It’s the middle stretch of what Bridgeport High School Coach Josh Nicewarner said is the toughest three-game stretch of the season. And it’s the first of those three games that will take place on the road.
The Class AA top-ranked Indians will be at Alumni Stadium this evening to face off against No. 10 Keyser. Game time between the 8-0 Indians and the 6-2 Golden Tornado is set for 7 p.m.
BHS will make the long trek to the county seat of Mineral County on what is forecast to be a cold and rainy evening. Road trips of two-plus hours are usually a concern to a coaching staff, but BHS Coach Josh Nicewarner is hoping his team already has that taken care of.
“Fortunately, for us we’ve had a long road trip earlier this year and handled it pretty well,” said Nicewarner of the week two visit to Wheeling Park. “It’s a situation where you want things to be the same as much as possible. One thing I know is going to be the same is that it’s going to be a physical game.”
Part of that physical nature stems from the fact that both teams like to get things going via the ground. Although they don’t run to the percentage that Bridgeport does, KHS will do all they can to control the line of scrimmage to run it on the Indians.
So far this year, Keyser has found success by using quarterback Brady Ours to lead the way. Ours leads the team with 651 yards and nine touchdowns on 76 carries (8.6 yards per carry) on the season.
“I know the Ours kids leads them and he’s tough, but they’ve got a lot of talent and I’m certain they’re physical,” said Nicewarner.
The Golden Tornado has other options as well as they have four backs with more than 200 yards rushing on the year. Deavonta Johnson has 379 yards on 59 runs (6.4 yards per carry) with seven scores, while Terrell Bush has carried the ball 54 times for 285 yards (5.3 yards per carry) with five touchdowns. Christian Ravenscroft and Maleik Garland may also get in on the running game action.
Keyser averages 219.2 yards per game on the ground. That number conflicts greatly with the 67.3 yards per game the Indians have yielded this year. In fact, Bridgeport is allowing just 2.6 yards per carry on the season.
Bridgeport’s stout defense is led by senior linebacker Mackenzie Holmes. Holmes has a team-high 37 tackles and also had two interceptions, a pair of pass break ups and a fumble recovery.
Seth Friel and John Thomas are also big on the defensive side of the ball. Both players have 29 stops this year. John Merica and Brice Haines are also strong on the defensive unit with 27 and 24 tackles, respectively, this season.
Where BHS’s defense has been the strongest is on third down. Incredibly, opponents are converting on just 19 percent (15-of-78) third down conversions.
Keyser’s defense has allowed 153.2 yards per game on the ground. BHS is currently averaging 263 yards rushing per game.
Looking to stop the Indians’ ground attack – perhaps not so surprisingly – will be a KHS defense led by Ours. He paces the club with 42 tackles, while Bush is right behind with 41.5 stops. Johnson is also among the team leaders in tackles with 21.
Keyser knows exactly what is coming at them. The Indians’ power pistol offense is paced by senior tailback J.T. Harris with 632 yards on 108 carries (5.9 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Gordon Swiger, who started last week after sitting two games with a banged up shoulder, is next with 388 yards on 80 runs (4.8 yards per carry) with six scores. Holmes (46 for 252 yards and four TDs) and Merica (29 for 225 with two scores) are also capable runners. Merica started at quarterback in Swiger’s absence.
Unlike the last three years where the Indians won state championships with dominating offense and defense, BHS is getting it done this year without video game numbers on offense. Thanks to winning the battle of field position and game clock, the Tribe has been able to continue winning.
BHS is 3-2 in the series against the Golden Tornado. The series started in 2012 where KHS won a regular season and playoff game in convincing fashion. Since that time, Bridgeport has won three straight – including a road win in 2014.
Tonight’s game will be carried once again on WAJR 103.3 FM with the “Voice of the Indians” Travis Jones making the call and Ryan Nicewarner providing the play by play.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Bridgeport's defensive line, which has been part of a dominating defense. Middle photo shows Coach Josh Nicewarner, right, and assistant Coach John Cole, yelling out adjustments. In the bottom photo, Brady Ours (40) makes a cut in last year's game as Seth Friel looks to make the tackle. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.
Leave a Comment
Log in or create an account to post a comment.