For the third straight year, Bridgeport took a talented Class AAA Wheeling Park team to the limit. And for the third straight year, it didn’t prove to be enough.

 

This time, however, it wasn’t a field goal in the final seconds that proved to be the difference. Instead, it was a myriad of things small and large that proved costly in a 14-10 loss to the Patriots at Wheeling Island Stadium.  Whether it was the game’s lone turnover, allowing key third down conversions, poor field position, a single digit punt or a penalty that left the BHS coach staff in a bit of a rage, the contest’s critical moments went the way of the hosts.

 

Still, as the final score indicated, the game was close. And it was close throughout. In fact, Bridgeport nearly rallied from a 14-3 second half deficit by going old school.

 

After a first half with just 70 yards of offense, Bridgeport scrapped the power pistol that helped in capture a Class AA state title last year and went back to the decades-old stick-I following the Patriots’ touchdown to open the second half. The move provided immediate dividends and nearly a victory.

 

Following a 9-play, 72-yard Wheeling Park drive aided by a 42-yard pass play and capped by a Theo Blackston one-yard scoring run for a seemingly safe 14-3 advantage, Bridgeport went back to its roots and lined up in the stick. On the very first play, junior Dante Bonamico ripped off a 34-yard run and the Tribe was back in business deep into Wheeling Park territory.

 

BHS used seven plays to go the final 28 yards. Bonamico did the honors from one yard out to make the score 14-10 following Nick Strogen’s point-after kick with 2:28 showing on the third period clock. The score ignited the Indians and put them in position to win as the momentum carried over to the defensive side of the ball.

 

On its next series, Wheeling Park got all of three yards before punting it back to the Indians with 31 seconds left in the third quarter. It was here that the Tribe appeared to be ready to deliver a death blow.

 

Starting at their own 23, the Indians began to methodically march the ball up the field with a time-consuming surge. The Tribe began gouging the Patriots with runs by Bonamico and Dylan Tonkery before BHS Coach Josh Nicewarner decided the casino wasn’t the only place to gamble on the Island. Facing a 4^th-and-2 midway through the drive at his own 45, Nicewarner called a timeout and then put the ball in Bonamico’s hands – and the junior delivered. Fighting for yardage as he was met at the first down sticks, Bonamico leaned forward and got the first down.

 

The conversion not only seemed demoralizing, but multiple Park players were tugging at the bottom of their jerseys. Certainly, the game was in Bridgeport’s control.

 

Then, disaster struck just four plays later as Tonkery coughed up the ball and the Patriots recovered at their own 40. Although Bridgeport’s defense yielded little once Wheeling got the ball back, the Patriots managed to run some clock and a deadly punt left Bridgeport facing a first-and-10 from its own 7-yard line and only 2:21 to play.

 

Unfortunately for the Tribe, they never got past the 30 yard line.

 

The game proved to be a grind. Bridgeport managed to outgain Wheeling Park as the Tribe had 50 plays for 184 yards and the hosts finished with 157 yards on just 39 offensive plays.

 

Bonamico finished with 99 yards rushing on 24 carries. Tonkery, who played after missing most of last week with an ankle injury, finished with 49 yards on 11 runs.

 

A week after Blackston rushed for a school record 296 yards, he managed just 41 yards on 16 carries against Bridgeport. However, it was the passing of Killian Coyne that proved to be costly to the Tribe. Although not finishing with huge numbers, he hit on 9-of-12 passes for 96 yards, including many key passes on third down that kept the Patriots on the field.

 

The first half proved to be a game of field position, and in this game it was Wheeling Park that had the upper hand for most of the first half.

 

With the exception of the final play of the half when the Patriots took a knee, Park’s drives started at the Bridgeport 34, its own 46, and its own 40. Surprisingly, it was the worst field position of those three drives where the Patriots managed to get the first half’s only touchdown drive going.

 

Wheeling needed nine plays to go 60 yards and score on Blackston’s five-yard touchdown run. The drive was notable for several things, including three third down conversions – the last of which was Blackston’s score. The drive also assisted by a targeting call on the Indians on the drive’s first play, which added 15-yards to a six-yard pass completion. Nicewarner was less than happy about the call, and it proved to be critical.

 

While BHS was fighting to stop Park from taking advantage of good field position in the first half, BHS had to battle against continual poor starting points. Bridgeport’s field position was its own 24, its own 20, and its own 10 in the first two periods.

 

It wasn’t until the final drive of the first half that the Tribe finally had respectable field position. BHS started at its own 40-yard line and went to work – and got some of its work done through the air. In fact, a pair of Zack Spurlock to Justin Massie passes – both for six yards – proved critical in keeping the surge going.

 

Thirteen plays after it started – and following a huge eight-yard run by Bonamico on a fourth-and-two play – the Indians called on Strogen to kick a field goal for the second straight week. This time Strogen connected with an upright-splitting 24-yard field goal with 15 seconds to play in the half to bring the score to 7-3.

 

Wheeling Park also took a shot at a field goal on the game’s first drive. After a seven-yard punt gave the Patriots the ball at the Bridgeport 34-yard line, the hosts could get no further than the Tribe’s 19-yard line. That set the stage for a Chase Gheen 36-yard field goal attempt that hit the uprights and was no good. Gheen would make up for that by nailing both of his extra point tries later in the game.

 

Outside of that – and the two scoring drives – neither team seriously threatened as the game turned into a battle of defense. How strong were the defenses in the opening half? The Indians had 26 plays for 70 yards and the Patriots finished with 62 yards on 19 plays.

 

The setback moves BHS to 1-1 and ends the Tribe’s 13-game winning streak – losing to the team that last beat them in week two last year. Bridgeport will host Lewis County next week at 7:30 p.m.

 

Click HERE for a Ben Queen photo gallery.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Elijah Drummond trying to get pressure on the Wheeling Park quarterback, while Dante Bonamico battles for the Indians' only touchdown in the second photo. In the third photo, the Patriots pounce on one of the few fumbles by either team in the game. Zach Bombardiere leads the defensive alignment that held Park in check for much of the game in the fourth photo.Justin Massie is shown after coming up with one of his two key first half receptions in the fifth photo, while BHS Coach  Josh Nicewarner voices his displeasure to an official about a first half call for targetting. All photos by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.