Goodwin: RHS’ nine senior players will be successful in life as they were on the field in 2025

When you ask Russellville High School varsity football coach Dustin Goodwin about his 2025 senior football players, he sounds a bit like a proud father.

For Malaki Groce, Connor Devaney, Houston Askew, Bryson Cooper, Tyrese Wilson, Andres Gaspar, Jermey Velez and David Tomas, preparing for their final season of Golden Tiger football involved drowning out the noise and discord resulting from an eventful off-season that saw the team part ways with its All-State running back, along with his 2,331 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.

“Our focus initially was on building the best team possible and for our seniors to grow in their leadership roles and maximize our potential no matter what that means,” Goodwin said. 

“They heard a ton of negative coming into this year and all the things they couldn’t do, so we wanted to preach to them all the things they could do and for the most part, I think we had a really good year. They fought all year and went far beyond what everyone was telling them they could do. And that speaks to their character, work ethic and their willingness to grow and learn,” he added.

While the nine seniors’ careers ended in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs with a loss to Briarwood Christian, their lifetime of memories about being a part of Russellville Golden Tiger football will stay with them long after graduation. 

And Goodwin will always have a special appreciation for these nine senior players, their success on the field and their leadership and character off the field.

“This season is a testament to them,” Goodwin said. “These nine young men are going to be successful when they graduate no matter what path they take, and I’m a fan of each one of them, no doubt.”

From their freshman year of 2022 through the end of the 2025 season, this year’s seniors finished 30-17, including 22-2 in 5A Region 7 play, and reached the second round of the 5A playoffs in three of their four seasons.

Goodwin sat down recently with FFP Publisher John Pilati to share his thoughts on the each member of his senior class.

Malaki Groce (47 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three receptions for 51 yards)i: “The majority of the year he was on the defensive side as safety, but he also contributed for us on offense at receiver. This was only his second year playing football so last year was a learning year for him. This year he stepped into a starting role and did a real nice job.”

Connor Devaney (60 receptions, 643 yards (avg. 59 yards/game and scored five TDs): “Connor played slot receiver and led our team in receptions. He’s a very versatile guy. He’s not a real big player but he plays with a lot of heart and grit. He had a nice year for us.”

Houston Askew (12 receptions, 79 yards, one TD. 38 total tackles on defense): “Houston did a really good job at receiver and he played a lot at cornerback. he did a really good job for us there as well. We even practiced him at safety some. He was a guy we knew we could count on, for sure.”

Bryson  Cooper (23 receptions, 398 yards, five TD): “We worked him at defense some early in the year, but he found his home at receiver because we had to find a way to have him on the field. He’s long and rangy and was really consistent. He started at receiver just about every game. Bryson is a very intelligent guy who did a nice job for us and he had a really good senior year.”

Ben Pounders (21 receptions, 278 yards, two TD, 12 rushes, 57 yards/74 total tackles on defense): “He was going to be a starter for us last year but he got hurt on the Tuesday of the first game week. That was a real shot to us. We were able to get him back and fortunately he stayed healthy throughout the course of the year. He played slot receiver and really did a little bit of everything. He was a safety on the defensive side. Ben is a great kid who doesn’t say much, but he’s a really hard worker and leads by example. 

“The mental aspect of coming back from a serious injury takes some time. It’s definitely a process to get back, rehab and work, then have the confidence to test the old injury out. He handled that very well and I’m real proud of him for coming back when it would have been easy just to walk away after last season.”

Tyrese Wilson (LT): “Tyrese was probably our highest grader of our front five week in and week out. He’s a really good player who has one of our bigger bodies. He brought a great attitude every day. He did a great job for us and continued to get better through the year by listening to everything Coach (Austin) Stidham told him.”

Andres Gaspar (DL, 46 tackles, avg. 3.8 tackles/game): “He got a lot of snaps last year and was one player we were really counting on coming into this season and he lived up to it and did a great job. He’s one of those quiet guys who sets the tone by example. He’s a really tough kid who is hard to block.”

Jermey Velez (OL/C): “Jermey was our center and I can’t remember many, if any, bad snaps this year. There’s a lot of communication required in that position and he handled it great. He’s a very fun-loving kid, smiling all th time. He’s not real big but he gave it everything he had for our team.”

David Tomas (K/P, hit 29 PAT, avg. 35.5 yards on 30 punts): “David was our place kicker and punter. He did a really nice job for the majority of the year. He missed only one extra point and had one blocked. He is a very consistent player. This was his first year playing football. He’s also the goalie on our soccer team. He said he was glad he came out for football and went through the season. That’s what we want is for all these guys to be encouraged to be part of our football family and also experience everything in other sports they can during their high school years. He got all he could out of being part of this team. It’s nice to have a reliable kicker for sure. Our kickers are a big part of this team.”

Goodwin said these nine players set a standard for what he expects from his seniors.

“They’re all going to be successful, quality young men an good husbands and dads one day, and we hope they learned that consistency matters, that they have their priorities in order and they know there’s a plan and purpose for their lives and that they chase it every day,” Goodwin said.