BUFFALO GAP – Buffalo Gap's Isaac Goff scored three first-half touchdowns and Jaden Humphrey added two as the Bison stormed to a 36-0 lead at the break en route to a 50-0 shellacking of the Bath County Chargers in nondistrict football.

After failing to score on their first possession, the Bison found the end zone with relative ease the last five of the opening half.

The lopsided victory helped erase the bitter aftertaste of last week's 49-7 season-opening loss at Class 3 Broadway.

“This was a good bounce back,” Gap seventh-year head coach Brad Wygant said. “We couldn't go anything right last week. We had a good week of practice.”

Bath was the first Class 1 school the Bison played during the regular season since the 2022 campaign.

Gap's offense racked up 204 total yards in the first 24 minutes, all coming on the ground as the Bison only attempted one pass. Goff had 81 yards in the first half to go along with his three scores, while Humphrey added 64 yards with the half's last two TDs.

While the offense was rolling, Gap's defense stifled the Chargers all night. In the pivotal first half, Bath was held to 3 yards and one first down, which came on the final play before the break.

The Chargers' offense suffered a big blow early in the game when Ethan Bryant suffered an ankle injury and didn't return. The senior had rushed for 200 yards in last week's 39-0 win at Stonewall Jackson.

“Coach (Drew) Bugden put in a great defensive scheme this week,” said Wygant after the team recorded its first shutout since the Bison routed Bath 54-0 in 2021.

The loss was only Bath's second regular-season setback since 2023 when the Chargers fell to Pioneer District rival Narrows in the final game, a span of 10 straight and 19 of 20 under fourth-year head coach and former Bath star quarterback Jake Phillips, who went to Bath after coaching the Staunton Storm for three years.

The two mountain neighbors hadn't met on the football field since 2022 when the Bison put a 50-7 whipping on Bath at home. The win was the eighth straight for Gap in the series in which it has outscored the Chargers by a whopping 394-46, and 13th time in the last 16 meetings since the Chargers won five in-a-row from 2000-04.

Overall the Bison have a 24-16-1 advantage all-time that dates back to the first meeting in 1964 when Bath was known as Valley High School.

After the Bison hurt themselves with penalties on the first possession, it was pedal-to-the-metal the rest of the half. Goff first TD run covered 29 yards with 4:48 left in the first quarter.

A Bath miscue set up the next score when the snap sailed over the punter's head and he was dropped at the 9. Goff scored from the 4 two plays later.

The Chargers failed on a fourth-down attempt deep in their territory at the 29. Goff covered all the yardage in two snaps, the last from 14 yards out for a 21-0 lead with 11:32 left in the half.

Humphrey took over the scoring parade. He had an 11-yard run and capped the first half with an 8-yard TD. Bradley Shiplett's two-point conversion guaranteed running clock for the second half with the 36-0 advantage.

The Bison tallied on their sixth-straight possession to begin the second half on Cooper Reed's 3-yard scamper. Dalton Coffey capped the barrage by rolling in from 17 yards out with 2:10 left in the game.

Kicker Maddox Roach finished 7-of-7 on PATs.

Ready or not, the Bison begin the Shenandoah District gauntlet next Friday at home against heavyweight Wilson Memorial, one of the top favorites to capture the regular season title along with newcomer Alleghany.

Gap lost its final five district games last season after winning its opener against Waynesboro. The Bison play 10-straight weeks before enjoying their bye on the final Friday of the regular season.

“We can enjoy tonight before getting back to work Monday,” Wygant said. “It's a marathon ahead, and we have to keep improving and stay healthy. There's nothing easy the rest of the way. We can't shoot ourselves in the foot like we did last week.”

First Quarter
BG – Goff 29 run (Roach kick)
BG – Goff 4 run (Roach kick)
Second Quarter
BG – Goff 14 run (Roach kick)
BG – Humphrey 11 run (Roach kick)
BG – Humphrey 8 run (Shiplett run)
BG – Reed 3 run (Roach kick)
Fourth Quarter
BG – Coffey 17 run (Roach kick)
BG – Coffey 17 run (Roach kick)