Class 3 State Semifinals: Goochland (12-1) at Hopewell (13-0), 2 p.m. Saturday
The Basics: The fact that Goochland is still playing is one of the most impressive stories of 2019 on the high school sports scene. So much for the Bulldogs having to level up to Class 3 and maybe taking a couple of years to get their footing and start competing for Region titles, Goochland already have one in year one after a dominating defensive performance a week ago against James Monroe, adding to a stack of them that Goochland earned in Class 2. That’s a huge testament to the resilience of the Goochland roster and the work of coach Alex Fruth and his staff, they’ve all done some serious heavy lifting. This week will be an intense challenge as they take on the Region 3A champions Hopewell. The Blue Devils are going to be a handful after surviving a very tough region that included a Lafayette squad that trounced Goochland in the season opener 33-0. The Bulldogs are going to have to play a bigtime game in order to keep their season alive and continue to carry the banner for Class 1 and 2 schools that people have doubted could compete with squads on the higher classification levels. Goochland’s defense is the squad’s foundation after they forced seven turnovers a week ago and largely smothered James Monroe. But the offense had a crafty, borderline sneaky plan to attack the Jackets last week that worked perfectly as they took to the air and early on at least barely employed their standard Wing-T, run heavy approach. There’s now no telling what Hopewell will run into and there’s a lot on tape to prepare for. The Blue Devils have the personnel to handle whatever the Bulldogs throw at them though, so expect Hopewell to be locked in and ready to attack.
Key matchup: Goochland’s front seven takes on Tre Henderson. There’s no reason to mince words — if the Bulldogs don’t stuff Henderson in the backfield or at the line, more than likely he’s gone. Henderson is a four-star junior with offers from essentially everyone including Clemson. The Bulldogs counter with the immovable Khalil Holman in the middle and playmaking linebackers like Kindrick Braxton. Goochland’s run defense has been awfully good this season and the unit created seven turnovers a week ago, but this is a massive, massive challenge. The Bulldogs are going to need their best defensive effort of the season to have a shot at the win. Lucky for Goochland, experienced defensive coordinator Dan Summitt has been in a lot of these uphill battles over the years and will likely present some creative approaches for Hopewell to deal with on Saturday.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Devin McCray. This is the kind of matchup, setting and stage where your best players have to not just play well and survive but thrive. McCray has been impressive his entire career but he’s found another gear as a senior. He’s also a player that was essentially robbed of the chance to compete for a state title a year ago when an early injury knocked him out of last year’s championship game. You can bet that McCray is champing at the bit to put on an incredible performance in this one and it’s a fact that the Bulldogs will need it to pull off a win.
The line: Hopewell by 1. Blue Devils get the slight edge here because of Henderson and playing at home, but Goochland isn’t about to roll over in this one.
