Stigler High School’s Blake Goff
Junior pitcher Blake Goff brings an old-school mindset and a modern competitive edge to the Stigler High School baseball program. Inspired by legends of the game and grounded by his teammates, he has emerged as a key piece on the mound for the Panthers.
Goff, a junior at Stigler, said Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan has shaped the way he views the sport and his own potential. “Nolan Ryan has been my biggest inspiration for as long as I can remember,” Goff said. “I think I wrote two or three essays about him in middle school. He’s my biggest inspiration because of his feats such as his seven no-hitters.”
On the field, Goff anchors the staff as a pitcher and embraces the mental challenge that comes with being on the mound. He said the toughest part of the job is “trying to block out the other team’s chants” and staying locked in on each pitch. His favorite offering is a low and inside fastball, a pitch that fits his aggressive approach. Goff also lives by one of baseball’s classic unwritten rules: if a pitcher has a perfect game or no-hitter going, you do not talk about it.
Goff’s appreciation for the game extends into the classroom, where English is his favorite subject, and he still remembers his fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Garman, as a standout influence. Away from school and baseball, he enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to music.
What Goff values most about Stigler baseball is the bond with his teammates. He said he loves “having teammates that will back me up and play behind me when I need them to” and calls the group “supportive and uplifting” because they always have his back. Fellow Panther Cade Eakle, whom Goff labels the loudest and funniest on the team, keeps the dugout energized. For Goff, athletics have reinforced a simple lesson he plans to carry forward: “To succeed at something, you have to work for it.”
