Every Joe Fowler team has its x-factor, its difference maker that gets overlooked in the offensive and defensive clutter that’s made Goochland so successful during his tenure as head coach.
This year, there’s no question that Jordan Jefferson is the main course, his play at quarterback and in the secondary seems to be behind every big play, and it’s been that way since he was bumped up from the JV squad late in 2011. Running back David Dyer is the excellent side dish, the hammer that wears defenses down, and late in games, the closer that puts a bow on things.
What is Connor Saunders then? Well, in keeping with the metaphor, he’s the gravy that brings everything together. And it couldn’t have been more evident than last Friday as the Bulldogs upset top-seeded Wilson Memorial on the road. Saunders had two big touchdowns in the 32-14 win, a 69-yard reception and a 36-yard run. He also made a critical stop on defense on fourth down to force a turnover where he initially made contact to knock running back Juh-Kwquan McCauley back five yards, fell down, got up and pursued him to finish the play and give his team the ball back.
At halftime this game with Wilson was at a pivot point. The momentum the Bulldogs built up in the first part of the game had swung in the Hornets favor. Wilson sat five points from the lead after starting out in a 13-point hole. As that shift happened, Fowler and Saunders were in constant conversation when they had the chance, the talks entailing about what was available and not being taken advantage of offensively, and then what Wilson was up to offensively as they shied away from running up the middle with the Bulldogs simply crashing the party in the A and B gaps. At the break Fowler and his coaching staff stood outside the locker room, the one player talking with them? Saunders the entire time.
The senior has 608 yards and five touchdowns on 64 attempts on the ground. Yardage wise, he gets forgotten a bit as Dyer as 171 touches for 1,098 yards and 15 scores. The next focus for defenses is Jaylen Allen who posseses amazing speed and is the edge rusher that has 672 yards and nine TDs on just 49 carries. But none of those backs is the big play machine that Saunders is out of the backfield. He only has six receptions, but five of them have been touchdowns and his 279 yards which gives him an average of 46.5 yards per catch and makes him the most dangerous receiver the Bulldogs have. But he’s a running back, the supposed third one at that. He’s the checkdown that always pays off.
Defensively, Saunders plays in the middle of this defense where standouts like Jess McLaughlin did in 2011, Nathan Adams in 2012. There he brings a skill set where he can be forgotten between Akia Timberlake’s play up front on the line or the amazing things that Jefferson does in the secondary. But every game, Saunders finds a way to make a tackle he shouldn’t against a player who might be faster, who might be larger and stronger.
The bottom line with any Goochland playoff run is that they’re as good as the difference makers that perfectly compliment their marquee players. Every good dish needs something to bring it all together. Every play Saunders makes on either side of the ball is gravy for Goochland, and right now, they’ve got plenty of it to count on. Never forget the gravy.
No. 8 Goochland (10-2) at No. 2 Riverheads (11-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: East Rock, check. Wilson Memorial, check. Riverheads? This, win or lose, is the final battle for the Bulldogs as they look to continue their conquest of the Shenandoah Valley. It’s almost insane to think that they would line up against three straight Valley teams, much less three that run almost identical offenses. Riverheads only loss this year came at the hands of Wilson in double-digit fashion, and as such, the Bulldogs win in the Hornet’s Nest has the Gladiators full attention. Last week Riverheads cruised past Bruton, 48-13, after beating Arcadia 57-14 the week before. These two teams are vastly similar, and so expect the same kind of high-stakes game early on as last week when Goochland made the trip to Wilson.
Key matchup: The Gladiators linebacking corps tries to read Jordan Jefferson. They have to, and they have to get it right. This group has to be ready for the heavy dose of David Dyer up the middle, Jefferson and Jaylen Allen to the edge and then Saunders in whatever it is that offensive coordinator Joel Grey decides to do with him between running, blocking and then breaking off on a route. Jefferson’s TD to INT ration sits at 7:1 right now. The only way to slow down this offense is always guess right on what Jefferson is doing, and that takes a keen eye and then the athleticism to execute. This second tier of defense is the key to this game. They have to be sure tacklers, but also very quick on their heels in coverage. Jefferson’s play at quarterback is going to be the best test they’ve been given all year.
Who to watch: Goochland reciver Cephas Harden. Listen, we’d put Saunders here, but see above. Harden is a big body with speed and when the Bulldogs needed a few big plays down field last week, he delivered. When Air-Goochland comes out and executes, there’s really no way to stop this team because just like Riverheads, it’s going to get its yardage on the ground like it or not. If Harden puts up big numbers, the Bulldogs will roll onto the next round. What separates Goochland from the other run-first teams is it’s adaptability, that it will go out of the box to deliver the dagger. Harden could be a big part of that.
The line: Goochland by 7. Yes it’s on the road, but this offense is in sync and defensively, the Bulldogs teeth are sharp right now against tight-split WWII offenses. Transitive properties also apply here, if Riverheads lost to Wilson and Goochland rolled there… you do the math.
