This season the Auburn Trojan football squad seemed unstoppable.

Until the team ran into Skyline in the state quarterfinals, falling 38-2 to the undefeated 4A state champs, the Trojans had amassed an 11-0 record, including a 8-0 South Puget Sound League 4A North record and the league title.

Through most of the year, the team made mincemeat of its opponents, grinding out an impressive average of 382 rushing yards per game and posting an average of 37 points per game. And although the team boasted a stable of young talent in the backfield, senior Jeff Gouveia proved to be the engine that drove the formidable Trojan machine this past season.

Through 12 games, Gouveia averaged 112.73 yards per game, piling up 1,240 yards for the season.

The 6-foot, 200-pound running back also proved adept at finding the end zone, tying an Auburn High School record with 31 touchdowns for the season.

For his performance on the offensive side of the ball, Gouveia was honored with the SPSL North’s Offensive Back of the Year award and a selection to the first team all-league offensive squad.

Not one to spend half a game riding the pine, Gouveia also proved skilled on the defensive side of the ball, where he amassed 76 tackles, an average of almost seven per game, at linebacker. He was named the SPSL North’s co-Defensive Lineman of the Year and was also chosen as a first team all-league defensive player.

In addition to his gridiron career, Gouveia was a standout on the hardwood, helping to guide the Trojans to a 13-8 overall record as a guard. Gouveia averaged 10.9 points per game, 5.85 rebounds per game and 3.55 assists. He was named as an SPSL North honorable mention.

Quite a senior year for the 18-year-old.

“My favorite memory would be our football unity camp, which is a team bonding thing,” Gouveia said. “Just being around all my teammates and coaches and hanging with all my brothers and stuff. I’ll always remember that. Oh, and all my touchdowns this season.”

Next season Gouveia will attend and play football for the Butte College Roadrunners, a two-year college in Oroville, Calif.

According to Gouveia the decision to attend Butte and try and eventually make his way onto a four-year roster was a no-brainer.

“The program was good, they won the national championship this season,” he said. “When I went down there it was just nice, a California atmosphere with lots of sunshine. And the team and the coaches made me feel welcome. It’s the best junior college program in the country.”

With 21 bowl games, 13 conference championships, a California state championship and last season’s national championship, as well as 300 scholarship athletes moved on to four-year schools and 10 alumni playing professional football, Butte College looks to be a wise choice for Gouveia.

According to Gouveia, he plans to major in criminal justice and become a police officer when he graduates.

“I leave mid-July to go down there,” he said. “But until then I’ll just be working out and hanging out with friends.”

Gouveia said that although he is looking forward to striking out on his own, he will miss Auburn and his friends and family.

“This is my first time being away for any length of time, I think the longest has been two-weeks before that,” he said. “It’ll be tough, but my family is going to come down for all my Saturday games.”