If you’re a Bridgeport High School football fan and have some free time Thanksgiving morning, you may want to head to down to Johnson Avenue late that morning to perhaps save some money and to perhaps save a little bit of time. Bridgeport Principal Mark DeFazio said that the school will be selling advance tickets to Friday’s Class AA quarterfinal game between the Indians and Fairmont Senior Thursday.

 

“We’ll be down at the school in the morning with a limited window,” said DeFazio. “We’ll be selling tickets between 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.”

 

Advance tickets will be $5 for students and all others will be $7 if purchased in advance. At the gate, all tickets are $7. Season passes, senior discounts and other non-WVSSAC specific passes related to entry are not accepted.

 

“We’ll be letting those wanting to buy the tickets to come to the back of the high school that morning. They can park in the back parking lot and enter through the cafeteria,” said DeFazio. “It’s a little bit more limited in time because of the holiday and because the football team will be there.”

 

DeFazio said the weekly spaghetti dinner prepared by the football mothers will begin at around the time the sale will be ending. He said that many of those involved often buy tickets, which made it feasible to hold the sale on the holiday.

 

“We typically do the advance ticket sales one day prior to the game and with the tradition of the spaghetti dinner, we just figured we do it at the same time,” said DeFazio. “The fact that we’re doing it over the Thanksgiving holiday for the last several years is a good thing because that means the football team is still playing.”

 

DeFazio said some may be surprised with the amount of advance tickets that are sold. He said the school has sold as much as $1,200 in advance tickets at some games in recent years.

 

“People like to get their tickets early, save a few dollars for their kids and themselves and avoid any potential wait once they get to the game,” he said. “We encourage anyone to come down.”

 

Unlike other home games, Bridgeport is technically the home school, but not the host school. The game is hosted by the WVSSAC, which received the gate receipts. BHS benefits from funds raised through concession sales.

 

Because of the contest being a WVSSAC event, regular season passes aren’t the only thing that changes. DeFazio said the parking lot in front of Wayne Jamison Field is no longer reserved.

 

“It’s on a first come, first serve basis,” he said.

 

The 11-0-1 Indians and the 10-2 Polar Bears will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The game can be heard live on WAJR 103.3 FM with Travis Jones and Ryan Nicewarner calling the action.

 

Editor's Note: The team pauses for prayer after last week's 41-13 quarterfinal win against Robert C. Byrd, while Principal Mark DeFazio is shown below. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.