NEW LONDON -- As the first stadium with lights in Texas, Bruce Bradshaw Stadium has been around long enough to host some classic games.

West Rusk's home digs played host to the latest East Texas epic. Tyler Bishop Gorman held at its own goal line to put away district rival Bullard Brook Hill, a team it lost to in the regular season, in the TAPPS Division II state quarterfinals.

With a 28-21 victory, the Crusaders are one game from a state championship appearance.

"We talk about it in the weight room when we get to our last station," head coach Cody Gipson said. "We get through all our sets before the last one and get together for a team yell about attacking the very last thing you do. We talked about making a goal line stand. In high school football, in a situation like this, it's something you'll always remember."

Crusaders quarterback Michael Goodwin eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards for the season in Saturday's state quarterfinal game. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Crusaders quarterback Michael Goodwin eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards for the season in Saturday's state quarterfinal game. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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Bishop Gorman (10-2) took a 28-21 lead with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter on quarterback Michael Goodwin's two-yard run. The signal caller broke 3,000 passing yards on the season in Saturday's playoff game as well as 1,000 rushing yards.

Goodwin played a hand in three of the Crusaders' scores. He thew a 68-yard bomb to Judah Bell to give Bishop Gorman a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter and then tossed a 15-yard pass to Connor Hobbs in the back corner of the end zone to tie the game at 21 with 4:49 to play in the third quarter prior to his scoring run.

But Brook Hill's Gabe Lucio, coming off a late regular season ankle injury, was having a career day for the other side with two scores in three quarters. It was a huge boost with leading receiver Seth Brasher unavailable with a late season ACL tear.

The weather had deteriorated from threatening skies through the first half to a light mist to an all out rain shower late. In a tight game, the Guard's primary back gave Brook Hill a big trump card against an opposing, pass-heavy team.

Brook Hill (8-3) took the ball after Goodwin's touchdown run and moved down the field with ease. Lucio had four runs for 43 yards on a 10-play, 73-yard drive down to the Crusader's 6.

Brook Hill's Gabe Lucio scored twice on the ground and put up 152 yards on 27 carries in his final high school game. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Brook Hill's Gabe Lucio scored twice on the ground and put up 152 yards on 27 carries in his final high school game. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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Lucio gained a hard yard down to the five on first-and-goal. A Bishop Gorman personal foul on the tackle moved the ball to the ball within eight feet of the goal line.

With eight minutes left, this was the break the Guard could use to tie the game.

The Crusaders defense stuffed Lucio for no gain on the first play from the two and a half yard line. A bad snap on second down knocked Brook Hill back to the 15 and rattled the team so much that it had to take its first timeout of the half to avoid a delay of game penalty.

Brook Hill gained half the yardage back on an option pitch to Lucio on third down. But Bishop Gorman's Bell broke up the fourth down pass in the end zone with 7:02 remaining.

"We did a good job moving the ball the whole game, but the defense won that game," Goodwin said. "It's like one of my friends said, 'Defense wins games and offense sells tickets.' That's kind of how it worked."

The Crusaders burned three minutes of clock on a six-play, 14-yard drive from inside their own 10. They made Brook Hill use their second timeout in an effort to conserve clock after a third down stop.

The Guard got the ball back on their own 44-yard line with 3:48 to play.

Lucio ran for two yards on first down. The Bishop Gorman defense forced a throwaway pass on second down. Josh Riegel and Michael Guzman broke up Brook Hill's third down pass and its fourth down desperation heave was batted down by Guzman.

Bishop Gorman's Judah Bell gets just enough of Brook Hill's Chase McDermott to end a nine-yard gain in the second quarter of Saturday's quarterfinal playoff. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Bishop Gorman's Judah Bell gets just enough of Brook Hill's Chase McDermott to end a nine-yard gain in the second quarter of Saturday's quarterfinal playoff. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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Now with the ball on Brook Hill's 46, Guzman ran for four yards and Goodwin picked up a first down with a six-yard carry on the second play of the final possession.

Brook Hill used its last timeout, but Goodwin successfully kneeled the ball three times to burn the final 1:30 off the clock.

"We had some success and then in the second half they made the adjustments," Brook Hill head coach Bobby Brasher said. "We just ran out of bullets. I'm just glad we made it this far."

Bishop Gorman will take on either Dallas Christian or Houston Lutheran South in the state semifinal round. Those two teams were supposed to play Saturday evening, but they pushed the game to Monday due to weather.

Dallas Christian edged Bishop Gorman, 24-21, in district play. Lutheran South eliminated Tyler Grace Community in the opening round of the playoffs last week.

If Dallas Christian wins its quarterfinal game, the Crusaders will play the semifinal round in Corsicana. Bishop Gorman would play Lutheran South in College Station.

"We played Dallas Christian pretty close early in the season," Goodwin said. "That game came down to a few critical mistakes. We'll correct them. We'll play a good game next week, whoever it is."

Bishop Gorman quarterback Michael Goodwin is loose again. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Bishop Gorman quarterback Michael Goodwin is loose again. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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Tyler Bishop Gorman 28, Bullard Brook Hill 21

TAPPS Division II
State Quarterfinal Playoff
At Bruce Bradshaw Stadium, New London

Bishop Gorman          7     7      14     0    --    28
Brook Hill                   0    14      7      0    --    21

First Quarter
BG--Daniel McKnight 1 run (Martin Guzman kick); 3:59
Second Quarter
BH--Gabe Lucio 3 run (Caleb Chadwell kick); 11:19
BG--Judah Bell 68 pass from Michael Goodwin (Guzman kick); 10:35
BH--Ryan Cox 30 pass from Grant Hanks (Chadwell kick); :07
Third Quarter
BH--Lucio 6 run (Chadwell kick); 8:40
BG--Connor Hobbs 15 pass from Goodwin (Guzman kick); 4:49
BH--Goodwin 2 run (Guzman kick); 07

                                            BG                   BH

First Downs                           20                      15
Total Yards                          328                    242
Rushes-Yards                 36-108              31-162
Passing Yards                      220                   80
Comp.-Att.-Int.              16-20-0               7-19-0
Punts-Avg.                       5-39.8               4-44.0
Fumbles-Lost                   0-0                    4-0
Penalties-Yards                4-42                  4-41

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bishop Gorman, Martin Guzman 8-53, Logan Botello 7-22, Daniel McKnight 7-15, Unidentified Player 1-10, Josh Johnson 2-5, Michael Goodwin 11-3.  Brook Hill, Gabe Lucio 27-152, Grant Hanks 2-26, Jacob Dumesnil 2-6, Chase McDermott 1-(-9), TEAM 1-(-13)
PASSING--Bishop Gorman, Goodwin 16-20-0--219. Brook Hill, Hanks 7-18-0--80, McDermott 0-1-0--0.
RECEIVING--Bishop Gorman, Judah Bell 3-101, Connor Hobbs 7-73, Josh Riegel 3-37, Guzman 2-9. Brook Hill, McDermott 5-72, Malik Alley 1-8, McCray Fletcher 1-0.

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