Frustration can be a building block, Goochland proved so on Friday night in the first round the Region 2A playoffs. Unbeaten and ranked at the top of the bracket, Goochland got a desirable opponent, albeit on a day where field conditions were abysmal. While Goochland never trailed and was never really threatened, the defending James River District champs didn’t quite look themselves until the third quarter. With a pair of quick touchdowns in the third frame, Goochland worked its way into a groove and was able to roll to a 26-8 victory to win a playoff game for the first time under new Alex Fruth, but for the seventh year in a row as a program.
“We made some adjustments and it’s good to have a game like this because we haven’t had to do this all year,” Fruth said. “Even last week with Amelia we didn’t do a lot because it was about penalties and getting in our own way. Here we were sputtering on things. What’s left of this field, that was an opponent in and of itself. It was good though. We have to do this and we’re going to run into games like this. It was good to see the guys respond and make the changes.”
Goochland started the game out with a big kickoff return from Kameron Holman that set it up in the redzone. And while the offense was able to get to the 1-inch line, penalties marred the drive and a 24-yard field goal from Jacob Haywood made it 3-0 for the home Bulldogs.
Goochland’s defense dominated the first half and with Brunswick struggling with bad snaps in the sloppy conditions. Justin Woodson was able to tackle quarterback John Hicks in the endzone to make it 5-0. Then after a failed drive on offense, the defense came up with a fumble recovery from Kameron Holman set up a short field. Quarterback Devin McCray was able to turn that into a 7-yard touchdown run and make it 12-0 with 8:19 left in the second, a score that would hold going into halftime.
“We shot our gaps, did all the techniques that (assistant coach Erik Hansen) taught us and were just very aggressive,” said Goochland junior defensive lineman Khalil Holman. “It’s just one (game after another). It’s all about us. If we just focus on us and only us and nobody can get in our way.”
In the third quarter the one-seeded Bulldogs adjusted and got the things churning on offense. Quincey Snead broke loose for the game’s first long run with a 27-yard touchdown to put Goochland up 19-0 with 6:55 left in the third. On the next drive, it was McCray’s turn as he cut loose on a 30-yard run into the endzone to make it 26-0 with 1:52 to play in the third.
“We adjusted to the field correctly and then did what we always do,” McCray said. “During halftime Coach Fruth took the offense out and chewed our butts and told us that we had to control the controllable. We had to focus on what we had to do and the field conditions were out of control. We had to adjust and that’s what we did.”
Brunswick got on the board with a 12-yard rushing touchdown from Isaiah Simmons with seven minutes to play in the fourth against Goochland’s second string defense. Things got funky after that with officials struggling, first awarding Brunswick an onside kick despite the kick not going 10 yards, then awarding the visitors a first down on what was initially called a fourth down stop. With Brunswick knocking on the door the first stringers came back in and quickly ended the threat. Goochland was able to pick up a pair of first downs and take a knee to end the game at 28-6.
“We were missing a couple of guys tonight but that front seven did a great job,” Fruth said. “They stepped up and made things happen. The defense did a great job bending a bit, containing things and then coming up with the stop when it mattered.”
Goochland now advances to face King William in the Region 2A semifinals. The Bulldogs and Cavaliers aren’t strangers. They met in the region playoffs in back-to-back years in Goochland in both 2011 and 2012 with the former being an absolute classic in a 16-12 win where then freshman Jordan Jefferson came up with a goalline stop to secure the victory. The meeting in 2012 was a blowout palindrome game with the Bulldogs cruising 63-36. Goochland has made it through to the third round of the playoffs in back-to-back years. Kickoff is currently set for 7 p.m. Friday in the Dog House.
“It’s big, we love playing in front of the home crowd and giving them a big game,” McCray said. “They support us, even in the cold and wet. They come out and get us going.”
