During the 2015 football season, then-Bridgeport High School sophomore lineman Jimmy Allison saw the player in front of him on the offensive line go down for the rest of the year with a knee injury. The unfortunate situation for his teammate created an opportunity for Allison.

 

He didn’t waste it.

 

Allison ended up starting the rest of that season as well as the 2015 state championship season and never left the lineup while an Indian. This afternoon, Allison is hoping to take advantage of another opportunity in front of him.

 

With friends and family on hand, Allison became the latest member of the 2017 BHS football team to sign a NCAA letter of intent. Allison signed with Fairmont State University, of the Division II Mountain East Conference inside the BHS library with family and coaches by his side.

 

“I’m really excited about this chance. They’ve got a great program and it’s kind of close by,” said Allison, who plans to do general studies with a lean toward classes in criminology. “I want to be the hometown boy who does well.”

 

Allison certainly did well during his time in Bridgeport. Coach John Cole said, for the most part, he was a three-year starter. And he said he stepped up in a big-way by playing both offensive and defensive line this year for the Indians after the season got underway.

 

“He’s been heavily involved in our success over the last three years, including a state championship as a sophomore,” said Coach John Cole. “Jimmy has the size and strength, but he worked to get good at the rest of it because not everything came easy and had some rough practices as a result. The thing is that he liked it, he stuck with it and was willing to work hard and this is the result.”

 

Cole said he knew even before the state title game against Tolsia in 2015 that he had a good one. At the time, Cole was coaching the offensive line as an assistant and remembered a play that let him know Allison had it figured out.

 

“One of early touchdowns was on his side that Dante (Bonamico) scored. Tolsia ran a stunt and I thought that if we were able to pick it up that we had a good chance for a big play,” said Cole. “Jimmy came down and saw the stunt and he and the guard opened up a hole and Dante was gone. That’s what we got that year and for the next two years.”

 

This year, however, he was hit with the learning curve again. Once again, he figured it out.

 

“After, I think, week four he had to play on defense as well. I wasn’t sure how that would go, but it worked out,” said Cole. “He gave us exactly what we needed.”

 

Allison finished the year with 20 tackles and one sack for an eight-yard loss. He also forced a fumble.

 

With the Falcons, Allison will likely be plugged in along the offensive line. Again, he’ll have a learning curve and it’s more than just moving up to the D-II level.

 

“Division II is really tough, especially the Mountain East Conference, and it’s an adjustment that he’ll have to make with hard work. If he embraces it he’s got the rest of the skill that’s needed because he’s pretty close to where he needs to be with his size and strength,” said Cole. “Honestly, I think the bigger adjustment he’s going to have is pass blocking. We just don’t do much passing and when we do it is play action. At the college level it’s a much more complex scheme.”

 

Allison said he’s aware of that. He’s ready to work on everything.

 

“I’ve got to improve on my speed and stamina and I still have to be stronger at that level,” said Allison. “As for the pass blocking, I know it’s going to be a challenge because it’s something I’m not used to. If I put work into it, it can’t be too hard.”

 

Along with winning a state championship. Allison was also part of Bridgeport’s 12-1 team in 2016 and 11-2 squad in 2017. Both of those teams fell in the Class AA semifinals.

 

Editor's Note: At the top, Jimmy Allison is surrounded by his mother Christina and father Jimmy after signing this afternoon. In the back row is Assistant Coach Jason Nicewarner, brother Johnathan Allison and Coach John Cole.Second photo shows  Allison (74) heading back to the line for another play, while in the third photo Allison celebrates a Bridgeport touchdown. At the bottom, Allison holds his own against Fairmont's Dante Stills, a four-star defensive lineman who signed with West Virginia University. Bottom three photos are by www.benqueenphotography.com.