There’s going to be plenty of change involving the Bridgeport High School football program in 2018. The coaching staff will see more than one new face and the Indians will have to find a boatload of players to fill in key spots, especially along the offensive and defensive lines.

 

Change, however, isn’t just limited to the field. In fact, one of the most familiar voices for fans of the program has announced the 2017 season was his last.

 

Long-time Indians color commentator, and 2000 Bridgeport High School graduate and former player Ryan Nicewarner won’t be back handling those chores. Nicewarner has served as the ying to “The Voice of the Indians” Travis Jones’ yang doing color commentary since 2009.

 

However, Nicewarner’s duties go back further with the broadcast. Outside of a couple of seasons handling other various media chores, Nicewarner began working with the WAJR program in 2001 doing on-field sound. He eventually moved to the booth to do statistics and eventually handled on-air work starting in ’09.

 

“This is probably one of the harder decisions I’ve had to make because it’s a job each year where I get to spend as many as 14 weeks with one of your best friends doing something you absolutely love,” said Nicewarner. “There’s no doubt Travis is the one that makes that broadcast go, but being able to be part of it and how long we’ve had a relationship is what made it tough. I just hope during my time I helped impact those broadcasts.”

 

So why leave?

 

“In the end, family always wins. I’ve got four kids and I’ve made it tough on them and my wife because you’re talking being away just about every Friday from August sometimes into the first week of December,” said Nicewarner. “Sometimes I’d put the kids to bed on a Thursday, leave for work at 6 a.m. Friday and not get home until late Saturday morning without seeing the kids or my wife. That is the factor that weighs the heaviest so it’s time pass the torch.”

 

Nicewarner doesn’t have kids who are of the age where they can easily take care of themselves. His four children run from age 7 to nearly four months old.

 

While Jones admits losing him is tough on the professional and personal front, he doesn’t blame him. In fact, he’s happy for his friend.

 

“I was blessed having him as long as I had him. He certainly deserves his weekends free with his family to be able to enjoy those kids. That’s time you don’t get back,” said Jones.

 

Nicewarner said there’s not anything specific to do. He said he’s looking forward to putting his kids to be on Friday nights and maybe making a few more trips to WVU games. In particular, he liked to do what his wife Jamie, whom he’s been married to for nine years, wants to do if she has plans.

 

“We’ve been together for 17 years and she knew what she was getting into, but she agreed to it. At the same time, that doesn’t make it easy for me knowing she’s got the responsibility or for her to have the responsibility. With four kids, it’s not fair to her,” said Nicewarner. “She’s always been the strongest woman I know to put up with that and even with me going to games on off weeks and nights and occasionally breaking down films.”

 

While his voice will be gone, Jones said Ryan Nicewarner’s legacy is secure with the program. And not from his playing days or his time in the booth.

 

“People don’t realize how instrumental he was in starting the booster club as he was talking about doing that long before it ever started. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be involved and now we’ve taken over the golf tournament and the steak fry and added the football camp,” said Jones. “It was Ryan that got the ball rolling on that.”

 

While funds from the golf tournament go toward scholarships, dollars in other events provide a resource for coaches and the football program to turn to get needed items immediately. Jones said for staffs to not to have to worry about purchasing items thanks to funds being available, relieves a burden off those coaching.

 

“Those dollars take a concern off the plate of the coaches and allows them to spend more time working with the kids,” said Jones. “If a headset is broken, they can use dollars these events create to get it instead of spending time away from the program trying to track down a piece of equipment or the dollars needed to get the piece of equipment. I can assure you the coaches appreciate those funds, and Ryan is responsible for those funds existing now and well into the future.”

 

Still, Jones will miss his friend for reasons already listed.

 

“It’s hard because it comes back to us being very good friends. He’s like a brother I’ve never had and that’s resulted in a natural chemistry where we’ve learned to play off one another well,” said Jones. “The same was the case when Tim (Brady) was with us. We were all friends and the interaction was pretty seamless.”

 

Jones said Nicewarner was a quick study in the booth. He said that was something else that impressed him.

 

“He just learned it because, and he’d tell you this, he wasn’t a natural from the get-go,” said Jones, who said a new partner will be announced in the near future. “He just kept getting better because he knew the game and loved the game. The thing is there’s difference between knowing the game and being able to analyze it. Ryan could do both, and do both well.

 

“It takes a special person to do color and to analyze plays and make comments because you have to do so in a limited time,” Jones continued. “The window in which to work is a short one. I think the best thing he learned was when not to talk. Sometimes everyone in the booth needs to say what happened and then let the noise of the crowd tell you what’s going on. He was good at that.”

 

While you won’t hear Nicewarner in the booth, you may see him at a few games. He still plans on being around every so often.

 

“My hope is to bring the kids down and see a game or two at home,” said Nicewarner. “I’m going to miss the guys in the booth and not seeing everyone, but the good news is that it’s not like I’m an hour away. I can still pop down on occasion with the family and say hello. Even though I’m comfortable with my decision, I’m going to miss it.”

 

The BHS will miss you as well Ryan. Thanks for your time, effort and dedication to the program and its student-athletes. Now go and enjoy your family.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Ryan Nicewarner at last year's Lewis County game, while in the second photo he's shown at the 2017 Friends of Bridgeport Football Golf Tournament handling duties. In the third picture, Nicewarner is seated as Travis Jones makes a point during a road contest. In the bottom photo, Nicewarner, left, and Jones, middle, are joined by another former member of the crew in Tim Brady.