Class 3 State Semi- Final: Goochland Bulldogs at Hopewell Blue Devils
- Thread starter EPJr
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No disrespect, but Goochland will be sacrificial lambs next week. No score needed because I don't wanna disrespect Goochland. I'm being totally honest. Hopewell is just too much.
JM had 6-7 turnovers today and still only scored 20. Agree that Goochland will struggle next week but with ya
Saw them in first week, 33-0 win by Lafayette. Good team but totally unprepared based on who they have played this year for this Hopewell team. 42-6.
Goochland has a lot of speed. But a good team with a big line should be able to run right up the middle on them.
Yeah I agree I think Hopewell will be up by multiple scores by halftime. Henderson is a once in a decade player!
No disrespect but, Goochlands overall team speed is not even close to what they will be facing in Hopewell. All three of Hopewell's rb's have "house" speed and o line opens up some huge holes. Better not let Henderson get to the second level as db's can't tackle him.
Goochlands only hope is to pound the ball up the middle and throw quick, short passes. Running outside is a waste of time and the Blue Devils quick pressure on the qb will negate the long passes.
There are still two teams who can compete with Hopewell, but it's not Goochland. LB and Heritage have the talent and athletes to go toe to toe the Blue Devils. Going to be a good Class 3 final.
Bulldogs will play hard, but will succumb to the physicality of the Blue Devils. 35-7 Hopewell.
Did I say they had more speed than Hopewell? I just said it was Goochland's strength compared to the rest of their own team. They have zero chance of running up the middle on Hopewell, so I presume it will be a long day for them.
Don't sleep on goochland there here for a reason now I don't anticipate them beating Hopewell but anything can happen.
Hopewell is well coached and Phoebus is as well, Phoebus D is good at the line, but I was always suspect of their Passing D, good at man and not well at zone if ya ask me. Seen a lot of their games, but that D is solid. Goochland moved up to 3A, I remember Appomattox crushed them in playoffs a few years back. I hope them coaches are gone, if so easy win for Hopewell
If Hopewell don't win this game by 25-30 points I will be utterly shock! They are 3A team that could beat 60% of 6A programs in this state. They are loaded with D1 talent and speed. Goochland moved up to 3A, and still played basically a 2A schedule to coast to the playoffs. I'm confused. To be honest. They should of lost to my hometown team Buckingham. Tae was clearly over the line for that TD in OT, but that's nor here nor there.
I'm not well versed with D6 but seeing the way Hopewell beat Thomas Dale 44-7 and Oscar Smith just beat them 29-7. If you look at some comparable scores they would be playing possible for a spot in the D-4 finals ect. Hopewell in any division is one of the top teams this year. They dominated both Phoebus and Norcom, who both only lost to Lake Taylor by 1 point. LT is still playing. They dominated Dinwiddie who just lost a pretty close game to PH. Dinwiddie is the only game they 've been behind. They got behind 13-0 then went on a 35-7 run. Hopewell is very good, but they can't overlook a solid Goochland team, Heritage and LB are also good.
I have made that same comparison several times on the class 4 board. Agree 100%. In fact he is the best offensive football player I have seen since Percy Harvin
There is an asterisk between that Hopewell/Thomas Dale and Oscar Smith/Thomas Dale comparison. You failed to mention that Hopewell played TD without the Knights' star running back Chris Tyree. Oscar Smith shut him and TD down. I still believe that Hopewell would've still beaten TD easily but don't use that comparison with Oscar Smith. It's not quite the same.
I was at the game. Yes Tyree would have made a small difference. Hopewell still would have beat them as bad or worse then Oscar Smith did. Hopewell dominated both sides of the ball on the line. It was no contest.
Goochland needed a ton of turnovers vs JM and Hopewell. 7 of them gave them only 20 total points vs the Jackets and vs Hopewell they rode momentum as long as they could. Credit to the Bulldogs for riding the hot hand they were dealt in those games but Hopewell righted the ship and and is now in their way again!
