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“He’s really quiet, leads by example, not going to talk any trash,” said West Plains Head Coach Steve Ary.
For Zizzers running back Brayden Lidgard, there’s no need to talk trash when his play speaks for itself.
“He’s going to shatter every West Plains running back record, I can tell you that,” said Ary.
Lidgard ran for more than 2,400 yards and 35 touchdowns as a sophomore last season, earning a first-team all-state selection.
“He’s got that stuff you can’t coach, good speed, good wiggle, good vision, special,” said Ary.
But ever since youth football, it’s not the speed or the vision that’s earned Lidgard the nickname ‘Smash.’
“He used to run over everybody,” said Ary. “Now he just runs around everybody and scores touchdowns.”
Whether it’s running opponents over.
“I just like hitting people I guess,” said Lidgard.
Or running around them.
“It is fun making people miss,” Lidgard added.
Tacklers struggle to stop the West Plains junior.
“You just have to make sure to do your assignment and let him do the rest, because he’s going to make a cut and make something out of nothing a lot,” said West Plains senior lineman Jake Swope.
When a cut leads to the open field and a touchdown, Swope says he loves it just as much as ‘Smash’ does.
“It’s just awesome, you feel like a little kid again. It’s indescribable,” said Swope.
For Swope, the enjoyment of blocking for Lidgard goes beyond the play on the field.
“He’s just a guy that gives us a lot of credit up front, and he’s unselfish,” said Swope.
True to that form, Lidgard’s focus in 2018 is not placed on setting more records, but instead on team accomplishments.
“They mean something, but not a lot because if you’re not winning, they don’t really mean much,” said Lidgard with a smile.
