Bridgeport’s offense in recent games has witnessed some fresh faces due to injury.  And while the offense continues to hum along, Indians Coach John Cole wants to make sure everyone knows where things are getting started.

 

“A lot of people may not notice it, but a lot of our success tonight and this season starts and ends with our offensive line,” said BHS Coach John Cole.

 

Tonight, the success started early and the Indians used a patchwork backfield and a strong defensive showing in another dominating first half to take home a 35-19 win against Buckhannon-Upshur.

 

The win left Bridgeport at 5-1 on the year. The Buccaneers fell to 2-3.

 

Bridgeport finished with 360 yards of offense in the game with 293 of it coming in the first half. It was in those first two periods where the Indians rambled out to a 35-0 advantage and never looked back. And Cole emphasized the play of the line led the way.

 

The group of Elijah Drummond at center, Christian Olivio at right guard, Mike Minor at left guard, Jimmy Allison at left tackle and John Thomas at right tackle, with Caleb Strakel at tight end made the difference tonight. Drummond returned after missing last week’s game due to an injury.

 

“Our offensive line has come along. They’re thinking and playing hard and you could see it on film last week that we were doing things that a good line does,” said Cole. “We are doing the little extra things that good lines have to do … Everything we preach to them, almost everything, they’re starting do and that’s pleasing.”

 

That was good news for the Tribe as they were without their starting fullback and upback due to injuries and there's no status on when they may be healthy enough to return. Sophomore Brian Henderson started at fullback and Brent Sinsel filled in at the upback and the offense didn’t miss a beat.

 

With the line blocking along with the two substitute backs, the trio of John Merica, Jake Bowen and D’Andre Holloway led the way for the 35-0 advantage at the half. About the only bad news was that Holloway was injured at the end of the first half and his status at the present time is also unknown.

 

Merica carried the ball just five times, but finished with 105 yards. Holloway got his first career varsity 100-yard game with 12 carries for 104 yards. Bowen added 61 yards on seven carries. All of that offense came in the first two periods of play as the Indians didn’t play their offensive weapons in the final two periods. In fact, Holloway came on in relief early in the game to spell Bowen at tailback.

 

“Jake’s got really good vision and everything he’s gotten he’s deserved … John just keeps reading things correctly and the results have been positive,” said Cole of his starters.

 

As for Holloway’s big game, Cole said he knew it was possible.

 

“We knew he had talent. In a junior varsity game earlier this year against Fairmont Senior he had over 200 yards on, I think, 31 carries,” said Cole. “ … He’s got good vision and just needs little more muscle on him, but he runs hard so you could see more things out of him.”

 

While Cole was pleased with the team’s play, he was also pleased with the Tribe’s field position. Three of the first four scoring drives started in Buckhannon territory.

 

“It’s good to see,” said Cole of the field position. “We’ll take that every time.”

 

Good field position proved critical in the quick start. On the first drive of the game, Holloway’s 32-yard kickoff return gave the Indians the ball at their own 41-yard line. It would take six plays before Bridgeport would get its first touchdown of the game.

 

After Merica kept the ball on a 36-yard run to the Buckhannon 11, Bowen would finish things off. After a three-yard run, Bowen took the handoff up the middle, cut to his right and outraced the defender to the corner of the end zone. Following the first of five point-after kicks by Koby Kiefer, Bridgeport was up 7-0 with 9:26 to play and the offensive floodgates were opened.

 

The Indians next three scores were set up by a combination of great defense by the Tribe and poor punts by the visitors. After a quick three-and-out forced by the Tribe, a 21-yard punt gave the Indians the ball near midfield. Three plays later, Merica kept the ball, raced to the right through a gaping hole and then cut back to shake the only Buckhannon defender for a 50-yard score that left the hosts up 14-0 with 6:42 to go.

 

Another three-and-out followed by an 18-yard punt gave the Tribe the ball right back at the Buccaneers’ 39-yard line. And it wouldn’t take long for BHS to cash in.

 

Bowen did the honors for the second time in the period on the first play. Much like the earlier plays, Bowen took the handoff and made one cut to find the opening he needed to go all 39 yards for the score that left BHS up 21-0 with 5:30 to go in the first.

 

Unfortunately for the guests, the offensive onslaught wasn’t over. And once again, the defense had something to do with it.

 

The Buccaneers opted to go for it on a fourth-and-two play from their own 36 with more than two minutes to go and the gamble didn’t pay off. A run to the side saw Bridgeport’s Josh Osborn meet the B-U runner head on and it was Osborn that got the win and the Indians that got the ball.

 

BHS took over with 2:25 to play in the first and needed just three play to make Buckhannon pay for coming up short. Merica capped the drive by keeping it from 17 yards out scoring with 1:13 to go in the first for the 28-0 advantage.

 

Bridgeport managed just one touchdown in the second period and it was a familiar clock-killing drive led by an unfamiliar varsity name. Starting at their own 20, the Indians used eight plays to cover 80 yards and eat up 3:59 of the clock for another six points. Holloway had runs of 23, 15, 12 and 11 yards out of his six carries on the surge. However, it was his one-yard run up the gut with 4:07 left that helped put the Tribe up 35-0, which would be the score at the half.

 

BHS would force two turnovers after that as the hosts mixed in second string players with the first unit. Maverick Eddy recovered a fumble on a kickoff and Sinsel would come back on the next defensive series with an interception for the Tribe. The plays helped keep Buckhannon from doing any damage offensively in the first half.

 

Buckhannon finished the first half with 81 yards on 21 plays. All but one of those yards came on 16 carries of the ball. The visitors would finish with 214 yards on 40 plays as the team used many of their first teamers against Bridgeport reserves through key portions of the second half.

 

“They did great against their (triple option) offense, which Buckhannon runs different than East Fairmont so we had different assignments,” said Cole. “(Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Adam) King and the rest of the coaches had these guys prepared.”

 

Despite the good field position throughout, the Indians still managed to post huge numbers offensively in the first half. A lot of it had to do with the defense continually giving the offense possession of the ball. By the time the first two quarters were complete, the Tribe had 293 yards of offense on 34 plays. Bridgeport rushed for 285 yards on 30 runs of the ball.

 

The first of three second half scores by Buckhannon came following a muffed punt by the Tribe. It took B-U just four plays to cash in as Benjamin Tenney scored from a yard out. Dawson Carpenter’s point-after kick made it 35-7 with 7:44 to go in the third.

 

The Buccaneers got two late fourth period touchdowns as well. Starters Drew Heatherly and Ryan Strader scored from seven and two yards out, respectively, for the final two touchdowns of the game. Both extra point attempts failed.

 

BHS continued its strong play against Buckhannon at home. B-U last won at Jamison Field in 1987. The win also secured another non-losing season - the 50th straight - for the Indians.

 

Bridgeport returns to action next week against the 4-1 Huskies of North Marion. NMHS was a 49-7 winner against Berkeley Springs. Kickoff in Rachel next Friday is 7 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows members of the offensive line and the rest of the offensive unit getting ready to break the huddle in the first half of tonight's game. Second photo shows Jake Bowen breakig free on one of his two touchdown runs, while John Merica in shown in the third photo doing the same. In the fourth photo, Brian Henderson leads the way as D'Andre Holloway churns up yards againsts the Bucs. Next picture shows the Tribe defense swarming to the ball, while Caleb Strakel tosses the ball to the official after catching the Indians' only successful pass attempt of the contest. Photos by Ben Queen and Joey Signorelli of www.benqueenphotography.com.