Rappahannock’s C.J. Kelly stretches for the pylon after being upended by Buffalo Gap’s Jordan Martin during Saturday’s state semfiinal contest.
On an afternoon when defense was scarce, Rappahannock produced just enough stops to squeeze past Buffalo Gap 38-32 in a VHSL Class 1 football semifinal game contested Saturday afternoon in Warsaw.
The result propels Rappahannock (12-2) into a state championship game for the first time in the program’s 62-year history. The Raiders will face Rye Cove — which will also be participating in its first state title game — Saturday in Salem for the Class 1 title. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
In a game filled with offensive fireworks (the teams combined for 694 yards), Saturday’s biggest Rappahannock stand occurred on the game’s final play when the Raiders brought down Buffalo Gap’s Isaac Goff at the RHS 6 as time ticked off the clock preserving the victory for the Region 1A champs.
“We made the stops when we had to make them,” Rappahannock coach William West said. “Carter Sullivan had a big game for us on the defensive side of the football, and we switched things up a little bit and it paid big dividends for us. Offensively, I was pleased with what we did. “We got what we wanted (offensively) and made the stops (defensively) when we had to.”
Rappahannock’s Kenneth Madison makes his way into the teeth of Buffalo Gap’s defense.
The game’s finish occurred three plays after Buffalo Gap reached the RHS 3 yard line with 20 seconds remaining.
However, Goff’s 5-yard first down run was crippled by a 10- yard infraction against the Bison for aiding the ball carrier.
“Football is a game of inches, and those inches went their way and not ours,” said Buffalo Gap coach Brad Wygant referring to the critical fourth-down misses. “Rappahannock buckled down and made those stops. We put ourselves behind the sticks too many times.”
The Bison from Swoope converted just 1-of-4 fourth downs.
The biggest missed opportunity likely occurred just before halftime when the Bison failed on a fourth down pass from the RHS 27 with a 24-23 lead and 23 ticks left on the second quarter clock.
“We would have felt a lot better with a bigger lead than just one point,” Wygant said. “If we had scored, and then received the second-half kickoff and scored like we did, who knows what might have happened.”
Rappahannock’s Samuel Kelly prepares to get a grasp on Buffalo Gap running back Isaac Goff.
Clinging to their one-point halftime edge, the Bison received the second half kickoff and manufactured a scoring drive that continued after a bizarre punt-and-fumble sequence that concluded with Buffalo Gap still with possession at their 47.
Isaac Goff’s 2-yard run and subsequent 2-pointer gave the Bison a 32-23 advantage with 6:09 showing on the third quarter clock.
After having surrendered 275 yards at that stage, the Raiders defense stiffened and kept the Bison scoreless over the final 18 minutes of action.
“Coming out of halftime, we knew what we had to do, which was making piles so they couldn’t get through,” Rappahannock linebacker Chase Self said about his team’s second half defensive strategy.
“I knew it was going to be tough from the get-go from watching film on them,” the Raiders’ Carter Sullivan said. “They’ve got some big, hard-nosed boys. Coming out of halftime is when we realized what we had to do.”
A mass of Rappahannock defenders descend upon Buffalo Gap ball carrier Cooper Reed. From left, Samuel Kelly, Chase Self, Carter Sullivan, and Tanner Cook.
Rappahannock pulled to within 32-30 on its series following Buffalo Gap’s final TD of the cloudy afternoon.
Kenneth Madison bolted 40-yards off left tackle and Kelyn Setzer booted the extra point with 4:54 still to go in the third period.
After turning back the Bison one yard short of a first down on their next series, the Raiders used another big play to take the lead for good.
Madison went off-right tackle 44-yards to pay dirt with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter. A penalty flag was thrown during the play by the umpire, but after consultation with the referee the flag was waved off.
Kelly tacked on the 2-pointer to give the Raiders a six point edge.
Buffalo Gap started its final possession from its 30 with 2:55 left following a Rappahannock punt.
Buffalo Gap’s Isaac Goff runs into a pile of Rappahannock defenders as linebacker Chase Self prepares to make the tackle.
A Rappahannock pass interference infraction push the ball near midfield and a 35-yard scramble by QB Cooper Reed put the ball at the Raiders’ 8-yard line with 26 seconds left.
Goff then carried the pigskin to the 3 on the next snap, but the aiding the ball carrier penalty moved the ball back to the 13.
Following an incompletion and an intentional grounding infraction, Buffalo Gap found itself at the RHS 27 with 9.9 seconds to go.
Reed then found Goff on a crossing pattern, but he was brought down at the Raiders’ six yard line as time expired with Gap having no time-outs left.
After the officials huddled, the referee signaled the game was over as the Raiders’ celebrated their firstever state playoff win.
“This is a great feeling,” West said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work all summer and during the season. We deserve to be in this position. We’re extremely happy for these young men and now we’ve got to go and take care of business.”
A blocked punt set up the game’s initial TD, a 2-yard run by Cooper. Goff’s 2-pointer gave the visitors an 8-0 lead in what turned out to be an explosive first quarter.
Rappahannock answered with a 2-yard TD run by C.J. Kelly — after he picked up a center snap that sailed over his head — with Madison’s 2-pointer knotting the score.
Gap regained the lead on Goff’s 53-yard run. Reed scored the 2-pointer for a 16-8 BG lead.
Rappahannock then took its initial lead of the afternoon as Christian Destin scored twice within 11 seconds.
His first score occurred when he snared a Kelly aerial and dashed down the BG sideline for a 39-yard touchdown.
On the first play of Gap’s next series, the Raiders’ Tanner Cook dislodged the ball from Cook’s grasp with Destin producing a 39-yard scoop-and-score.
“On the pass play, I just caught it and they couldn’t catch me,” Destin said afterward. “On the fumble, I don’t know who hit him, but I appreciate whoever it was.”
Setzer’s PAT kick gave the Raiders a short-lived 23- 16 lead.
Gap then cobbled together an 11-play, 70-yard TD drive with Jaden Humphrey scoring from the Raiders’ five. Goff’s 2-point conversion gave the Bison a 24- 23 edge that held up at intermission.
Madison finished with 168 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Buffalo Gap (7-7), which amassed 405 yards, was led by Goff’s 198 rushing yards on 34 attempts.
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