Thursday
September 22, 2016
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GMS cross country wins meet
Submitted photo by Andrew Meiler
Goochland Middle School’s boys and girls teams each won their first meet on Aug. 31 at Madison County’s Hoover Ridge Park against Madison County Middle School and Rappahannock Middle School. Team members are Jack Hoffler, Jonah Bruce, Luke Michaels, Will Browning, Ben McCray, Joey Cornell, Drew Meiller, John Williams, Allie Joyner, Reid Dameron, Paige Coppedge, Emmy Paulin, Taylor Gagnon, Elizabeth Owens, Arden Del Bueno, Lily Del Bueno, Grace Juran, Katharine Wright, Shannon Ferguson.
Bulldogs continued from >12 before the half, and Neal hit paydirt late in the game for an insurance score. Carter racked up 110 rushing yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Tanner Bradshaw added seven on a keeper early in the second quarter, and the Bulldogs enjoyed a 21-0 lead at halftime. “Tanner gets better and better each week. We have been fortunate that we have been able to bring our passing game along slowly,” Fowler said. “But the next few weeks will be critical, because sooner or later, we will need to put the ball in the air to win a game.” The Leemen engineered an effective drive shortly before halftime, but the Bulldog defense forced a turnover on downs to end the threat.
Following intermission the Leemen again threatened but came up inches short on another fourth down play. The Bulldogs removed any remaining doubts of the outcome on the ensuing series when Carter found the endzone from 26 yards out, making the score 28-0. After Bradshaw connected with receiver Dallas Holmes with a 30 yard strike that set up a short run by Massie Neal that made the final score 35-0. Reflecting on how the season is progressing, Fowler said “We had to rely on so many underclassmen coming into the season that I’m not sure that we could have predicted such a solid start to the season.” Each week, the team answers whatever pre season concerns existed. “We had a lot of question marks, but a lot of kids have
stepped up and filled roles that people outside the program might not have expected. Hopefully we can stay focused and take things one game at a time.” That journey takes the Bulldogs to Randolph Henry this week for a matchup with the Statesmen. The challenge of a road game combined with a tough district match up will provide the Bulldogs with their next challenge of the season. Fowler said the mission doesn’t get any easier as the season progresses. “It is never easy to go all the way to Randolph Henry, but we have a resilient group and they can handle it. The Statesmen lost Joe Reed(UVA) from last year, but they have some really good athletes that have taken his place.” Game time is 7 p.m. in Charlotte Courthouse.
Photos by Billy Fellin
Goochland’s Peyton Butts attempts, and would sink, a putt at The Hollows in a tri-match on Sept. 15.
Goochland golf readies for Conference 34 tournament By Billy Fellin Sports Editor
As the season winds down and the playoffs are just around the corner, the Goochland Bulldogs had their final James River District test of the regular season at The Hollows on Sept. 15. The Bulldogs fell short against Bluestone, 171-176. Goochland gapped Amelia, however, 176-189. “I was happy with our score,” Goochland golf coach AJ Nash wrote in an email. “I think if we can go down to Bluestone and shoot that same score, but for 18 holes, we will end up in the regional tournament. Bluestone is a tough course, so we will see how it all shakes out.” On Sept. 26, Goochland will
travel to Kinderton Country Club for the Conference 34 tournament and attempt to place as well as they did last season. Nash, for one, is confident heading into the district match. “I think we will put up a solid score,” he wrote. “If we come in under 360, I’ll be very pleased. Kinderton is a tough course. Ideally, I’d like to be at 340 or so for 18 holes, but Kinderton adds a few strokes to everyone’s score across the board.” Given that Kinderton’s greens are “small and tricky” according to Nash, the short game will be of particular focus leading up to the tournament. “As a team we have been working on our short games
a lot,” Nash wrote. “Putting and chipping. Short game is often the key to a good score.” The Bulldogs qualified as a team for the Region 2A East tournament last season, which is a feat the Nash would love to duplicate in 2016. “I’d love for us to make it into the regional tournament again,” he wrote. “It is going to be stiff competition with Randolph-Henry in the conference now, all reason points to them winning the conference easily. (Among) Goochland, Greensville, Nottoway, Bluestone and Amelia, there are five teams all vying for that second entry spot into regionals. It should be a fun day at conference to see who earns that second spot.”