Focus Squarely on Herbert Hoover as Indians Prepare for 12th Championship Game Appearance
By Chris Johnson on December 13, 2024
There is a certain amount of pomp and circumstance that comes along with any championship event.
With the West Virginia high school football championships back in Charleston for the first time since 1993, the capital city has rolled out the rep carpet for the eight schools that will be competing for a title in four classes and all their fan bases.
From hotel accommodations, Christmas light shows, welcome banquets and maybe even a gift basket or two, the weekend is being treated as an event for the ages.
The Bridgeport High School football team is treating it like a business trip.
“We are going to get on a bus at 6 in the morning, stop at a rest area and stretch our legs, get a bite to eat, pull up to Laidley Field at 10 a.m. with a bad attitude,” Bridgeport coach Tyler Phares said.
The Indians will face Herbert Hoover at noon, Saturday at Laidley Field at the University of Charleston Stadium for the Class AAA state championship in a battle of two 13-0 teams.
It marks the first time Bridgeport has played for a state title since they won the Class AA state championship in 2019 and it marks the 12th title game appearance in school history. In the previous 11, they sport a 10-1 record.
It’s already been a historic season for the Indians as they have set numerous school records and have scored more points than anybody in the state (752 for a per game average of 57.8) and have allowed the fewest amount of points in all of Class AAA (105 for an average of 8.1 per game).
Reflection and celebration are on hold for the time being as there is only thing on this team’s mind.
“We are focused only on Herbert Hoover right now,” Phares said. “The kids have worked hard and we are excited but none of this means a thing unless we win on Saturday.
“Hoover has a great program. They do a lot of great things and it’s going to take a special effort from our guys. Like us, they don’t do a lot on offense but they are comfortable with what they do. Defensively, they are tough, they fly to the football and make plays.”
When preparing for the Huskies’ offense, it all centers around slowing down dynamic dual-threat quarterback Dane Hatfield, who led Hoover to the Class AA state title game as a sophomore in 2022.
This year alone, Hatfield has 2,100 rushing yards with 37 touchdowns and has thrown for 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns. In his career, Hatfield has accounted for 12,517 total yards and 172 touchdowns.
“Dane Hatfield is a special football player,” Phares said. “He finds yardage that isn’t there.”
Another dynamic playmaker for the Huskies has emerged this year in junior Blake Fisher, who has 954 rushing yards, 723 receiving yards and 25 combined TDs.
Yardage of any kind, especially on the ground, has been difficult to come by against the BHS defense this season. In addition to allowing just 8.1 points per game, the Indians are giving up 44.7 rushing yards per game and just 114 passing yards per game.
Bridgeport is also closing in on 100 tackles for a loss on the season as they have 97.5 through the first 13 games and they have a 34-5 advantage in turnover margin.
Fifteen different players have at least 20 tackles for BHS. A trio of linebackers are the three leading tacklers in sophomore Gabe Martin (71 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks), senior Donovan Williams (54 tackles, 12 TFL, 2 sacks) and senior Jon Bender (50 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 sack).
Rounding out the top five in tackles are a pair of hard-hitting safeties in Josh Love (50 tackles, 2.5 TFL) and Cam Martin (44 tackles, 2.5 TF).
Up front, the combined production of defensive linemen Wes Brown, Timmy Jeffress, Colton Miller, Carter Zuliani, Tristan Noble and Noah West has been outstanding with a combined 165 tackles, 42 TFL and 18.5 sacks.
Jack Spatafore leads the defense with five interceptions while Alex Moses and Donte Pierre each have three. Sam Goodwin does a little of everything in the secondary with 30 tackles, 4 for a loss and 5 pass breakups.
The BHS single wing attack on offense has been prolific since the first snap of the season and has yet to be slowed down.
The Indians have a cumulative total of 5,035 rushing yards, which is closing in on a school record set by last year’s team and 93 touchdowns, which is already a school record.
Love leads the way with 1,417 yards on 131 attempts with 26 touchdowns. Moses has 1,011 yards o 70 attempts with 20 touchdowns. Jeffress had 686 yards on 63 carries and 12 touchdowns. Spatafore has 562 yards on 47 carries and 17 touchdowns.
Spatafore is also 21 yards away from becoming the school’s all-time passing yardage leader. He currently has 714 passing yards this season with six touchdowns.
Donovan Williams, the school’s all-time leading receiver, leads the way with 11 catches for 339 yards and four touchdowns, while Jeffress adds 303 yards receiving on 7 catches and three touchdowns.
Last week in the semifinal victory against Fairmont Senior, sophomore kicker Gavin Williams kicked a 34-yard field goal, the team’s first field goal attempt of the season. Williams also has made 76-of-80 PAT kicks, has 42 touchbacks, is averaging more than 40 yards a punt (the four times all season BHS has been forced to do so) and even has a 77-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Moses also has two kick returns for a touchdown.
This will be the second-ever meeting between Bridgeport and Herbert Hoover. The Huskies defeated the Indians, 13-6, in the first round of the Class AA playoffs in 2002.
The game will be shown on the MetroNews.com television app for free. It will also be aired live on SportsNet Pittsburgh, former AT&T Sports and the Root Network. It is channel 792 for Spectrum customers.
The contest can also be heard locally on WKMZ 103.3 FM, which is the radio home of the Bridgeport Indians.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows BHS head coach Tyler Phares on the sideline during the semifinal game against Fairmont Senior. Second photo features (from left): Donovan Williams, Noah West, Wes Brown, Sam Goodwin and Carter Zuliani on defense. Alex Moses follows the blocks on Cam Martin and Josh Love in the third photo and bottom photo shows Donovan Williams making a play on defense. Photos by Joe LaRocca.
Leave a Comment
Log in or create an account to post a comment.