Although they no longer play on a regular basis, Bridgeport and Liberty have battled on the football field since the Mountaineers opened shop on Davisson Run Road in the 1970s. For most of the series, it’s been a lopsided affair.

 

The Indians own a 37-2 advantage going into this evening’s contest with Liberty last winning in 1983. Bridgeport managed to earn a win at Wayne Jamison Field in a game that was a battle until the end.

 

There’s a chance tonight’s matchup could be of the same hard-nosed style. Both the Tribe and LHS come into this evening’s contest in Clarksburg sporting 2-0 records and having teams that would prefer to run the ball rather than throw it.

 

The Mountaineers have a triple threat of runners in the backfield. Seth McIntyre, Sayveon Beafore and Dwayne Buckhannon are the players most likely to get the ball handed to them this evening after coming off wins against Elkins (40-8) and South Harrison (35-6).

 

In two games, McIntyre had 167 yards rushing on 23 carries and one score. Beafore has 166 yards rushing on 31 runs with two rushing scores, while Buckhannon had 144 yards on 26 rushes with four scores.

 

“It’s a fantastic group of backs,” said Cole. “When you watch the, you see everything starts with McIntrye. He’s their best football player and that’s saying something because they’ve got a lot of them,” said Cole. “Last year, he got hurt a bit and it made a difference and it showed on defense where he’s solid as a linebacker, which is a problem because we’ve had issues with linebackers this year.”

 

Liberty can, and has, passed with success. Quarterback Noah Leggett is an efficient 9-of-13 for 122 yards with three touchdowns on the year.

 

Bridgeport will counter with an offense that throws even less. Like the Mountaineers, the Indians are continuing their decades-long practice of ball control by way of the ground game. And so far, it’s working again.

 

Senior tailback Brian Henderson has gotten the bulk of the carries this year. He leads the team with 267 yards on 55 carries (4.7 yards per run) and has three touchdowns.

 

After that, the Indians two primary runners are J.D. Love with 19 carries for 76 yards (3.9 per carry) and Carson Winkie with 14 carries for 71 yards (5.1 yards per carry). Both players have one touchdown.

 

Quarterback Devin Vandergrift is also a threat to run with 13 rushes for 66 yards (3.8 yards per carry). He is 6-of-10 passing for 63 yards with two interceptions – both of which came last week in the 17-14 overtime win against Morgantown.

 

Winkie leads the Bridgeport defense with 16 tackles. Josh Wojociehowicz and Trey Pancake both have 10, while they are followed by Elijah Smith with nine stops and Sam Drake with 7.

 

“We expect it to be a tough game. Offensively, they do a lot of what we do, and I think it helps us knowing it and probably helps them, too,” said Cole. “They will understand our blocking schemes and how the defense is supposed to work against it.

 

“Honestly, it will come down to two things. Like always, it’s about execution and the line of scrimmage,” Cole continued. “(Liberty Coach) A.J. (Harman) has a strong football team that will give us problems as we found out last year.”

 

Last year, Bridgeport prevailed 28-14 in a game that was close throughout. Cole expects more of the same.

 

“It should be a good game; a physical game,” said Cole. “They’re not the same team they were last year, but neither are we. We better be ready to play.”

 

Bridgeport’s game with Liberty can be heard live on 103.3 WAJR FM. Travis Jones will handle the play by play and Chris George will provide the color commentary. The pre-game show begins at 6:30 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Top two photos are pre-game shots prior to last week's Bridgeport game with Morgantown. Bottom photo shows Coach John Cole, left, and Liberty Coach A.J. Harman shaking hands after last year's contest at Wayne Jamison Field. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.