By Liz Keller/Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
GOOCHLAND – Clinging to a touchdown lead against No. 7 seed Windsor at halftime of Friday night’s Group A, Division 2, Eastern Section first round playoff game, No. 2 Goochland appeared to be in need of a wake-up call.
After a spirited halftime speech by the Goochland coaching staff, the Bulldogs came out in the second half with a renewed vigor.
The James River District champions opened the third quarter by recovering an onside kick, and the play proved to be the fuel the hosts needed, as they exploded for 27 points in the frame en route to a 55-7 victory over the Dukes on senior night.
Goochland advances to play district rival Buckingham, a winner over Clarke County, on Friday. The Bulldogs edged the Knights 28-27 in an overtime game earlier this season.
“We came out flat in the first half and a lot of that had to do with [Windsor]. They played great in the first half – they kept the ball away from us and that’s the easiest way to keep us from scoring,” said Goochland coach Joe Fowler. “We made our minds up at halftime that we were going to do an onside kick to open up the second half to try to set the tone whether we got it or not – we wanted to set the tone. As much as anything else, we were trying to send a message to the kids that we needed to set the tempo and dictate to them as opposed to react.”
The kick, recovered by senior Michael Doczi, gave Goochland the ball at midfield. From there, the Bulldogs took five plays to score, as Mitchell Brice found his way in the end zone from three yards out to extend the lead to 20-7.
On its following possession, Goochland got a boost from fullback David Dyer, who broke off a 63-yard run. In fact, the junior accounted for all 70 yards on the drive as he bulled his way in from 1 yard out for his second TD. Brice ran in for the 2-point conversion as the Bulldogs took a 28-7 advantage. Dyer, a junior, led all ball carriers with 135 rushing yards on seven carries.
With all hands on deck, Goochland’s defense, which held the Dukes scoreless in the second half, also provided a spark in the third quarter. Nathan Adams intercepted Windsor quarterback Justice Chapman’s pass to set up another score.
After Adams returned the ball to the 6-yard line, freshman quarterback Reid Chenault entered the game and immediately hooked up with Mason Engel for a six-yard TD pass and the rout was on.
Goochland forced the visitors to punt on their following possession and used a seven-play drive and reached the end zone again as Jordan Jefferson scored from the 1-yard line. The multi-talented athlete finished with 75 yards rushing on three carries, one of three Goochland running backs who eclipsed the 50-yard rushing mark. The Bulldogs (9-2) amassed 153 yards on the ground in the third quarter.
The quick scores were in stark contrast to the first half, where Goochland was hampered by uncharacteristic turnovers and penalties.
“We came out of the locker room ready to play and we weren’t going to let it slip because we’re seniors and we want to keep playing with each other,” said senior Nathan Mattox, who finished with 91 yards rushing and a touchdown. “We talked to [our teammates] and made sure everybody knew what we had to do so we could keep playing.”
Goochland, a Group A finalist last season, put the game out of reach in the third quarter. Chenault found Jefferson in the right corner of the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The freshman finished 6 for 8 for 66 yards in the air. Soon after, the Bulldogs added a score from Kavonte Cosby (3-yard run) to provide the final margin.
In addition to a multitude of talented running backs, Goochland has two skilled quarterbacks in Chenault and Jefferson – a facet Fowler thinks will prove beneficial in the postseason.
“We wanted to spread everything around so that you can’t key on any one person. This year, and the past couple of years we tried to throw the ball a lot more so that people can’t pack the box and when they do we feel like we can be successful through the air,” Fowler said. “Jordan and Reid give us two entirely different elements. Jordan is so dynamic and fast back there and just an electric athlete. Reid is more of your prototypical drop-back quarterback. He’s not going to beat you with his legs; he’s going to beat you with his arm. It makes us tough to prepare for.”
