It didn’t take long to reignite a neighborhood rivalry.

  Meeting for the first time in five years, Goochland and Louisa entered last week’s Jefferson District match up with a potent running game and a watchful eye on the playoff picture.

  The Lions (3-2, 5-2) left Goochland (4-1, 7-1) with a decisive edge on the stat sheet, but came up woefully short on the scoreboard as the Bulldogs notched a 28-7 district win.

  Louisa took the opening kickoff and manufactured a drive that tested the Bulldogs early. Relying on a single wing offense and a running game that seemed to confuse the Bulldogs’ defense early, Louisa moved within a yard of the Goochland goal.

  But the Bulldogs reared their defensive heads, in what would be the first of many crucial stands, and stopped the Lions on a fourth-and-goal. It would not be the only time the visitors made it to Goochland’s red zone for a trip that ended in frustration.

  “I have to give credit to their kids. They stepped up and stopped us down there,” said Louisa coach Mark Fischer. “It’s usually automatic when we get down there, but they stopped us. You get down there that close, you have to punch the ball in. I give credit to Coach Fowler and his kids. They stopped us.”

  Goochland also relied on its multi-back running game, and their slow and steady ground game yielded points in the second quarter. Dustin Plummer took a pitch and cut it up the middle to score from 14 yards out.

  A determined Bulldog defense accounted for the second score of the first half when cornerback Willie Ezell snatched a Kire’ Worley pass and returned it for a touchdown. Worley succumbed to a severe rush and Ezell said he seized the moment.

  “I got a good jump on the ball and just ran it in,” he said. “This was a big game for us and we knew we had to win it.”

  Louisa mounted a serious late first half threat when they took the ball with more than three minutes remaining and drove to Goochland territory. But a second Bulldogs’ goal line stand prevented the Lions from capitalizing as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

  “I thought that was a crucial point in the game,” said Goochland head coach Joe Fowler. “They get that score and who knows what happens after that. The defense won it for us tonight. They made big play after big play tonight.”

  The Bulldogs entered the halftime break with a 14-0 lead, yet a decided disadvantage on the stat sheet with only two first downs in the half.

  “This game could have gone either way on a few crucial plays,” Fowler said. “A lot of things broke our way tonight.”

  After the Lions stopped the Bulldogs on their opening second half possession, Worley led the visitors into Goochland territory, but a fumble ended the drive.

  The Bulldogs punted the Lions deep in their own territory and then forced a punt from inside the five-yard line.

  A high snap was all the Bulldogs needed and the defense corralled the Lion punter and took over on downs.

  Plummer capped the short drive with a two-yard run that put the game out of reach, 21-0. Worley finally scored for Louisa in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard keeper but it was too-little too-late.

  Goochland’s Desmond Athey scored on a short run midway through the fourth quarter after the Lions went for it on fourth down deep in their own territory.

  The win puts Goochland, ranked No. 13 in the latest AA state pole, in sole possession of second place in the Jefferson District, still chasing a 7-0 Western Albemarle team ranked No. 6 in the state AA rankings.

  The Bulldogs will get a chance to see the district leaders in their final game of the season.

  But first they travel to William Monroe for this week’s Jefferson District match up.

  The Bulldogs have silenced critics with a first year district performance that has even surprised Fowler, but he’s not complaining. No doubt, the Dawgs took advantage of every opportunity in the Louisa win, but the team is displaying a championship quality that could make them a viable playoff contender.

  For example, the team hasn’t turned the ball over in the last four games, and quarterback Matthew Henley is running a focused, effective offense that seems to stump opposing defenses.

  Dan Summitt’s bend-but-don’t-break defense is also coming up big when required. “These kids are playing great defense and stepping up in key situations and I attribute that success to their hard work,” Summitt said.

  Fowler said the team’s performance is even exceeding his pre season expectations. “They’re stepping up and making some big plays when it counts,” he said. “It comes down to the kids and the kids are making a lot of great plays.”

Louisa————————— 0   0 0 7—7
Goochland——————- 0 14 7 7—28
G—Plummer 14 run (Cooke kick)
G—Ezell 20 interception return (Cooke kick)
G—Plummer 2 run (Cooke kick)
L—Worley 3 run (Payne kick)
G—Athey 2 run (Cooke kick)
RUSHING:  Louisa—Cosby 14 carries, 78 yards, Jackson 3-48, Cross 4-40, Hunter 6-37, Mealy 10-36, Worley 11-15, Hollins 2-minus 14. Goochland—Plummer 9-59, Ezell 7-44, Henley 7-19, Athey 3-8, McKenna 4-2.
PASSING: Louisa—Worley 6 completions, 16 attempts, 2 interceptions, 66 yards. Goochland—Henley 1-5-0-7.
RECEIVING: Louisa—Jackson 4 receptions, 44 yards, Hunter 2-22. Goochland—Moore 1-7.