WARSAW — When Isaac Goff scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run, then added the 2-point conversion on a run, it looked like Buffalo Gap was on its way to a state football championship game. The score put Gap in front by nine with 6:09 left in the third quarter. Then the offensive well ran dry for the Bison. Rappahannock outscored the Bison 15-0 over the final quarter and a half to win the VHSL Class 1 state football semifinal 38-32 over Buffalo Gap Dec. 6.In its final three possessions of the game, Buffalo Gap turned the ball over on downs twice and then came up seven yards short of the end zone as time ran out.Buffalo Gap was trying to get back to the state championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2007. It’s the second state semifinal loss for the program since then, the other coming in 2015. “We hope that they understand how important it is that they kind of set the standard for what we expect here,” Coach Brad Wygant, in his seventh season at Gap, said of his seniors. “Two years ago they were sophomores and when they were sophomore we weren’t winning games. And it would be really easy to just think that’s the standard.”It wasn’t. Two years ago, the Bison finished the season 1-10. A year later they played for a regional title and this season won a regional title and played in the state playoffs. Among the seniors that Gap loses is Isaac Goff, the Region 1B offensive player of the year. Against Rappahannock, Goff had 195 yards and two touchdowns, one for 53-yards, per stats provided by WTON’s Joe Deck. Trailing by six late in the game, Buffalo Gap had one more chance when it took over on its own 30 following a Rappahannock punt with 2:55 left in regulation. A pass interference call on 3rd-and-12 from their own 28 got the Bison a first down at the 43. Then three plays later, on 2nd-and-6 from the Rappahannock 43, Cooper Reed looked like he was trying to find a receiver before seeing some running room to his right. The junior took off down the sideline for a 36-yard gain to the 7.More: Craigsville students get national attention for Christmas artworkMore: Retiring Augusta County superintendent honored with new scholarshipsWith 26 seconds left, Gap was in great shape, but two penalties, including one for intentional grounding, moved Gap back to the 28. Reed was able to connect with Goff on a pass to the 7 in the middle of the field, but time ran out before the Bison could run another play. “Cooper made a big play going down that sideline,” Wygant said. “It gave us an opportunity … it gave us a shot, but we weren’t able to punch it in.”The Bison got off to a good start, blocking a punt on Rappahannock’s first possession and taking over on the 28. It took eight plays from there, but Gap scored first on a Reed run. Reed had 96 yards in the game and that one score. Goff added the run for two and Gap led 8-0.Tied at 16 late in the first quarter, Gap made its first mistake, fumbling the ball. Rappahannock’s Christian Destin picked up the ball and raced 39 yards for his team’s first lead. Gap had one more score in it, this one on a Jaden Humphrey 5-yard run, and Goff scored the 2-point conversion to put Gap up 24-23 at halftime. Gap had a chance to increase its lead when it forced a turnover on downs with 2:18 left on Rappahannock’s 41, but the Bison couldn’t score before halftime. “It would have felt a lot better if we had been able to punch one in before half,” Wygant said. “We’ve been able to do that a few times this year and this time we didn’t get a chance to do that.” Goff scored his third touchdown in the third quarter, but that would be the final points for the Bison.Buffalo Gap ends the season 7-7, winners of five of its last seven games. Rappahannock will play Rye Cove, a 7-6 winner over Grayson County, for the Class 1 state championship Dec. 13 in Salem, at 5 p.m.Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips are always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Buffalo Gap falls short to Rappahannock in VHSL state semifinals