JF advances on Engledove's TD catch, Storm's PAT in OT

BRIDGEWATER — Coming into Friday’s Division 4, Region III semifinal game against Jefferson Forest, Turner Ashby’s biggest win came on the foot of its kicker.

It seemed ironic then, that its most devastating loss came on another team’s extra point.

After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on his team’s tying touchdown in overtime moved his extra-point attempt back 15 yards, Jefferson Forest senior kicker Josh Storm coolly converted the kick to lift the Cavaliers to a thrilling 22-21 win.

“I had a clear mind and just tried to put it through,” Storm said. “It’s all about confidence, and I knew I could make it, and that’s all it was. … I would say its one of the bigger kicks I’ve ever made in my life, yeah.”

TA — whose September defeat of previously unbeaten R.E. Lee on a last-second field goal gave it enough Virginia High School League power points to clinch the region’s No. 2 playoff seed — could only watch helplessly as its season came to a close.

“It’s tough,” TA coach Charlie Newman said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kids to fight as hard as they did; somebody’s going to win that and somebody’s going to lose that game. We went in at halftime and stressed, ‘24 minutes left to make it happen,’ and they came out and did everything they could.”

Senior running back Desmond Goode carried the ball 24 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cavaliers (9-3), who advance to face two-time defending D4 state champion Amherst in an all-Seminole District regional final next week. Amherst defeated the Massanutten District’s other entrant — Harrisonburg — 28-21.

The Knights — making their first playoff appearance since winning the Division 3 state title in 2005 — failed to capitalize on several opportunities. They could only take advantage of one of the three first-half turnovers they forced, and twice turned the ball over in the red zone.

“We came away, I think, two or three times with no points, which is a killer,” Newman said.

The Knights (7-4) opened the scoring on a 6-yard run by junior running back Alex Collins with 5:51 to play in the first quarter.

Defensively, TA ended Jefferson Forest’s first two drives with interceptions by junior cornerback Dustin Harris, forced a punt on the Cavaliers’ third possession and recovered a fumble on their fourth.

TA couldn’t take advantage of any of the turnovers, though, and Goode broke off a 78-yard run with 6:46 remaining in the half. Storm missed the extra point, though, and TA held the lead.

After JF forced another TA punt, Goode scored from 11 yards out to give the Cavaliers the lead.

The Knights looked ready to answer after moving the ball to the JF 14-yard line, but on third-and-7, the Knights brought in senior Tanner Croy to throw a fade pass into the end zone to junior Kyle Linn, the starting quarterback. Croy’s pass was intercepted by Colby Rhodes, who ran it back to the TA 26-yard line, and Storm eventually hit a 26-yard field goal to give Jefferson Forest a 15-7 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, TA tied it up with 10:40 to play in the game. After a 1-yard touchdown run by Linn, he found senior tight end Ryan Short in the back of the end zone for a 2-point conversion pass to tie things up.

Neither team could score again in regulation as the game entered overtime. In high school overtimes, teams are given the ball at the opponent’s 10-yard line. Jefferson Forest won the coin toss and elected to play defense first.

After senior running back Cole Hart was dropped for a 4-yard loss on first down, Linn ran down to the 5-yard line, and on the next play found Short alone in the end zone for a touchdown. Senior kicker Gerry Casey’s extra point was blocked by Jefferson Forest’s Andrew Brown, which put the pressure on the TA defense.

The Knights stopped Goode for a short gain on first down, but on the next play, JF quarterback Hunter Hannell rolled right and threw to 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior tight end Dustin Engledove, who made a nice leaping catch for the touchdown. Engledove — who is being recruited by Virginia Tech and Tennessee — spiked the ball and was called for a personal foul.

“That’s my first (touchdown) this year,” he said, “and it was a big one for me, and I wanted to get up and spike it so bad, but I tried to hold it back but I couldn’t. I was just so excited, just knowing that we could win this game if we made the kick and move on to play another game.”

Storm’s kick split the uprights easily, as the JF fans and players rushed the field.