Broadway Football At the Bye Week

Recapping the First Four Games and Looking Ahead to a Special Night

So far through the 2022 BHS Football Season, the Gobblers record stands at 1-3. 
The season opened with a thrilling, lightning delayed win over Fluvanna County. Broadway traveled nearly two hours to Palmyra, VA to take on the Flucos in Week 1. The Gobblers started off with a steady run game which carried the offense up and down the field throughout the first quarter. Then in a flash, lightning struck, leading to a 53-minute delay. Going through a lightning delay from a coaches perspective is just as irritating as it has to be for the fans. You get so dialed into your game plan and preparing for a game that when it comes to an abrupt stop, it’s incredibly frustrating. However, due to the grace of Mother Nature, we were able to resume the game that same evening.  After the delay, the Gobblers scored on the ensuing possession, paving the way for a 28-17 victory. 

After a great Week One, the schedule headed back home to Broadway for a week 2 tilt with the Strasburg Rams. Like I mentioned in the Season Preview, the Rams were everything as advertised that we remembered from our game last year. Their Wing-T offense was full of misdirection and nose bleeding inside runs. Our week 2 tilt was admittedly a tough one. The scoreboard read 27-6 however, after fighting illness and injuries during the week, the Gobblers Coaching Staff was proud of the way the team fought. The Rams are one of the better teams in the area and to fight like the way we did was a good sign about our team’s toughness. 

Week 3 started a two-week road trip that saw us visit the Dragons of William Monroe. This game was yet another slug fest.  From a coaches standpoint, I felt like we matched up well against the Dragons. The defense matched up well with their single wing offense however, games like this come down to one thing, whoever blinks first. Unfortunately, in this circumstance, Broadway blinked first. My hat goes off to the Dragons as they answered the call, capitalizing on the energy of the home crowd to grab a 27-14 win.

Lastly, our road trip across the area ended with a tilt against former Valley District foe, Fort Defiance. Fort has hard working kids just like BHS, which always reminds me of our teams no matter the sport. I mentioned the Strasburg game being a slug fest, and Fort was a slug fast on a well balanced breakfast. The Gobblers grabbed an early 7-0 lead, and the defense was stout, leading Fort to run only eight plays on offense in the first half. When I saw that statistic I had to check twice to ensure it was correct. Our offense methodically ate time off of the clock while gaining 4 or 5 yards on each play. Just like the week before against Monroe, this contest was so close that whoever blinked first would find themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Again, the Gobblers blinked, as the Fort offense provide some big plays, which led to the Gobblers losing a hard-fought 19-7 contest.

Heading into the Bye Week, the Gobblers record stands at 1-3. I know that isn’t the flashiest record however, the games we’ve played have been much closer than the scoreboard might indicate. Broadway had tough contests against some great teams and held our own physically in each game. From my view, I know this team and with that being said I have no doubt that the team will rebound. It’s a game of inches and the last couple haven’t gone our way. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned in my years around BHS Football it remains simple. We won’t fold. We’ll bring physical play to the field each night to give our opponents everything we’ve got. 

After the bye week, the Gobblers return home for a huge game that means so much to so many. Childhood Cancer Awareness night versus Central on September 30.  The “Gold Out Game”, which raises awareness for childhood cancer, is a tradition started at BHS in 2019 during Coach Danny Grogg’s first season which was my junior year. I remember being in the locker room before the game and families with their warrior kids came to visit us. It was incredibly emotional, yet very inspiring to listen to their stories. To listen to their fights and most importantly to listen to how they overcame the greatest struggle one can imagine was awe inspiring. 

It really put everything into perspective for me. It showed me how important Broadway Football truly is. We, as a community, have witnessed children fighting the toughest fight imaginable, yet they look up to us because we are on the BHS Football Team. It was a beautifully inspiring night and continues to be inspiring years later.  The Gold Out Game is a special night in which we honor the brave children who’ve fought the toughest fight of all, a fight far tougher than any on the football field.

I know I'm not alone when I say I'm really looking forward to our game on September 30. I can’t wait to meet all the inspiring souls who keep us moving forward when the going gets tough. 

While the current losing streak hasn’t been the most enjoyable weeks of our lives, next week serves as a reminder that what we do is much bigger than any of us could comprehend. As a team, we are going to continue to inspire our community.  Hopefully providing inspiration to keep fighting during their toughest battles. In return, we’ll take the inspiration we get from the community and repay the favor! 

Picture used with permission of BHS Football