There are few great basketball players who shine on the football field as well. Many who choose to play both either find that they like one much better than the other or that they’re simply more talented in one. But on occasion, you get a true, two-sport athlete like Luke Goode.
Many were made aware of his football talent during the fall when Goode took the SAC by storm, torching teams for 2,778 yds, a 61% completion percentage, and a ridiculous touchdown/interception ratio of 27 TD/2 INT. He finished 7th in passing in Indiana. And remember, this was his first year as a full-time starter. He still has more room to grow heading into next season.
While this was Goode’s first truly great year of playing high school football, he’s been at the top of basketball for a while. Many colleges have already taken note of this, with Goode receiving offers from top-tier programs, such as Indiana, Louisville, Xavier, Maryland, Iowa, and many more. He’s currently rated as a 4-star recruit, #87 nationally and #19 at the SG position for the class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Right now, Goode is averaging a career-high in points (17.0), rebounds (7.3), and assists (2.5).
So who are some other great Hoosier athletes who are highly recruited and play both football and basketball? To be blatantly honest, there really isn’t one. Goode appears to be a one-of-a-kind athlete.
“From what I know he’s pretty good,” Homestead basketball coach Chris Johnson says of Goode on the football field. “Now to stand here and say he’s the best in the state, I’m going to be biased and say yes, but I don’t know every football/basketball combo out there. From what we need and what the football team needs, he did exactly what is expected of him and we appreciate what he brings to both of our programs.”
As far as what Goode thinks of himself, “I’ve got to have confidence in myself, but I’ve also got to be humble and there’s obviously other great two-sport athletes so to even be in that conversation, it’s a blessing.”
As you can tell, athletes normally focus on dominating a particular sport by their junior year. However, Goode has proven that he can dominate two. The question then becomes which one does Goode prefer. He’s got a lot of potential to be a great quarterback, but he’s got offers on the table for basketball that he can’t pass up.
“I always tell people I like football and love basketball. Basketball is what I want to do at the next level and that’s what I’m going to stick with.”
One of Goode’s teammates, Jake Archbold, also plays football. Archbold and Goode were once battling for the starting quarterback position until the Spartans chose Goode and moved Archbold to receiver and his regular safety position this past season. As a result, Archbold and Goode have made for a terrific duo in both football and basketball, bringing up another discussion on if these two are the best duo that plays football and basketball together.
“It’s another humbling question. Jake is obviously a great player,” Goode says, “I’ve been playing with him since second grade in both sports so it’s really fun to come out here on a high school level and be able to compete with him at a high level.”
Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star says the only other duo as strong as Goode and Archbold in both sports might be Ryan Lezon and Brevin Jefferson of Southport, both of which are 6’2” seniors that play wide receiver together and play meaningful minutes on the court. While that tandem is great, we’ll stick with our hometown pair, and so will Johnson.
“Again, I’ll be biased. They’re winners on and off the court and that’s what makes me more proud than anything, the type of kids they are. They’re respected by the community, by their peers, teammates and that’s what you look for from the coaching aspect. Not only are they good basketball players, but they’re good in school, in the classroom, and that’s what makes it fun for us as coaches.”
It will be fun to see what happens in the future, especially when Goode gets a chance to play in college. But for now, Luke Goode will continue to put on a show for Homestead parents, students, and fans, and possibly go down as one of Homestead’s greats, no matter what sport he’s in.
