MANDEVILLE, La. – The Mandeville Skippers seniors are the engine behind one of the more high-powered offenses in the state, but they weren’t always like that.
“When I got here most of the were skinny little Sophomores. This Sophomore class when I got here tat’s now my Seniors, the growth has been so impressive,” says Mandeville Head Football Coach Hutch Gonzales.
Growth from players like senior Caden Costa.
Caden is a 5-star Kicker and Ole Miss commit that makes kicking 50-yard field goals look routine.
He’s already shown that this season, nailing a 50-yard field goal with ease against Slidell week 3.
“He casually kicks 60-yard field goals in warmups. It’s unbelievable. He’s such a weapon. A couple of times the other night we got in what we consider field goal range and people think we’re crazy then we start lining up for it and he just booms it out there like it’s nothing,” says Gonzales.
“For me, every kick is the same. So, whether it’s an extra point or a 50, it’s always going to be the same ball and that’s really just my mindset,” says Caden Costa.
Costa doesn’t just kick for the Skippers, he also plays Wide Receiver and Tight End for an offense averaging 39 points a game.
When asked what position he enjoys playing more, he says both.
“The adrenaline of kicking and stuff is fun but just to enjoy my senior year by playing receiver and playing tight end it’s always fun too. So, either one you can’t go wrong,” says Costa.