Few things are more important than momentum in a football game. Defense is one of those things.

 

Anyone not believing that need look no further than the case study put forth by Bridgeport High School in prep football action this evening.  Despite coming into the second half of a deadlocked game with crosstown rival Robert C. Byrd on the wrong side of the momentum ledger, the Indians leaned on their defense and slammed their way to a 31-7 win.

 

“They’re just playing so well,” said Nicewarner of his defense. “That front seven is playing all out all the time and (RCB) came at us run and pass.”

 

As it turned out, the defense made neither the Eagles’ running game nor passing game matter. By game’s end, Robert C. Byrd ran just 37 plays for 123 yards. Of that total, the Eagles managed just 36 yards rushing on 24 carries. Even more impressive, the Eagles had just 19 yards of offense in the second half.

 

As it also turned out the defense made momentum at the start of the second half contolled by the Eagles also a moot point. With the score 7-7 late in the second quarter, the Indians appeared to take momentum when a Robert C. Byrd field goal attempt hit the right upright and gave Bridgeport possession.

 

The Tribe needed 80 yards after the miss and had 5:28 to get there. As it turned out, they came up just a few seconds and one yard short. Bridgeport’s final play of the half was stopped by a strong RCB surge from its front line and the half ended with the ball resting at the one-yard line.

 

“I take the blame for that. It was kind of poor clock management. I burned a timeout because I wasn’t happy with our personnel and we weren’t really prepared. That’s my fault and thank God it didn’t come into play,” said Nicewarner. “Coming out in the second half I was nervous because I thought had we put it in there it gives us that touchdown lead.”

Nicewarner had no need to worry. He had his defense to fall back on and they wouldn’t let him or the monstrous Indian Homecoming crowd in attendance down.

 

“Our defense just stepped up,” said Nicewarner.

 

The offense was more than happy to follow suit. And it was a cast of names that had yet to find the end zone through three games that did all of the scoring in the second half – for the entire game for that matter.

 

Bridgeport scored on all four of its second half possessions and left the Eagles in the dust. The Tribe’s first possession of the second half would provide all the offense that would be needed as BHS went 75 yards on a drive that saw Dylan Tonkery get a bit banged up and Dante Bonamico – who was injured last week and had only played on defense up to that point – return to the backfield.

 

While the one-two punch of Tonkery and Bonamico may have been expected on the drive, it was a roundhouse from Elijah Drummond that produced what would prove to be the game-winning points. Drummond burst through a gaping hole and went 39 yards for a score. Following one of four successful Nick Strogen point-after kicks, BHS was up 14-7 with 4:26 to play in the third period.

 

Bridgeport’s next drive appeared to be the most critical in a game where offense was at a premium. This time, the Indians drove the ball just 47 yards and needed 11 plays to do it to set Strogen up for a 29-yard field goal attempt. Strogen’s kick was strong and true and BHS led 17-7 with 8:14 to play.

 

Although the RCB faithful was holding on to hope with just over five minutes to play and about to get the ball back with its lone defensive stand in the final two periods, a special teams blunder – having 12 men on the field – gave BHS the ball back. And once the Indians had it back, they wouldn’t allow RCB to touch it again until after scoring.

 

Quarterback Zach Spurlock kept the ball, cut through the line and was freed up by a monstrous block from Drummond and went 15 yards for yet another score and a 24-7 advantage with 4:08 to play. Surprisingly, that wasn’t all that was left in the BHS offensive tank.

 

As time was running out, Bridgeport would get the ball back one more time. Even though the Indians were more worried about running out the clock than scoring, Justin Massie took the handoff in the Indians’ power pistol turned diamond formation and was off to the races. “The Moose,” as he’s called by teammates, busted loose around the right side and galloped to the end zone with Spurlock accompanying him on what turned into a 60-yard scoring run.

 

“We needed (those guys to step up) because Dante was banged up. He was a game-time decision … Dylan got banged up and we had to do something. We had to change things up offensively,” said Nicewarner talking about the diamond. “That really allows us to run four guys now. Why we didn’t think about going to this sooner, I don’t know. The diamond formation is fun.”

 

Fun translated into 57 plays for 400 yards of offense. Every single play was a running play with Tonkery doing the bulk of the work. The junior carried the ball 26 times for 166 yards.

 

“That’s a good football team. We weren’t just going to manhandle that team and we didn’t. We fought, we kept blocking hard and that’s what happens when we do those things,” said Nicewarner.

 

For anyone expecting anything other than a battle in the first half, they were deeply disappointed. For those that follow either team, they got what they’ve come to expect for at least two periods – an absolute war.

 

After Bridgeport came up empty on its first two possessions and the Eagles were thwarted on their first possession, the visitors from Clarksburg were able to take advantage of good field position on their second drive. Starting at Bridgeport’s 44-yard line, it took just two plays for Robert C. Byrd to get on the score board. And they had their passing game to thank for it.

 

Quarterback Julian Marino’s play-action fake froze the Bridgeport defense and that was more than enough for speedster Devonti Birch to get way behind the Tribe’s defense. Marino then completed the damage with a throw on a rope to Birch who went in from 43 yards out for the game’s first score. Following a Zach Messersmith extra point, it was 7-0 RCB with 1:38 to play in the first period.

 

“Two weeks in a row we let a team stay in the game because of one big play … We just all bit on that fake,” said Nicewarner.

 

The Indians wouldn’t take the bait again. Several more times Marino went over the top looking for Birch and fellow speedster Alex Banko. On nearly every occasion – and on all deep balls – BHS had the answer. Three times, senior defensive back John Wilfong would bat down balls.

 

“On that pass play where they scored we were in zone coverage and we came up and read the run. They got behind us and that same thing happened last week against Lewis County,” said Wilfong. “Coach is always getting on us about letting the big plays happen and that it’s better to give up a play in front of us for five yards than the big play. I was just trying to go up and tap the ball away.”

 

As is often the case in the rivalry, Bridgeport responded after getting knocked down. The Tribe used an eight-play, 61-yard drive to get into the end zone. Tonkery, who was the Indians’ first half workhorse, set the table for Mitchell Winkie who cleaned it up with a two-yard plunge up the gut at the 10:05 mark of the second period to set the way for a 7-7 score.

 

After that, the late first half dramatics where both teams came up empty occured. However, the Indians won the yardage battle in the first half with Tonkery leading the way. Tonkery carried the ball 19 times for 110 yards. He led a BHS offense – that didn’t throw a pass – that had 175 yards rushing on 31 carries.

 

RCB had just 104 yards of offense. Julian Marino was the catalyst with 79 yards passing on 3-of-7 passing. Juwan Jones-Wright finished with 12 yards rushing on five carries. The Eagles had 25 yards rushing on 10 carries.

 

“We pride ourselves on defense and that’s what Bridgeport football is about,” said Wilfong. “It’s what wins games.”

 

And it’s also what trumps momentum.

 

Next week, the 3-1 Indians host East Fairmont. The contest begins at 7:30 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Photos, from top, show Connor Nelson applying the defensive pressure followed by Dylan Tonkery battling for tough yardage in the first half. Third picture shows Elijah Drummond getting to the edge and in the fourth photo Justin Massie breaks free for six. Tonkery stiff arms an RCB defender in the second half, while QB Zack Spurlock runs the diamond formation in the second half. In the bottom photo, Mitchell Winkie hands the ball to the official after his first half score. All photos by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.