
Heath is the No. 9 seed and will make the long trip south. The winner likely will visit top-seeded Ironton (9-1), which hosts Worthington Christian (4-6) in the first round.
Many of the Heath seniors were varsity contributors as freshmen and are looking to extend prolific careers. Their Cardinal title was their third in four seasons, and they are making a fourth consecutive trip to the postseason.
“If it’s (senior lineman Hayden Woodward), we have been playing baseball since we were 3 years old. Me and Noah Sprague have been playing flag football since we were 6,” Gould said. “Kaden Green didn’t play until middle school, but his size and he is an aggressive kid. Daylen didn’t play his freshman year, and I don’t think anybody knows that. He is making plays out here like he is a Heisman winner.”
Heath’s aggressive defense will be tasked with stopping a run-heavy Portsmouth offense that scored 41 points or more five times during an eight-game winning streak stopped by Wheelersburg 35-7 in Week 10.
Junior Mason Parker, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, has run for 1,525 yards and 17 TDs. Senior Jeffrey Bishop, 5-11, 180, is the Senators’ leading receiver with 433 yards and nine TDs and has added another 404 yards and 7 TDs on the ground.
Heath had its share of success slowing Johnstown. The Johnnies had two extended drives in the first half, but the Bulldogs also forced two turnovers in that first half, including freshman Camden Stephens’ interception, which he returned 74 yards for a score on the final play.
“Our guys did what they were asked to do: Play low, shoot, make a pile to take blockers off our inside backers, and they did their job,” Gould said. “The inside backers flew to the ball. Outside backers were taking on pulling blocks. Everyone did their job. That’s why it looked so good.”
Most of Heath’s seniors are multi-sport athletes, who have achieved great success away from the gridiron, too. Gould and classmates Green and Woodward were among those as key members of the Bulldogs’ Division III regional championship baseball team in June.
The Bulldogs have developed an unbreakable bond as they prepare for what they hope is another long postseason run.
“It’s awesome. We are a very close group of guys who have all just been playing together since we were little kids in elementary school,” Woodward said. “No matter what we are always having a good time together.”
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Paul Gould tops in Heath Bulldogs football for longevity, reliability
