Vidalia High School’s Ryan Godbold is a lot like other seniors in the Miss-Lou.

He’s trying to keep his grades as sharp as his skill in the video game Madden NFL 16. He hopes to head off to college at Louisiana Tech, not too far from Vidalia, where he’s grown up, but not too close either. Godbold, like other seniors at Vidalia High, is trying to cash in on his last few moments of high-school glory and he prefers to do that on the football field.

Saturday, in Vidalia’s second regular season game against Delhi, the Vikings were in the red zone and Godbold lined up as the slot receiver. Quarterback Tristan Weatherly motioned running back Josh Pace out of the backfield and a Delhi linebacker shifted from the middle toward the sideline to cover Pace.

Godbold’s eyes lit up. The space between the hash marks was wide open.

“It was like the Red Sea parted,” head coach Jeff Hancock said.

Godbold said the rest was easy. He ran a simple slant route, Weatherly delivered a strike over the middle and Godbold scored from 15 yards for his second touchdown of the season and his career.

“I knew right away if I ran in the middle of the field that Tristan would throw a good ball, and that’s a touchdown,” Godbold said.

This is Godbold’s first season as a starting wide out, and he has proven to be a valuable target for the Vikings. In two games, Godbold has caught two touchdowns.

His first points as a high school player, however, are not his favorite moments on the football field. He prefers to think back to an emotional game against Winnfield just over one year ago.

In a season where wins were hard to come by — the Vikings were 2-8 in 2015 — Vidalia had lost four consecutive games heading into the penultimate game of the season against Winnfield. Vidalia battled back against their district rival, scoring two late touchdowns in the 29-19 loss.

Godbold said the game was about sending the seniors out on a high note.

“We were expected to get blown out, but we went down fighting,” Godbold said. “It was close to the end of the season and I was close to a lot of the seniors last year.”

This season, Godbold and the Vikings have already matched their total wins from the previous season, starting out 2-0.

“I think we have what it takes,” Godbold said. “Our defense is stout and well coached, the offense needs some work blocking. But after that we’ll be good.”

Occasionally, Godbold lines up as tight end, and is responsible for occupying a linebacker or providing enough protection for Weatherly to read the field.

As Vidalia prepares for cross-town rival Ferriday High School, Hancock and his Vikings will have their hands full with the size and speed Ferriday brings to the table on both sides of the ball.

Some see responsibility when it comes to blocking Ferriday’s 6-foot-7, four-star defensive and offensive lineman Dare Rosenthal. Godbold sees just another player.

“It’s just another guy,” Godbold said. “He makes good plays, but I think we can go toe-to-toe.”