Hampshire closes in on East crown
Hampshire's special teams kept the Whip-Purs in good field position and Burlington Central in terrible field position most of the night. That was a big reason that the Whip-Purs spoiled the Rockets' homecoming with a 21-0 win Friday night at Rocket Hill.
Hampshire clinched at least a tie for the Big Northern East title with its fifth straight win while dashing Burlington's slim playoff hopes. The win is Hampshire's first over Central since 2005 and just the third since 1993. It's the first shutout in the rivalry since 1989 and Hampshire's first shutout of the Rockets since 1979.
Central still leads the all-time series 24-15.
James Goebbert's returns consistently left the Whips (5-3, 4-0) with a short field. On the other side of the ball, Evan Brenner dropped 3 punts inside the 20-yard line. One rolled dead at the 1-yard line, leading to a safety.
Offensively, Goebbert rushed for 86 yards, and caught a touchdown pass. Joe Moore scored on a 1-yard run and Lucas Meyer recovered a fumble in the end zone.
Goebbert set the tone early, returning the opening kickoff to near midfield. Hampshire didn't score on that possession, but Brenner's punt pinned the Rockets at their own 4-yard line. Central couldn't move the ball, and Goebbert returned the ensuing punt to the 16. Four plays later, Moore bulled in from the 1 to put Hampshire on top.
On the next possession, Goebbert's punt return again set the Whip-purs up in good field possession. The drive ended with Goebbert's touchdown pass, as he outjumped a defender for the ball in the corner of the end zone.
"If we need our special teams to have a great game, our special teams have a great game," said Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh. "Everybody picks each other up on this team."
"Field position is a big thing in football," said Goebbert. "I just got the ball and tried to duck through and run it back."
The teams continued to play the field-position game during a scoreless third quarter. On the second-last play of the quarter, Brenner's punt stopped dead at the Rockets' one. The Rockets couldn't move the ball, and on third down, Cooper Smith tackled Tim Maroder for a safety.
Hampshire, which can secure the BN-E's automatic playoff bid with a win at Marengo next week, added a final score when Meyer recovered a fumble in the end zone. Moore fumbled into the end zone and Meyer was there for the score.
The Rockets, who had made the playoffs the last two years, drove to Hampshire's 8-yard line late in the game, but the Whips' defense stiffened to preserve the shutout.
"Our special teams certainly didn't help us at the beginning of the game," said Central coach Aaron Wichman. "And then our field position the whole game -we just couldn't get anything generated."
Tim Botsford completed 6 of 19 passes for 89 yards for Central. Four of those passes went to Kevin Kellish for 77 yards.