Group A, Division 2 semifinal: Goochland at Wilson Memorial, 1:30 p.m.
The basics: This run Goochland is going through certainly has a familiar feel to it. Last week was a rematch of a 2011 playoff clash with King William. This week? Another tangle with Wilson Memorial, a team the Bulldogs took apart last year in a 47-21 victory, in, you guessed it, the state semifinals. This time Goochland drives down I-64 and over Afton Mountain to face the Hornets instead of hosting, but other than that, the stakes are the same. This one will be power against power too, with Memorial grinding it out while the Bulldogs try and do much of the same. How they got here though is quite a bit different. Wilson had to edge out powerful Riverheads two weeks ago and then rallied from way back in the fourth quarter against Stuarts Draft last week to earn a state final four berth. Goochland rolled past Buckingham 28-7 in a rematch of the de facto James River District title game and then took apart Freeman McPherson-led King William in a 63-36 offensive explosion. The Bulldogs can grind it out when they need to, or turn up the intensity and pile up points if they need to outscore the opposition. Don’t mistake that 36-point King William output for a mediocre Bulldogs defense. That’s a tough, rugged unit led by Nathan Adams, and they were simply on the field forever last week as the Bulldogs’ offense piled up points quickly. Look for Goochland defenders like Adams, Scotty Pearce, Josh Kitt and Mason Engel to bring some intense physicality to Wilson’s power rushing attack Saturday afternoon.
Key matchup: Memorial’s defense takes on Goochland’s versatile offensive playmakers. This is one of the most unpredictable, multi-faceted Goochland offenses in recent memory, and that’s a credit to the cast of playmakers on that side of the ball. Memorial doesn’t get the benefit of trying to key on one or even two backs. You have to play Goochland straight up, with assignment football. Cheat and they’ll let someone else take it to the house. Is Wilson going to be up to that task? Monitoring Mitchell Brice, Nathan Mattox, Jordan Jefferson, David Dyer, Connor Saunders and Mason Engel while not selling out against the run (because then Reid Chenault and Nathan Adams can get you) might prove to be too stiff of a challenge for any team. Still, the Hornets created a bunch of second half turnovers lat week while rallying against Stuarts Draft, so they’ve got some playmakers on that side of the ball.
Who to watch: Wilson’s running backs. Last year Wilson leaned heavily on the run game with a two-headed monster at tailback in Connery Swift and Malik Rucks. This year with Swift toting the rocking for UVa at Wise, Rucks is the main attraction. He rushed for 167 two weeks ago against another ground-and-pound squad in Riverheads and then picked up 155 yards last week in the win over Stuart’s Draft. There’s another Swift in the mix too, Savant Swift, who had a 34-yard first half touchdown last week. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Gochenour, who took over halfway through the year, is also a threat on the ground, but look for Goochland to lock in on Rucks with its fierce, hard-hitting defense that took King William apart last week.
The line: Goochland by 7. The Bulldogs are playing excellent football right now and their multi-dimensional approach that’s a product of solid depth developed throughout the year should give Wilson fits.
