Covenant Senior Plays All Over the Field, But Usually Winds Up in the End Zone

Experienced playmaker Benjamin Golik fuels Knights’ quest for more playoff success

He’s a wide receiver, running back, cornerback, kicker, and punter. He’s lined up at quarterback, and would play elsewhere, too, if his coaches asked or needed him.

While many of his Covenant teammates juggle two or more positions every game, Benjamin Golik usually plays at least five.

The senior and four-year starter exemplifies the versatility critical to success at a smaller private school and a program whose numbers hover around 30-35 players.

“Being in the system these four years has made an impact with how proficiently I’m able to do all of those things,” Golik said. “At a place like this, you always have to be ready to adapt. As someone who just loves football, it’s fun to be able to play all over the field.”

He’s had that Swiss Army Knife mentality since joining the Knights as a freshman, when he was primarily a receiver and cornerback.

He shifted mostly to running back and free safety for the past two seasons. A year ago, he accounted for more than 1,200 total yards and scored 11 touchdowns — pacing the Knights in both rushing and receiving yardage — as Covenant won its first road playoff game since transitioning from six-man to 11-man football almost a decade ago.

Covenant head coach Jacob Zinn said he looks to get the speedy Golik as many touches as possible during a game. Fatigue is always a concern, which is why Golik focuses on both physical and mental preparation.

“He’s essentially another coach on the field,” Zinn said. “Our game plan is to keep him on the field as much as possible and keep him as fresh as possible.”

Golik, who also plays soccer for the Knights, had always wanted to add football kicking to his resume. This season, Zinn finally relented, and the early results have been positive.

“The most impressive thing is his leadership,” Zinn said. “Those abilities have really grown and developed. He backs all of it up on the field.”

The Knights are hoping to make a deeper postseason run this fall behind a core group of returnees including Golik, two-way standout Duke Black, twin receivers Campbell and Matthew Peterson, and quarterback Lleyton Horan.

“There’s a deeper level of camaraderie. We’re such good friends,” Golik said. “We want to show that we can compete with anybody.”