Sports

Goochland wins regional singles, doubles titles

Webb, Bernstine win Region 3B doubles championship

By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

Breaking through for their first state tournament appearance on the doubles court together, senior Adam Webb and sophomore Evan Bernstine powered through three matches and played in two different counties in one day to win their first Class 3, Region B boys tennis doubles championship.

“It really meant a lot, because I was looking forward to playing with Evan last year,” Webb said. “I think we could’ve held our own last year, but definitely, since this is my senior year, it was good to get that final year in, and especially with a title.”

This year marked the first time that Bernstine and Webb got to play a full varsity tennis season together after COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 campaign. This year also marked Bernstine’s first time winning the regional title in singles.

“There’s no doubt that Evan’s probably one of the best kids in the state, especially in (Class 3), and getting to play with him is really fun, and it’s an honor,” Webb said. “When controlling the court, he does a really good job, and I have to hold my own at certain points, but he’s really talented, does a lot to help us win, so it’s really fun playing with him.”

Bernstine and Webb’s strengths throughout Friday’s regional tournament were on full display in their championship match against brothers Abhinav and Bhuvan Maddi from Lightridge. Webb’s groundstrokes stayed low, steady and consistent, keeping rallies alive and forcing mistakes. Bernstine’s powerful returns from the baseline also led to his opponents hitting the ball away, and he racked up several points on his fiery first serve.

Both players in the match also won points on hard-hitting overhead volleys and hustled to cover big shots from their opponents, including overheads.

“Evan’s a lot stronger than I am by far, so anytime he can hit the ball, we want him to,” Webb said while adding: “I can definitely hold my own, and I think that had a big play on helping us win, because if I can’t get the ball back to him when returning, then he has no chance to finish the point. I think it’s a combination of me being able to hang in there with the stronger guys and the matter of him being so talented to finish the points to help give us the win.”

Communication throughout the day was also key, as, during many points, Bernstine would communicate whether he had the ball, or if it was Webb’s shot to take.

“The more we play with each other, the better that communication gets,” Webb added. “It’s only going to get better from here.”

In the championship match, Webb and Bernstine led the first set 5-1, but the Maddi brothers won back-to-back games and served for a third, attempting to tighten the Goochland duo’s lead to 5-4. Abhinav and Bhuvan even reached advantage point, but they ultimately hit the ball into the net off of Bernstine’s drop shot on that point, resetting the game at deuce.

Goochland gained the advan-

see Doubles > page 10 Bernstine sweeps opponents for regional singles championship

By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

GOOCHLAND -- Last year, Evan Bernstine missed out on what would have been his first season on the varsity tennis courts due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But across this past year, his commitment to the game - and to improving his play - remained a daily one.

Day after day, the sophomore and younger brother of state champions and current Virginia Tech players Chase and Ryan Bernstine worked with the ball machine, focused on getting in reps, hit the ball with his brothers when they were home for the summer and played with his dad, Mark Bernstine.

Evan spoke to “really enjoying the process of getting better as a player and a person.”

That enjoyment, commitment and hard work - combined with his experience from having played since he was 6 years old - led to Evan picking up his first varsity title to date. In his first full high school season, the sophomore swept both of his regional tournament opponents on Tuesday to win the Class 3, Region B boys tennis singles championship.

Bernstine never lost a game in Tuesday’s tournament. He won 6-0, 6-0 over both Independence’s Srey Sola in the semifinal round and Lightridge’s Abhinav Maddi in the championship match.

The regional final marked the only time in the tournament that Bernstine’s opponent reached a score of 40 in a given game. In that particular instance, the fifth game of the second set, Bernstine - through a combination of Maddi landing a strong shot that Bernstine hit out, a double-fault and a return into the net, Bernstine for the only time in the day fell behind 40-0.

And then he won four straight points to get back the advantage. His second point in the game saw Bernstine and Maddi trade strong groundstrokes in a long rally, through which Bernstine persevered.

After a return shot into the net led to the second of only two deuce points that Bernstine played all tour-

Photos by Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Adam Webb (above) and Evan Bernstine, seen warming up for their first regional tournament doubles match at Goochland High School on Friday, won their first Class 3, Region B boys tennis doubles championship. Three days before the doubles tournament, Bernstine swept his opponents in 24 straight games to win his first Class 3, Region B boys tennis singles championship.

Boys soccer unit earns unbeaten regular season

By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

In state title-winning coach Marshall Lindner’s first year at the helm of Goochland’s young varsity boys soccer program, the Bulldogs assembled an unbeaten 10-0 regular season after routing Nottoway 9-1 last Wednesday.

Senior Charlie Flammia tallied up 4 goals in the win over Nottoway, while Connor Doersch, Jayme Roblero, River Green and senior Caleb Moyer each had 1. Goochland’s total score was elevated to 9 on one own goal.

In the week prior, Goochland shut out both Bluestone 5-0 and Prince Edward 8-0. Doersch and Flammia each scored 2 goals and Moyer had 1 against Bluestone. Doersch racked up 5 goals in the win over the Eagles, Yoshi Da Silva netted 2 and Flammia had 1.

Goochland goalie Braeden McKeown earned four shutouts in the 2021 regular stretch.

Wednesday’s win marked the final regular-season home game for Goochland High School seniors Charlie Flammia and Caleb Moyer. To Lindner, who is in his 49th year of being a head coach of a high school soccer team, both Flammia and Moyer are “real good players by any high school standard that I can think of.”

They’ve provided leadership on both sides of the field, with Flammia orchestrating the offense and Moyer anchoring the defense. They also set a very positive tone in practice, Lindner said, and they brought the best out of their teammates.

“They both were very, very important to us,” Lindner said.

Multiple young contributors, including six sophomores and two freshmen, have stepped up to positively impact Goochland’s team, and as the season’s progressed, more players, Lindner added, are being involved in the play.

“The thing that I felt best about is to watch them pass the ball on the field,” Lindner said. “A lot of players got a lot of touches on the ball. As a coach, it was a very gratifying season to watch the kids develop as a unit.”

Goochland will host the first round of the Class 3, Region B tournament on Monday, June 14 at 6 p.m.

One of the things that Lindner really wants is for his players to look back - maybe 20, 30 years from now - and say: “The years I played at Goochland soccer, they were good times; that was a good chapter in my life.” That’s something that Lindner can attest to - he celebrated his 72nd birthday on Sunday, and some of his best relationships, he said, are with the people he played high school baseball and soccer with.

“If you can look back and say, ‘Hey, 2021, we had an undefeated regular season,’ that’s something you feel good about,” Lindner said. “Hopefully it’s one of those things where kids can look back and say, ‘Boy, that was a nice time in my life.’”

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland’s Yoshi Da Silva (11), senior Caleb Moyer (12), Gintas Putinas (25) and senior Charlie Flammia (20) compete in 2021 regular season games at Goochland High School during the varsity boys soccer season.

Goochland girls soccer routs Eagles on Senior Night

By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

GOOCHLAND -- At halftime in last Tuesday’s game, Goochland’s girls soccer team not only honored the efforts of its four current seniors, but it also celebrated the contributions of its Class of 2020 players who didn’t get to play their senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the second half commenced, the Bulldogs turned up the heat, pouring in 5 goals and ending the game with a 7-0 triumph over James River District rival Prince Edward.

“All the seniors got some good play if not goals, and lots of smiles all around, and really the whole night was just to reward them and acknowledge them and honor them in addition to our seniors from the previous year who were not able to take part in a Senior Night,” said head coach Paul Manno.

The Bulldogs first recognized their Class of 2020 contributors: Victoria Lopez, who last year had returned to Goochland High School for her senior year, helped Goochland girls basketball win the 2020 James River District Championship and would have played on the soccer team as a senior; Julissa Gallegos, who is continuing both her academic and soccer careers at Marymount University, and who made Second Team AllState at the end of the Bulldogs’ 12-6 run in 2019; and Claire Anderson, who played and started at defender in all four years of her varsity career, and who along with Gallegos helped the Bulldogs reach the 2019 regional semifinals.

“I really felt badly for last year’s seniors who didn’t get their full year - we did acknowledge them at a team event after the season was cancelled last year - but I still wanted an opportunity for those girls to step on the field one more time, have their parents come out, fans and family and friends come out and acknowledge them,” Manno said.

And of the four current seniors, he added that they “have been a big part of our success over the last four years and are really all true leaders.”

Caroline Black, Cate Hinckley, Aubrie Hixon and Gabby Ragone all contributed to Tuesday night’s win. Hinckley also scored the first goal in the Bulldogs’ 5-goal run in the second half and added an assist.

“Each group of seniors seems to have a different personality, and this year’s personality, (they) are kind of quiet leaders,” Manno said. “They lead by example, and it’s not just a cliché - they really do lead by example. I love having them. They’re going to be sorely missed when they move on, but it was really nice to acknowledge them tonight and honor them tonight.”

Scoring 2 goals each for Goochland in last Tuesday’s win over Prince Edward were Erla Thorkelsdottir, Ella Kamencik and Allie Joyner. Nadia Esposito and Bridget Dinora each contributed two assists, and Kamencik and Joyner each had one.

In Goochland’s previous 8-0 win over Prince Edward, Ragone had 3 goals and three assists, Hixon had 3 goals and one assist, Hinckley and Grace Becraft each scored 1 goal and Black, Dinora, Kamencik and Thorkelsdottir each had an assist.

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland senior Aubrie Hixon (14) competes in the varsity girls soccer team’s Senior Night game versus Prince Edward.

Bulldogs blank Cumberland 16-0 on Senior Night

By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

GOOCHLAND -- Smiles were plentiful both on and off the field as the Goochland Bulldogs not only celebrated the contributions and efforts of their eight seniors, but also bounced back from the previous Thursday’s setback to Buckingham with a resounding 16-0, five-inning victory over Cumberland last Tuesday.

The seniors also heavily contributed to the victory.

“Our seniors were excited - in front of a big home crowd, we had a lot of people come tonight, so it was good that we got that momentum early. It’s one of those games you don’t want to show up flat to, so we got three-up, three-down defensively right away, and then we put four on the board right away,” said Goochland head coach Wes Farkas. “Momentum-wise, that’s exactly what we needed to get done, and it carried over to the rest of the game I think.”

After going up 4-0, the Bulldogs secured a double-digit lead with a whopping 10 runs in the second inning. They added their last 2 in the third.

All eight of Goochland’s seniors who were honored Tuesday night - Will Stratton, Chris White, Greyson Ragone, Ayden Doczi, Travis Lestyk, Andrew Jones, Mason Nuckols and Corey Vincent - had at least a hit and a run scored.

White batted 4 for 4 with 4 RBI, 3 runs and three doubles.

Lestyk batted 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, a run and two doubles.

Nuckols batted 2 for 2 with 2 runs and a double. He also allowed two hits, one walk and no runs and struck out four for the win on the mound in three innings pitched and 45 pitches total. Ragone batted 2 for 3 with 4 RBI, 2 runs and a double. Doczi batted 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Jones had a hit and an RBI and scored 2 runs. Vincent had a hit and scored a run.

Stratton, Goochland’s leadoff hitter, batted 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs. In addition, he pitched the final two innings and combined with Nuckols for the 2-hitter as he only let one Cumberland player on base on a walk. Stratton struck out three and made sure that the Dukes stayed off of home plate in 25 pitches.

The senior also made a gem of a play for an out when, in a flash, he: ran down a popup fly east of the first base line and near the dugout; handled the ball with his bare hand; and clasped it against his glove as he slid across the ground.

The ball never left his grasp on the slide.

“As soon as it came off the bat, you knew he was going to make an effort at it - no doubt about it,” Farkas said. “But not many guys make that play. He’s running full-speed and has to slide - otherwise, you run straight in the dugout - and he would’ve done it, too. He’s the kind of kid that would run into the dugout for a ball like that. He made a great play there...he’s the kind of guy who’s like: This play’s going to be mine, and I’m not going to drop it, whether it’s my bare hand or my glove.”

Also contributing were Riley Hite (1 for 2, 2 RBI, 1 run) and Eli Umberger (1 for 1).

Two days later, Goochland battled hard in a 4-3 setback to Randolph-Henry. White hit an RBI triple and added a run scored. Stratton added an RBI single and a run scored. Doczi hit an RBI single and Hite batted 2 for 3 and scored a run.

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland’s Chris White hits an RBI double in the third inning of the Bulldogs’ Senior Night home game versus Cumberland.

Doubles

continued from >8 tage off of another return by Bernstine, and Webb on the next point delivered a quick block that Lightridge’s duo returned high and out, securing both the game and the 6-3 set for the Bulldogs.

Goochland jumped out to a 4-1 second-set lead before heavy rains rolled in, forcing the doubles finals to move half-an-hour’s drive from Goochland High School’s tennis courts to Salisbury Country Club in Midlothian.

“It was really unique; we almost never change locations during the middle of a match, so to have that happen in the regional finals was something else; it was really crazy,” Webb said. “I liked playing indoors though; although the match was short, once we got there, it was a lot of fun getting to go to a different location that a lot of the high school kids usually haven’t been to, so it was really neat for the finals.”

The move ultimately didn’t affect Bernstine and Webb’s momentum. They won the next two games to take the second set 6-1 and secure their trip to Blacksburg.

“We did have to adjust a little bit; we were almost finished with the match...we were definitely in the groove, we were hitting good shots, so to be stopped right in the middle, we sort of had to slow down our game; when we got back into it, we had to warm up again and get in that groove again,” Webb said.

“But luckily we did finish out strong and we continued our streak,” he added, “but that definitely could’ve been a big factor because we could’ve played completely different once we moved the match.” The Bulldogs faced adversity earlier in the day in their first round of regionals when they trailed 2-0 behind Maggie Walker freshman players Ethan Choe and Alex Percey, who immediately opened with powerful returns.

But Goochland’s volleys at the net picked up, and after Webb saw his opponents hit out his second serve for the Bulldogs’ first game win of the day, Bernstine and Webb never let off the gas for the rest of the set.

‘They swept the next five games to win the set at 6-2 as Bernstine’s well-placed strikes at the net and Webb’s groundstrokes kept the Green Dragons off-balance.

Maggie Walker briefly seized back momentum in the second set when the duo led 2-1, but Goochland rallied once again. With Webb serving, the Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead when Maggie Walker hit out one of Bernstine’s overheads. A volley from Webb for game point helped ensure a 5-3 insurance advantage.

The Bulldogs swept the ninth game for a 6-3 set result and the first-round match on straight points.

In the regional semifinals, Bernstine and Webb routed Brentsville District’s Kylan and Bryson Cheney 6-0, 6-2.

The Goochland duo’s groundstrokes and a wellplaced winner by Bernstine down the left side secured the sixth and final game of the first set.

The Bulldogs also overcame an early 2-1 deficit in the second set, flipping into a 3-2 lead before breaking the Tigers’ serve on an overhead volley winner from Bernstine that landed in shallow court and finished off steady groundstroke returns from Webb.

Another overhead slam from Bernstine in the eighth game of the set put the exclamation mark on the semifinal match for Goochland.

The duo will play in the Class 3 state doubles semifinals on Thursday at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg at 3 p.m. The doubles state final will be held Friday at 12 noon.

“When we go to states, whether we win or lose in the state semifinals or finals, it’s going to be a great experience either way,” Webb said. “It’s been a great experience all around. I’m really happy about how this year’s turned out.”

Singles

continued from >8

nament, Bernstine returned a same-direction shot to get back the advantage point, then put away the fifth game when he mixed in a floater of a shot, and his opponent hit it into the net.

Bernstine was extremely sharp throughout the entire day when it came to mixing up his shots. That included the incorporation of drop shots, notably one on a volley to win the first set of the championship round. He also saw several of those shots land in the opponent’s shallow court as winners. He noted that he’ll throw in the drop shot whenever he’s not feeling consistent from the baseline - “just throw in some variety, get my opponent moving a little bit, draw him to the net maybe.”

Bernstine’s power was also on display, as he was able to deliver high-velocity winners, including a laser of a shot to go-ahead 30-15 in the final game of the championship match.

He was able to cover the edge well against Maddi’s powerful shots in the final, and he also had two big reads against Sola in the semifinals when, twice, he hit a drop shot, then hit his opponent’s return shots over Sola’s head on two high-arching strikes that landed just inside the court near the baseline. His opponent was not able to keep either return in play.

Bernstine only lost one point in the first set of his semifinal match, with Sola getting the point while serving. All 12 of Bernstine’s points while serving in that first set were won on first serves.

Bernstine will play in the Class 3 state singles semifinals on Friday at Virginia Tech at 9 a.m.

The singles state final will be held Saturday at 9 a.m.