Goff Sparks Bison To Shutout Win Over Storm

STAUNTON – Buffalo Gap's Isaac Goff had a first half to remember, which created a full-fledged nightmare for reeling Staunton.

The Bison senior scored three first-half touchdowns, including a pick-6 on the game's third play, sparking a 32-0 rout over the free-falling Storm in Shenandoah District football at Winston Wine Memorial Stadium.

Goff's 55-yard interception return less than three minutes into the game set the tone, and the Bison rolled from there for their second victory in three weeks. He later rushed for a pair of touchdowns as the Bison raced to a 25-0 halftime blowout. For good measure, he had a second interception in the second half.

Gap's defense completely bottled up the Storm's struggling offense in recording its second shutout of the season. The Bison haven't blanked two teams in a season since 2016.

For the game, the defense had Goff's two interceptions, recovered a fumble and made a pair of fourth-down stops, both of which led to touchdowns. The Storm were limited to 170 yards of total offense and ran just 21 plays in the second half.

The special teams also got in on the action with a blocked punt that led to Gap's fourth score in the first half.

“Staunton has a lot of injuries and was patching those holes, but our guys took on the challenge of respecting those athletes on every snap,” Gap head coach Brad Wygant said.

It was Goff's perfect read in zone passing defense that quickly turned the tide on favor of the Bison. Staunton started the game's first possession at its 33, and a 2-yard run and 17-yard pass play put the ball at Gap's 48. On the next snap, the Storm quarterback overthrew his receiver in the right flat and there was Goff sitting in position for the easy pick and nothing but 55 yards of green grass ahead.

“I read the pass into zone coverage coming out into the flat, and there was the ball in my hands,” Goff said. “It's all about knowing how to be in the right reads and positions.”

Wygant added: “Isaac made a big play and that swung the momentum early.”

The Bison were coming off a tough home loss to then-unbeaten Alleghany, and Wygant wasn't about to dwell on that.

“We are always preaching accountability. There is no finger pointing on this team,” he said. “It's a 'we' mentality where the guys take ownership. “'We' need to be better.”

The defense's first fourth-down stop opened the door for the Bison's second touchdown. After taking over at its own 40, Gap stayed entirely on the ground mainly behind Goff. Staunton helped the cause by giving the Bison a first down with an encroachment penalty on a third-and-2. Goff finished the drive from by sweeping right for 13 yards to paydirt.

The Storm turned the ball over on downs again on their next series, and the Bison ran the ball eight-straight times to cover 69 yards, the last 31 on a burst by Goff with 10:57 left in the first half for an 18-0 lead.

“Isaac had his best week of practice,” Wygant said. “He hit it full speed on Monday. He knows he's not going to wear the Bison helmet forever. He has grown up a ton.”

Cooper Reed blocked a Storm punt and Gap recovered at the 1, but a penalty behind the play brought the ball back to Staunton's 40. After Goff hauled in a 27-yard completion to the 16, Jaden Humphrey scored five plays later on a 6-yard run.

The only score in the second half came with 11.3 seconds left in the third quarter when Humphrey capped an 11-play march that covered 68 yards and consumed 6:36 off the clock.

Gap (3-5, 2-4) has now beaten two district opponents other than Waynesboro for the first time since 2022.

While the Bison were enhancing their standing in Region 1B where they came in at No. 5, Staunton (3-4, 1-4) has vanished from the playoff picture in Region 3C after a fourth-straight loss following a 3-0 start.

The win stopped a two-game losing streak against Staunton, and gives the Bison a 6-5 edge in the all-time series. The first five victories came between 2018-22.

The Bison seek their third win in four games next Friday by hosting Waynesboro in their next-to-last game of the regular season. Gap finishes out Halloween Night on the road at Stuarts Draft.

“This win has us really pumped up,” Goff said. “We are anxious to get back to work Monday. We played Alleghany real close, and we proved tonight that we can play with top teams in the district. We have a different mindset.”

The Storm's card doesn't get any easier next week as they travel to Wilson Memorial, which will be coming off a huge 17-3 road win over previously unbeaten Alleghany. They host surging Riverheads on Halloween and finish at Fort Defiance on Nov. 7.

First Quarter
BG – Goff 55 interception return (no kick)
BG – Goff 13 run (run failed)

Second Quarter
BG – Goff 31 run (kick failed)
BG – Humphrey 6 run (Roach kick)

Third Quarter
BG – Humphrey 4 run (Roach kick)