Saddler declares himself as the GOAT at Abbeville High

When asked Blake Saddler, “Who is Blake Saddler?” The Abbeville senior tailback had an answer.
“I am the GOAT,” replied Saddler after Abbeville crushed Richwood 53-22 in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. “I am unstoppable.”
Let’s be clear. Saddler is not saying he is a goat who can run fast. He said he is “The G.O.A.T.”
The word G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest of All Time. Professional athletes such as N.F.L. quarterback Tom Brady or N.B.A. legend Michael Jordan are the G.O.A.T.s in their sports.
Saddler has the stats to back up his G.O.A.T. status.
In 11 games, Saddler has rushed for 1,910 yards, 500 more yards than any Wildcat football player. If he has a regular game in the second round of the playoffs, he will reach 2,000 yards.
No other Wildcat has run for 1,500 yards, let alone 2,000 yards.
On Friday, in a lopsided win, Saddler scored three touchdowns and ran for 163 yards. He had 11 carries for 132 yards in the first half and scored two touchdowns.
This season, in 11 games, he has scored 21 touchdowns and just under 200 points.
Who does that? Someone who has crowned himself the G.O.A.T. of Abbeville High School.
He stands just under 5-foot-7 and has blazing speed. But his running style sets him apart from most running backs. Saddler does not like to go out of bounds. Instead, he takes a pitch from his Q.B. and turns up field.
Saddler refuses to take the easy way out. Instead of going out of bounds, he cuts back inward, stops, and takes off again. He is also hard to bring down one-on-one. His legs never stop moving.
“I have good vision,” said Saddler. “When they come to tackle me, it is hard to take me down. My feet never stop moving. I tell the other running backs to pump their feet. Keep moving your feet.”
Saddler admits he was not born with this running talent. Instead, he was taught by Abbeville High quarterback and running back coach Myles Hutchinson. A former quarterback for Acadiana High School, Hutchison showed him how to “come downhill, hit the hole, and chop your feet.”
“Last year, I was not this good. But, I became better because of what Coach Myles showed me.”
Saddler went from being average to G.O.A.T. status in a matter of a season. The Wildcats followed his success and are 10-1, for the first in 19 years.