Like a broken record, the same message goes out over and over whenever Bridgeport has taken the football field this year. And the message is that you just aren’t going to run on the Indians’ defense.

 

The defense was so dominant tonight in a 41-0 victory by BHS that it actually broke a record that has at least stood since 1997 and prompted the coaching staff of the Indians’ opponent, East Fairmont, to agree to go to 10-minute quarters in the second half in a game that was clearly decided in the first 24 minutes.

 

“Both coaches have to agree to it and the officials have to agree to it,” said BHS Coach Josh Nicewarner on trimming two minutes off each of the final two periods. “You hate to see a kid get hurt in a game like this and the good thing was that both teams came out relatively healthy … We did it to speed the game up and limit the chances of an injury.”

 

Just how dominant was BHS in the victory at Wayne Jamison Field?

 

Despite the fact the Tribe went the entire second half with its reserves and even a portion of the first half with backups on both sides of the ball, the Tribe held the Bees to just 97 yards of offense. What’s record breaking about the total is that East Fairmont finished the game carrying the ball 16 times for a negative-34 yards rushing.

 

Of course, that’s what happens when you sack the opposing team’s quarterback seven times and get relentless pressure by the front seven on passing plays and filling the gaps on running plays.

 

“I don’t know what it is about this group, but this defense has just turned into the strength of the team,” said Nicewarner. “They get it and have gotten it quicker than we’re used to. In the past, we would hit our defensive stride six or seven weeks in. These guys hit the stride day one and it’s a testament to the players and the coaching staff. They’re fun to watch defensively.”

 

At least it was fun to watch from the Bridgeport side of the field.

 

On this particular evening, the defense was about the only thing that could have possibly overshadowed the offense. Based on the game’s final numbers, turning that trick proved to be no easy task.

 

Bridgeport finished with 464 yards of offense on 47 plays, including averaging just over 10 yards per carry. The Tribe ran the ball 43 times for 436 yards and they did that with leading rusher Dante Bonamico sitting out healing up an ankle and Achilles injury.

 

The workhorse proved to be junior Dylan Tonkery for the second straight week. Although the number of times he was actually called upon was limited, his output was not.

 

Tonkery finished the game with 155 yards rushing on just seven carries; all of which came in the first half. He scored three touchdowns by way of the ground and also managed to score on a pass reception to round out a solid offensive game.

 

“Dylan’s got to turn into that guy. The hardest thing with Dylan is that not every run needs to be a touchdown,” said Nicewarner. “Good things happen when you just go where you’re supposed to go instead of trying to create things yourself. I think he benefitted from that tonight.”

 

The tone of the game was set from the opening kickoff. And it was a tone that East Fairmont would have to listen to throughout.

 

After winning the toss and electing to receive, Bridgeport’s John Wilfong took the kickoff and returned it 52 yards to set up the Indians in prime field position. Starting on the East Fairmont 35-yard line, the Tribe needed just three plays before scoring as Tonkery would get his first touchdown from 11 yards out followed by a Nick Strogen point-after kick for a 7-0 lead not even two minutes into the game.

 

If that quick score wasn’t demoralizing, the Tribe had plenty more left in the tank to make the evening one to forget for the Marion County school. In fact, with the exception of forcing a Strogen 20-yard field goal on Bridgeport’s second possession to make it 10-0 and a fumble that wasn't caused by contact, East Fairmont didn’t stop Bridgeport once the rest of the first half.

 

The other four times the Indians had the ball in the first half, they found the end zone. And they found it quick.

 

Tonkery scored on a 59-yard run to help make it 17-0 early in the second period. That was followed on the next drive by quarterback Zack Spurlock adding a 46-yard keeper for a 23-0 lead.

 

Then the Indians did something they haven’t done all year – scored on a TD pass. Spurlock connected with Tonkery, who was lined up wide in one of the multiple offensive sets the Tribe displayed from their shotgun formation, from 18 yards out for a 29-0 advantage.

 

Tonkery would add yet another score to put the icing on the first half scoring. He busted free from 39 yards out for a 35-0 lead at the break. The only East Side defender that had a chance in the secondary to get to Tonkery was completely wiped out by Mitchell Winkie on the play.

 

By the end of the first half, the numbers told the story. It would prove to be of the horror variety for the Bees.

 

East Side’s ground game was already proving less than non-existent. The guests had negative-22 yards on 14 carries and completed 5-of-12 passes for 46 yards. For the game, East Side managed to complete 11-of-27 passes for 131 yards, but most of that came in the second half.

 

“If I had to nitpick about anything it would be allowing those passes they got in the flat,” said Nicewarner.

 

Bridgeport’s lone score, which proved to be the game’s only second half score, came on its first offensive play from scrimmage in the third period. Luke Southern got the handoff, burst to the right side and outraced the East Fairmont defense for a 56-yard touchdown run.

 

Prior to that play, Bridgeport had 298 yards of offense in the first half – 270 of that on the ground. Spurlock contributed 83 yards to the rushing total on just five carries and completed 3-of-4 passes for 28 yards. LikeTonkery, all of Spurlock's yardage came in the first two periods of play.

 

Along with the touchdown pass, the Indians also had another season first this evening. Gordon Swiger’s second half pickoff of an East Side pass was the first interception of the year for the Indians.

 

Bridgeport moves to 4-1 on the season. The Tribe will actually have a rare Thursday evening game as they visit Elkins Thursday at 7:30 p.m. to compete in the Forest Festival Bowl.

 

Click HERE for a photo gallery from tonight's game.

 

Editor's Note: Top two photos show the defensive pressure Bridgeport applied the entire evening, while in the third photo Dylan Tonkery races outside for one of his three rushing touchdowns. In the fourth photo, Zack Spurlock throws a pass to the edge in the first half. Photos by Tyler Maxwell of www.benqueenphotography.com.